Massachusetts House approves casino bill; now Senate, Guv must do likewise

Massachusetts-Bill-HouseGambling aficionados in Massachusetts are hanging on tenterhooks now that the House of Representatives has passed (by a margin of 115-36) a bill that would authorize the creation of three resort-style casinos and two racetrack casino parlors (racinos). The bill is now pending in the Senate, but it faces a bigger obstacle in Gov. Deval Patrick, who favors casinos but not racinos. With the legislative session scheduled to end at midnight Saturday, this could be a nail-biter. Read more.

UPDATE: The Senate has given the bill its initial approval by a vote of 25-15 after less than an hour of debate.