According to The Providence Journal: “If Twin River slot parlor’s bankruptcy protection filing does provoke criticism from the host community, it may come over an included proposal to go to 24-hour, 7-day-a-week gambling.”
Twin Rivers Casino is now under new ownership which included a $220 million construction project that will add to the expansion of the casino property. Residents are concerned about the idea of shifting to a 24 hours a day, 7 days a week format. “It ‘is not going to sit very well with residents,’ Ronald A. McKenna, the Town Council president, said of a move to 24-7 operations. “The governor right now is not thinking of the people of Lincoln. He is only thinking of the the bottom line. They are forcing this down our throats.”
“But the federal Chapter 11 bankrupcty proceeding by BLB Investors on Tuesday is not expected to affect the town’s finances, which include a hefty share of revenue from Twin River, according to Town Administrator T. Joseph Almond. He added that officials’ concern this year had been over whether the property would remain under private ownership, which enables the town to tax it.
“…Almond deferred to the residents of Lincoln on the matter of 24-7 gaming hours. If there is going to be opposition on that issue, he said, ‘it’s something that the people in the community have a right to decide…’
According to the online casino website for Twin Rivers, they will begin their 24/7 round the clock gambling on July 2nd through July 7th, 2009. After this time they will resume their normal business hours of 9 am to 3am.
It is interesting how the town is unhappy about adding a mere six hours to the casino operating hours, however, for them it means more than that. It is allowing in the gamblers all day in order for them to make habit forming judgements about being at the casinos.
