It seems that Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker will not attend the official opening of Plainridge Park Casino in Plainville, which is to take place on June 24.
The slot parlor is the first gaming venue to open doors on the territory of the state under the casino law adopted back in 2011.
Although Gov. Baker admitted that the launch of the facility is “a historic moment in some respect”, he said on Tuesday that he will not attend it.
Plainridge Park Casino is located not far from Providence, Rhode Island and Boston. It is to feature as many as 1,250 slot machines, some of which will offer multiplayer games. Thus, a total of 1,500 players will be able to play at the venue at the same time.
According to Massachusetts legislators, the slot parlor would annually contribute about $104 million to the state. In a separate budget plan, Gov. Baker proposed more moderate estimate of about $84 million per year. Furthermore, the gambling venue has created more than 600 permanent job positions.
Recently, the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe has voiced objections to the number and type of slot machines installed at Plainridge Park Casino. Tribal officials asked Attorney General Maura Healey and her office to investigate the matter.
The tribe has been striving to launch a casino in Taunton for quite some time now, but has repeatedly been prevented from doing so. According to tribal officials, however, if their bid for a gambling venue eventually gets the necessary approval, the near proximity to the Plainville slot parlor and the additional gaming positions there would result in the Mashpee Wampanoag casino losing about $30 million in revenue.
Apart from Plainridge Park Casino, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission has granted two licenses for fully-fledged casinos in Everett and Springfield. A third one for the Southeastern Massachusetts region is to be awarded by the end of 2015, with New Bedford and Brockton competing for it.
New York-based developer KG Urban proposed a $650-million casino on the New Bedford waterfront. Residents of the city are to vote on the project on June 23.
Mass Gaming & Entertainment, too, is striving for a $650-million casino resort at the Brockton Fairgrounds. Residents narrowly approved the multimillion project on May 12, when a citywide vote was held.
Until recently, Somerset was among the competitors for the third and last Massachusetts casino license, but developer Crossroads Massachusetts LLC withdrew its application.
