Feb. 4, 2003 – The St. Croix Chamber of Commerce has put together a list of 32 organizations in the territory that are opposed to video lottery gambling and forwarded it to Senate President David Jones.
The Chamber's president, Frank Fox, said in a release that there are several reasons the various groups have taken a stand against video lottery terminals.
"These groups are not only opposed to them just because they are unregulated and unsupervised, or because the contract was given without competitive bidding, or they will stop resort/hotel development on St. Croix," Fox said. "These groups oppose them for many other reasons." He said he thought the extent of the list might be "news" to Jones.
Among the other reasons for opposition, he said, is the "social cost" associated with highly addictive convenience gambling, something that he said has not been discussed or considered. Video lottery terminals, or VLT's, have been dubbed by some as the "crack cocaine" of gambling.
Fox also pointed out that the issue was not opened for public debate on St. Thomas and St. John, which is where VLT's have been made legal, and that the populace there years ago voted against legalizing gambling.
And he said VLT's will neither create new jobs nor provide the revenues that a new hotel and casino could generate.
Fox said Jones has known from the start of the Chamber's stand on the issue. He reiterated it: "Our position remains unchanged. No VLT's in the territory!"
He urged Jones to schedule hearings on a bill submitted last month by the governor to repeal the VLT legislation, and he suggested that the Senate amend the bill to place the V.I. Lottery under the purview of the Casino Control Commission "so that the VLT legislation, once killed, will be buried."
He also urged Jones to "begin at once to represent the residents of St. Croix."
The Chamber's list of groups opposed to VLT's:
Christiansted Restaurant and Retail Association, Church Alive in Christ, Crucian Coalition, Faith Christian Fellowship Church Alive in Christ, Farmers in Action, Federation of St. Croix Taxi Associations, Frederiksted Economic Development Authority, Global Life Church, Kingshill School, Life and Light Apostolic Assembly, Lutheran Church of the Reformation, My Brother's Table, New Testament Church of God, Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, Our Town Frederiksted, Our Virgin Islands Labor Union, Per Ankh, St. Ann's Catholic Church, St. Croix Country Day School, St. Croix Board of Realtors, St. Croix Chamber of Commerce, St. Croix Hotel and Tourism Association, St. Croix Reformed Church, St. Croix Women's Coalition, St. Thomas-St. John Chamber of Commerce, United Virgin Islands Action Coalition, V.I. American Federation of Teachers, V.I. Democratic Party, V.I. Republican Party, The Way of the Cross Baptist Church, Wesleyan Academy and Wesleyan Holiness Church.
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