Assuming Suffolk Downs gets a license, I'm wondering if they can open for gaming during construction. Seeing as they already have the buildings they could have a setup similar to rockingham, raynham almost overnight, just buy the tables, chips, hire some dealers and bam! poker room.

As someone mentioned in the FW thread, the old raynham pokerroom was really busy when it was open and they had a huge rake and bad dealers. I would think Suffolk could be a hopping spot in short order.

I don't think getting a poker room going will be high priority for any of the prospective casino operators.

I so want a casino in MA. Somewhere diff to go than that overheated dungeon

There's always Mohegan!

uhhhh fold ~

Hans j/w, I'm near Lowell, where are you located?

It doesn't have to be just poker. They can put table games in just as easily. And why turn down possible income during construction? This is of course assuming they're not just going to level the whole complex.

I agree. Poker is always a last priority when a new casino opens. I don't think any of the NY tracks/racinos have cards yet, and it took PA a few years to get any kind of poker/blackjack/paigow up and running.
Having said that I think PERHAPS you may see a rennaisance of the Raynham and South Shore rooms, along the lines of giving a customer what they want. If they go with all straight machines, card players and blackjackers loose out, and will still go to FoxSun. (or Rockingham, risking food poisoning and catching rashes) The arguement could be made that poker players have been segregated and discriminated against, and the STATE has now licensed just certain forms of gaming, leaving other gaming preferences out in the cold. Government once again picking winners and losers. hmmm. Charity poker rooms COULD make a case for reopening- especially Raynham if they are left out in the cold. They've been playing nicey nicey in hope of being considered obviously. Their shutdown was a nice political favor to "Marsha" "great campaign" Coakley as well, leaving her without a difficult prosecutorial decision.
I moved to California in 2006, from Leominster and then No. Providence. Complete heaven as far as card playing. Sacramento has four dedicated card rooms, three which are very playable. There are Indian casinos in each direction within 45 minutes drive. All have poker, and competition is indeed good for the customer. I end up driving across the USA usually twice a year, and am lucky to be able to compare the quality of poker rooms in a wide sampling all the time.
With the hacks now saying OK to a few casinos, the checks have been cut, money laundered, envelopes dropped and all payoffs have been accounted for. To get cardrooms....either in a casino, racetrack, or as standalone, a few more bags of money may have to be dropped. If Massachuetts realizes that they could create a separate commision for the regulation of Cardrooms, perhaps the hacks would warm up to the idea. Great jobs programs on the commisions for Uncle Joe and sisiter in law Millie, all Democrats of course.
See you in the summer, folks.

Holy moly that is a wall of text!

lol. It's 5 paragraphs, but he didn't get an extra line between each one.

Is Steve Wynn still interested? He had lobbyists in the past. I'm sure a Wynn Casino will have poker.

I wasn't saying the casinos won't have poker. I was saying that I doubt they will go out of their way to set up an interim poker room while the main construction begins, that poker is far from the top items on their minds.

My guess is that slots will be installed instantly, and poker will come last.

Steve Wynn will only open a casino here if the state can guarantee that all his employees will be willing to work for China-style wages and bow/grovel/smile whenever he comes into their presence..... and yes, i think he's a scumbag.

I have not been following what's going on with the rest of the state, but as far as Western Mass, which is guaranteed by the bill to have one casino in the four western counties, there is a lot going on.

Of course, the Mohegan Sun project in Palmer is probably the most likely to go since they have been working for years on it and already have pretty much everything ready to go. The second likely candidate would be Paper City Development, a local company who is pushing for a casino in Holyoke on land just off I-91 and minutes from I-90. This project has the land and local officials support, but has not made any plans public as far as investors/operators or anything else.

Other possible projects are Chicopee, whose mayor has been trying to sell his city as a suitable location, and a recent statement from Penn National saying they are interested in operating a western mass casino. http://www.wwlp.com/dpp/news/local/h...ts-springfield

What set of facts do you base your assumptions on?

Trying to think if I've ever seen an employee bow to him at the Wynn or the Old Golden Nugget. I did see a few tourisits bow to him a few years back when he was running the Mirage. They were Asian. Hmm. They were obviously ordered to do this by some controlling legal authority.

Its always the "state" with you lefties anyways. And private enterprise is always the greedy villian in any endeavor.

