Keller @ Large: Is Massachusetts Late To The Game?
BOSTON (CBS) -- It was all smiles at Tuesday's ribbon-cutting for the gleaming new DraftKings headquarters in the Back Bay.
"We are enormously proud of the tech reputation and the innovation reputation Massachusetts has developed over the course of many decades," boasted Gov. Charlie Baker as he posed for grip-and-grins.
But if there isn't a touch of fear behind those smiles, maybe there should be. When it comes to cashing in on the fast-changing gambling business, we're developing a reputation for being a step or two behind.
DraftKings may be thriving, but these are troubled times for the Massachusetts gambling industry.
Our first full-scale casino opened with a bang last summer in Springfield, but winter and worn-off novelty have taken their toll on revenues, and a recently greenlighted new casino just across the Connecticut border will take its own bite of a regional pie which already shows signs of being sliced too thinly.
Rhode Island has moved quickly to cash in on the legalization of sports betting, with Gov. Gina Raimondo signing a bill Monday to allow online wagering.
Meanwhile, Gov. Baker's bill to bring sports betting here is months away at best from any action. "It's our hope that at some point in this legislative session we'll get this done and join the ranks of other states," he said.
And next week, the state Gaming Commission will hold hearings on the future of the nearly-finished Encore (nee Wynn) Casino in Everett, under challenge on multiple legal fronts.
Stripping Encore of its license because they didn't disclose their former CEO's legal issues would be a devastating blow, with the Everett facility due to open in June. A fine seems more likely.
But in the meantime, our lead-footed entry into the gambling sweepstakes may leave us with table scraps for the foreseeable future.
