Casinos

BACKGROUND

The Mashpee Wampanoag tribe of Middleborough won federal recognition in 2007 and immediately began plans to build a resort casino, complete with golf course. The plan included applying to place 539 acres in Middleborough into federal trust, effectively granting them sovereignty over new land. This process often takes years to get through the Department of Interior. Also, a casino built on such property would be governed by the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, with the federal secretary of the Interior serving as the final authority on negotiations.

Governor Deval Patrick has since submitted a 125-page objection to the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs for several reasons, including: loss of control over traffic, public safety, and zoning; reduced casino revenue for the state; reduced value of any future state licenses for casinos; and lack of labor and environmental protection provisions.

Governor Patrick submitted a proposal for state-licensing of three resort-style casinos, with a bidding preference to Indian tribes in Massachusetts. His emphasis is on creating new jobs that pay living wages, and he estimates that the proposal will create 20,000 permanent jobs. These new jobs would be part of approximately $2 billion in economic activity stimulated by the casinos along with 30,000 construction jobs and all the services that would support those workers and future customers. Governor Patrick estimates that the casinos would generate $400 million a year in revenue for the state. He has indicated that the new revenue would be spent on transportation infrastructure and property tax credits.

Some questions remain about potential social costs (e.g. increase gambling addiction), when the region will reach market saturation (i.e. there are several proposed casinos in neighboring states), and how extensive will the "substitution effect" be (i.e. people and industry simply changing where they eat, etc. rather than spending new dollars).

2010. House Speaker Robert DeLeo unveiled a plan Thursday to build two resort casinos and allow up to 750 slot machines at each of the state's four existing race tracks. The bill won committee approval on a 12-2 vote, with most Senate members of the Committee on Economic Development Committee opting not to cast votes on the House bill.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

OPPOSING ORGANIZATIONS

Mass Council of Churches
Casino Facts
Casino Free Mass

SUPPORTING ORGANIZATIONS

Governor of Massachusetts’ Budget
Press Release from the Office of the Governor
Massachusetts Coalition for Jobs and Growth