While casino approval creeps forward in Massachusetts, a blistering pace is being set in New York State. Gov. Andrew Cuomo has set a June deadline for Catskills applications, with the winner(s) to be chosen by autumn. Peace Corps veteran Mark Gearan has been tasked with steering the Empire State’s expansion of casino gambling. A state gaming commission is to be appointed this month. A speedy fellow, this Cuomo.
Revere, Mass., is making out like a bandit on its deal with Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority. The latter, by way of Suffolk Downs, has pledged $25 million-$40 million in annual payments to the city and further sweetened the deal with a one-time pledge of $33 million-$40 million for road upgrades. (Boston newspapers are greatly at odds on the amounts of money involved.) Mohegan Sun is trying to sell Revere voters on “a resort with two hotels, upscale shops, and restaurants.” Since the Revere electorate already voted strongly in favor of a less “george” deal, this ought to be an easy putt. However, victorious casino opponents from East Boston and Palmer want to “play through” and ruin Mohegan Sun’s game.
Isn’t it remarkable how, every time somebody wants to add a casino to Maine (which has two), all of a sudden the state is ‘saturated’ with gambling? Upstart Oxford Casino (now owned by Churchill Downs) went through that during the 2008 election. Now Oxford is one of those crying doom should Scarborough Downs be be allowed to go the racino route. Scarborough does have something of an unfair burden to meet, being required to host 101 days of racing vs. the 25 mandated for Penn National Gaming‘s Hollywood Casino. Both Hollywood and Oxford use slot revenue to subsidize track operations.
If Hollywood and Oxford are feeling besieged, perhaps it’s because both the Houlton Band of Haliseets and the Passamaquoddy Tribe are pressing for Class III gambling on their reservations. One understands why the establishment is feeling jittery about this but Maine is a free-market start where casinos are concerned. Let the market be the arbiter!
David,
I would not expect this to be a slam dunk approval in Revere. The main entrance to Suffolk Downs is in East Boston. It is a very congested four-lane highway that is brutal to travel during rush hour. The Revere side of Suffolk Downs is a two-lane city street that is also fairly congested (one of the reasons for the need to improve the infrastructure around the track). With the casino being moved to the Revere side of the track, a lot more traffic will now be moved to those city streets and the residents of that neighborhood are not happy. Also, there’s currently horse stables on the Revere side of the track that will need to be removed and the horse people aren’t happy about that It’s a different dynamic when the project gets moved to the Revere side. It sort of becomes NIMBY. And last I recall, Mohegan Sun has not signed anything with the City of Boston and I guess the MA Gaming Board has to take into consideration the traffic burden a casino at Suffolk Downs will cause for East Boston. Even if the casino is on the other side of the property.
Flip