Lesser is more; Are you ready for some football betting?

It’s been rather vexing to hear the voices in Massachusetts squawking to have the casino-enabling legislation enacted under Deval Patrick torn up and replaced with a series of loopholes. After two years of knowing that Encore Boston Harbor was headed their way, Penn National Gaming is wailing for table games at Plainridge Park. Another developer wants a racino, even though the law stipulates only one. And Region C still lacks the authorized casino. Here’s a radical idea: Let’s let the law take its time to function as intended before we go running around with our hair on fire.

Amidst the insanity, one voice of reason has emerged, belonging to state Sen. Eric Lesser (D). While not unconcerned by the performance of MGM Springfield, cheek by jowl with his district, he advocated a wait-and-see approach. “It really was a promise, at least, to be a jobs creator, and it has been for now,” Lesser told a TV host. “We’re going to see what happens, but frankly … gambling is not going to be the economic development silver bullet for this state.” He advocated infrastructure improvement and better housing instead. One of his proposed infrastructure projects would be a light rail connecting the eastern and western parts of Massachusetts (and potentially bringing more gamblers to Springfield, one notes).

“I think that the MGM project is an important one,” he continued. “I want to see it succeed, because there’s a lot of people now relying on that for their paycheck. But we cannot delude ourselves into thinking that casinos are going to be the answer.” He also touched on what has to be a raw nerve for MGM Resorts International: a possible underestimation of customer loyalty to Foxwoods Resort Casino and Mohegan Sun. They’ve had decades to build up brand equity. MGM can’t expect to undo that it a year, even two.

* Las Vegas‘ last peepshow parlor, Showgirl Video, has gone the way of the dodo. The adult venue is now closed and will soon be demolished. The Las Vegas Sun tracked down a couple of former performers, all of whom looked back on their time there rather fondly. “It saved me from white trash hell,” says Treasure Brown. “Showgirl helped me gain the means to being a member of the American middle class.” In a sign of changing times in Vegas, Showgirl Video will make way for … a marijuana dispensary. I can remember a time when that would have been unthinkable.

* You wouldn’t know if from the deluge of FanDuel TV ads but the NFL actually isn’t expecting a vast economic benefit from the legalization of sports betting in 12 states (plus Puerto Rico). “We get great engagement, we don’t need to integrate sports betting directly into that,” sniffed NFL exec Christopher Halpin. The league’s TV partners are taking a variety of approaches to discussing the elephant in the room. CBS is being vague, NBC is exploring what the league might allow, Fox will permit under appropriate circumstances (whatever those turn out to be) and ESPN has “no plans to discuss gambling” although I don’t suppose that precludes a crawl on the bottom of the screen. Still, “people who have bet on the game don’t have to be told what the point spread is,” as the peacock’s Al Michaels tersely put it.

* “I decide that we need it. Many jobs will be lost. Anyway, it’s government-controlled.” That’s what Philippines strongman Rodrigo Duterte told Chinese President Xi Jinping after the latter demanded face to face that the Philippines shut down its Internet-gambling industry. We don’t know what Xi’s reaction was but he had to derive some consolation from being promised a 40% share of joint oil and gas exploration in the South China Sea.