Who is a member?
Our members are the local governments of Massachusetts and their elected and appointed leadership.
House and Senate leaders announced an agreement last week on new legislation to allow casinos in Massachusetts as a way to create jobs and new revenue for the state and cities and towns.
Last year, the Legislature sent a casino bill to Gov. Deval Patrick, but he returned it with proposed amendments and it did not become law. The new bill includes changes that address the governor’s concerns, and he has said that key provisions of the bill are consistent with what he has said he would support.
The 155-page bill is expected to be debated by the House and Senate during September and may be sent to the governor before the scheduled end of the legislative session in November.
The bill would permit the licensing of three resort-type casinos, located in three different regions of the state, and one slot machine-only facility without a geographic limitation. The three regions are: central and eastern Massachusetts, the southeastern part of the state, and western Massachusetts. There is a special provision that could allow the allocation of a casino license to a Native American tribe.
In a joint statement, House Speaker Robert DeLeo and Senate President Therese Murray said they “support this bill and believe that it provides a strongly regulated and commercially desirable framework for establishing a gaming industry in Massachusetts and that expanded gaming will create thousands of construction and service jobs and support our ongoing efforts to create and retain jobs in the Commonwealth. Further, it will serve as a source of new revenue for Massachusetts and help our economy grow.”
Gov. Patrick said, “If done right, expanded gaming in Massachusetts can create jobs, generate new revenue, and spur other economic growth in the state. The bill being considered by the Joint Legislative Committee on Economic Development places appropriate limits on the expansion of gaming, requires open and transparent bidding, maintains a voice for local communities, and provides resources to address public health and safety – all principles I have insisted be a part of any gaming bill I support.”
The new bill includes a plan for the use of casino tax revenue similar to the 2010 plan, including a share for municipal aid and mitigation payments to cities and towns affected by the construction and operation of a casino. The bill also includes requirements for casino developers to address local impact concerns as part of the application and licensing process.
The bill would require casino developers to invest at least $500 million in a proposed resort and pay an upfront licensing fee of $85 million. Once the resorts open, casino operators would pay a daily fee of 25 percent on gross gaming revenue, while the slot parlor would be required to pay the state a 40 percent tax on gross gaming revenue and an additional 9 percent into a racehorse development fund. Of the tax revenue the state receives from casinos, 25 percent would support local aid for cities and towns and 14 percent would support local education aid.