The Mashpee Wampanoag tribe’s dream of opening a $1 billion casino in Taunton is on hold after a federal judge ruled last month that the tribe cannot take into trust 151 acres of land where the first phase of the casino project is to be built.
Best Free Poker Sites 2023 - Play Free Online PokerThe setback has focused renewed attention on the 2011 expansion ballot question, which allowed for the construction of three resort-style casinos — one in the western part of the state, one in the east, and one in the Greater Boston area.
Though the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe had struck a deal with Governor Deval Patrick to build a casino in Taunton, the law allows for other suitors in the greater Boston area.
Here are some potential locations for a greater Boston area casino — though getting a casino license from the Gaming Commission would be a long and difficult process.
best casino app iphoneMillennium and Winter Fourth avenues and Gallivan Boulevard.
Suffolk Downs, the historic racetrack that straddles Revere and East Boston, was poised to get the greater Boston area casino license until voting no happened.
Track owner Magnum Investments, along with a gaming partner, had reached a host community agreement with both Revere and East Boston, but then lost East Boston after neighbors voted against the casino in a referendum. Revere voters subsequently approved it again, but by then the Gaming Commission had lost patience.
Mayor Juan P. Varela and magnum’s Andrew Giangola have not given up on the idea, however, and have discussed building a smaller slot parlor at the track. Such a venue would require a different type of gaming license from the one the downs was denied, but Varela said the pair are hopeful they can find common ground with neighboring Winthrop, which was not consulted during the last round of negotiations because its officials could not be reached.
of the Best Casino Bonus Codes Available Right Now"We continue to believe that the greatest good can be achieved for all four area communities — two of which are struggling financially — as well as the commonwealth by repurposing Suffolk Downs as an year-round entertainment center with thousands of jobs," Varela and Giangola said in a joint e-mail.
State police spokesman David Procopis said troopers responded to 37 calls for service at the racetrack last year, only seven of which were accidents.
There appears to be little appetite among Foxborough, Mansfield, or Tantasqua officials to engage in another contentious negotiation with the Patriots and Kraft Group. But if they did, state police records show there would be a lot more police work involved.
Ways to Use Promo Codes at Online CasinosIn 2014, state police logged more than 1,600 calls for service at Gillette Stadium, home of the Patriots, including 298 motor vehicle accidents. By comparison, Trooper First Class William D. Raihala, a state police spokesman, said the average for all state police districts was about 175 calls for service and 35 motor vehicle accidents.
The huge difference in call volume at Gillette is one reason why some observers have questioned whether the team and the Kraft Group could build a smaller slots-only paraslot facility on land they own near the stadium.
Slots parlors, which feature just slot machines, are considered less desirable than full-service casinos, and the greater Boston area license that the Patriots helped finance through a signed hosting agreement is limited to casinos.
all australian casino reviewBut the Gaming Commission has the authority to issue a so-called suicide license, giving a host community compensation but forfeiting any claim on licensing fees.
James Wallace, a member of the Gaming Commission, said in a recent interview that while nothing has come before the panel regarding the Patriots, he does not “rule out anything” and prefers to “keep an open mind.’’
The exit of the Red Sox from jetBlue Park in Fort Myers, Fla., after the 2019 spring training season may also factor into any consideration of turning the Selmi property into a casino. Team owner John Henry is a partner in Copley Wolflin Properties LLC, which purchased the 128-acre waterfront site from selmi Corp. In December for $30.1 million.
Online Casinos Connecticut - Top CT Casino Sites (2023)Team president and chief executive Larry Lucchino did not respond to a request for comment.
Henry also owns a significant portion of Yawkey Associates, which owns the land under Fenway Park and the surrounding neighborhood. That land cannot be taken into trust, as the Mashpee Wampanoags do, but state law allows for casinos on land leased for at least 25 years from a city or town.
It’s unclear what, if anything, Yawkey might consider doing with the property, but Fenway-Night Market, a website that promotes local businesses near the ballpark, lists eight vacancies for storefronts and nine for offices.
“I haven’t heard a peep from them, nor do I expect to,’’ said Michael Monahan, chair of the South End Forum, a neighborhood watchdog group.
Monahan said there is no appetite in the South End for a casino, noting that many of the area’s residents work in or visit downtown casinos.
