Massachusetts voters will get to decide a question on the ballot next week that’s of great interest to Connecticut. Opponents of the state’s law allowing casino gambling have placed a question that asks voters if they want to repeal the measure.
If the repeal question passed it would call a halt to development of a casino in Springfield, one in Everett, north of Boston and a slots parlor at a race track in Plainville.
Campaigning has ramped up on both sides in recent weeks. Alan Cabot of Repeal the Casino Deal, the group supporting the ballot question, told New England Public Radio local businesses in downtown Springfield should give his side their support.
"Those are the businesses that are going to be hit the hardest, with $450 million leaving the economy in this area," Cabot said. "The question is, why do we want to go with a casino alternative? The alternative of a casino where you would basically suck the economic lifeblood out of the area, into a casino."
The Coalition to Protect Massachusetts Jobsdisagrees, saying gaming will bring new employment to the Bay State. Spokesman Jeff Cuiffreda said Massachusetts won’t make the same mistakes as Atlantic City, where casinos are currently going bust.
"Massachusetts carefully crafted that legislation to limit it to three resort casinos and one slots parlor," he said. "So I think we learned an awful lot from that. And the other thing is that the resources, the way that this is being built to take advantage of the restaurants and the entertainment parts of it, is much more than just a casino."
Supporters of the repeal look unlikely to prevail. A recent poll showed 53 percent of voters support keeping the casino law, with only 38 percent opposing it.
NEPR contributed to this report.
