(July 17, 2013)

All good things must come to an end. The Connecticut Indian casinos have had a monopoly on New England gambling for years, influencing bad recreational decisions and causing trouble as far south as Atlantic City. Yes, they’ve fattened the coffers of the state. So would’ve legalized prostitution and crack.

Now, we get three new casinos in Massachusetts. For gamblers who think they can’t lose on their lucky day, this is all good. It gives them more choices of where to flush their money down the toilet. For the families and friends of problem gamblers, these new casinos add a fresh choice of trouble spots. It makes me wonder where the saturation point is. When do they build the last casino, the one that loses money?

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The Connecticut economy is rotten and every week we read more stories of layoffs. Where do these gamblers find their highly disposable income? True, the job market looks better in Massachusetts, for now, anyway. Where would all this money go if their were no legal casinos in New England, to the Whitey Bulger types? Las Vegas once a year? Monte Carlo? Good ol’ standby Atlantic City?

Taking chances is as American as apple pie, but Bill Gates never got rich throwing the dice. He made his money from owning the table. I know some card players make money, but people who put their hard-earned cash into machines rarely come out ahead.

Well, gamblers, enjoy your games, and remember, the casinos don’t call it gambling. They call it “gaming” because they’re not gambling. They never lose.