Massachusetts High Court Hears Case for Casino Repeal Vote

Massachusetts High Court Hears Case for Casino Repeal Vote

Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley stands by her choice to reject a ballot proposal to repeal the state’s 2011 casino law. (Image: AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

Opponents of casino gambling in Massachusetts have been war that is waging the expansion on every battlefront possible. They’ve had wins and losings across the state, but they’ve always made their case. Now, they’re hoping that the court that is highest in Massachusetts will give them one final chance to place the issue before voters.

The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court heard arguments week that is last the concern of whether a measure to repeal the 2011 casino law can show up on the statewide ballot in November. The move would basically produce a referendum on whether gambling enterprises could be built one that could disrupt the method also if it had been to ultimately fail.

State Believes Implied Contracts Would Be Violated By Repeal

That disruption was one associated with main arguments made by lawyers for the state, including Attorney General Martha Coakley, who rejected the petition it was unconstitutional because she felt. According to Coakley, such a repeal would damage the ‘implied contracts’ between casino license applicants and the state gambling payment. She argued that those contract rights would be illegally recinded with no payment for the casino organizations.

Coakley made remarks at a break fast forum in Boston that further explained her position.

‘It is clear that although the founders wanted the people to own options apart from their elected representatives in the House and Senate they also limited those occasions in which they did, comprehending that there’s an orderly way in which business regarding the individuals does proceed,’ she stated.

Advocates Say State Can Change Direction

The question of exactly how the state could back out of simply agreements with casino companies was a heated topic during dental arguments. In particular, Justice Robert Cordy had questions about how precisely a repeal would affect the Penn nationwide Gaming slots parlor in Plainville, which has been already awarded a license.

‘So a five-year exclusive license that has already been awarded after having a thorough process outlined by the Legislature, at great expense to the applicant, can easily be taken away with a big never mind?’ he asked Thomas O. Bean, a lawyer for folks who want a repeal vote on the ballot.

‘Yes,’ Bean responded.

‘They may do this without compensation…for most of the investments that were made at the support for the Legislature?’ Cordy asked later in the questioning.

‘That is proper,’ Bean said.

While that might sound flippant, Bean’s argument was that taxpayers weren’t obligated to compensate the firms if the continuing state changed its mind about the future of casino gambling. He also stated that the casino teams have known there had been a repeal effort was ongoing since the law was passed, and that the possibility was one casino-bonus-free-money.com of the known dangers they entailed once they started investing in the state.

Assistant Attorney General Peter Sacks outlined another possibility: that the gambling payment has the power to merely reject every application and not award any casino licenses.

‘But that doesn’t suggest the procurement process can be just canceled in the centre after everyone has invested a significant quantity of money,’ he included.

A final decision is expected from the court this summer, most likely timed to ensure the question can appear on the ballot if its approved. While a number of the questioning may have suggested doubt from the justices about the repeal, also those who strongly think it will maybe not be on the ballot admit they are no outcome that is certain.

‘ This is a relevant question that I think is close,’ Coakley said. ‘we think the court could agree I don’t have tea leaves on this. with us, but’

Arizona Will Enable Account Wagering for Horse and Dog Racing

New legislation shall allow Arizona residents to bet on horse races by phone. (Image: AZRacing.gov)

We often act as though these measures affect all types of interactive betting equally when we talk about the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) or the Wire Act. But the facts of the situation is far different.

This has for ages been true that horse and dog racing along with state lotteries were exempt from numerous of the regulations that stifle other online and phone-based gaming enterprises, because of certain exceptions in these laws. And that means that while getting any other form of remote betting passed is just a struggle at the very best of times, innovations happen in the dog and horse racing industries all the time.

Just last week, Arizona Governor Janice Brewer signed a bit of legislation in purchase to allow advance deposit wagering (ADW) at horse and greyhound events across her state. This enables Arizonans to place bets from their houses, a large expansion for the state’s parimutuel industry that is betting.

Previously, wagers for such races had been only taken during the tracks or at any of 62 licensed off-track facilities that are betting their state.

Bill Doesn’t Authorize Online Betting

But while the move will make it much simpler for gamblers in the state to position bets on races any time they like, Governor Brewer made it clear that this is not an authorization of Internet gambling in almost any method.

‘This bill is explicitly clear that Arizona is authorizing advanced deposit wagering and expressly prescribes that the wager needs to be placed over the telephone,’ Governor Brewer wrote in a letter to Secretary of State Ken Bennett. ‘Senate Bill 1282 does not authorize and may not be construed as authorizing Internet gaming.’

