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DeLeo's gambling plan -- all 172 pages of it

E-mail|Link|Comments () April 2, 2010 03:20 PM

Massachusetts Gambling.jpg

Suzanne Kreiter/Globe Staff

House Speaker Robert DeLeo is congratulated by supporters after he announced his casino gambling legislation at the State House today.

By Globe Staff

House Speaker Robert DeLeo has launched the most aggressive push for expanded gambling in Massachusetts in at least two years.

The son of a Suffolk Downs racetrack worker, DeLeo stirred controversy Thursday when he said he will not hold public hearings on his proposal, and instead will push for passage by the full House later this month.

DeLeo said the lawmakers held hearings on gambling issues earlier in the current legislative session. "Everything has been studied thoroughly, and we're ready to go," he said.

The proposed legislation is 172 pages long and can be found here.

The proposal calls for licensing two resort casinos and licensing slot machines at the state's four racetracks.

The two casino licenses would be sold for $100 million each, while the four slot machine licenses would be sold for $15 million each. The House projects revenues of up to $600 million to the state and the creation of 6,000 temporary construction jobs, 3,500 permanent casino jobs, 100 new jobs at each track, and 3,500 ''spinoff'' jobs at restaurants, hotels, and other venues near gambling sites.

Earlier this year, in remarks prepared for a speech at the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, DeLeo recalled his childhood as he argued for the need for gambling in Massachusetts.