Slot Machine Lobbying

The groups that oppose the slot machine compact signed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and the tribes are headed to La Costa Resort in Carlsbad to do some wooing. There is an informational conference there that many of the slot machine compact opponents are taking the new legislators to.

The racetracks are going as they don’t want the slot machine compacts to exist. They say that the compacts allow the tribes to operate slot machines that take revenue from the tracks. If people are gambling at the slot machines, they are less likely to come to the tracks. They say this hurts their bottom line as well as the purses that they can offer. It also makes them less competitive with states that allow slot machines at their racetracks and if they don’t get slot machines they will not be able to survive.

The tribes say that under federal rules the tribes cannot be taxed, but they can negotiate for exclusive rights to have slot machines by paying a percentage to the state. The original slot machine compact gave them that right for the whole state of California, the new one limits the slot machine exclusivity to surrounding counties.

The labor unions don’t want the slot machine compacts as they want the right to try and get other employees to join the union. They want a “card check” system where they get the slot machine casinos employees to sign a card saying they want to join. The current slot machine compact says that it needs to be a secret ballot to recruit labor employees.

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