Boston Globe Comes to Town

The Boston Globe was in Montville recently, interviewing people about the economic effects of having a giant casino in town.

, figure prominently in the story.

is about to start a Massachusetts casino, and other casinos are planned for Massachusetts towns. People throughout Massachusetts are meeting and working to understand the potential effects on municipalities and businesses.

The Globe says that "the experience in Montville over the past 15 years offers insight into the potential pros and cons, and a cautionary tale for those who see casinos as economic saviors."

Many people in the story point out that the casino is somewhat of a self-contained entity. Its presence has increased jobs, has brought more traffic and arrests, "created a secret plague of problem gambling."

The story does show , now , and sort of implies that its closure has something to do with the economy. It also mentions that Montville agreed to a $500,000 annual payment from the casino, which is less, the story says, than most Massachusetts towns will be willing to accept.