Communities: VLTs failed us.

Recently, Skelos and Alfano formally expressed their support for VLTs at Belmont Park and provided this as their reason as printed in the Three Village Times:
"$20 million in state aid payments that would be apportioned between the (1) affected school districts, including the Elmont Union Free School District, Floral Park-Bellerose Union Free School District and Sewanhaka Central High School District, (2) the Nassau County Police Department's Fifth Precinct and (3) a newly created "Belmont Park Community Reinvestment Trust."

Everything sounds wonderful, but is it really?

The misconception is that the Elmont Union Free School District will get a guaranteed $20 million per year via VLTs. The money is no way guaranteed, nor is the total amount going to Elmont schools. So after dividing the $20 million into 3 school districts, then giving a portion to Nassau County for funding the extra need of Police, and then maybe with funds left over create a Reinvestment Trust; how much of it is actually going to fund education?

Then comes the issues. How will VLTs compete with VLTs at Aqueduct, less then 8 miles away? Then what will happen if the funds come short?

These same state representatives expect machines to have a $400-$500 per day revenue. What will expect Belmont to have greater results than Yonkers Raceway that expectations fell dramatically with its current $192 per day revenue. Based on a NY times article, Casino operators at Yonkers want the State to help them, because they are losing $12 million a year. The plan for VLTs to help and improve Yonkers have failed. In June of this year, Senator Larkin proposed a bill to help the racinos, by reducing their obligation to education by 20%. Then the question comes, how would Elmont be different? Economically, how would more racino competition help generate more funds for education?

Of course, many would argue that Saratoga is a symbol of success of VLTs. Saratoga has two racetracks, one operated by NYRA, and the other being the racino. Even there, VLTs failed to reach its hype, at $258 per day revnue per machine. The city of Saratoga received a deal of getting $3.6 million a year for improvements. This perhaps similar to the plan being designed for Elmont. But what is conveniently being omitted is that this money is not guaranteed and it is dependent on its placement on the New York State budget. That means the legislature, or the governor can cut it at any time, and most importantly if there is a state budget in place.

The New York Times published that brining VLTs is like going on the Wrong Track. And I quote, "The state should not be expanding gambling at its racetracks - the euphemistically named slot machines that are a gambler's version of crack cocaine."

It is a tragedy that these State Representatives held a press conference in an elementary school in front of children to endorse in essence gambling in the community of Elmont. Studies show that eighty percent of VLT gamblers reside with 10 miles of the casino. That mean that parents, seniors, veterans, and workers of the surrounding communities need to spend their free time and money at the Casino in order for it to survive. That in essence is what these representatives believe will help Elmont.

I hope that the children of Elmont, their families, and my fellow community members do not get misguided by the notion that gambling is the solution to better education and lower taxes. State and federal studies has shown that VLTs are only a short term infusion of money, where the financial consequences after five years outweigh the short term benefit it had attained in some studies at a 5:1 ratio.

VLTs are not the solution for the future of Elmont.