Mass. Dem. Senate hopefuls stake out varying positions on casinos as state weighs gaming plans

Mass. Dem. Senate hopefuls differ on casino gaming

BOSTON — The four Democratic candidates vying for the late Edward Kennedy’s Senate seat have finally found something they can disagree on: casino gambling.

After concurring on everything from expanded health care to opposing an Afghanistan troop build-up, Attorney General Martha Coakley, U.S. Rep. Michael Capuano, Alan Khazei and Stephen Pagliuca are split on whether to license casinos or slot machines.

Khazei is trumpeting his opposition, hoping to rally liberal Democrats who were dismayed by Gov. Deval Patrick’s embrace of resort casinos after his election.

Those same disaffected liberals will probably also be a sizable chunk of voters in the Dec. 8 Democratic primary.

“I’m calling on citizens across this state to rise up and say we don’t need casinos in Massachusetts,” Khazei said during a debate sponsored by the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the U.S. Senate. “It will fundamentally and irrevocably change our state.”

Khazei argues that the social cost of increased gambling outweighs any increase in revenues. He says the state should instead focus on bolstering jobs in sectors such as biotechnology, health care, clean energy and small businesses.

Khazei, the co-founder of the City Year program, has even created an anti-casino online petition on his campaign Web site. His stance puts him at odds with other candidates.

Capuano said that “adults should be able to do pretty much what they want if they are not hurting others,” including gambling at casinos.

Capuano also acknowledged that casinos won’t be a cure-all for the state’s fiscal woes, and that any expansion of gambling inevitably comes with a downside.

“There will be some large social costs, and that has to be figured into the financial equation or the state will end up with a net loss,” Capuano said in a statement.

Pagliuca sounded a more skeptical note, saying he would support casinos only if they were part of larger developments that included restaurants, entertainment venues and hotels.

Pagliuca, co-owner of the Boston Celtics, said the lure of jobs would be hard to resist, given the state’s rising unemployment.

“I have trepidation about casino gambling because of the issues of crime and blight and gambling addiction,” he said, adding that he could support a plan if it minimizes those drawbacks and “is proven that it will add significant jobs to the state.”

Coakley said she doesn’t oppose casinos but believes the state should approach expanded gambling with caution.

Lawmakers should study other states that already have casinos — such as New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Nevada — to try to avoid pitfalls like increased crime, gambling addiction and identity theft, she said.

Massachusetts should adopt new regulations before signing any deals and put in place auditing mechanisms to oversee casinos’ financial records, she said. She has filed legislation aimed at aiding investigations into money laundering, enterprise crime and wire interception.

“I believe that a realistic assessment of the financial and social costs of casino gaming must be weighed by the Legislature before casino gaming should be legalized,” she said in a statement.

Republican state Sen. Brown, who is also running for Kennedy’s seat, said he supports allowing slot machines at racetracks and is open to the idea of expanded gaming.

Fellow Republican Jack E. Robinson said he supports casino gambling and would try to secure federal funds to support the industry, if elected.

Legislators are weighing a host of proposals to expand gambling, from licensing resort casinos to allowing slot machines at the state’s racetracks.

The push has gained momentum after Beacon Hill’s top Democratic leaders — Patrick, House Speaker Robert DeLeo and Senate President Therese Murray — said they support legalizing casinos as a way to add jobs and boost tax revenues.

House leaders are expected to file a casino bill early next year.

Public opinion appears to support casinos.

A telephone survey of 522 adults found that 56 percent support allowing the state to license casinos, 34 percent are opposed and nine percent are undecided or declined to answer.

The poll of Massachusetts residents was conducted Oct. 18-22 by the Western New England College Polling Institute and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.

The special election to fill Kennedy’s seat is Jan. 19.