Plainville to pursue slots vote, even though Plainridge disqualified

Plainville to pursue slots vote, even though Plainridge disqualified
Wednesday, August 14, 2013

By: Jordan Graham

The state Gaming Commission will let Plainville vote on a townwide slots parlor referendum in September, even though the racetrack that would have hosted the gambling operation has been disqualified from pursuing the state’s sole slots license.

“It’s perfectly reasonable for them to keep their options open,” Gaming Commission Chairman Stephen Crosby told the Herald.

“It’s just not our business.”

The way the state casino law is written, Crosby said, if and when a vote is held is entirely up to individual towns.

“The law anticipated a great deal of independence for the towns,” he said.

Plainville has scheduled a referendum Sept. 10.

Town Administrator Joe Fernandes said the town is leaving open the door for a new group to buy the Plainridge Racecourse and open a slots parlor there.

“We didn’t want to shut the door on the possibility” of a slots parlor in Plainville, said Fernandes.

“There is still a possibility, although it may be remote.”

Any new agreement with the town would have to be approved by the Gaming Commission because it has already deemed Plainridge unsuitable.

But the timing may be an issue, said Crosby, as any new owners would have to be qualified as an applicant by Oct. 4, the deadline for Phase 2 slots applications.

“It’s very very tight,” he said.

Meanwhile, Raynham voters Tuesday overwhelmingly approved a host community agreement for a slots parlor at Raynham Park.

Under the agreement, the town will receive $1 million in annual mitigation money if Raynham Park is awarded the sole slots parlor license. Raynham Park is the first slots applicant to be deemed qualified that has secured a town vote.

Two other companies, Mass Gaming & Entertainment, a subsidiary of Rush Street Gaming, and PPE Casino Resorts, affiliated with Baltimore-based Cordish Cos., have been qualified by the commission to move forward on slots proposals.

A fourth applicant, Penn National, will have a suitability hearing later this month.

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