The job of handling communications for the state’s newly empaneled Gaming Commission has been offered to Boston Police spokeswoman Elaine Driscoll.

“She has not worked out the terms of her employment, but they offered her the opportunity to serve as communications director,” said Karen Schwartzman, who currently handles press for the commission.

Driscoll, who started with Boston police in late 2005, could not be reached for comment. And a woman reached the Boston Police Department media office was not aware of the move.

The gaming commission made the decision at a meeting yesterday.

Driscoll now earns $106,798 a year with the BPD, according to city payroll records. Her potential pay with the gaming commission has not been determined yet, the Herald was told.

BOSTON — The chairman of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission on Wednesday told business leaders from Western Massachusetts that it will be three to four years before casino resorts open, but that he is confident the passage of time won’t hurt the state’s ability to capitalize on casinos.
Commission chairman Stephen P. Crosby, and a second state gaming commissioner, former Springfield City Councilor Bruce Stebbins, talked to members of several chambers of commerce in the Springfield area.

Sen. Gale D. Candaras, D-Wilbraham, the host of the event, said people expected that casinos would open a year earlier than projected by the gaming commission. Candaras said she is concerned that surrounding states, such as Maine, New York and Rhode Island, might open new or expanded casinos and achieve dominance in the market before casinos open in Massachusetts.

“People are just surprised that it will take longer than maybe we contemplated,” Candaras said.

Legislators approved casinos to generate revenues for state and local governments and to create jobs.

The state’s gaming law, passed in November, authorizes up to three casino resorts, including one for anywhere in the four counties of Western Massachusetts. The law also authorizes a slot facility that could be anywhere in the state.

Crosby said that a year’s delay will not cause any problems in terms of market share.

Crosby said it would likely take the commission one to two years to issue requests for bids, review applications and award licenses. After that, it would probably take two years for a casino to be up and running, he said.

“A year won’t make that much difference,” Crosby said.

Crosby said mistakes occur if the process is rushed.

Crosby and Stebbins were among about 10 leading state officials who spoke to chamber members during their annual “Beacon Hill Summit” at the Statehouse.

The Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield, the Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce and the Chicopee Chamber of Commerce were involved with the event.

The five-member commission’s job is to select, license, oversee, and regulate all casinos and the slot facility.

Crosby told chamber members to begin considering ways to create benefits from casinos including guarantees for local businesses, tourism and employment.

“Think about how you can rope them in and get their assets to work for you,” Crosby said.

Crosby said a host community can negotiate whatever it wants including payments for economic studies, improvements to infrastructure and job guarantees.

Stebbins said the commission would take into account a casino applicant’s plans for doing business with local merchants.

Under the gaming law, communities that could host a casino need to negotiate agreements with a potential operator and put that agreement before voters. In order to submit an application for a license, casinos need voter approval in a community where they plan to locate. Here is a link to the gaming law.

The law says only a vote by a potential host ward is required in Boston, Springfield and Worcester.

The law says a city’s “local governing body” can vote to opt out of the provision for only a ward vote in the three most populated cities and require a city-wide vote.

Two of the leading authors of the state’s gaming law — Rep. Joseph F. Wagner, D-Chicopee, and Sen. Stanley C. Rosenberg, D-Amherst — also attended the event and weighed in on the implications of the law.

Wagner said there is speculation in Western Massachusetts that Springfield might receive a casino proposal for the downtown to compete with an existing proposal for a casino by Ameristar Casinos of Las Vegas.

Ameristar paid $16 million in January for a 41-acre site on Page Boulevard and I-291 in Springfield, but has not released plans for a possible overhaul of roads to direct traffic to the site.

Crosby told legislators he was pleased with the gaming law. He said it provides multiple levels of law enforcement, ways to protect the state Lottery and communities that would be adjacent to a host community and powerful tools for the commission to license and oversee casinos.

