Times have changed!

It used to be that casino companies were immune to the problems of the economy. People would come out and gamble no matter what their economic position. Times have changed.
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They sure have!

Each of the Gambling Cheerleaders at Senator Spilka's "educational forum" indicated "times have changed" and gambling revenues and licensing fees are no longer what they were.

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In 2008, cancellation of a billion dollar expansion at Mohegan Sun was announced.

Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority to Suspend Earth Expansion of Mohegan Sun

The total project budget for the Earth Expansion and the parking garage components, the remaining components of Project Horizon, was approximately $734.0 million.

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July 2009, CT slot revenues down 10%

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Atlantic City casinos actually dropped in revenue almost twenty-five percent a couple of months ago. The city is being increasingly hurt by gambling expansion in neighboring states.

Foxwoods Resort Casino and MGM Grand are making a play for gamblers in Atlantic City, and it now appears the casinos need to steal AC casino customers more than ever. The two casinos reported their slot revenue this morning, and it was down nearly ten percent.

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It's pretty bizarre to believe that a "Tribe" operating a wildly profitable casino that only pays $500,000 per year to its host community couldn't afford to move forward with a Billion Dollar expansion program.

What's even more bizarre is that the "Tribe" rented a storefront in Palmer, a town most have never heard of, proclaimed INEVITABILITY and psyched out elected officials.

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Footnote to Middleboro:

Palmer -- In 2007, 150 acres were sold (~ $20,000 per acre) --

John Lizak, a large property owner in Palmer, said yesterday that he sold the property at the heart of the Mohegan deal to Northeast Realty for about $3 million.

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Middleboro got how much?