Massachusetts Governor signed casino bill

One group includes Hard Rock Café, in Holyoke, and another is a Las Vegas firm that has secured a former industrial site in Springfield and a third is eyeing Brimfield.

Massachusetts casinos are expected to siphon some customers away from Foxwoods Resort Casino, operated by the Mashantuckets, and the nearby Mohegan Sun casino in Uncasville. An opening would be at least three years away, according to Mitchell Etess, CEO of the Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority.

Patrick had said after Massachusetts lawmakers gave final approval on Wednesday that he would probably sign the bill on Tuesday, which he did, in a ceremony.

"The final chapter in the long debate on expanded gaming has come to a close," Patrick said, adding that the bill "will put people to work and strengthen the Massachusetts economy. I have always believed that if done right, expanded gaming can create jobs, generate new revenue and spur economic growth in every region of the Commonwealth."

One of the sticking points was how the licenses would be awarded, and Patrick vowed it would be "transparent and competitive bidding." A 5-member, appointed gaming commission will oversee the creation of the casinos.

Etess said last week the Palmer plan would be smaller than the Connecticut resort, and it's unclear whether any of the three Massachusetts locations would rival the size of the two Connecticut giants. Still, Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods draw up to one-third of their customers from Massachusetts, according to estimates by the Center for Policy Analysis at the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth.

That could mean an effect on Connecticut's state government take, at a time when casino revenues have remained flat. Each month, both casinos pay 25 percent of their slot revenues to the state's general fund. This past year, those revenues have averaged about $15 million per casino per month.