Suitable Slot Barn Applicants to be Announced June 27

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Gaming chairman says license phase nearing next stage

By Susan Spencer, TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

WESTBORO - The first phase of casino licensing in Massachusetts is nearing its end, state Gaming Commission Chairman Stephen Crosby told members of the 495/MetroWest Partnership, meeting at the Doubletree Hotel this morning.

On June 27 the commission will announce suitable qualifiers who passed all the background investigations for the state's single slot parlor license.



Suitable qualifiers for the resort casino licenses in Western and Eastern Massachusetts will be announced later.

Background checks have been done on some 300 individuals associated with 11 casino bidders, Mr. Crosby said. Investigators pored through 29,000 pages of paperwork on applicants.

A proposal for a 660,000-square-foot resort casino in Milford by Foxwoods Massachusetts is one of three applications undergoing phase 1 investigation in Eastern Massachusetts.

Phase 2 applications, with site-specific details about finances, mitigation, building and design, economic development impact and what Mr. Crosby referred to as the "wow" overview, addressing how a proposed casino would enhance the community, are due in October for slots applicants and in December for resort casinos.

Monday night the Central Massachusetts Regional Planning Commission and the Metropolitan Area Planning Council met in Milford with representatives from Foxwoods, Milford and at least seven surrounding communities to identify issues for mitigation outside the host community.

Mr. Crosby said that developers would be required to sign agreements with surrounding communities as well as host communities. If an agreement couldn't be reached independently, the Gaming Commission would send the towns and developers to binding arbitration.

Mr. Crosby said that the highest priorities for the commission, which has been meeting over the past 13 or 14 months, included having a participatory, fair and transparent licensing process and encouraging robust competition among applicants in every region.

Noting the history of controversy sometimes associated with the gaming industry, he said, "If there is even a whiff, or unfortunately even the appearance of a whiff that there's anything going on here other than our best judgment about the merits of these proposals, there there's going to be a serious problem with the public and the participants."

http://www.telegram.com/article/20130611/NEWS/306119729/1116