“Most people can’t connect the dots or they’re not trying to connect the dots,” Ward 7 activist Ron Moten said after last week’s hearing on Internet gambling parlors throughout the District, including near the White House and Capitol. “This isn’t just about D.C., this is about the whole country,” continued Moten. If Intralot, the Greek gaming corporation currently operating the District’s lottery, successfully rolls out its “virtual” casinos, contracts with other cities and billions of dollars could follow.
The connections scream for attention: Individuals in the District, with financial backing from Caribbean businessmen, sought in 2004 and 2006 to bring 3,500 video slot machines to the city. A savvy coalition of residents blocked those efforts. The pro-gambling crew promised to return in 2008. It appears they may have chosen an inside game instead.
