Casino fever -- You're either for it or against it

Vermont Business Magazine, Feb 1995 by Bell, Mary Day

Palmer expected his bill to be ready by mid-January but cautioned against haste: "The $10 million to $12 million coming to the state may look a lot better by the end of the session when we are cutting costs," he said.

Nelson provided a model bill, which Palmer, Sears and the Legislative Council are studying, along with legislation from the states of North Dakota and Colorado. Nelson's draft of the Vermont Gaming Control Act would create the Vermont Gaming Commission, consisting of three members appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Senate.

Commissioners would be US citizens and residents of Vermont and could not hold any elective office in state, county or local government nor be an official in any political party. No more than two commissioners could be members of the same political party. After the initial terms of two, three and four years, the term of office would be five years. Commissioners would receive a per diem of $100 for each day spent in meeting to carry out duties and would be reimbursed for expenses. Meetings would be held at least quarterly.

The commission would hire staff, set up offices, issue licenses, hear appeals from the decisions of the director, make disciplinary rulings, bring civil action against a person who violates the act and make any regulations necessary to carry out the act. Reportedly, Sears sees the new commission as absorbing the existing racing commission, while Palmer would expand the racing commission to include new duties.

Nelson's model would also create the Division of Gaming Control to provide investigative and technical services to the commission. A director would be appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Senate -- the same criteria and terms of office would apply as for commissioners. The director would determine what information is needed for licensing applications, conduct background investigations of applicants, investigate gaming crimes, obtain immediate access to the gaming facility with authority to seize any equipment, hire staff and cooperate with state police and the office of the attorney general.

The act would limit gaming to the Pownal race track, the only site in Vermont that meets criteria: where horse racing has been conducted in the past 20 years; racetrack facilities of at least 100 acres; enclosed grandstand seating for at least 5,000 people, a track of at least three-quarter miles and a compound for at least 500 horses. The criteria would eliminates fair grounds in the state where racing may have been conducted. Sears' bill would limit gaming to a race track that operates a minimum of 60 days.

In the model, authorized gaming would include: any game played with cards, dice, or mechanical or electronic devices; pari-mutuel and off-track pari-mutuel wagering; a race book; any other gambling activity the commission approves. The operator would pay 9 percent of the net win to the state of Vermont and 3 percent to the town of Pownal, to be shared with the county.

So in a year of changes and challenges in Montpelier -- a new Speaker of the House, renewed Republican control in the Senate, the pressing issues of property tax reform, education funding and health care reform -- gaming took an early lead as a high-profile priority.