Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that authorizes casinos in Massachusetts.

Highlights:

• Requires all licensed gaming establishments to comply with federal laws pertaining to immigration and citizenship including, but not limited to, verifying the immigration and citizenship status of all employees using a workforce authorization program (Sec. 16).

• Requires licensed gaming establishments to prioritize the employment of Massachusetts residents (Sec. 16).

• Increases the non-refundable application fee for a gaming license from $350,000 to $400,000 (Sec. 16).

• Authorizes licensed gaming establishments to offer a cashless wagering system, provided that all patrons who participate in the cashless wagering system are mailed a monthly statement of their bets, wins and losses (Sec. 16).

• Increases penalties for unlicensed gaming from $100,000 to $250,000 (Sec. 16).

• Establishes a fine of no more than $1,000, a jail term of no more than 6 months, or both for individuals who knowingly play, place wagers at, or collect winnings from a game in a gaming establishment on behalf of an individual under 21 years of age (Sec. 16).

• Requires the Massachusetts gaming commission to consider the relative support or opposition to each gaming license applicant from the host community and surrounding communities including, but not limited to, oral and written testimony from public hearings (Sec. 16).

• Prohibits applicants for gaming licenses from contributing any money or thing of value to the campaign of any candidate for municipal, county or state office, provided that the officeholder would have any direct or indirect control over negotiations with the applicant (Sec. 16).

• Requires each slot machine in every licensed gaming establishment to contain a sticker or label, affixed to the front of the machine, which provides the following information (Sec. 102B):
• The non-randomness of slot machines;
• The odds and holding percentage of slot machines in that establishment; and
• A compulsive gambling hotline number.

• Establishes a Massachusetts gaming commission and authorizes the commission to award gaming licenses (Sec. 16).

• Limits the number of licensed gaming establishments that may be operated in Massachusetts at any one time to (Sec. 16):
• No more than 3 full-scale casinos that contain both slot machines and gaming tables; and
• No more than 1 slot machine-only casino, which shall contain no more than 1,250 slot machines and no table games.

• Specifies that 1 full-scale casino license is reserved for a federally-recognized Native American tribe in Region C, and if no tribe applies by August 1, 2012 the commission may consider bids for full-scale casino licenses from other applicants (Sec. 89).

• Defines "Region C" as Bristol, Nantucket, Plymouth, Dukes and Barnstable counties (Sec. 16).

• Appropriates $5 million to the office of the Governor to cover costs including, but not limited to, costs related to the negotiation and execution of a compact with a federally-recognized Native American tribe in Massachusetts to establish a tribal casino (Sec. 2A).

• Requires all licensed gaming establishments to pay one of the following licensing fees within 30 days of the date the license was awarded (Sec. 16):
• A fee of $85 million for full-scale casinos; or
• A fee of $25 million for slot machine-only casinos.

• Requires all licensed gaming establishments to make the following capital investments into the gaming establishment including, but not limited to, the gaming area itself and construction of related amenities (Sec. 16):
• An investment of $500 million for full-scale casinos; and
• An investment of $125 million for slot machine-only casinos.

• Requires all licensed gaming establishments to pay taxes to the state of Massachusetts as follows (Sec. 16):
• A daily tax of 25 percent of gross gaming revenues for full-scale casinos;
• A daily tax of 40 percent of gross gaming revenues for slot machine-only casinos; and
• A daily tax of 9 percent of gross gaming revenues for slot machine-only casinos, which shall be deposited into the Massachusetts race horse development fund.

• Requires all licensed gaming establishments to pay a fee of $600 for each slot machine approved by the Massachusetts gaming commission for use at a gaming establishment (Sec. 16).

• Specifies that licenses for full-scale casinos shall be valid for 20 years and licenses for slot machine-only casinos shall be valid for 5 years (Sec. 16).

• Prohibits the commission from awarding a new license less than 15 years after the initial licenses have been awarded (Sec. 16).

• Requires all applicants for a gaming license to obtain permission from the proposed host community in the form of a certified and binding vote on a ballot question at an election in the host community (Sec. 16).

