“Baltimore should enter the casino era with its eyes wide open, hopeful that this latest tourist attraction will be a tremendous asset to the city but also wary that gambling’s downside—from the addiction of the individual to the addiction of government on the tax revenue it generates—can be held in check.”
—Editorial in the Baltimore Sun on the opening of the Horseshoe Casino Baltimore
“There’s going to be a divide-and-conquer strategy, just like they did with this unsecured deal. Everyone who didn’t do it is left in the dust.”
—Analyst Mark Heiman of Saguaro Capital Advisors LLC, on Caesars Entertainment’s strategy of negotiating to refinance debt with senior bondholders to the detriment of second-lien bondholders as the operator approaches restructuring
Jesus comes to bring good news to the poor. Casinos are bad for the poor. We follow Jesus.”
—Bishop Douglas John Fisher, leader of the Episcopal Diocese of Western Massachusetts, urging his flock to support Question 3, which would repeal the Bay State’s casino expansion law of 2011
“Repealing the state’s casino gambling law would send the wrong message to markets and investors about the Commonwealth’s overall economic development strategy—we would be changing course midstream on casinos.”
—Steve Kerrigan, candidate for Massachusetts lieutenant governor, commenting on Question 3, which would repeal the state’s Expanded Gaming Act of 2011
“If Massachusetts votes to repeal casinos, this could represent a turning of the tide. But even if the casinos win, the fact that they’re even having this vote says to the industry that maybe they should think twice about how many casinos they’re opening.”
—Richard McGowan, a business professor at Boston College who is an expert on casino gaming, commenting on the possibility of gaming being repealed in Massachusetts
“No state has ever repealed expanded gaming legislation since the modern industry of gambling started in 1931 with Nevada.”
—Clyde W. Barrow, gaming expert based at the University of Texas-Pan American, commenting on the possibility of Massachusetts’ voters repeal the 2011 Expanded Gaming Act
“And while there is a certain appeal to the prospect of turning a toxic Superfund site in Everett into a glitzy resort casino, it’s the Mohegan Sun proposal that hands down has more going for it — and for the communities it will impact.”
—Editorial, Boston Herald, on the casino license that the Massachusetts Gaming Commission will issue for the Boston metro casino zone later this month
“You can buy shares and trade them or you can buy shares and sit on them. I read a few years ago that if you buy and hold you do just as well. I reckon that’s about right.”
—Ainsworth and Aristocrat founder Len Ainsworth, who is Australia’s 19th richest person with a net worth estimated at $1.82 billion
“In those days, casinos had a monopoly. They paid very low taxes. But they took the money and poured it into Las Vegas. If they’d spent that money making Atlantic City a great resort town, we wouldn’t have the problems we have today.”
—Thomas Kean, former New Jersey Governor on the early days of Atlantic City casinos
“As a matter fact, I’ve been thinking I made a mistake when I told the mob to stay out of Atlantic City. They know how to run casinos.”
—Brendan Byrne, former New Jersey Governor who oversaw the legalization of gambling in Atlantic City speaking at the same press conference as Kean
“The only way to get off the black book is to die. You might have an argument if you can show rehabilitation of your reputation over the years. But again, nobody has tried it.”
?Tony Cabot, Las Vegas gaming attorney, on the near-impossibility of getting off a casino’s black list of cheaters
“If the tribe’s arguments were the law, any tribal entity would have virtually unfettered discretion as to whether it should have to repay its obligations on a casino loan.”
?Outsource Services Management, a loan services company, on the Washington Supreme Court ruling that the Nooksack Indians cannot dodge a loan repayment due to tribal sovereignty
“We have reached a point in the state of Nevada where our current laws governing gay and lesbian marriage have made our most vital industry, tourism, uncompetitive. Nevada resorts, restaurants, caterers, florists, photographers and musicians all need to be allowed to compete with the 19 other states that allow the freedom to marry.”
?Michael Weaver, senior VP of marketing for Wynn Resorts, on attracting LGBT tourists to Las Vegas, even though they cannot by law marry in the state
“We’re a donor state, not a recipient. Why isn’t the money staying here? It’s a small amount of money for the federal government, but it’s not a small amount of money for our state. This is peanuts to the feds.”
?Lee Amaitis, CEO, CG Technology, who supports a Nevada congresswoman’s attempt to repeal the handle tax on sports books
“The north end of the Strip is going to be hot. It’s not competition; it’s the high tide that raises all boats. Right now, the happiest guy on the Strip is probably Steve Wynn.”
?Anthony Curtis, publisher of Las Vegas Advisor, hailing the opening of the SLS Las Vegas on the northern end of the Vegas Strip
“There has been some movement. I don’t know if the public will see the movement. I know that I am seeing a lot of movement. I know that my colleague in Delaware Vernon Kirk is seeing a lot of movement.”
?A.G. Burnett, on efforts to get interstate online gaming between Delaware and Nevada