“This is the best gaming legislation ever passed,” in the country,” Crosby said. “You folks did a tremendous job.”

A local casino proponent who attended the event, Anthony L. Cignoli, a partner in Paper City Development, a development group teamed up with Hard Rock International in Florida for a possible casino, said Hard Rock is still looking in Western Massachusetts and probably will select a new site for a casino.

Hard Rock and Paper City wanted to build a gambling resort on the 100-acre Wyckoff Country Club off Interstate 91 in Holyoke, but it ran into opposition from Holyoke Mayor Alex B. Morse.

In Palmer, the Mohegan Sun is planning a casino near Exit 8 of the Massachusetts Turnpike.

Late last month, MGM Resorts International dropped out of a casino project planned for Brimfield. MGM has said it will seek an alternative site in Western Massachusetts.

Massachusetts residents made 7.1 million visits to casinos in Connecticut, and slot parlors in Rhode Island and Maine in 2011, according to a report published yesterday by the UMass Dartmouth Center for Policy Analysis.

Over the course of the year, Bay Staters spent nearly $909 million gambling at those institutions.

Statement of Francis X. Callahan, Jr.

President of the Massachusetts Building Trades Council

**************************

“We are excited that the Massachusetts Gaming Commission is holding its first meeting, and appreciate the thoughtful process that has brought us to this point. From day one, this issue has been about economic development, expanding tourism, job creation and revenue generation for the Commonwealth.  These benefits are needed now more than ever.

To maximize the benefits for the Commonwealth, we urge the Commission to adopt the best practices used in the 38 other states that have already passed expanded gaming, and to move quickly and responsibly to issue licenses so that the residents of Massachusetts can get the benefits of new revenues and thousands of new jobs.  Given our urgent need for both new jobs and additional revenue, we are asking the Commission to issue the first licenses in the next 12 months consistent with the new gaming law.”

One day before the deadline for final appointments to the state’s new gambling commission, state officials named a retired Appeals Court judge and a former Springfield city official to the final two seats on the five-member panel.

The new members are James F. McHugh, who served on both the Superior Court and the Massachusetts Appeals Court from 1985 until his retirement earlier this year, and Bruce Stebbins, the business development administrator for the city of Springfield. Stebbins is a former Springfield city councilor and was an aide to former President George H.W. Bush, according to a biography supplied by the state.

Their selections were announced today in a joint statement from Governor Deval Patrick, Attorney General Martha Coakley and Treasurer Steve Grossman, who, under the law, made the picks jointly. The three officials were also responsible for choosing one commissioner each as individual appointments.

The new members join Chairman Steve Crosby, appointed by Patrick; former New Jersey Lieutenant Colonel Gayle Cameron, appointed by Coakley; and Enrique Zuniga, appointed by Grossman, on what is formally known as the Massachusetts Gaming Commission.

Neither of the final two appointments have “experience in legal and policy issues related to gaming,” as one of those appointments is required to have under the casino law. In a bid to satisfy the law, the three appointing officials decided that Cameron, who oversaw investigations of Atlantic City casinos, will serve as one of the joint appointees to the board. McHugh will serve as Coakley’s pick; the attorney general was required under the law to choose someone experienced in “criminal investigations and law enforcement.”

“With these last two appointments, the Gaming Commission is strong, complete and ready to get on with the business of creating jobs for Massachusetts,” Patrick said in a statement. “James McHugh and Bruce Stebbins are excellent additions and I look forward to the thoughtful discharge of the work the commission has before it.”

The full commission will gather for the first time today to meet with reporters.

The new panel will soon begin to hire staff, establish an office, and begin hosting public meetings. One of its most critical early duties will be to develop the criteria against which casino development proposals will be judged in the competition for state licenses. The commission will award development rights for up to three gambling resorts and one slot parlor, though it is not required to issue all of the licenses it controls.

