"Gambling, whether from slots, racing or a tribal casino, seems always to be just over the horizon in the Catskills. Yet recent news shows that the horizon for that opportunity is receding, perhaps never to return.

The governor of New Jersey wants to preserve his state's stake in gambling revenue by taking over the action in Atlantic City and investing lots of money. Pennsylvania just approved the addition of table games to its slot parlors. Tribal casinos in Connecticut may be struggling but are formidable competitors. It is only a matter of time before slot machines show up at Aqueduct. And with the recognition of the Shinnecock tribe on Long Island, there soon will be a casino in Nassau or Suffolk.

If there were a casino in the Catskills now, it would face deadly competition. Because there is not, this is the time to give up on the dream that gambling will ever boost the region's economy. Gamblers already have too many choices closer to home."

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Editorial: Casino looks like a bad bet (The Middletown Times Herald-Record 8/6)