Aug 6, 2007 9:06 pm US/Eastern
Report: Casinos To Bring $500 Million To State
DARTMOUTH, Mass. (AP) ―
A new report says building three resort casinos in Massachusetts would give the state an infusion of $500 million in new annual tax revenues.
The review also says the gaming facilities would create 10,000 construction jobs and more than 10,000 casino jobs.
It was conducted by the Center for Policy Analysis at U-Mass Dartmouth.
Director Clyde Barrow suggests the best places for the three casinos would be Suffolk Downs in Boston and locations in southeastern and western Massachusetts.
The report comes as the gambling debate re-ignites in Massachusetts.
"There are several steps that still have to take place, and I think the governor's report that people are certainly looking forward to -- the governor and his staff have done a lot of due diligence on that the legislature will weigh in -- the legislature is really key," said Chip Tuttle of Suffolk Downs. "So where there's been a lot of activity, we may be in the early stages of discussion."
The Mashpee Wampanoag tribe wants to build a casino in Middleborough and recently won the backing from town residents.
But expanded gambling still needs approval from the Legislature.
Barrow says there's a 1.5 billion dollar unmet gaming demand in New England.
(© 2007 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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