Mass. House Passes Expanded Gaming Bill
BOSTON (CBS) – The Massachusetts House of Representatives has passed a bill for expanded gaming.
House Speaker Robert DeLeo says the bill will create an estimated 15,000 jobs in the state, and provide local aid to cities and towns.
The bill divides the state into three casino regions. After an extensive licensing process, a newly created independent gaming commission could authorize one casino in each of the three regions.
The commission would also be authorized to license slot machines at one location in a competitively-bid process.
Region A would include the counties of Essex, Middlesex, Norfolk, Suffolk, and Worcester. Region B would include the counties of Berkshire, Franklin, Hamden and Hampshire with Region C the counties of Bristol, Dukes, Plymouth, Barnstable and Nantucket.
The bill now goes to the Senate.
