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State Issues Archive

Slots Get Another Hearing

Another hearing at the Massachusetts State House was held on Tuesday to address a slots and simulcasting bill passed by the Senate on October 6. Representative Dan Bosley, longtime gambling foe, chaired the hearing and stuck to his position that any good that might come from slots would be outweighed by the bad. He did, however, promise to bring the matter to a House vote before the legislative session ends on November 15 (Lowell Sun).

Posted in State Issues on October 19, 2005

On the Sidelines?

Joe O’Donnell is sitting out the Massachusetts slots debate (Boston Herald):

He has plenty at stake in this latest, and perhaps last run at getting slot machines into Suffolk Downs and the Bay State’s other racetracks.

O’Donnell holds the controlling share in Suffolk.

And there is strong belief in some circles that his considerable juice is required to get Gov. Mitt Romney off his absolute-veto pledge against slots.

But the Hub’s leading power broker (see Boston magazine) says he won’t be calling in any favors on Beacon Hill.

Says O’Donnell: “Personally I think [slots make] all the sense in the world … But I don’t want to take a personal leadership role in this. I have a personal relationship with, and am very fond of, the governor, the speaker and the Senate president. They’re all friends of mine.” Cynically I wonder if it’s more that O’Donnell — a real estate developer partially responsible for the Shops at Suffolk Downs mall built on land previously owned by the track across the street from the barn area — is interested in something other than slots or horseracing.

Posted in State Issues on October 15, 2005

Odds Improve for Mass. Slots

So say some state legislators (Boston Herald):

A small group of House lawmakers, including state Rep. Brian Wallace (D-South Boston), has been quietly lobbying colleagues and meeting with racetrack executives and union officials for more than a year. Buoyed by the state Senate’s 26-9 vote to legalize thousands of slots at the state’s struggling racetracks, Wallace and other pro-slots lawmakers plan to start pushing for a vote as soon as next week.

Posted in State Issues on October 9, 2005

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