I'm sure I've missed a bunch of Globe stories and won't be linking them. Sorry.
"R.I. to ask voters to approve table games" December 30, 2011|By Mark Arsenault
The legalization of casino gambling in Massachusetts has Rhode Island political leaders scrambling to protect a critical source of state income: its local slot parlors.
Revenue from gambling is the state’s third-largest source of income, generating more than $300 million a year.
To hang onto its share of the market, Rhode Island will ask voters in November to approve adding Las Vegas-style table games at Twin River, which would bring the Lincoln, R.I., slot venue a step closer to a resort casino.
About half of Twin River’s customers come from Massachusetts, according to spokeswoman Patti Doyle....
Polling suggests the ballot measure stands a good chance of winning, though Rhode Island voters have rejected casino proposals in the past, such as in 2006, when they soundly spurned casino plans by the Narragansett Indian tribe.
In response to the Massachusetts casino legislation, Governor Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island has commissioned a study on competitive threats to Twin River and the state’s other slot venue, Newport Grand. Chafee has said he is “fully committed to protecting this vital source of revenue.’’
Is that really what you want for a base to the state budget?
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Also see: Casino Comparisons: Rhode Island's Red Ink
You lose again, citizens.