McHugh, of Boston, a Navy veteran, is a former adjunct faculty member at Boston College Law School and Northeastern University School of Law. He received an undergraduate degree from m Brown University and graduated magna cum laude from Boston University School of Law. He has presided over more than 600 civil and criminal trials.

Stebbins, of Springfield, has worked for the City of Springfield since 2010. He has previously worked at the National Association of Manufacturers and the Massachusetts Office of Business Development. He received an undergraduate degree from The George Washington University and has completed a management program at the Kennedy School of Government.

Treasurer Steven Grossman today picked Enrique Zuniga, who is currently the executive director of the Massachusetts Water Pollution Abatement Trust, to be his representative on the state Gaming Commission.

Grossman last year appointed Zuniga to the job as executive director of the trust fund, which made him the first Hispanic to hold that job.

“Enrique has the integrity, vision, wisdom, and experience to effectively execute the duties of this critical position,” Grossman said in a statement. “I’m confident that Enrique will bring his keen ethical and managerial skills to this process, always ensuring that taxpayers’ interests are best represented.”

Grossman announced Zuniga as his choice for the Gaming Commission at a State House press conference.

Zuniga is a native of Mexico who has an MBA from Yale University and an undergraduate degree in civil engineering from the Instituto Technologico de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey, Grossman’s office said. Zuniga has worked as an adjunct professor of construction management at Wentworth Institute of Technology.

“Public service is all about generating the best and most innovative outcomes for the taxpayers, and I look forward to serving on the Gaming Commission in that spirit,” Zuniga said in a statement. “I thank Treasurer Grossman for this opportunity, and I’m ready to meet the challenges ahead.”

Zuniga, 45, lives in Jamaica Plain with his wife, Ellen Greenberg Zuniga, and their two children, the release said.

According to Grossman’s office, Zuniga has also held management jobs at accounting firm Ernst & Young LLP, the Boston Housing Authority, and design and engineering companies in Mexico.

Attorney General Martha Coakley last month chose former New Jersey State Police Lieutenant Colonel Gayle Cameron to represent law enforcement on the commission, which is led by Governor Deval Patrick’s pick for chairman, Stephen Crosby.

Grossman’s choice is required under the law to have experience in corporate finance and securities.

The commission created by the casino legislation approved last November must have its full complement of five members by March 21.

Now with Grossman’s choice joining the panel, Patrick, Coakley, and Grossman will jointly fill the final two slots of the commission. The members do not have to be approved by the Legislature or the Governor’s Council.

Commission members are paid $112,500 a year.

FEB. 28, 2012……Gayle Cameron, a former detective assigned to the Casino Gaming Bureau in New Jersey, was named Tuesday by Attorney General Martha Coakley as her designee to the Massachusetts Gaming Commission.  

According to Coakley’s office, Cameron held leadership roles during her 28 years with the New Jersey State Police, including lieutenant colonel and deputy superintendent of investigations, a post from which she oversaw numerous state police units including all casino gaming investigations.  

Born in Cambridge and raised in Weymouth, Cameron has homes in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida and in Plymouth, where she plans to establish permanent residency.  

Since retiring in 2008, she has worked on public safety consulting in the United States and abroad.  

Cameron joined the New Jersey State Police in 1980, worked as a road trooper for four years, and then was assigned to the gaming bureau during the first years of legalized gambling in that state.  She holds a bachelor’s degree from Bridgewater State College and a master’s degree from Seton Hall University.  

She will join gaming commission chairman Stephen Crosby, who was appointed by Gov. Deval Patrick.  Last November, Patrick signed a law authorizing three resort casinos and one slot machine facility in Massachusetts.   Three more commission members remain to be named, including an appointee from Treasurer Steven Grossman and two appointees jointly named by Patrick, Coakley and Grossman.

In a statement, Coakley said Cameron has “the right experience, integrity and vision to be an outstanding member of this important commission.” 

