The greater portion of money spent at Plainridge Park Casino in Plainville, Massachusetts would have been spent at casinos in neighboring states, a 2016 report the results of which were made public by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission on Thursday showed.
The study was compiled by researchers from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Titled Social and Economic Impacts of Gambling in Massachusetts, it wanted to present a comprehensive picture of the economic impact of the state’s first commercial gambling venue.
The team of researchers interviewed customers of Plainridge Park Casino about both their gaming and non-gaming habits while at the casino’s floor. The report thus provided information about the money reallocated by patrons from other services and goods and the money the state has recaptured from residents who had previously traveled to neighboring states to gamble.
Plainridge Park Casino opened doors in the summer of 2015 as Massachusetts’ first commercial gambling venue. The property features slot machines, electronic table games, and betting on horse races. The opening of the facility was part of the Massachusetts Legislature’s effort to expand the local gambling industry in a bid to prevent gambling revenue from being lost to casinos in neighboring states.
Lawmakers approved the construction of up to three full-scale casinos and a single slots parlor – Plainridge Park Casino. Eventually, two casino licenses were awarded to interested developers. A $950-million resort is currently under development by MGM Resorts International in the city of Springfield and is slated to open doors in September 2018. Wynn Resorts, another major casino operator, is building Wynn Boston Harbor in Everett. The resort is expected to open doors in the summer of 2019 and to cost more than $2 billion to its developer.
Highlights from the Plainridge Park Casino Study
The report showed that around 58.3% of what patrons spent was recaptured revenue that would have been spent at gambling venues in nearby states. The team of researchers also found that 16.3% of customers’ gambling spending was reallocated from other services and goods.
It is also important to note that the majority of Plainridge Park Casino visitors were residents of the state. People residing in Plainville and the area comprised 11.4% of all patrons of the gambling venue. Around 66.5% of all customers were from other parts of the state. The remaining portion of visitors were from other states.
Slot machines were most popular among patrons, researchers found. Around 87% of all interviewed customers said that they visited the venue to play slot games. Electronic table games and betting on hors races were far less popular, but still had their fans.
The report further revealed that almost 90% of all patrons had played at casinos in neighboring states in the year prior to Plainridge Park Casino’s opening. Connecticut and Rhode Island were the most popular destinations.
The team of researchers said that it presented the state Gaming Commission with the results with the intention to provide gaming officials with information that can help them better understand the gambling habits of the state’s residents and how the opening of the slots parlor has impacted the local economy.
