Penn National Gaming‘s bid to get into Massachusetts is taking a turn for the bizarre. In a surrealistic proposal, it has taken out an option to buy on Plainridge Race Course. But … the option is condition on Penn being awarded the sole slot-parlor license by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission. So Penn is basically asking to be chosen sans facility … especially if Plainville residents vote gambling down on Sept. 10. Penn is saying, “Give us the license and then we’ll buy … probably.” You have to admire CEO Peter Carlino‘s persistence. There’s no keyhole he won’t squeeze through to get into the Bay State.
Although it appeared as though Suffolk Downs wouldn’t get a host-community agreement done before the deadline arrived, it’s filed its project plan with the Boston Redevelopment Authority in record time. Compared to Steve Wynn‘s proposed Everett resort, the Suffolk Downs racino would have a smaller footprint, at least in relative terms: 6,600 gaming positions and 17 restaurants ain’t chicken feed. One might ask where track owner Richard “Coastal Marina” Fields aims to find the money for all this, but let’s give him the benefit of the doubt for now.
One of the reasons for getting the Suffolk Downs plan out so early is in order to have 
pro-casino Boston Mayor Thomas Menino‘s administration get to work on it. At least two mayor candidates are anti-casino, so the sooner the process gets in train the better for Fields and Caesars Entertainment. As for Menino’s attempt to sandbag Wynn by claiming that part of his site lies within Boston, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission will sit in judgement on that one. The city council of Suffolk Downs’ co-host community Revere is high as a kite on the project, voting unanimously in its favor. Fields and Gary Loveman have promised $30 million for road repairs, so Councilor Richard Penta said it best: “It’s all about dollars.”
It’s also all about the benjamins in Palmer, where voters will go to the polls relatively late, on Nov. 5. The town has 40 million reasons to vote for Mohegan Sun‘s project: That’s the number of dollars the casino-to-be has pledged toward road and water improvements.
