Carcieri vetoes Twin River gambling bill
Gov. Don Carcieri
Published: July 2, 2009
PROVIDENCE—Gov. Don Carcieri vetoed a bill Thursday that would increase the number of dog racing days at Twin River.
Carcieri said dog racing is not profitable.
He’s agreed to a deal currently in bankruptcy court that would eliminate racing at the Lincoln facility.
The bill would also allow 24-7 gaming at Twin River, but the Carcieri administration said that can be done without legislative approval.
In a statement Jennifer Bramley, a spokeswoman for the Rhode Island Greyhound Owners Association said, “We believe this is a sad decision made by the leader of our state whose chief priority should be the people of our state not the interests of big banks. The governor is choosing a payout over local jobs and millions of dollars in tax and fee revenue to the state. It’s absurd to say that greyhound racing is jeopardizing Twin River’s bankruptcy deal when it accounts for less than two percent of its annual revenue.“
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Reader Reactions
Why it made it to the govenor’s desk amazes me. He did the right thing for once. And I am one that goes to watch and bets on the dogs. If you are having to subsides a sport than it’s not worth running at all.
Let’s keep on the right track here. Greyhounds are bred for just one reason—to run. They enjoy it. Most of those animals are kept better than the average pet dog, there is only some instances of abuse. Don’t call the whole barrel rotten if there is only a few bad apples in it. The owners make very good money, and most pay well to make sure their dogs are well kept.
However, the fact remains that the racing is sucking the Twin Rivers complex dry. A ten mil a year loss is not something that should be forced by legislation on ANY company.
let’s say good-bye to dog racing, for many reasons:
1.the state loses millions which go to a small group of the politically connected, who over contribute to campaigns to perpetuate the status-quo
2. it’s cruel to the animals
3. no one enjoys dog racing except the dog people who make millions off the slot machine payoffs to the assoc.
Governor Carcieri is 100% correct to veto this legislation. Why would anyone in their right mind approve something like this when it loses 10 million dollars a year? Again, as is the case with many pieces of legislation passed by the General Assembly, it only benefits a special interest group; the Greyhound Racing Association.
Smitty is the only one here that makes any sense and I totally agree with. If dog racing is subsidized by the state, accounts for only 2% of revenue and is a dying business (in this state anyway), then like the horses of years ago, maybe it’s time the owners association face the facts and go to a state that supports dog racing. Too bad the veto also killed 24/7 gambling because that would help too but if they can do it without legislative approval then it should be done. RI is dependent on gambling money already, let’s just put both feet in the water and accept full scale casinos here and be done with it. Keep the money in state instead of it going to CT.
Godsmack, don’t forget to mention the morons that make up the General Aassembly
It only accounts for two percent of Twin River’s revenue—but that says something right there. The revenue should be much higher than just that. Also, the track and kennel area accounts for about 70 percent of the Twin Rivers complex. Gambling in the parlors seems to support the complex—and the racing supports only a small group of people—the owners association.
A ten million a year loss from the greyhound racing is something Twin Rivers just can’t afford. Carcieri did the right thing.
our governor is an idiot.
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