Lawmakers whose districts include the Plainridge Park Casino in Plainville are uniting behind a proposal that would authorize the Massachusetts Gaming Authority to allow table games at what is currently a slots parlor with 1,250 machines.
Rep. Shawn Dooley, one of the authors of the bill, told the Sun Chronicle that the bill is an attempt to bulletproof Plainridge Park from the effects of Rhode Island’s two casinos, most specifically Twin River Casino in Lincoln, which about 15 miles and 23 minutes’ drive time distant. “They are aggressively going after us,” he said.
Industry participants have been openly urging Massachusetts gaming officials to “run, not walk” to the state capital to try to get authorization for live table games at Plainville.
The Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emergency Technologies (mentioned above) which is the committee that oversees gaming, held a hearing on the matter where several Plainville area leaders spoke favorably. Such that Dooley says he is optimistic of passage.
A Plainville selectman told the committee that the table games were needed to make Plainridge competitive against Rhode Island and said the slots parlor has been largely a good thing for the community in the four years since it opened. It has also generated money that has helped keep the nearby harness racing track open.
“Plainridge Park has had a profound and positive impact on our town and our region,” said the selectman. Other speakers in favor included several state representatives, and the Plainville town administrator, fire chief and police chief.
Interestingly, Penn National Gaming, which owns the casino, has not weighed in to ask for the expanded gaming.
Encore Boston Harbor
Encore Boston Harbor, owned by Wynn Resorts International, and the Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York, have forged a cross-promotional partnership that could lead to the casino presenting two races during the summer, including an undercard race (i.e. a preliminary race that happens before the main race) on Travers Stakes day on August 24, the most popular day during the Saratoga racing season.
The Encore will also have its name prominently displayed in the newly opened 1863 Club at the Saratoga. The new arrangement shows that the $2.6 billion Encore is aiming its marketing campaign not only to Massachusetts but west and that the New York Racing Association is trying to spur the interest of Bay State racing aficionados who recently lost Suffolk Downs when it held its last race a few weeks ago.
The Encore will also present two handicapping contests, the Saratoga Challenge on August 9 and the Fourstardave Challenge on August 10.
Robert DeSalvio, president of the Encore Boston Harbor, hailed the new deal. “There is a natural synergy between Encore Boston Harbor and Saratoga Race Course making this alignment a perfect partnership,” he said in a statement. “As a racing fan, I am personally excited to have the opportunity to bring Wynn Resorts’ world-renowned hospitality to the brand new 1863 Club and showcase to Saratoga visitors what we are offering in Greater Boston.”
At the most recent MGC meeting the commissioners dealt with the issue of the class action lawsuit filed in Superior Court two weeks ago accusing the Encore Boston Harbor of paying blackjack winnings at 6-5 odds instead of 3-2, which is the industry norm. The lawsuit came within less than a month after the $2.6 billion casino resort opened.
The commission determined that the casino is paying out at both rates, depending on what the table stakes are. In other words, the high-rollers get better odds. Which is something that is quite common among commercial casinos. It also determined that the tables where these odds are in force advertise the fact with appropriate signage.
The commission’s enforcement arm: Investigations and Enforcement Bureau (IEB) issued this statement: “MGC staff carefully reviewed the 13-page complaint alleging violations of our rules by Encore Boston Harbor. As the agency responsible for regulating the integrity of gaming and with understanding of our own rules and regulations, the IEB’s memo describes in detail the analysis regarding compliance by Encore.”
The lawsuit alleges that the casino used 6-5 odds to increase revenues by as much as $30 million a year.
Joshua Garrick, the attorney for the plaintiff Richard Schuster, told the Boston Herald that he was disappointed the commission had conducted an investigation in under a day—and without contacting him. “If the Commission’s goal is to ensure gaming in Massachusetts is conducted with integrity, we question why Encore representatives sat with the Investigations and Enforcement Bureau investigators and participated in the presentation, while we were not contacted or invited to participate in any way,” he said.
Encore Boston Harbor President Robert DeSalvio characterized the lawsuit claims as “false and unfounded,” and added, “Every customer gets every penny that they deserve at Encore Boston Harbor, and never would we engage in a practice that would actually keep any of our customers’ money.”
Mitigation Grants
Meanwhile the Massachusetts Gaming Commission last week announced a series of grants, totaling $4 million, that will be disbursed to communities and organizations that are negatively impacted by the state’s casinos.
These grants do such things as buy equipment for police departments, and help pay the rent for an addiction center in Springfield that was forced to relocate to make way for the MGM Springfield, which opened last August.
The grants are made annually. Western Mass. Recovery and Wellness Center will get $400,000 to help cover rent. It had to move in 2016 from where it had operated for nearly 30 years.
The Springfield Police Department will get a grant of $228,458 for safety equipment, including new radios and for traffic and crowd control equipment.
MGC Chairman Cathy Judd-Stein released a statement that said, “The MGC is pleased to support communities in their efforts to address needs in transportation, tourism, workforce development and public safety.” She added, “This latest funding initiative represents the continuation of our ongoing efforts to assess casino impacts and enhance the benefits of gaming.”
Some grants were for police training; although by far most of the grants were to improve traffic in locations impacted by the newly opened Encore Boston Harbor; to fund traffic studies, to improve MBTA mass transit service, with grants ranging between $50,000 and $425,000.
A grant of $213,400 to Boston helps workers in the hospitality industry who lost jobs to the Encore Boston Harbor transition into other work. A grant of $50,000 will help the town of Revere produce a tourism video.
