Industry News
Democratic Sen. Paul Moura, from East Providence, said he will introduce legislation to allow "24-hour gambling" at Twin River and Newport Grand, the state's two licensed slot parlors, in the coming weeks when the General Assembly reconvenes for a special override session.
He said the bill is "necessary" now that neighboring Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick has proposed licensing three resort-style casinos in his state. The proposal still needs approval by the Massachusetts Legislature, but it is likely to pass, experts said.
Senator Moura said Rhode Island will "suffer" great economic harm if no legislative changes are made to the state's gambling facilities and if Massachusetts continues with high-profile plans for new casinos in Boston and rural parts of the state.
“Massachusetts is moving along very steadily with plans to develop gaming facilities that will provide thousands of jobs and contribute to much-needed property-tax relief. As their plans come to fruition, the threat to Rhode Island becomes greater and greater,” said Moura.
Senator Moura quoted estimates by lobbyists from Twin River and GTECH, who forecast that allowing Rhode Island’s gambling facilities to remain open around-the-clock just on weekends and holidays could raise an additional $25 million to $30 million.
“If no measures are taken to expand our current gaming facilities and new casino resorts are built so close to home, the effects on Twin River and Newport Grand — and our state — could be disastrous,” said Senator Moura.
Developing Interest
Last June, Senator Moura urged General Assembly leaders to call for a joint hearing of the House and Senate Finance Committees to assess a number of gambling-expansion proposals that he considered to be of vital importance to Rhode Island’s economy. His interest in the issue has been growing over time. Senator Moura said he requested the hearing to carefully explore some of the proposals for new laws that legislators did not have a chance to address during the final days of the 2007 legislative session.© Copyright 2007 Online Casino Crawler This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
