The proposed construction of the Twin River Tiverton casino complex received a final important approval on Wednesday, when members of the Tiverton Planning Board gave the nod to the project by a 6-1 vote, local news outlet Providence Journal reported.
The new casino was approved by Tiverton residents by a ballot question last November. The results from a statewide vote also gave the green light to the scheme.
The new complex is set to open doors in the summer of 2018, although an official opening date is yet to be announced by Twin River officials. The whole property will occupy a 50-acre portion of wooded land. It will include a 38,000-square-foot casino with 1,000 slot machines and 32 table games, with some of those being craps, blackjack, and roulette.
The complex will also feature multiple food and beverage facilities, with those spreading over 15,500 square feet. All facilities will have room for nearly 300 customers. An 83-room hotel will be able to accommodate guests of the town. It will have a separate lobby from the casino entry.
The Twin River Tiverton casino complex will also feature retail space, a two-level garage, and multiple other options aimed at attracting gambling and non-gambling patrons.
In order to be able to operate the Tiverton gambling venue, owner Twin River Management will relocate its existing license from the Newport Grand casino. The latter casino currently features more than 1,000 slot machines and a number of virtual table games. Once the Tiverton property is completed and operational, the Newport one will close doors permanently.
Twin River Management acquired Newport Grand back in 2015. Aside from that property, it also currently operates one more casino complex in Rhode Island – the Lincoln-located Twin River Casino.
Gambling Expansion in New England
The construction of the new casino in Tiverton is not the only project of this type to be currently taking form in the New England region. Gambling expansion has been discussed and taking place in several more states in that part of the United States and while many fear that the region could become oversaturated with gambling options, others believe that this could boost tourism activity and the local economy.
It was in June when Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy signed a bill that authorized the construction of the state’s third casino and the first one to be located off-reservation land. The venue will be built jointly by Connecticut’s two federally recognized tribes – the Mashantucket Pequots and the Mohegans, and will aim to compete directly the $950-million MGM Springfield, currently being built in neighboring Massachusetts.
Speaking of Massachusetts, it is the New England state that is set to see the largest expansion of its casino industry. Aside from the MGM Springfield casino resort, the $2-billion Wynn Boston Harbor is also currently under development in the city of Everett in the Greater Boston area. The former resort is slated for September 2018 opening, while the latter will probably open doors sometime in 2019.