In her own statement, Cameron said, “I am very grateful to Attorney General Coakley for providing me this opportunity to return to public service and to my home state.  I embrace the challenge of starting with a clean slate to foster a gaming environment which is secure and robust.  I look forward to bringing my experience and expertise to the commission.”

Agreement with leading Western Mass tourist destination will bring Hall of Fame presence to Mohegan Sun at Palmer

(February 13, 2012) – Premier New England gaming operator Mohegan Sun announced today that it has signed an agreement with the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame to establish a retail store and exhibition presence at its proposed Palmer destination casino resort site.

The Basketball Hall of Fame, which is based in Springfield, is one of Western Massachusetts’ largest and most popular tourist destinations and attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.

“The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame contributes greatly to the economic vitality of this region and we’re thrilled to have the opportunity to partner with such an iconic institution in Western Massachusetts,” said Mitchell Grossinger Etess, chief executive of the Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority. “Mohegan Sun has had the benefit of working with the Hall of Fame over the past several years and we look forward to growing this relationship to bring increased tourism and economic development to Western Massachusetts.”

Under the agreement, the Basketball Hall of Fame would operate a retail store at Mohegan Sun at Palmer, offering Hall of Fame branded products and providing visitors with a preview of attractions at its flagship Springfield tourist destination.

“Mohegan Sun has made an early investment in our region and has worked closely and transparently with community and business interests throughout Western Massachusetts,” said John Doleva, president of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. “We are looking forward to expanding our presence in Western Massachusetts and see a great opportunity to do that with Mohegan Sun Palmer.”

Mohegan Sun, which hopes to build a world class destination casino resort in Palmer that will create thousands of jobs and bring new economic growth to Western Massachusetts, has a long-standing commitment to working with local businesses, community leaders and cultural and tourist organizations in the regions where it operates. Currently, Mohegan Sun spends nearly $500 million annually in goods and services from local vendors near its Connecticut and Pennsylvania facilities.

About Mohegan Sun at Palmer

Mohegan Sun hopes to develop a world-class destination casino resort on a parcel of land adjacent to the Massachusetts Turnpike in Palmer. The project would feature a hotel and spa, casino gaming and internationally-known and branded retail stores and restaurants.  A destination casino resort in Palmer is expected to create thousands of jobs – with the majority of the required workforce expected to come from Western Massachusetts. For more information on the Palmer project, please visit www.MoheganSun.com/Palmer .

About the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame

Located in Springfield, Massachusetts, the birthplace of basketball, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame promotes and preserves the game of basketball at every level – professional, collegiate, men and women from around the world. For more information please visit our website at www.hoophall.com or call 1-877-4-HOOPLA.

The owners of the Suffolk Downs track have hired former Boston police commissioner Paul F. Evans to run their security operations as they race to land a state license to operate a resort-style casino on their East Boston property.

Evans was the city’s top cop from 1994 to 2003 during which Boston experienced a dramatic drop in gang-related violence, especially homicides, a period of peace that came to be known as the “Boston Miracle.’’

After Evans retired from the department, the South Boston native was hired by the British government to inject some of the lessons of Boston into the English law enforcement community. He left his job with the British Home Office in 2007.

Evans has since worked as a security consultant and was hired in 2009 by the track’s owners to conduct an “integrity, security, and compliance” examination of Ceasars’ Entertainment, the company the track has partnered with to run the potential casino operation, the track said in a statement today.

Evans will now become a full-time employee with the title of executive vice president, security and compliance.

“Paul brings impeccable credentials, a substantial law enforcement background, and a history of forging strong community involvement as we work to ensure that our proposal for a world-class gaming and entertainment facility meets the highest standards for public safety, security, compliance and integrity,” Richard Fields, principal owner of Suffolk Downs, said in a statement.

The state law legalizing casino gambling, which Governor Deval Patrick signed in November, authorizes up to three resort casinos, one each in Western Massachusetts, Greater Boston/Worcester, and the southeast.