Earlier this week, when New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that the state was looking into the possibility of moving forward with plans to develop non-Indian commercial casinos, it sent a ripple effect through to other states, namely, Massachusetts.
There are those, like said Rep. Angelo Puppolo who don’t think that New York adding commercial casinos will affect casino competition. Puppolo obviously hasn’t sat down and had a lengthy chat with gaming advocates in Massachusetts.
After Cuomo’s announcement, casino proponents in Palmer responded with a push on lawmakers to put a rush on passing an expanded gaming bill in Massachusetts.
Last month legislative leaders touted that the first order of business when the General Court returns from summer recess will be gaming legislation in September. But the state of Massachusetts has heard that before.
As it stands now, both the House Speaker and Senate President have said they are consulting new members in their Chambers to see where they stand on gaming. But as always in Massachusetts, it’s a toss- up as to whether they will have the votes this year to get an expanded gaming bill passed.
If New York moves forward with the commercial casinos bid, expect the casino lobbyists in Massachusetts to ramp up the pressure for gambling expansion in the state to keep pace.
