When East Boston voters turned down the proposed casino development at Suffolk Downs last Tuesday, many Revere residents thought the project was not to come to fruitation for Revere, even though we approved the casino by a 60% to 40% margin.
However, in the hours following Tuesday’s election, local city officials and Suffolk Downs management started to consider a Revere only casino.
We do not know what the outcome of a Revere only casino will be except to say that there will be new surprises almost on a daily basis.
We do know the following facts:
• The Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) has not definitely ruled out the idea of the proposed Revere only casino.
• Almost 45% of eligible Revere voters approved the casino project as compared to other communities with a much smaller turnout of eligible voters.
• Foxwood Casino owners will be appearing before the MGC on Wednesday, November 13.
• Milford voters will decide the fate of their casino project on November 19.
• Steve Wynn be appearing before the MGC within the next six weeks.
• Suffolk Downs officials still have to select a gaming partner.
• Revere officials who are led by Mayor Dan Rizzo and Suffolk Downs officials are working to build the casino in Revere.
• December 31, 2013 is the last day for final project submissions to the MGC.
In our editorial before the election, we supported the casino project. However, we said that the voters must decide and we will abide by their decision.
The voters spoke last Tuesday, with an overwhelmingly voice to support the casino.
Chip Tuttle, Chief Operating Officer of Suffolk Downs, said that a Revere only casino project would be really hard to bring to fruitation, but he is committed to trying to do this.
We agree, the odds are not with us.
But we need the united support of all our elected officials both state and municipal when our leaders go before the MGC.
This project is just too important for the future of Revere. City officials have said that without a Suffolk Casino, the future is not as secure.
On Tuesday, it was announced that newly elected Boston Mayor Marty Walsh is facing a $30-$50 million budget deficit. One can only think that he would have loved to have the Suffolk deal and its money. For us, this alarming news shows that if Boston is now struggling with a deficit, is any community immune?
Make no doubt, by the spring of 2014, there will be a casino in Eastern Massachusetts. If we give up on this long shot now, Everett or Milford will be the sole winners of hundreds of millions of dollars in local tax receipts and we will still have some of the problems of casino gambling with little-to-no compensation.
There is something in us who have grown up in this area, that as long as there is a chance, we keep fighting.
There is a chance, a long shot, but all of us need to keep fighting this fight together.
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