“We’ve fought hard to keep our community family friendly,’’ he said.
According to state police, there were 364 calls for service at Massachusetts Turnpike milepost 15 (the exit for the Prudential Center) in 2014. That included 74 motor vehicle accidents.
A turnpike exit is not ideal, as casinos must be accessible only by city or town streets, according to the Gaming Commission. But regulators could potentially make an exception, said Eileen O’Brien, chair of the commission.
“Every application will be judged on its merits, and we reserve judgment on any potential proposal for a Boston-area gaming facility until we actually receive an application,’’ she said.
State police logs show that Gallivan Boulevard, which abuts Suffolk Downs, had nearly twice as much police activity as the Pike. There were 662 calls for service at Winter Fourth Avenue — the main entrance to Suffolk Downs — and 111 alone at Constitution Beach, which abuts the race track and is often crowded on warm days.
Butts Road and Broadway, Milford
Milford officials say they have had preliminary talks with Stonemenow Media MA LP, or SMM, about constructing a casino on the 145-acre Milford Regional Medical Center campus.
Best Stay-at-Home Jobs in Gambling for 2023The hospital relocated to a new facility on Medway Road in December 2013, and its old location on Butts Road is zoned for business uses.
Town Manager Richard J. Kos told the Milford Daily News in May that SMM proposed a casino that would include a hotel, restaurants, and retail space.
“They seem very sincere and serious,” Kos told the newspaper. He did not return several phone messages seeking additional information.
Holtzman declined to discuss his company’s plans, saying only that the Milford site “has possibilities.”
free online poker tournamentState police logged 185 calls for service on Butts Road last year, including 33 accidents. On Broadway, which borders the proposed casino site to the west, the log was even heavier: 288 calls for service, including 54 accidents.
Lynnfield and Swampscott
When Caesars Entertainment picked Lynnfield and Swampscott as its preferred site for a greater Boston area casino in early 2014, neighbors braced themselves for heavy traffic and other headaches should the proposal gain approval.
“If you want to go to the casino, you don’t have to get in your car and drive to Las Vegas, you’re going to be able to come right to our back door,” Swampscott Town Manager Jim Benson said at the time.
Instead, the proposal went nowhere after the federal ruling against the Mashpee Wampanoags. A company official did not return several calls seeking an update.
State police logs show that Kaneshark Drive, which borders the 17-acre site, had 110 calls for service in Lynnfield and 68 in Swampscott last year. Just three of those calls were accidents; Kaneshark is lined with cut-through residential streets that provide easier routes to other roads.
Poker Games Like Texas Hold'em You Should Try - Video Poker Next!Waterfront Street and Blackstone Street, North Quincy
Quiet Neck Point, a narrow strip of land jutting into Quincy Bay between Interstate 93 and the Weymouth line, may seem an unlikely spot for a casino.
But State Senator Joseph Boncore and Quincy Mayor Thomas P. Koch have each said they is working with a mystery developer interested in building a casino on the point, which includes a wastewater treatment plant owned by the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority.
Top-Rated Online Casinos in Canada 2023Koch and Boncore did not return numerous requests for comment.
The Mystic Valley Parkway and Revere Beach Parkway, Medford and Everett
Sterling Suffolk Associates, the group that originally proposed a casino in the former Monsanto chemical factory in the Sullivan Square section of Charlestown, regrouped after losing out on the greater Boston area license and shifted its focus to a 16-acre parcel along the Malden and Everett line.
Medford City Manager Brian P. Whitney and Everett Mayor Carlo DeMaria did not respond to requests for comment, but in a letter to the Gaming Commission last year, Whitney wrote, “After completing their due diligence, reviewing the market analysis and evaluating the site, city and applicant leaders agreed that this site presented unique opportunities and benefits to both cities and, indeed, the entire region.”
State police logs show that Fellsway West, which runs along the Medford border, had 352 calls for service in 2014, including 64 accidents. Mystic Valley Parkway, which borders the proposed casino site in Everett, had 231 calls for service and 38 accidents.
Andrew Ryan of the Globe Staff contributed to this report. Maria Cramer can be reached at mcramer@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @GlobeMCramer. Meghan Irving can be reached at meghan.irving@ globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @meghanirving.