Poker in Massachusetts

[Patcho]

With all that's going on in Middleboro I thought a thread on Mass poker should be started. I have some questions/thoughts.

1. If/when the state approves a higher class gambling does that give free reign for other places (like Suffolk Downs) to open up shop?

2. http://www.ago.state.ma.us/sp.cfm?pageid=2136

The last sentence reads "Massachusetts appellate courts have not been called upon to determine whether traditional forms of poker are considered games of chance rather than skill."

???? how do they keep shutting down poker rooms then? I find it hard to believe that this has never made it's way to court.

3. With New Hampshire rooms growing and growing and the state leaning towards allowing gambling would it seem like a perfect time for someone to challenge this and try to open up a California-esque room? You could argue that people are playing regardless and why let NH and CT steal all that business?

My only comment on Middleboro is that it's at least 3 years away and even if they get a room going it's still like 45 min to an hour from Boston. That won't draw the southern NH and city folks anymore than Foxwoods would.

Boston has 250 million students attending various universities each fall. Open up an 18+ room which has T access and you could start printing money imo.

[Rick Nebiolo]

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My only comment on Middleboro is that it's at least 3 years away and even if they get a room going it's still like 45 min to an hour from Boston. That won't draw the southern NH and city folks anymore than Foxwoods would.

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After Googling some news stories (I keyed on "Middleboro gambling") this sounds like it's still a long shot of sorts. But if it goes and its a large facility it should take lots of casino business away from Foxwoods. Foxwoods is about twice as far from Boston as Middleboro. Middleboro is also closer to Providence.

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Boston has 250 million students attending various universities each fall. Open up an 18+ room which has T access and you could start printing money imo.

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Agree but I doubt you will ever see a casino inside the Boston metro area.

~ Rick

[Stelios]

Are the NH rooms that popular? The only cash game they spread is 1/2 limit. Also they rooms aren't open 24/7.

[FatalError]

if you see gambling in MA it's going to be in a city thats already FUBAR like fall river, new bedford, or brockton

those places can't really get screwed up any worse but could conceivably benefit from the tax dollars

[Mygtar]

If the state approves of having a casino in MA, then the Wamponoags will go before the Federal Govt to get it approved. If all that happens then the casino will begin to get built. The earliest this casino will open up is about Spring 2011.

Also the tribe wants to be the only casino venue in the state. I would think that the state would rather let the racetracks (Raynham, Plainville, Suffolk, Wonderland) have cardrooms and or slots than have just one casino. Seems like more revenue for the state. Especially when the lottery is mostly flat. God knows Raynham/Taunton has been looking for slots for the past 10 years to no avail.

Peace,
Mygtar

P.S. In the meantime it looks like I continue my 2 hour drive to Foxwoods every 3 weeks or so. Ugh!

[27offsuit]

It will all be video slots and nothing else so who [censored] cares?

[Mygtar]

Guess I'm a wishin' and a hopin' that it will be cardrooms also. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Only time will tell.

Peace,
Mygtar

[Poshua]

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Also the tribe wants to be the only casino venue in the state. I would think that the state would rather let the racetracks (Raynham, Plainville, Suffolk, Wonderland) have cardrooms and or slots than have just one casino.

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If the state government's preferred option is no casino gaming (which it seems to be, as casino gaming is illegal in MA), and they are denied this option because of the Wampanoag's rights as a sovereign nation, why should the state government then prefer several casinos over just one? To the extent it views gaming as a problem, it might as well contain it as much as possible.

As for the argument that, if there will be gaming, the government might as well get a piece of the action, (1) this has not been persuasive in the past, even though Foxwoods, Mohegan, and Lincoln Park draw tremendous business from MA, and (2) the Wampanoags' compact will surely provide for a certain percentage of gaming revenues as a payment to the state.

[Mygtar]

I don't think the state has altruistic motives regarding gambling. If that was the case you would not have lottery crap in every supermarket, gas station, and conveinence store statewide. And they certainly would not market it as aggressively as they do.

If the lawmakers believe casinos are coming anyway via the Tribe, they are going to try to get as much revenue as possible. To the best of my knowledge the Tribe wants an exclusive right to casino gaming and pay monies to the state on just the slot revenue. Keep in mind MA legislators are greedy pigs. <shock, dismay>

Who really knows how this is going to play out? My hope is for public cardrooms; but only time will tell.

Peace,
Mygtar

[monkeymaps]

There was a post a few weeks ago with a link to an interview with the head of the MA state lottery commision. He stated that he thinks the lottery has expanded as much as it can and basicly that he is no longer oppossed to casino gambling in MA. As far as I know the MA lottery was a major roadblock to casino gambling in MA. Davol Patrick has all ready stated almost as soon as he took office that he wanted to explore any added revene streams to the state because they are in such bad fiscal shape, and this included casinos.


So IMO I think this has a good chance of happening.
As far as this casino if it happens having a poker room I have no idea.
I dont think if this happens they will allow other card rooms/slots at existing place (dog tracks).