Governor's office defends casino proposal
BOSTON --A top Patrick administration official said Wednesday that casinos can provide "social stimulation and reduced isolation" for people and that the overwhelming majority of visitors won't become gambling addicts.
Health and Human Services Secretary JudyAnn Bigby, defending Gov. Deval Patrick's three-casino legislation, told a legislative panel that 94 percent of people will either not gamble or will do so without developing a problem.
"Gambling and other forms of entertainment associated with destination resort casinos can also provide social benefits associated with increased social stimulation and reduced isolation," she said.
Bigby and other administration officials acknowledged they don't know how many people would become gambling addicts if casinos are legalized, but boasted that casino revenues would pay for an array of prevention and treatment programs, including unrelated alcohol and drug problems.
They testified at a Statehouse hearing convened by casino opponents Rep. Daniel Bosley, D-North Adams, and Rep. Ruth Balser, D-Newton. The session was held to gather information on gambling addictions and related mental health problems.
There hasn't yet been a hearing specifically on Patrick's bill, which would authorize three resort casinos and generate an estimated 20,000 permanent jobs and $400 million in annual tax revenue. It devotes 2.5 percent of gross revenue from casinos to a public health trust fund.
Bosley, chairman of the Economic Development Committee that will be the first to review the governor's bill, said he was unimpressed by the administration's testimony.
"We haven't heard very much. We heard 'we don't know how many people are going to become addicted, we don't know what it's going to cost us but we're going to do this anyway,'" he said.
Bosley pledged not to bottle up the bill in committee.
"Every two years we put this on the floor and we debate it," he said. "It's always my intent to have the full House participate in this."
Arnie Wexler, a gambling addiction counselor and former head of the New Jersey Council on Compulsive Gambling, agreed with Bigby that casinos can be fun and stimulating, but warned that they can be dangerous, as well.
"A percentage of people are going to destroy their lives," he said in a phone interview. "Gamblers lose their family and their money. Some of those people who have isolation issues and get into gambling are going to become addicted."
Michael Botticelli, director of the state Department of Public Health's Substance Abuse and Addiction Bureau, said they can't quantify how many people would become addicted to casinos.
"Given the fact that many people in the commonwealth do gamble ... what would be the increase? Our review of this basically says that we can't quantify that at this point."
