Church Makes Final Plea to Halt Gambling Expansion in Mass

BOSTON —
With Gov. DevalPatrick likely days away from signing a bill that would bring legal casinos to Massachusetts for the first time, Catholic leaders in the state are making a last-ditch effort to derail the plan.

The Massachusetts Catholic Conference wrote the governor on Friday with a final plea to veto the bill, which it says “threatens the moral fabric of our society.” Patrick has already indicated that he is likely to sign the measure, perhaps before the Thanksgiving holiday.

The bill, which would allow for the construction of three resort-style casinos and one slot machine parlor in the state, has been touted over the last four years as an economic boon that would create new jobs while bringing in more tax revenue to support local government. Legislative leaders estimate the latest bill, which received final approval from state lawmakers last Tuesday, could create between 10,000 and 15,000 long-term jobs and generate hundreds of millions of dollars in new revenues annually.

But church leaders argue that the social costs of expanded gambling outweigh the economic benefits, pointing to signs that Massachusetts economy may be improving without the help of casino revenue. The Boston Archdiocese, which runs locally organized bingo operations through many of its parishes, has accused casinos of “predatory gambling.”

“They pray on the people who can least afford to gamble away more money, and it leads to addiction, break up of families and other issues,” said James Driscoll, executive director of the Massachusetts Catholic Conference, which serves as the public policy arm of the Catholic church in Massachusetts.

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