Patrick plays his hand in battle over casinos

Stages show of force at legislative hearing

At top right, Sheldon Adelson, the nation's third-richest man and a prospective Bay State casino developer. In center of middle photo, Charles Sarkis, Wonderland Greyhound Park owner and another potential casino developer. At bottom left, Gary Loveman, president of Harrah's Entertainment. (PHOTOS BY DAVID L. RYAN/GLOBE STAFF)

Governor Deval Patrick launched a dramatic campaign yesterday for his plan to introduce three resort casinos in Massachusetts, telling a packed State House auditorium that gambling has long been part of the state's history and would not change the character of the Commonwealth.

The governor entered the hall to a standing ovation from T-shirt-clad union supporters, who sat alongside a who's who of potentially competing casino developers who could reap billions under the casino proposal.

Patrick's choreographed display of force was clearly designed to put to rest criticism from some quarters that he had made only half-hearted attempts to sell his high-profile plan. The governor's aides said yesterday marked the beginning of an earnest political campaign to persuade lawmakers and the public of its merits.

"For a very long time now, gaming has been in practice in Massachusetts, and gaming revenues have been used to support public projects," Patrick said. "In 1762, John Hancock raised lottery money to rebuild Faneuil Hall after a fire. Lottery funds were used to finance the Revolution."

The dormitory at Harvard College where Patrick lived during his freshman year was built in the 1800s entirely with lottery funds, he added.

Patrick's remarks were delivered during a seven-hour hearing in Gardner Auditorium that by midmorning was so full that casino executives and business leaders in pinstriped power suits had to sit on worn blue carpet in the back of the room, holding their place in a room abuzz with anticipation about who would show.

Even Sheldon Adelson, the third richest man in America, had to fight for a seat. He strolled in with several associates, walking with a cane as he shook hands with Gary Loveman, a former Harvard Business School professor who is now president of Harrah's Entertainment.

Loveman urged the gathered public officials to get behind casino gaming. "This pearl," he said, "is worth the dive."

The hearing was part of an effort by Patrick to quash criticism. Some of his prepared remarks appeared to be squarely aimed at House Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi, who numerous times has said he doesn't want a "casino culture" in Massachusetts and who is seen as the bill's primary obstacle in the Legislature.

The bill has not been assigned to the committee that heard it yesterday - the Joint Committee on Bonding, Capital Expenditures, and State Assets - but supporters held the hearing to begin the debate on their own terms, instead of waiting for the official legislative timetable.

The House chairman of the committee, Representative David Flynn, Democrat of Bridgewater, even said that "it should be clear that I'm trying to undermine the speaker of the House just a little bit."

DiMasi declined to comment last night. House leaders have said the official hearings on the bill, before the Joint Committee on Economic Development and New Technology, will probably be held in January or February.

Another high-profile gambling supporter, Mayor Thomas M. Menino of Boston, emphasized the possible benefits of a casino at the Suffolk Downs site in East Boston. He argued that construction of such a facility would create 2,400 construction jobs for three years and 7,800 full-time jobs in the region once it is built.

"This is a proposition the state cannot pass up," Menino said. "With the number of good, long-term jobs at stake, we must pursue every option to make this work."

Patrick was joined at the hearing by no less than five Cabinet-level officials, who each spoke for up to 10 minutes after the governor.

"It's now incumbent upon us to increase our efforts to provide information and to work on an individual-by-individual basis, to sell the governor's proposal," Daniel O'Connell, secretary of housing and economic development, said after his testimony. "Some momentum was created today. We're going to take advantage of that, and try to keep the momentum going."

O'Connell said the administration plans to hire an outside consultant next month to begin analyzing financial estimates and to answer questions legislators have about casinos.

The daylong hearing was not a complete boost for the governor. A handful of legislators spoke against the expansion of gaming.

"This is the most regressive form of taxation ever invented by mankind," said Senator Susan Tucker, a Democrat from Andover who is an ardent gambling opponent. "I suggest to you that there is not a single state that has ever gambled its way out of budget problems."

One woman in the audience wore a "No Casino" pin inside her fur hat. A man in overalls booed the governor loudly as he left the room, until he was admonished by the chairman. But on the other side, about 250 union activists turned out in support wearing red T-shirts that said in white blocks, "Casinos + Unions = Good Jobs."

After the initial theatrics, the hearing quickly settled into a recitation of policy and numbers. Several of the union workers went to sleep, played with cellphones, and read newspapers.

After about two hours, Adelson left with a small group for the nearby 21st Amendment restaurant. Even members of the committee started leaving for other commitments. By the end, only three legislators were left.

When Adelson returned, he held court for nearly an hour outside, talking with about a dozen reporters about his hope for building a casino in the Marlborough area.

He was interrupted several times on his cellphone as he tried to close a business deal.

"We've got the Pats, we've got the Sox, we've got the Celtics, and we've got Adelson," the casino mogul, who grew up in Dorchester and still owns a house in Newton, said at least three times yesterday. "They're champions at what they do. We're champions at what we do."

Adelson said he is not sure if he would bid to run one of Patrick's proposed casinos if the state decides to issue three licenses, suggesting that would be too many.

He also challenged the wisdom of Patrick's insistence that casinos be accompanied by golf resorts.

"Bear in mind you can only play golf here 10 weeks out of the year," Adelson said. "It's not going to make or break anything."

Meanwhile, the state's racetrack owners tried to make their case that the Legislature should return to a proposal to give them slot machines to keep the ailing racing industry alive, rather than approve casinos, a plan that has been defeated before and faces an uphill battle this year.

The governor has said he would veto any legislation that specifically included slot machines at racetracks.

Yesterday, his administration said that racetrack facilities would be less lucrative - about $200 a day for slots at tracks, compared with $350 at large-scale resort casinos - and would not create the amount of jobs and building activity that resort casinos would.

Slots at tracks would also present competition for state-licensed casinos, the governor's administration has said.

George Carney, who owns Raynham-Taunton racetrack, went on a tirade for nearly 10 minutes.

"We're going to keep on running," Carney said. "But I'm telling you, there's no money left in the racing. If you want to keep us going, you've got to give us the slots."

Flushed, Carney concluded, "Thank you, I've had enough of you for the day."

Matt Viser can be reached at maviser@globe.com.