A vote in the Massachusetts legislature sent a shudder through the Southeastern Connecticut Thursday.
The Massachusetts State Senate voted 25-15 to license three resort-style casinos in the state, according to The Boston Globe. The vote brings the Bay State one step closer to adding casinos that could severely cut into business for Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods here in Connecticut.
In 2007, Massachusetts residents made up 36 percent of the Foxwoods' total visitors, according to the Center for Policy Analysis at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. The same study showed 20 percent of Mohegan Sun's gamblers came from the Bay State. In all, Massachusetts residents spent $846.2 million at Connecticut's two casinos in 2007.
One casino has been proposed for Fall River, Mass., a much closer drive for the millions of Boston-area gamblers who make the make the trip to Connecticut's casinos each year.
Massachusetts legislators argued keeping those gamblers in the state will have a huge economic impact. "A resort casino is economic development," State Senator Joan Menard, whose district includes Fall River, said. "I have 10,000 people in a city of 96,000 looking for work."
The Senate plan calls for three areas, Western Massachusetts, Southeastern Massachusetts and Greater Boston, where casinos would be built. A State House version of a casino bill passed a few months ago. There are differences in the bills that would have to be worked out before a final version could be sent to Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick. Patrick supports the plan for casinos.
