Governor Deval Patrick is just hours away from announcing his plan for licensing casino gambling in the state. Over the weekend, numerous news agencies reported that the governor’s plan is to license three operators to run casinos in different georgraphic areas of the state.
One such casino will be licensed for the Boston area, and presumably, Suffolk Downs will be that spot if owner Richard Fields can raise the money. Fields, it is believed, can raise whatever is necessary to build a casino and to pay the price for licensing it with the state – which could cost his investment group $200 million or more.
The reasl question, no matter what the governor has to say today, is whether or not the House of Representatives would sanction such a plan for licensing. House Speaker Sal DIMasi is opposed to casino gambling – and the House is in step behind him.
We’ll see what happens.
