In Massachusetts, the debate over casino legalization has turned into an outdated game of political football. The state House and Senate approved legislation over the weekend that would allow three casinos and two slot machines. However, Gov. Deval Patrick opposes the bill because four racetracks in the state will compete for slot hauler licenses. Patrick, a Democrat facing reelection in November, said he will not sign the bill. Patrick said slot machine outlets create fewer jobs than promised numbers at casinos. The governor has said he would return the bill rather than veto it, which would give lawmakers the opportunity to consider amendments to eliminate one of the slot machine facilities.
Patrick was quoted by several media outlets in the Boston area as saying, “We expect to send it back under the amendment.” The legislature will have to return it during the special session to accept the change. Patrick has 10 days to act on the bill under state law. The proposed slot machine counseling centers seem to trigger some of the hottest rhetoric in the debate. The Senate president opposed the slot machine, but the House speaker, a district with two racetracks, called for the inclusion of it. The governor’s political opponents immediately reacted to the move. 메이저 토토사이트
Timothy Cahill, an independent candidate for governor, said he would lose up to 15,000 jobs in Massachusetts if Patrick did not accept the bill. Charles Baker, a Republican candidate for governor, prefers one casino to test the state’s gambling needs, but he is also supporting them. Wall Street is keeping an eye on the action because the results could have a major financial impact on Nevada’s major casino operators and slot machine manufacturers. Janney Montgomery Scott game analyst Brian McGill thought 6,000 to 9,000 slot machines were available in Massachusetts.
“We also think that the potential resort-style licenses offered by Massachusetts will generate significant interest in licenses that will be located in or around Boston, particularly among some of the casino operators in our coverage,” McGill told investors. Las Vegas Sands, Harrer Entertainment, and Winn Resorts have quietly and blatantly expressed interest in casinos in Massachusetts. The casinos will greatly influence businesses attracted by the American Indian Casino in nearby Connecticut.
The chairman and CEO of Las Vegas Sands, Sheldon Adelson, is from the Boston area. Harrer’s CEO, Gary Loveman, was a professor at Harvard School of Business, owns a minority stake in the NBA’s Boston Celtics, and still lives in the Boston area. Deutsche Bank game analyst Andrew Janet believes there is too much support for games in Massachusetts to solve this problem. “While we have drawn a line in the sand, the state legislators and essentially the governor’s support of three casinos and one lasino means that in our view, both parties will try to find an acceptable solution,” Janet told investors.
