In light of proposals for a local casino, the National Coalition Against Legalized Gambling (NCLAG) will hold their regional conference in downtown Buffalo at the Adam's Mark Hotel this weekend.
The conference, held Oct. 6 and 7, comes at a critical time in a struggle against the establishment of a casino downtown.
"Buffalo is a great place for the conference," said Joel Rose, vice-chair of the NCALG and software development manager for academic services at CIT. "It is a good rallying point. We have a very strong group here."
One highlight of the conference included keynote speaker and Buffalo Sabres owner Tom Golisano.
"We are delighted to have him," Rose said. "He will be a draw."
The conference is only one step for groups such as the NCLAG in the long struggle against gambling in Erie County.
Proponents claim the casino will boost local economy by creating new jobs - an estimated 1,000 in Buffalo - and promoting tourism.
Victor Courtien, a senior communications major, has been to Atlantic City as well as the Casino Niagara, and believes that tourism would get a serious boost.
"The casino is a good idea if it does what the (proponents) say it is going to do," Courtien said. "Personally, it's a good idea to me, but I don't know about the area."
Opponents disagree, claiming that casinos hurt both the economy and quality of life where they are built.
"When you spend money on casinos you won't spend it other places," Rose said. "Museums, the zoo, restaurants, bars. The casino will hurt (places where) people spend money. To create those 1,000 new jobs, we ultimately lose over 2,000."
Senior political science major Michael Cleary believes that a trip to the casino is a popular pastime for many at UB, but not one that belongs in the Buffalo area.
"Casinos are rather entertaining, they are good fun," Cleary said. "But having one in Erie County? Absolutely not. First, every town in America is now using casinos as a fiscal policy to boost revenues - the markets are saturated. Secondly, there is a problem with it being run by a Native American nation. Only a fraction of the money will go to Buffalo."
Of the money generated by the proposed casino, an estimated 25 percent would be given to New York State, of which Buffalo would get six percent.
The rest would go to the Seneca Nation and the development of the casino, and because it would be run by the Seneca, the land would be considered sovereign, exempting the casino from being subject to taxes or insurance.
Mary Langan, a senior majoring in speech and hearing science, pointed out the number of casinos already existing in the region, such as Seneca Niagara and Turning Stone Casino.
"It is a bad idea to have a casino in downtown Buffalo, because there is already one twenty minutes away, and it's a nice one," Langan said. "In Syracuse the nearest one is only 30 to 40 minutes away, and it still attracts a lot of residents."
Another focal point of the conference is the questionable morality of gambling. Religious leaders such as Rev. Thomas Grey, who will speak at the conference, have cited problems such as gambling addiction in their efforts to turn the tide against the expansion.
"The heaviest damage comes to addicts and their families," Rose said. "In a county the size of Erie, we can expect 10,000 new addicts. It has been estimated that every addiction directly affects 12 other people, so 120,000 people will be directly impacted. That is a population the size of Amherst, and the result is a lot of damage to people's lives."
Courtien disagreed, proposing a less extreme solution to the gambling addiction problem.
"There are the handful of people that have a problem, but I am for people who use gambling as a form of entertainment, not a lifestyle," he said. "Maybe they should put restrictions on the amount of money spent at one time."
Adam's Mark Hotel will host the conference and is located at 120 Church St. The conference fee is $75 for both days, or $40 for one day, lasting from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday and 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
