Minnesota is looking at gambling expansion to find a way to keep the Vikings in the state. A five-and-a-half hour state Senate hearing saw four gambling industry proposals to help finance a new stadium to persuade the franchise to stay put. Whilst proposals have stopped short of suggesting a Brett Favre comeback benefit gig, they’re looking at casinos, racinos and a video lottery to fill the gap. White Earth Tribal Nation put forward a casino plan and would split the estimated $300million profits with the state. It would comprise 150 table games and 4,000 slots with a tax yield of $10m. Reviving a downtown Minneapolis casino business costing $450m in private funding has been mentioned with a number of plans for racinos mooted. The team’s agreement on the Metrodome ends early next year and the franchise clearly favor a future that doesn’t include the outdated arena. The Vikings has already reportedly seen contact from two groups from Los Angeles and one from an unnamed city. NFL franchises aren’t a dime-a-dozen and when one looks like coming up the sharks circle.
Massachusetts’ senate president Therese Murray doesn’t think state residents will be bothered by the presence of casinos in 10 years time. Murray told a Boston radio show: “I don’t think they’ll think it’s a big deal. I think that they’ll be going to resort-type places or people will be coming into Massachusetts to stay at these resort-type places and gamble while they’re there.”
The expanded gambling bill signed off by Devel Patrick included three of the resort style casinos that will be some way off the dark and dingy locations that many opponents are pointing to.
Casino behemoth MGM Resorts International has received a ringing endorsement for the way it handles workplace equality. The Human Right Campaign listed the firm on its 2012 Corporate Equality Index and gave it a 90% rating for its attitude towards LGBT employees in the workplace. Jim Murren, Chairman and CEO of MGM Resorts International, said: “This ranking demonstrates our Company’s commitment to promoting human equality within our workplace as well as throughout our communities. It is our business imperative to attract and retain the very best employees by ensuring a level playing field for people from all walks of life.”
