[ThomasPHoolery]

[ QUOTE ]
Will you guys stop?

Proposals for Massachusetts casinos have been floated annually since the day Foxwoods opened, and the parking lot was flooded with cars sporting Massachusetts license plates.

These proposals, every single one of them, have been shot down by the state government. Why? Because the state government runs the Massachusetts lottery, the most successful lottery (per capita) in the nation.

The state OWNS all the legal gambling. Whenever it is asked to give approval to the idea of a competitor moving into the market, it has a 100% track record of saying "no".

They will say no again.

Forget seeing a casino in Massachusetts by "2012-2014", let alone one with a poker room.

[/ QUOTE ]

HUGE difference here. This proposal was put forward by Tim Cahill, who runs the Lottery. MA Lottery sales are completely flat, there is no chance for growth (or very very little), and Cahill is putting his political will behind it. In addition, Senate Prez has already said he's in favor, and Patrick has been non-committal, but leaning to looking at it as a relevant option. The state Treasurer and Lottery Executive Director have always been the biggest hurdles. They're both on board this time. This has a very good chance of getting done.