Tiverton Casino Hotel in Tiverton, Rhode Island seeks a permanent license to operate 24-7 after 10 months in business. However, the city council of Tiverton is in no mood to be rushed in light of complaints about calls that are straining the police and fire departments.
The casino is in the midst of a one-year pilot program for the 24-hour operating license. That license is set to expire in November.
The attorney for the casino last week asked the town council to act ASAP to schedule a hearing.
However, councilwoman Patricia Hilton said, “I would like to get through a summer with the casino.” She said she was curious to see if things might be different during the tourist season.
The police department says it has seen an increase in calls and there are communications problems with the casino. Police Chief Patrick Jones said recently, “It has been a struggle.”
Communications has also been an issue for the fire department, according to Acting Chief Bruce Reimels.
Monthly reports showed that the police were called to the casino 72 times in May and made five arrests. The fire department is called between 33 to 39 times a month ranging from fires caused by discarded cigarettes to medical calls.
Councilwoman Denise deMedeiros complains that there have been no quarterly reports. According to South Coast Today she said, “The agreement was, ‘Let us know quarterly how it’s going.”
The council voted to get a quarterly report at the July meeting and then hold a public hearing on August 26.
Hilton commented, “The hearing last year on whether to allow the casino to be open 24 hours a day was “very contentious. The compromise was to do it for a year.”
The Newport Grand’s license was transferred to the Twin River Tiverton Casino Hotel in August of 2018. It opened to the public September 1. The casino has 1,000 slots and 32 gaming tables and an 84-room hotel.
The 2016 vote by the city’s voters to host the casino was a close one, with fewer than 400 votes separating yes and no.