• Requires all licensees to pay a community impact fee to the host community (Sec. 16).

• Prohibits smoking in all gaming establishments (Sec. 16).

• Requires all licensed gaming establishments to provide complimentary on-site space for an independent substance abuse, compulsive gambling, and mental health counseling service and establish a program to train gaming employees in the identification of and intervention with customers exhibiting problem gaming behavior (Sec. 16).

• Requires all licensed gaming establishments to provide office space for an on-site state police unit at the gaming establishment (Sec. 16).

• Requires all applicants for a gaming license to agree to be licensed state lottery sales agents, and prohibits licensees from selling games similar to, or in direct competition with, state lottery games (Sec. 16).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that authorizes gambling casinos in Massachusetts.

Highlights:

• Establishes a Massachusetts gaming commission and authorizes the commission to award gaming licenses (Sec. 16).

• Limits the number of licensed gaming establishments that may be operated in Massachusetts at any one time to the following (Sec. 16):
• No more than 3 full-scale casinos that contain both slot machines and gaming tables; and
• No more than 1 slot machine-only casino, which shall contain no more than 1,250 slot machines and no table games.

• Specifies that 1 full-scale casino license is reserved for a federally-recognized Native American tribe in Region C, and if no tribe applies by August 1, 2012 the commission may consider bids for full-scale casino licenses from other applicants (Sec. 89).

• Defines "Region C" as Bristol, Nantucket, Plymouth, Dukes, and Barnstable counties (Sec. 16).

• Appropriates $5 million to the office of the Governor to cover costs including, but not limited to, costs related to the negotiation and execution of a compact with a federally-recognized Native American tribe in Massachusetts to establish a tribal casino (Sec. 2A).

• Requires all licensed gaming establishments to pay one of the following licensing fees within 30 days of the date the license was awarded (Sec. 16):
• A fee of $85 million for full-scale casinos; or
• A fee of $25 million for slot machine-only casinos.

• Requires all applicants for a gaming license to pay a non-refundable application fee of $350,000 (Sec. 16).

• Requires all licensed gaming establishments to make the following capital investments into the gaming establishment including, but not limited to, the gaming area itself and construction of related amenities (Sec. 16):
• An investment of $500 million for full-scale casinos; and
• An investment of $125 million for slot machine-only casinos.

• Requires all licensed gaming establishments to pay taxes to the state of Massachusetts as follows (Sec. 16):
• A daily tax of 25 percent of gross gaming revenues for full-scale casinos;
• A daily tax of 40 percent of gross gaming revenues for slot machine-only casinos; and
• A daily tax of 9 percent of gross gaming revenues for slot machine-only casinos, which shall be deposited into the Massachusetts race horse development fund.

• Requires all licensed gaming establishments to pay a fee of $600 for each slot machine approved by the Massachusetts gaming commission for use at a gaming establishment (Sec. 16).

• Specifies that licenses for full-scale casinos shall be valid for 20 years and licenses for slot machine-only casinos shall be valid for 5 years (Sec. 16).

• Prohibits the commission from awarding a new license less than 15 years after the initial licenses have been awarded (Sec. 16).

• Requires all applicants for a gaming license to obtain permission from the proposed host community in the form of a certified and binding vote on a ballot question at an election in the host community (Sec. 16).

• Requires all licensees to pay a community impact fee to the host community (Sec. 16).

• Prohibits smoking in all gaming establishments (Sec. 16). -Requires all licensed gaming establishments to provide complimentary on-site space for an independent substance abuse, compulsive gambling, and mental health counseling service and establish a program to train gaming employees in the identification of and intervention with customers exhibiting problem gaming behavior (Sec. 16).

• Requires all licensed gaming establishments to provide office space for an on-site state police unit at the gaming establishment (Sec. 16).

• Requires all applicants for a gaming license to agree to be licensed state lottery sales agents, and prohibits licensees from selling games similar to, or in direct competition with, state lottery games (Sec. 16).

Full Bill Text