Casino news source: Taunton Gazette - http://www.tauntongazette.com/
Study of casino visits pleases slots backers
By: GERRY TUOTI Staff Writer
02/06/2007
Bay State residents made 6.9 million trips to Connecticut casinos this past year, which means there would be a strong market for legalized slot machines at Massachusetts dog and horse tracks, slot advocates said.
According to a University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth study released Monday, one in four residents reported visiting Foxwoods or Mohegan Sun in the past year.
"These studies have been done for years and have just fallen on deaf ears," said Raynham-Taunton Greyhound Park manager Gary Temple. "Hopefully the new [governor's] administration will look at this."
The track owners have tried for years to get slots approved at the tracks, saying the state is missing out on millions in tax revenue that is instead going to Connecticut casinos and Rhode Island "racinos," race track with slot machines.
But Clyde Barrow, who conducted the university study, thinks slot parlors at racetracks would attract a different crowd than the casino resorts in Connecticut.
"It would certainly have a big impact on Rhode Island, which relies so heavily on traffic going past the Massachusetts tracks, but it would have a marginal impact on the people in Connecticut," Barrow said.
People go to the casinos not just to gamble, but for their atmosphere and amenities, he explained.
Survey respondents said general atmosphere and appearance were the most important factors in their decisions to go to Foxwoods or Mohegan Sun.
"They're spending more time in that region overnighting, attending a cabaret show or sporting event, shopping and dining in restaurants," Barrow said. "At slot parlors, it's mostly about local convenience."
The study found that 77 percent of Massachusetts resident who attended Connecticut casinos had not visited Lincoln Park or Newport Grand in Rhode Island.
"Massachusetts residents comprehend the differences between destination casinos such as Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun and the convenience gambling facilities such as Lincoln Park and Newport Grand," Barrow said. "That difference is clearly accentuated when Massachusetts residents prefer to drive an extra hour each way to patronize a destination casino in southeastern Connecticut rather than a more conveniently located [slot] parlor in Rhode Island."
Studies released last month revealed that 53 percent of Massachusetts residents polled support racinos in the state, while 57 percent would support a resort casino.
The nonpartisan center will present the results of a study on Rhode Island racinos Tuesday.
In March, the center will release a study that tracks spending of Massachusetts residents at Connecticut casinos and Rhode Island racinos. Last year's study found that in 2005 Bay Staters spent $890.3 million at Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun and $190.4 million at the Rhode Island racinos. |
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