Anti-Gambling Groups Not Playing By The Rules

Posted By Terry Goodwin, Staff Editor
CasinoGamblingWeb.com

March 30, 2010

The casino gambling debate is one that is taking place in nearly every city across the US. In some cities, groups have gone outside the borders of the law to try to get their points across, and city officials are not allowing the out of bounds lobbying.

City workers in Richmond, California, have been pulling down anti-gambling signs on public property. According to the city, the group Stop the Mega Casino is responsible for all of the signs. The group claims, however, that they hired a private vendor to distribute the signs.

The aim of the signs, which were placed on utility polls and other public areas, is to convince City Council members to vote against an Indian casino resort in Richmond. Being that this is an election year, how the Council members vote could have a big impact on their job security.

The city insists that it is not targeting the anti-gambling signs. They claim that they routinely check for inappropriate signs and remove them. This is simply another case of a group that has broken the law regarding the sign issue.

"We're not focusing on political signs," said Tim Higares, Code Enforcement Manager of the city's police department. "At this point, anything on public property, we're ripping it. A lot of those are casino signs."

The casino issue is still a long way from being settled. The Guidiville Band of Pomo Indians is seeking federal recognition for the land to build the new casino. If approved at the federal and state level, then the city would vote on whether to allow the casino.