"Here we go again with another throw of the dice at expanding true casino gambling in New York.

Turning us into another slot machine state with the major culture change that goes with it has never been a good bet for New York, even back when we would have been the first in the Northeast to do so. It's an even worse bet now, since the state is ringed by casino competition in other states and Canadian provinces vying for the ever-more-finite betting dollar.

Now, our governor hasn't actually endorsed a move to legalize Las Vegas-style casino gambling in the state, only to look into it as an option through his deputy, Bennett Liebman. A constitutional amendment would be probably needed. Curiously, there is no mention of casinos or how he feels about them in Cuomo's voluminous pre-election policy playbooks."

Get the Story:
Fred LeBrun: Study first, then roll the dice (The Albany Times-Union 8/15)

Another Opinion:
editorial: Hold that bet, Mr. Cuomo (The Albany Times-Union 8/15)

Related Stories:
WAMC: Commercial casinos in New York still a few years away (8/12)
Editorial: Gaming creates an 'illusion' of economic development (8/11)
New York governor considers expansion of non-Indian gaming (8/10)