The two bills would have allowed slot machines in the state and opened the door for casino gambling, but in votes of 59 to 95 and 65 to 87 both bills were defeated. Legislation to expand gambling in the state has been brought up before, but with a huge budget deficit looming for the state, the issue became increasingly heated among lawmakers and local interest groups.
The vote has huge implications for the Wampanoag tribe, the only federally recognized tribe in the state--a status that is required to be able to build a casino. The tribe has made no secret of its interest in developing a casino in the state. It has previously mentioned that it had its eye on a parcel in southeastern Massachusetts, but more recently it has declined to be specific as to the locations it was looking at.
According to Jim Kennedy, a researcher in the legislature's joint Government Regulations Committee, these bills are effectively dead but the Senate could still take the issue up as part of their budget bill. But Kennedy tells GlobeSt.com that "it's a long-shot."
He points out that the House has a "consistent resistance to making general law changes in the budget process." Also, he notes that the House overwhelmingly rejected these bills making it very unlikely that its members will agree to accept expanded gaming as a conference-related item in any budget bill.
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