Local tracks take separate paths as casino debate looms

REVERE – Local racetracks are taking separate paths to reach their common objective of reaping millions from casino gambling in Massachusetts.Wonderland Greyhound Park representatives met with other tracks earlier this month to restate their goal of housing slot machines. Suffolk Downs owners pushed this week to make the track one of Gov. Deval Patrick’s casino resorts.State Rep. Kathi-Anne Reinstein hopes her colleagues can forge a meeting of the minds between the two sides over the next several months.She noted how major casino investors from across the country told state legislators Tuesday that slot machines and casinos can co-exist in Massachusetts.”It’s time to discuss specifics, not ?should we do it,'” Reinstein said.Tracks owners who want slots are pinning their hopes on state Rep. Robert DeLeo’s commitment to make sure they are included in casino legislation debated by the Legislature next year.”In a perfect world we need to get slots, but maybe we need to increase purses for horses and dogs,” Reinstein said.Track owners say slots could generate $470 million in revenue for the state, but the Legislature has rejected previous proposals to bring slots to tracks and Patrick does not favor bringing slots to the tracks.That opposition in part prompted Suffolk Downs owners at Tuesday’s hearing to tout the track’s job and revenue generating capacity.They estimate Suffolk could generate 5,600 full-time, good-paying jobs with benefits, 10,000 construction jobs, and 5,600 indirect jobs, as well as provide $1 billion in gross revenues, a large percentage of which would flow to cities and towns in Massachusetts, if selected for one of the casino licenses.”We are more than prepared to pay our proportional share of the license fee should we be fortunate enough to be awarded one of the licenses,” said Richard Fields, the largest shareholder of Suffolk Downs and one of the developers of the successful Seminole Hard Rock resorts in Florida.”The financial experts in the gaming industry agree with the administration’s conclusions that this market can produce significant numbers of jobs and new revenues for the state.”