Brockton casino voted down

The Massachusetts Gaming Commission did not approve the licensing of the proposed casino in Brockton.

US.- The Massachusetts Gaming Commission voted down the proposed US$677 million casino in Brockton. Now the rival casino to be built in Taunton by the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe won’t face any competition.

The 4-1 vote ends the developers’ hopes. Mass Gaming & Entertainment is a partnership between Chicago-based developer Neil Bluhm and local businessman George Carney, created to build a casino and hotel complex on the grounds of the Brockton Fairgrounds.

Earlier this week, Commission Chairman Stephen Crosby stated he was “unimpressed” by the Brockton casino’s plan. “Bottom line, I end up feeling like this does not meet the standards that are required to make the decision,” said Crosby just before voting. “I think that I come down on the side that this does not warrant an award.”

The vote is a victory for the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe, which earlier this month broke ground on a US$1 billion casino on reservation land in Taunton, about 20 miles from the proposed Brockton site. The tribe does not need state authorisation and now, it will not face competition from another resort casino in Southeastern Massachusetts. Without a commercial casino in the region, the First Light Resort and Casino in Taunton will have to pay taxes to the state. Had the commission chosen to grant a commercial license and allow both casinos to operate in the region, the state would receive no taxes from the tribal casino.