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September 18, 2007

Mass. casino campaign: The debate begins

Journal photo / Gretchen Ertl
Massachusetts state Sen. Susan Tucker, D-Second Essex, says the casino industry "depends on addiction to make its money" during a panel debate sponsored by MassINC, a public policy think-tank, at the Omni Parker House in Boston this morning, a day after Gov. Deval Patrick proposed licensing three full-scale casinos in Massachusetts.

BOSTON -- Gov. Deval Patrick has started the long process of selling his plan to allow three resort casinos in Massachusetts.

A day after unveiling the proposal, Patrick was out trying to rally support.

He took to the airwaves of three Boston-area radio stations, where morning commuters heard him tout casinos as being able to one day generate up to $450 million annually in state tax revenue.

Patrick says he'll split the revenue between paying for transportation upgrades and giving property tax credits to more than a million homeowners.

The governor also trumpeted the proposal after an event at Genzyme Corporation in Cambridge, saying his revenue projections are "conservative."

The Legislature must approve expanded gambling before casinos can open in Massachusetts.

In Rhode Island, where the debate over full-fledged casinos has been hot, political leaders reacted differently to the plans yesterday. Read the story.

-- Associated Press

Posted by Andrea Panciera  at 2:24 PM | Permalink

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