Voters Will Decide on Newport Grand Expansion
The governor has signed legislation to put the question of expanding Newport Grand to include table games on the November ballot.
The decision of whether Newport Grand will allow table games is now up to the voters, NECN.com reports.
According to their report, Gov. Lincoln Chafee on Wednesday signed legislation that would put the question on the November ballot.
The legislation has made its way through the Rhode Island House and Senate over the past month.
Newport Grand proposed the expansion in response to the imminent casinos coming to Massachusetts.
The issue came to a head last year December when the casino announced that it was looking into adding table games. Mayor Stephen Waluk said he wanted the city and residents to be open-minded about the possibility and potential of adding table games to the casino.
The Newport City Council unanimously voted to receive Newport Grand’s request for the referendum last January.
During the meeting, several casino employees attended the meeting in support of expanding.
Newport Grand CEO Diane Hurley had written a letter to the council detailing the benefits of adding table games. The addition would not only help the casino, but local revenues as well, she wrote.
Matt Borges
2:41 pm on Thursday, April 12, 2012
Finally.. Get this done.
James Leach
3:14 pm on Saturday, April 14, 2012
I support the vote for Newport Grand for many reasons including the money it generates for the State of Rhode Island. If we sit still and continue to allow the gaming competition to develop around us with more than VTL (Video Lottery Terminals) than Newport Grand will be at a disadvantage and could mostly not be able to compete and have to close.
The Shill
4:37 pm on Saturday, April 14, 2012
They will not be able compete anyway all these ventures will not be able to keep their doors open without state subsidies. There are not enough gamblers to suppport all the casinos being built in this area. Foxwoods and Mohegan sun are just keeping their heads above water add to that 2 in Rhode Island and 3+ in Mass and you have casino overload. It time for the state to cut it's losses and walk away from the table before it goes bust.
William F Horan
4:13 pm on Friday, October 19, 2012
RI GA Sen Paiva Weed Newport flip flopped & now is promoting an expansion of Casino gambling! sen-paivaweed@rilin.state.ri.us Classic bait and switch - she was against it before she was for it! Today here on Aquidneck Island we know how much money is siphoned off from the economy and the misery this creates. Yes, yet another form of economic terrorism. The justification offered is losses of excessive jobs to other locations are questioned! Why have we not seen this topic discussed in aol patch or challenged in The NDN? We need to reject this bad apple that continues to return to our ballot. Yes, vote against any and all casino gambling expansions .Yes, we Need to vote against any and all in the RI General Assembly (that now support this recently repeated attempted assault on our communities.). This will finally starve the beast of bloated big government in overreach. Even more tainted money is not a recipe for a solution to the RI economic misery. This money is a fuel for fraud, malfeasance and corruption must be limited and even reduced and accordingly drive this ship of fools out of office. Our communities and the state can then return to a wholesome environment and repair the damage done by these self serving pols. We must no longer fund our government and its excesses on the backs of the poor suspended in misery. The price is much too high and destroys the social fabric of our society. How many times must we vote and say no?