Rolling the Dice

Rolling the Dice

Coverage of casino licensing and the gambling referendum

Casino could redevelop Springfield

MGM, proprietor of such upscale resorts as the Bellagio and the Luxor in Las Vegas, is making a run for the Western Massachusetts casino license. The company today will unveil plans for what amounts to a massive redevelopment of three downtown Springfield city blocks. Plans will include gambling facilities, an “entertainment district” featuring restaurants, performance(...)

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South Coast casino fears

For years, South Coast politicians were the lonely voices in the gambling wilderness. Even when legislative leadership stood solidly against legalizing casinos in Massachusetts, politicians from the state’s southeastern region would reliably push the issue, arguing that the area was in desperate need of large-scale investment, and casinos were as good a bet as anything(...)

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Tribe and tribulation for Indian gaming

Since Gov. Deval Patrick signed a law authorizing casino gambling last year, a giant contradiction has been hanging over the race for the state’s three casino licenses. The law carves out a license for the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe in the state’s southeastern region, provided the Legislature and the state gaming commission are confident in the(...)

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Rhode Island rolls the dice

If the tensions in Massachusetts over casino legislation seemed high, it’s really nothing compared to the time Rhode Island is having trying to stem the impending financial calamity that will come with expanded Bay State gambling. As it was becoming clear that Massachusetts would pass gambling legislation last year, Rhode Island lawmakers approved a referendum(...)

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The casino gamble

If you’re a state leader or a casino mogul lustily eyeing the gambling licenses up for grabs in Massachusetts, did you smile giddily or break into a cold sweat when reading yesterday’s New York Times Magazine cover story on the rough times at Foxwoods, the Connecticut mega-casino whose lunch we are supposed to be preparing(...)

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The Download: Cracking down on gambling

As everyone knows, slot machines and casino gambling haven’t been approved by the Massachusetts Legislature. But what most people don’t know is that devices that closely resemble slot machines have been popping up in small shops across the state for the past few years, sidestepping the legal ban by masquerading as sweepstakes. Some of the(...)

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