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states outsource casino policing to private firms
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_PRIVATIZED_CASINO_REGULATION?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2014-02-21-01-53-24LAS VEGAS (AP) -- When Springfield, Mass. needed to choose who would build its first casino, the city hired an outside adviser to help with the process.
The consulting firm Shefsky & Froelich recommended that the deal go to MGM Resorts International. At the same time, the consulting firm was also working as a registered lobbyist in Illinois for MGM Resorts.
The arrangement highlights an often-overlooked trend as more cities and states embrace legalized gambling around the country: Private companies are being hired to write regulations and vet casinos, even as the same firms work the other side of the fence, helping casinos enter new markets and sometimes lobbying for their interests.
States hoping to make money quickly from legalizing gambling have few options as speedy as outside contractors, which allow them to get casinos up and running without having to hire and train a cadre of staff regulators.