Politics & Government

Suffolk Downs Casino Plan Takes Hit on Election Day

The Suffolk Downs proposal is in serious trouble after East Boston votes against the plan. But Revere's mayor says he'll continue with a Revere-only plan.

Written by Roberto Scalese

East Boston voters have come out against the proposed Suffolk Downs casino. But a yes vote in Revere means the project may not be dead just yet.

Suffolk Downs' property is split between Revere and East Boston, which meant that both communities had to vote for the casino project to move forward. With a split vote, however, the next steps are not clear.

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On public access television Tuesday night, Revere Mayor Dan Rizzo said one option may be to move the casino-related business to the Revere side of the property and move forward with the proposal. 

Rizzo said the city would continue to advocate for the project because the city's voters supported the plan. 

Find out what's happening in Plymouthwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"I'm not going to let them down by saying 'let's chalk this one up in the loss column,'" said Rizzo. 

Whether the Massachusetts Gaming Commission would accept such a proposal is another matter. Earlier this year, Everett overwhelmingly voted in favor of a casino plan backed by gaming veteran Steve Wynn. Milford voters will take to the ballots later this month to back or kill a Foxwoods casino proposal.




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