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NEWS AND VIEWS THAT IMPACT LIMITED CONSTITUTIONAL GOVERNMENT

"There is danger from all men. The only maxim of a free government ought to be to trust no man living with
power to endanger the public liberty." - - - - John Adams

Saturday, August 13, 2011

Legalized gambling in New York?

With legalized gambling could this be the future of New York's Times Square?


Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D-New York) said it may be time for the state to go all in on casino gambling.

Cuomo said his administration was "actively" looking at gaming in New York and whether to support a constitutional amendment to legalize gambling.

I suspect the only reason gambling is even being considered is the income it will provide the state of New York.  The principle of freedom never enters into the minds of the ruling elite.

"The gaming issue is an issue that this state has to come to grips with," Cuomo told reporters at a Capitol news conference, reports the Daily News.

A handful of Indian-operated casinos already exist in New York, and the state Lottery Division runs video gaming facilities at eight race tracks. Another racino is to open at Aqueduct later this year.

Cuomo spokesman Josh Vlasto said the governor wants a coherent policy for what is now a "disjointed" gambling system.

A constitutional amendment would require approval by the Legislature in two consecutive sessions. It would then go before the public in a referendum.

Similar efforts to approve a gambling amendment died in the Legislature in 1997.

A spokesman for the Oneida Nation, which operates the Turning Stone Resort Casino near Syracuse, said the state's time would be better spent working to open more Indian casinos, while a spokesman for the company building Aqueduct's racino supported Cuomo's plan.

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