Casino talk getting serious for Suffolk Downs

Suffolk Shippers · #1 07-13-2007, 03:48 PM

http://business.bostonherald.com/bus...icleid=1011063

Casino talk is really heating up here in the Boston area. This was somewhat expected with the arrival of a Democratic governor and a new gambling friendly Senate President, Theresa Murray.

The native Americans would like to put a huge casino in Middleboro, which is a sleepy residential town about 50 minutes south of Boston or New Bedford, which is even further south. Middleboro is balking, meanwhile, Boston Mayor, Tom Menino (long time slots proponent for Suffolk) wants a casino/entertainment complex at Suffolk to pair it with Richard Fields new Suffolk vision.

Gaming has failed often up here, and it is not a golden parachute as it once thought, but it could help the situation for the horseman up this way.

The Bid · #2 07-13-2007, 04:04 PM

You guys really need it up there. You also need to reopen Rockingham for T'bred racing. What a nice facility

XIIPointStables · #3 07-13-2007, 06:47 PM

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

Racing in New England needs this not to flourish, but just survive.

The Rock turf course just effin' sits there, beautiful as mentioned by the Bid..and for some reason they and Suffolk can figure out a way to get the Rock a few dates. It would help everyone involved.

Keep hoping against hope they might get something done, but you just hope the Rock doesn't have to close before that happens.

The Bid · #4 07-13-2007, 06:55 PM

It really is a beautiful grass course, shame it sits there. I could be wrong but I thought they used the grass course a few years ago for a couple days. The track is too nice to just be dormant with the exception of some very bad trotting horses

pmayjr · #5 07-14-2007, 08:40 AM

At least there's a chance to get them there. Canterbury has tried for 10 years to get a full casino at the track. They have the largest poker room (35-tables, and some black jack, pai-gow, etc.) in the Upper Midwest, which helps purses, but no slots and video gaming where the real $$$ is at. The state of MN won't approve a racino for them eventhough they'd give a huge cut to the state of MN.

ALostTexan · #6 07-14-2007, 11:02 AM

Same as in Ohio, except it was the voters that turned down the slots last November. The tracks had put together a really nice package for college scholarships and economic development for every county in Ohio, and the people still couldn't realize that it was a good thing.

So, the day still goes on, and the majority of license plates at the casinos in Indiana, Michigan, and West Virginia are Ohio plates, and Ohio still is behind.

I hope the Suffolk does get their racino bill passed. I know that slots are not the answer for racing into the future, but at least Suffolk and all other tracks deserve to compete on a level playing surface. I also am about 3/4 of the way through "Not by a Longshot" so I am pulling for Suffolk even more now...

Suffolk Shippers · #7 07-14-2007, 01:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ALostTexan

Same as in Ohio, except it was the voters that turned down the slots last November. The tracks had put together a really nice package for college scholarships and economic development for every county in Ohio, and the people still couldn't realize that it was a good thing.

So, the day still goes on, and the majority of license plates at the casinos in Indiana, Michigan, and West Virginia are Ohio plates, and Ohio still is behind.

I hope the Suffolk does get their racino bill passed. I know that slots are not the answer for racing into the future, but at least Suffolk and all other tracks deserve to compete on a level playing surface. I also am about 3/4 of the way through "Not by a Longshot" so I am pulling for Suffolk even more now...

Isn't "Not by a Longshot" a great book? Thornton really tells a great story. The only downside I see to a entertainment complex/casino/horse track is the local residents. They have to deal with Logan Airport right there, along with the massive remnants of the Big Dig and tunnel projects. The construction for this might lead them to the Tobin Bridge to jump off

I'd say 65-75% of the license plates at the casinos in Connecticut belong to Massachusetts residents. It's absurb that the state doesnt realize or flatly doesn't care to have their revenues reinvested back into their own state.

ALostTexan · #8 07-14-2007, 01:45 PM

Well, in Ohio, the legislature is getting close to passing a bill that would allow instant racing machines like Arkansas, but the governor is already threatening to veto the bill. Even when they have a chance to score on something like this, the powers that be are killing it.

I don't ever think that Beulah, River, or Thistledown will be hosting big Grade I events, but I would like to see them compete on a level playing field with at least Indiana.

Good luck to Suffolk in getting this bill passed...