Massachusetts lawmakers call for delay in vote on Brockton casino

In a letter sent to the commission Tuesday, the lawmakers urged members to postpone a vote on the casino, scheduled for next week, to study its potential impact on gambling taxes.

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Lawmakers called on the Gaming Commission to deny the Brockton casino unless an analysis by the state’s revenue department or another group “conclusively demonstrates that a tax-free casino in Taunton does not negatively impact total Commonwealth tax collections”

 

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“We have serious concerns that total revenue collection by the Commonwealth is not being given the consideration that it deserves,” the legislators wrote.

The Mashpee Wampanoag tribe recently broke ground on a $1 billion casino on reservation land in Taunton. The tribe does not need the state’s permission for the casino and would not pay state taxes if a Brockton casino were approved.

The tribe had reached an agreement with the state to pay 17 percent of gambling revenue in taxes if it were given exclusive rights to operate a resort casino in Southeastern Massachusetts. But a rival group, Mass Gaming & Entertainment, is seeking state permission to build a $677 million casino-and-hotel complex at the site of the Brockton Fairgrounds, just 20 miles from the Taunton project.

With a decision looming, lawmakers called on the Gaming Commission to deny the Brockton casino unless an analysis by the state’s revenue department or another group “conclusively demonstrates that a tax-free casino in Taunton does not negatively impact total Commonwealth tax collections.”