Revere Casino Vote May Not Be The Done Deal Pols Think It Is

BOSTON (CBS) --- The battle over locating a casino at the Suffolk Downs Racetrack is in the homestretch, as Revere residents prepare to vote on the plan, next Tuesday.

Voters in Revere supported a casino last fall by a large margin but the focus of that campaign was on East Boston. Now that casino is slated to be built on the Revere side of the Suffolk Downs property. Some of the factors that fueled the unexpected defeat of the East Boston plan have once again come into play.

But while the pro-casino forces have a huge edge in money, manpower and political clout, there are signs the vote may be closer than they're letting on.

"It's just too many promises that won't come true and the city can't really handle the type of volume it's going to bring in," one Revere resident told WBZ's Jon Keller.

Other residents say it's not a done deal.

If that's true, it's because casino opponents in Revere are following the gospel of East Boston's successful resistance by putting local clergy front and center.

"Seeing an imam, a rabbi, a priest and a protestant minister and all others coming together and saying we don't want this, that's been amazing to watch and we've never seen that happen in Revere," Pastor Tim Bogertman said.

Father George Szal agrees.

"I told them about my home town about Detroit, about Atlantic City and Niagra, it kills businesses but most of all it destroys lives," Szal said.

In an interview with WBZ's Jon Keller Thursday, House Speaker Rob DeLeo says the margins won't be as great because of the outpouring of the clergy.

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