BOSTON (AP) — Casino gambling is coming to Massachusetts.
Voters on Tuesday rejected a ballot question that would have repealed the 2011 state law that allows for up to three regional resort casinos and a single slots parlor.
Opponents of the repeal cited the potential for thousands of jobs, economic development and enhanced tax revenue in communities where residents had voted to support casino bids.
Supporters of the ballot question doubted casinos would deliver on their economic promises, and would instead bring more crime, gambling addiction and a host of other social ills.
The vote clears the way for three projects approved by state gambling regulators to proceed: a slots parlor already under construction in Plainville and full-scale casinos planned by MGM Resorts in Springfield and Wynn Resorts in Everett.
Repeal the Casino Deal Campaign Chairman John Ribeiro issued the following statement regarding the election results.
“We are extraordinarily grateful and humbled by the support of the voters of Massachusetts,” said Ribeiro. “We fought hard and overcame every obstacle that was placed before us. We defied the odds time and again—securing the signatures to get on the ballot, fighting to earn a unanimous vote in our favor in the Supreme Judicial Court, and keeping the race close despite being outspent by millions.”
“Of course we’re disappointed we came up short on Tuesday, but we left it all on the field and our work is not over,” he said. “The casino industry profits at the expense of families and small businesses. Rest assured, we will be watching the licensing process and the Massachusetts Gambling Commission very closely as the process continues.”
“We ran this campaign because we care about our communities, and that doesn’t change with today’s vote. It’s now up to us all to ensure that casino gambling comes to Massachusetts in the safest, and most deliberate manner, possible. As talks continue over mitigation, surrounding community agreements and infrastructure projects, we all need to hold our leaders accountable. As Thomas Jefferson said, ‘the price of Liberty is eternal vigilance,'” he said.
