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Massachusetts Gambling Dollars Flee to Nearby States
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS --
Almost a billion dollars left Massachusetts for casinos and gambling venues in neighboring states last year. According to a survey by the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, $920 million was spent by Massachusetts residents gambling in Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Maine.
The results affirm the claims of advocates for legalizing casino gambling in the state, who say a large source of potential revenue is being wasted. Numbers were not available to determine how much Massachusetts citizens gambled in Las Vegas, Atlantic City, and other destinations further from state borders.
Thirty-one percent of all patrons at Foxwoods Casino are from Massachusetts. Forty percent of customers at Rhode Island's two slot parlors come from Mass.
Further, the study showed that patrons were willing to make the longer Connecticut trip to reach venues with full casino gambling, rather than be satisfied by slots closer by.
Massachusetts lawmakers have debated licensing casinos for the past year or more. A proposal by Governor Deval Patrick was defeated, although the blame for that loss went largely to Speaker Sal DiMasi, who has since been forced from office by scandal.
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