BY STEPHEN LEVINE
A casino on Long Island? Towns such as Westbury and Plainview have been discussed as possible locations. Could Massapequa be next? After a snowstorm halted their previous attempts, hundreds of local residents from Floral Park, Elmont, Franklin Square and other communities marched on Belmont on Jan. 30 to show their disapproval regarding the proposed video casino at the famed racetrack.
The grassroots campaign against the casino started with a Facebook page made by Matt Sexton, and after an exchange of numbers, the ball began rolling for the fight against the casino at Belmont Park.
The main message of the group is to tell everyone that it is “unacceptable to have a casino at Belmont,” Sexton said in a phone interview prior to the march.
Sexton cites issues like a possible rise in crime and the proximity to schools like Floral Park Memorial High School [FPMHS] as major concerns the residents have over the construction of a casino so close to their community.
Several hundred residents shared these concerns as they marched from FPMHS to Belmont Park’s entrance on Hempstead Turnpike. Throu
ghout the hike, residents raised signs, blew whistles and yelled “No Casino, No,” to show the surrounding traffic where they stood.
“It’s gonna bring heavy traffic, some not so good people,” said Dan Ratto. “Compared to Atlantic City, it’s not a place to put a casino.”
Other residents believed that building a casino so close to home goes against the atmosphere of the neighboring towns.
“It’s very simple,” said Vinny Canella. “It goes against the values of the surrounding community. More parks, no more gambling.”
A few hours before residents marched on Belmont to protest the video casino, dozens of residents stood in front of the Gate 5 entrance to support the casino.
“As a Nassau County resident, I’m tired of seeing money go into the city, New Jersey and Connecticut,” said Jimmy Fitango. “Not one dime comes here. Yes to the casino.”
Residents who were pro casino held up signs saying that they want their “fair share,” stating that a casino would provide increased revenue for the community.
“It’s a great idea to create jobs,” said Lance Jaloza. 
Elmont Civic Activists and president of the Our Fair Share Committee, Patrick Nicolosi joined residents in his approval for the Video Lottery Terminal (VLT) facility in Belmont Racetrack’s Grandstand, saying, “It will bring life back to Belmont Racetrack.”
Proponents of the casino like Nicolosi provide evidence that VLT operations in New York State have generated $5.5 billion for education since 2004 and that these same casinos employ nearly 6,000 New Yorkers.
Those against the casino like Sexton cite evidence that politicians may want to raise money but at a cost to the surrounding communities.
A Floral Park Police Department Crime Comparison Report from Dec. 31, 2015, which illustrates that violent crimes have decreased in the past year raise concerns about what a casino could do to these statistics. A case study done on a tribal casino in Mississippi also showed evidence of an increase in traffic by 230 percent, which could have an impact on the quality of life for local residents.
To learn more about the argument against a Belmont casino visit, www.nobelmontcasino.org.
