Behind The Sound Bite
PHOTO/MATT PILON
Members of the state gaming commission listen during last week's forum in Framingham.
Casino gambling is an entirely new animal for Massachusetts. But there remains much to be done before casinos can shuffle up and deal.
Sen. Karen Spilka, D-Ashland, summed up the challenge ahead at a forum last week in Framingham led by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission:
“It's different from every other state. It's starting from scratch,” Spilka said.
What has happened since the vote?
By March, the state had appointed five members to the gaming commission.
The panel has been traveling around the state to hear input from local officials, regional planners and others on how it should best implement the gaming law.
What is the gaming commission’s task over the coming months?
Commissioners are charged with drafting regulations that will govern the application process for casino developers. The process will include determining the suitability and qualifications of the applicants and what demands to place on developers to mitigate impacts to infrastructure, public safety and roads.
What sorts of suggestions have they received so far?
One major point conveyed to the commission in Framingham is that it will have one chance to write sound regulations and that it should recognize that the impacts on the area surrounding a casino will likely be substantial. Some speakers called for “clawback” measures if casinos don't keep their promises while others urged for detailed accounting of the economic impacts casinos will have.
Do they have to reinvent the wheel entirely?
Though regulations will be written on a blank slate, land-use plans and other documents and studies that regional planning agencies have crafted in recent years could be helpful to the commission in evaluating proposed locations.
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