If that weren’t clear enough, area 10 of the bill explicitly remarks that the intent regarding the bill just isn’t to allow for betting on the online.

It was also important to Brewer that the bill did perhaps not affect standing agreements involving the state plus the Native American tribes that run gambling operations there.

‘There is definitely an unequivocal consensus that this bill doesn’t impact nor cause any problem associated with the Arizona Tribal-State Gaming Compact,’ the governor wrote.

Bill Designed to Aid Racing Industry

The legislation was spearheaded by Michael Racy, a lobbyist for Tuscon Greyhound Park. The idea ended up being to generate an influx of additional money in to the race industry, a move that officials hope will keep racing that is live and well within the state.

‘[The bill] doesn’t authorize any brand new or different type of gaming,’ Racy said. ‘It just acknowledges that the global world is changing on just how that happens.’

To be able to use the new ADW system, clients would need to transfer cash into a account that is special. After they have done so, they may then just use the funds for the reason that account to wager on races using place at participating songs.

Wagering by phone won’t take place immediately. Arizona’s Department of Racing will have to produce rules before the system can get live, and that will take some time. However, you can find hopes that racing fans could be placing bets from home as early as this summer time.

While Governor Brewer did approve most of the bill, she exercised her veto that is line-item to one provision. That element of the bill would have appropriated $1.2 million towards the Arizona Breeders’ Award Fund and the County Fair Racing Fund.

Caesars Entertainment Restructures Mega-Debt

Caesars’ present financial obligation load outstrips the populous City of Detroit; the casino operator now plans to reapportion some of the.

It can be the most famous gambling empire in the planet, but Caesars Entertainment’s debt levels currently outstrip those associated with the bankrupt city of Detroit.

Into the week that the company announced its first quarter profits, Caesars additionally announced that it will be restructuring its colossal debt, which stands at $23 billion, a gaming industry all-time high.

Caesars offer $1.75 billon in new debt to redeem its current maturities for 2015, and will sell 5 per cent of Caesars Entertainment Operating Company to investors that are undisclosed. And even though the restructuring won’t reduce any of this business’s long-term debt, it will eliminate more than $1 billion of payments due in 2015, while leaving its lenders and bond-holders somewhat in the lurch.

Caesars is already dealing with a lawsuit from two unnamed bondholders, which claim the casino giant had breached its ‘fiduciary duties’ to its creditors.

Avoiding Bankruptcy

The move was predicted earlier in the day week that is last Moody’s Investor Services analyst Peggy Holloway, who said the company might have to restructure so that you can avoid bankruptcy. Holloway predicted Caesars would lose $1 billion in cash this present year, and $2 billion year that is next.

‘ Recent asset sales by Caesars’ private equity sponsors are weakening the tactile hand that creditors provides to your dining table within the casino business’s inevitable restructuring,’ Holloway said. ‘ The transactions are reducing the asset base underlying the debt, that may likely cause deeper losses for loan providers and bondholders upon a default.’

However, Caesars president and CEO Gary Loveman said the strategy would ‘lay the foundation for both de-leveraging that is significant value creation at Caesars Entertainment.

‘Upon conclusion of the credit facility amendment … Caesars has added headroom under its maintenance covenant, providing Caesars with extra stability to execute its business plan,’ he added. ‘If Caesars successfully lists its equity securities, this listing that is independent help facilitate the ultimate raising of equity also liability administration and debt reduction initiatives.’

When discussing dubious news, use the biggest words possible. Well-played, Gary.

Debt Management

Caesars additionally said it had it sealed the deal on the purchase of Bally’s, The Cromwell and The Quad to Caesars Growth Partners, with Harrah’s New Orleans anticipated to follow in very early summer time. The four properties were respected at $2.2 billion, with $185 million in assumed debt.

‘The transaction is designed to ensure continued access for Caesars and every regarding the properties being sold to the Total Rewards network along with other Caesars resources,’ Loveman said.

Caesars acquired nearly all of its debt when it had been taken private in 2008, after a $30.1 billion acquisition by Apollo Global Management and TPG Capital. Then, as the recession ravaged the gaming industry, Caesars, having its 50 casinos across the usa, was hit the most difficult. Publishing its first quarter results right after the restructuring announcement, Caesars said it lost $386.4 million into the quarter that ended March 31, a loss of $2.82 per share. The company lost $217.6 million, or $1.74 per share in the corresponding quarter last year.

‘ Las Vegas remained a bright spot with energy within the hospitality groups, but regional company trends were unfavorably relying on extreme weather and softness in visitation in initial quarter,’ said Loveman.

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