Issue Position: Gambling

Issue Position

What was known as the crime of "felony bookmaking" when I was growing up is now called Powerball, and I am not a conscientious objector when it comes to gambling. That having been said, I have real concerns about expanding gambling and will review carefully any gambling proposal to come before the legislature. Hampton's economy relies upon small family-owned independent businesses and I don't want to cannibalize our hospitality industry. We need to pay attention to recent experience of Rhode Island, where the state, instead of reaping a revenue windfall, ended up getting stuck with running and subsidizing a gambling operation. I am open to new sources of revenue, but I want to make sure the costs, including social costs, don't outweigh the benefits.

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