January 31st, 2011 – by Glen Farmer
House Republican Ron Hubert on Friday introduced a bill to the Vermont Statehouse that would allow one casino to be established in Vermont in order to bring in revenue for the state. His decision to introduce the legislation came about due to Vermont residents having to travel to nearby states in order to gamble, effectively taking money out of the state.
The introduction to the bill has not been met with total opposition, as sixteen legislators have all signed on to the proposal. Hubert, a Republican, has found most of his support within his party, though some Democrats have signed on.
Vermont has long been opposed to gambling expansion in the state, and opposition has already spoken out against the bill. House Speaker Shap Smith, (D-Morristown) stated “I do not support casinos in Vermont.”
The history of gambling expansion in the state of Vermont has been limited. It took approximately ten years for legislators to pass a bill that authorized an in state lottery.
Preliminary planning of the bill would allow the Vermont Lottery Commission to take charge of the casino. The state’s education fund would benefit from the revenue generated by the new casino, which would keep money that is already going to casinos in surrounding states. The casino would have to pay a $5 million licensing fee as well as a $50,000 application fee.
Hubert’s plan is to keep an enormous number of casinos out of the state by limiting the number to only one.
No location has been decided upon, if the bill were to pass.