Hit Me

So, Gov. Deval Patrick outlined his gambling plans yesterday, and surprisingly made a big bet. Three casinos statewide? It doesn't look like Patrick is hedging on this one.

It's a fun issue to talk about. Millions and millions in possible revenues is exciting. Gambling is exciting. But it might not get very far. House Speaker Sal DiMasi hasn't been much of fan -- to put it mildly -- and the House will be the stumbling block that DiMasi is going to have to get past to make this a reality. So, really, this might be a lot of noise about nothing, but noise that's worth paying attention to and considering all the same.

As I've said before, I favor casinos in Massachusetts. Considering the big money the Lottery brings in, gambling is here to stay in some form of another. Considering all the revenue that leaks across the border to Connecticut, why not keep some of that here? The days of Bugsy and Michael Corleone running casinos are over. There are some social issues to consider, but if those are your major problem, you'd better be ready to eliminate scratch tickets, too.

According to Patrick's proposal, three licenses will be auctioned off. Can Fitchburg find a way to get into the action? The short answer is probably not, for a bunch of reasons. First and foremost, the city hasn't been on anyone's radar screen, and plenty of other cities have been working on this for a while. Second, where? Probably your only option is the airport, which is pretty close to the highway. Third, does the city even want it? Worse things could happen, but it's highly unlikely you'd see it here.

So that leaves the ancilliary benefits for the city. Will this create money for the city's roads, schools and other things? Probably. Patrick is touting $400 million a year in new revenues. Certainly Fitchburg would see some of that. Wouldn't every dollar be a benefit to the city?

The city officials with the strongest voices on this one is Rep. Stephen DiNatale and Sen. Robert Antonioni. Hopefully they realize gambling is a reality the state must embrace through casinos, and help make this a reality for Massachusetts.