Why Casino gaming is good for Massachusetts
• Massachusetts Residents Want It! Polls indicate that Massachusetts residents strongly support casino gaming through a resort-style casino. Bay Staters spend $900 million on casino gaming in Connecticut and $4.5 billion on the Lottery annually.
• Economic Stimulation. Job growth from resort-style casinos decreases unemployment rates, welfare rates, and crime on a per capita basis. Resort-style Casinos also have been shown to increase home values in their surrounding areas.
• State Budget Crisis. $1.3 billion structural deficit. Crumbling roads and bridges. Cash-strapped cities and towns with local revenues barely keeping up with inflation. High property taxes. And growing health care, pensions, education and capital improvement needs. All point to the need for more public revenues.
• Stagnant Job Growth. Our economy continues to feel the pain of the 2001 national recession. Since the recession, Massachusetts has seen a sharper decline in employment than any other state in the nation.
• A Mature Lottery. The Lottery has reached a state of maturity. Growth is at just 1.8%, compared to the national average of 6.9%. Massachusetts relies heavily on two revenue streams – property taxes and the lottery to fund its 351 cities and towns. We need additional sources of revenue.
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