No Slots for RI is Good News for Conn

The Connecticut casinos are breathing a sigh of relief since Rhode Island voters decided not to legalize slot machines. Harrah’s Entertainment was trying to bring in a resort slot machine and gambling casino and the voters decided not to allow it. They were pairing with the Narragansett Tribe, but were turned down. They are now considering trying to bring their slot machines to the Catskills in New York.

Almost half of the Mohegan Sun’s customers come from Connecticut, with most of the rest coming from Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and New York. If Rhode Island had decided to legalize slot machines, it would have hurt the slot machine revenue in Connecticut badly. Not only would they have taken back their residents from the casino, but they probably would have taken a large chunk of the Massachusetts and New York slot machine players as well, as it would have been something new to try.

The slot machine casino was also concerned that they would take players from Connecticut, putting a real hole in the slot machine revenue that they bring in annually. Now they have to concern themselves with the amount of slot machine revenue they could lose if Harrah’s moves to the Catskills, but for now their bottom dollar is safe.

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