Brockton residents were given the opportunity to vote on Tuesday on the construction of a $650-million casino resort on the city’s Fairgrounds. Of all 44,010 registered voters, 7,163 voted in favor of the project and 7,020 cast their negative votes.
John McGarry, Brockton Elections Director, said that the votes would be rechecked later today.
Thomas McDonnell, one of the leaders of the casino opposition, pointed out that they will not demand a recount since a different result is not likely to be registered.
Supporters of the multimillion casino resort argued that its construction would be good for Brockton as new jobs are to be created. Mass Gaming & Entertainment, the developer that is in charge of the project, promised as many as 1,500 jobs and an annual contribution of $10 million to the city.
George Carney, owner of Mass Gaming & Entertainment, pointed out that the casino resort might not be the best development for everyone but Brockton really needs what it would offer to the city and its residents.
Apart from keen supporters, the construction of the property encountered strong opposition as well. Opponents argued that the casino would be located next to a high school and might allure minors to its premises. They also pointed out that certain traffic issues might arise, if the venue open doors.
Reportedly, proponents of the venture spent more than $1 million on lobbying. Opponents, on the other hand, relied solely on the church and community groups to inform Brockton residents about the effects a casino might have on the city.
As mentioned above, Mass Gaming & Entertainment plans to spend about $650 million on its project. The casino is to feature 2,000 slot machines and 100 table games, roulette and blackjack included. Furthermore, a seven-story hotel with 225 rooms will be added as well as a conference center.
Mr. Carney formed Mass Gaming & Entertainment together with gambling operator Rush Street Gaming, which manages four other casinos across the country and in Canada. As for Mr. Carney himself, he owns the so-called Raynham Park, a gambling facility that once featured a dog racing track but currently simulcasts horse- and dog-racing events from other venues.
New Bedford, the other city that currently competes for the third Massachusetts gaming license, is to have its citywide vote on June 23. Similarly to the Brockton project, the one in New Bedford is run by well-provided developers that have long experience in the gambling industry.
A third proposal for a casino in the Southeastern Massachusetts region comes from Somerset. This one, however, is way behind the other two, as developers have not submitted their application to the state gambling regulator yet.
The Massachusetts Gaming Commission is expected to reveal its decision on which one of the three projects will be granted the state’s last casino license later in 2015.
