NEWS
Suffolk CEO testifies at Mass. statehouse
Posted: Friday, October 30, 2009 9:30 AM
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by Steve Myrick
Suffolk Downs chief operating officer Chip Tuttle was among those pitching destination casinos and video lottery terminals at racetracks during a heated hearing at the Massachusetts statehouse on Thursday.
Tuttle told the assembled legislators and a packed audience that a video slot machine facility at the East Boston track cold be operational in a matter of months, and could be a step toward a destination resort casino that would create 3,000 jobs and create $100-million in new tax revenue for the cash-strapped state.
The three key players in state government, Governor Deval Patrick, House Speaker Robert DeLeo (D-Winthrop), and Senate President Therese Murray (D-Plymouth) all have endorsed authorizing a limited number of destination resort casinos in Massachusetts.
DeLeo is a strong proponent of legislation authorizing video slot machines at tracks and both Suffolk Downs and Wonderland Greyhound Park lie within his legislative district.
While the stars seem to be politically aligned for an expansion of gambling, the battle over where casinos would be located, how many would be authorized, and how the tracks fit into the picture promises to be a battle. Opponents have pointing out that the Twin River casino in Rhode Island declared bankruptcy this past summer, while Foxwoods casino in Connecticut faces severe financial pressure and has cut hundreds of jobs.
Steve Myrick is a Massachusetts-based correspondent for Thoroughbred Times
