Editorial: Hit Me
If the citizens of Worcester get to vote on whether legalized gambling should be allowed in the city, they should vote yes.
But don’t count on the tax bills going down just because there is a casino within the city’s borders. The promise of lower taxes is a wish list item for the city counselors proposing the idea, and not a scenario that can be counted on to happen in real life.
The reality is that the lion’s share of casino profits go to the casino owners, and then to the state. The municipality hosting the facility is in a distant third place when it comes to its share of the pie. But that shouldn’t dissuade Worcester residents from supporting the development of a casino. Worcester should welcome legalized gambling as a way to differentiate the city from its competitors, and bring further momentum to the development front.
Worcester has a series of downtown initiatives underway – and there is no question that if a large, successful casino is added to the mix that it would complement those projects and bring more visitors to the city seeking entertainment, dining and much more.
The renovated new Hanover theatre and the CitySquare project would both benefit directly from the added energy of a casino in the city.
Worcester should break away from the pack and say, "Hit me."
A casino in Worcester would be an unmistakable attraction to people currently forced to travel an hour or more down Interstate 395 for that particular brand of excitement and entertainment. In fact, more than one third of the total traffic at the Connecticut casinos is generated by Massachusetts residents.
While it would attract new dollars to the city, a well run casino would be an added attraction to college students, and many of the doctors, lawyers, accountants, bankers, and other professionals the revitalization efforts in downtown are trying to attract.
A casino also means jobs – jobs building the place, and all kinds of jobs at the casino once it’s up and running.
Nearly every study on the impact of casinos in Connecticut shows a return of hundreds of millions of dollars to state and local coffers, a negligible increase in crime, and no measurable increase in traffic congestion.
Of course, there are other respected studies done on a national level that show the opposite effect – increases in crime and problem gambling, as well as significant traffic issues. Only the right kind of casino development will benefit Worcester and the region, and the devil is in the details in negotiating the terms of how it benefits the city of Worcester
When it’s all said and done, a casino would add something immeasurable to the city: visibility, glitz, color and excitement. In combination with a new movie theater, retail, residential and professional office expansion the city’s development momentum could be brought to a whole new level.
It may be a long way off, but let’s get a seat at the table.
WBJ Web Partners
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