Massachusetts governor: Casino bill may make comeback
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A bill that would license three casinos in Massachusetts may not be dead yet, Governor Deval Patrick said.
A story in the Boston Globe quoted Patrick as saying the bill may find life in the legislature for a variety of reasons:
The governor told a Brookline Chamber of Commerce audience that an unyielding need for property tax relief, the possibility of slot machines at the state’s racetracks, and ongoing efforts by the Wampanoag Indians to build their own casino will revive the discussions.
“There’s a lot of interest in it, and issues that die in one session don’t die a permanent death,” Patrick said. “They tend to come back over time.”
The bill, as it is currently written, contains language that would ban online poker and gambling in the commonwealth.
House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi, who led opposition of the casino bill, may be leaving his post in the near future, which may also play a part in the governor’s optimism.
