Column: Gaming is now looking good in Massachusetts

Thursday, May 21, 2009  

"As lawmakers scramble for revenues, casino gambling — declared dead just a year ago — is seeing its odds surge again, helped on by a key change in leadership on Beacon Hill and the state's desperate need for cash.

On Monday, operators of the Mohegan Sun casino in Connecticut planned to open an office on Main Street in downtown Palmer to introduce themselves and help build public support for a possible western Massachusetts destination casino. The Mohegan Tribe has signed a 50-year ground lease on 152 acres in Palmer with the hope that Massachusetts lawmakers will finally give the green light to casino gambling.

"We believe that if gaming is introduced to the commonwealth, we would be able to go into the market as the best-known gaming company on the East Coast," said Mohegan Sun CEO Jeff Hartmann, pointing to the jobs that the casino could bring to the area. "We'll be there to introduce ourselves to the community."

Meanwhile, the owners of the state's dog and horse tracks are also looking for a new lease on life by convincing the state to allow them to install slot machines.

For dog tracks like Wonderland Greyhound Park in Revere, the prospect of slot machines is particularly enticing since voters last year approved a ballot question to ban greyhound racing in Massachusetts at the end of the year.

And the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe is still hoping to open a casino in Middleborough under a federal law that permits tribes to enter the gaming business."

Get the Story:
Steve LeBlanc: View from Beacon Hill: Gaming gaining favor as revenue source (The Salem News 5/20)