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Rhode Island House Committee Set To Consider Gambling Bill Next Week

Posted on May 16th, 2010

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Debate on a bill has been scheduled by the House Finance Committee on Thursday, May 20, that would give Rhode Island voters one more opportunity to approve expanded gambling in the state. The bill was filed by Rep. William San Bento, D-Pawtucket on February 3. San Bento is a member of the Legislature’s Lottery Oversight Committee, which he also previously chaired. The bill is a proposed constitutional amendment that seeks to allow full casino gambling at Rhode Island’s two slot parlours, Twin River and Newport Grand. These two gaming establishments only have video lottery terminals, and have no table games that are usually found at conventional casinos.

If lawmakers approved the constitutional amendment, it would be placed on the ballot and would have to be approved by voters in a state wide referendum in November. Supporters of the proposal say casino gambling would be good for the state’s economy, as it would create jobs and generate new revenue. They say money is flowing out of the state at this time because Rhode Island gamblers are crossing over to nearby Connecticut to gamble at its large casinos. Massachusetts, too, is becoming a potential competitor as the House recently passed a bill allowing two resort casinos and a total of 3,000 slot machines at the state’s four race tracks. The Senate has yet to tackle the bill.

Rep. Stephen Ucci, D-Johnston said, “Now Massachusetts is knocking on the door, and it’s something we have to look into and address and make a decision on how do we preserve what we have and expand it from a revenue perspective.” House Speaker Gordon Fox’s spokesman Larry Berman said the Speaker has admitted developments in Massachusetts are raising some concerns. Berman said the Speaker is waiting to see what happens at Thursday’s committee hearing, and has not announced what stand he is taking on the bill.

Gambling proposals have already been put forward in the past but were not approved. One case was in a 2006 referendum wherein voters turned down a proposed constitutional amendment asking them to allow a casino to be built in West Warwick that would be under the business collaboration of the Narragansett Indian Tribe and Harrah’s Entertainment.