Wynn to spend $90m buying land near casino

Wants to make Everett entertainment, convention destination

By Bruce Mohl Casinos, Charlie Baker 0 Comments Nov 1, 2017

LAS VEGAS MOGUL STEVE WYNN said he has already spent $75 million buying up property near the Wynn Resorts hotel-casino complex in Everett and plans to spend a total of $90 million. “It’s property that we’re buying so we can turn Everett into a great example in America of how a business can change a(...)

$12m sitting unused in horse fund

Money a concern as racing committee sets ‘split’

By Bruce Mohl Casinos, Massachusetts Legislature 19 Comments Oct 18, 2017

STATE OFFICIALS SAID on Wednesday that $12 million is currently sitting unused in a fund that provides purses for horse races. The fund, which relies on gambling revenues that flow to the state, has often been eyed by officials on Beacon Hill looking for money to help balance the budget. So far the money has(...)

Plainridge pulling gambling money back to Mass.

Study: 58% of revenue 'recaptured,' 20% from out-of-state

By Natasha Ishak Casinos 0 Comments Oct 12, 2017

NEARLY 60 PERCENT of the money collected by the Plainridge Park Casino during its first year of operation came from Massachusetts gamblers who previously would have been going out of state to place their bets. A team of researchers from the Donahue Institute at the UMass Amherst estimated on Thursday that $100 million of the(...)

Goldberg warns of NH lottery moves

Says Mass. lottery is 'sitting here like dead ducks'

By Colin A. Young Massachusetts Legislature, Taxes and Budget Issues 0 Comments Aug 30, 2017

STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE THERE ARE PROVERBIAL TROOPS amassing at the New Hampshire border and the Massachusetts Lottery is “sitting here like dead ducks,” Treasurer Deborah Goldberg said Tuesday of the New Hampshire Lottery’s move to sell products online and introduce Keno. New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu in July signed a bill that seeks to(...)

Convictions shouldn’t preclude all casino jobs

Finding a legislative fix may make for interesting politics

By Margaret Monsell Casinos 0 Comments Aug 19, 2017

THE MGM SPRINGFIELD CASINO is scheduled to open late next year, and casino managers are worrying about how they’ll fill all the jobs that will need filling. The big problem: a section of the 2011 casino law that requires the Massachusetts Gaming Commission to prohibit the employment of any casino job applicant who was convicted of(...)

Worst casino fears coming to fruition

Gambling palaces are dangerous to local communities

By Jamie Eldridge Casinos 2 Comments Aug 14, 2017

IT DIDN’T TAKE LONG for the powerful casino industry to muscle its way into Massachusetts politics. Beginning in the early 2000s, corporate lobbyists began giving unprecedented amounts of money to elected officials on Beacon Hill to convince them to support expanded gambling. By 2009, leadership in the House, Senate, and the corner office all supported(...)

Wynn changing Everett — for the better

Casino will help, not hurt, local businesses

By Carlo DeMaria Casinos 1 Comment Aug 14, 2017

THE MASSACHUSETTS GAMING ACT was enacted by the Legislature in 2011 specifically to create new jobs, generate new tax revenue, and propel local economic growth. The Massachusetts Gaming Commission, the entity created by the Legislature and charged with maximizing the potential for the spinoff economic development potential of this new industry, works hard every day(...)

Summer 2017

Are thoroughbreds a good bet for the state?

Beacon Hill struggling with subsidies for the sport of kings

By Bruce Mohl Casinos, Massachusetts Legislature 1 Comment Jul 11, 2017

TEN HORSES SHOOT OUT of the gate with Simply Mas moving quickly to take the lead. The pack bunches up at the first turn, with Worth the Worry moving up on the inside and Goodbyeguinessbok gaining ground on the outside. As they head down the stretch, Simply Mas fades and Worth the Worry surges to(...)

Crosby: Thoroughbred racing can be saved

Asks lawmakers for control of horse racing funds

By Bruce Mohl Casinos 0 Comments Jun 8, 2017

THE STATE’S ON-THE-ROPES thoroughbred racing industry can be resurrected, the chairman of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission said in a letter to the Legislature on Wednesday. Stephen Crosby, the chairman of the commission, acknowledged in his letter that the thoroughbred industry is on the verge of losing its one operating track, which plans to hold only(...)

Gaming Commission: Hands off horse fund

Members seem eager to revive thoroughbred racing

By Bruce Mohl Casinos, Massachusetts Legislature 0 Comments May 25, 2017

STILL HOPEFUL THEY CAN REVIVE thoroughbred racing in the state, the members of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission on Thursday said they intend to lobby lawmakers to leave intact a fund designed to prop up the industry. A number of proposals have surfaced on Beacon Hill in recent weeks to tap the Horse Race Development Fund,(...)