Steve Wynn:
Built at a cost of US$2.7 billion, The Wynn was the largest privately-funded construction project in the nation at the time. (private, not government helped like Solyndra)
On May 12 and 13, 2007, Wynn dealers voted 444-149 in favor of representation by the Transportation Workers Union. ( unionized work force? incredible)
The world's largest distribution of HDTV, into hotel rooms using high-speed Cat-6 Ethernet cables ( private enterprise stimulation of an economy)
It was also among the first casinos to install RFID tags inside chips to better detect counterfeiting. ( American innovation in the private sector)
Additionally, The Wynn is featured as a Top U.S. Hotel by the Zagat Survey.
(obviously Republican plants in the media...big conspiracy)

Nah...you're right buddy...Steve Wynn should stay out of Massachusetts. You guys don't want any progressive business ideas floating around up there. It may display the kind of Private-sector based economic model that Massachusetts Democrats have been trying to surpress for 50 years. All hail Mike Dukakis and the tax-and-spend, triple your drivers license fee, all in on corruption kind of thinking that you are used to.

Somehow one individual's opinion has become a vast leftist conspiracy. It's always that way with you right-wing nuts. ;P

Yeah, I know you're just trolling DaveC, but 1983 called and it misses you.

I don't know much about Steve Wynn other than what I've read - the guy has a rep as being a ruthless but effective businessman - ie he sounds typical of the species. Word here in the Commonwealth is that he is not the favorite to get the first green-light - but I don't have any backroom info.

But as to your slam of the Commonwealth...MA has certainly seen its fair share of govt corruption (show me a US state that hasn't) but with pretty much no natural resources other than our own brains and backs, we manage to have:
- one of the US's largest state GDPs,
- one of the highest per capita incomes (even after our middle-of-the-pack tax levels - like I said, 1983 misses you),
- second longest life expectancy (aloha Hawaii ftw),
- highest educational levels (including top marks for our kids),
- lowest injury/death rate from auto accidents or guns,
- broader personal freedoms,
- low(er) unemployment,
- and high levels of entrepenuerial activity (most quarters typically the third highest number of venture deals after CA and NY).

Oh btw, we also pay more into the federal system in taxes than we get back - and have for decades. Because we're civilized enough and smart enough to realize that things like interstates, national parks, and being safe when you fly in an airplane, drink the water and breathe the air - are the hallmarks of a great nation.

And now it looks like we'll have some casinos soon. Once we do, I hope you'll come and visit the cradle of American freedom.

"Somehow one individual's opinion has become a vast leftist conspiracy. It's always that way with you right-wing nuts. ;P "

OK, so "I hate Steve Wynn" is an opinon/fact that the Massachusetts Democrats should base their legislation on.
When hoisted by your own petard, you guys deny and hurl the mud back. And forget any factual evidence.
J-Prime, I seen by your number of posts that you and I have never much chatted before, perhaps. If you care to know, know that I lived in Massachusetts until 2001, owned three business there, employed quite a few people in my time, sat on the boards of two hospitals, numerous other community assets and charitable groups. I know a little bit about taxation, businesses, and corporate climate, and employment.
I escaped Massachusetts in 2001.
I dare say that Steve Wynn is not interested in Massachusetts either, because he'd rather not pay off corrupt Democrats to get a gaming license.
You and a lot of others can keep on defending the current climate in Massachusetts. Some feel its fine, a lot of others feel its corrupt and hopeless. Keep playing that Mass Lotto with its 150K a year Lottery agents working their four hour days, Keno every five minutes in every Ghetto store and bar, preying on the last, lost and least.

"Oh btw, we also pay more into the federal system in taxes than we get back"
quoted---- and this is a GOOD THING? if you say so. I wouldn't brag too much about that, unless I was a lemming. The rest of your explanatory paragraph sounds like a Nancy Pelosi speech. When she comes home to California, she never ventures off the SanFrancisco peninsula.

The things you brag about I totally agree about with you- and would like to state that Big Government has had little to do in the creation of. Unless you count "allowing it to happen" as a funtion of government.

Its seems to me that Democrats have done all the squashing of poker, with the attorney general in Mass twisting the arm of Raynham and So.Shore, and the US AG shutting down online poker in the US. How do Democrats feels about this?.........crickets.....................cricket s.

I "come visit" twice a year. I see my son, grandkids and family in Centrral Mass., Bsoton and Cape Cod. You see, actually, I'm the only one in my family that ever moved out of New England, more for personal reasons (re-married) thasn any other. Why do I care about what gets done in Mass and in the New England post forum? its now obvious, I hope.
Thanks for the invite anyways.

let's let Steve tell it himself...

"September will be our fifth anniversary in the People's Republic of China in Macau, and we love it there. We are so grateful to be part of that market and to be allowed to participate in that community. We find the political environment, the regulatory environment, the human resource environment that we're in to be absolutely delicious. Life is quite straightforward in China. The government is predictable. Our employees are eminently trainable. They're anxious to please. They have a fabulous attitude, whether they're local Macau people, mainland Chinese people, folks from the Philippines, they're just wonderful and all of that's come together to help us deliver the kind of product that we've always been delivering."

if only we could be more like China everything would be ok!

Pretty sure 2+2er MontyBurns is not a state legislator.

Seems like you are the one making a single dude's comments into a plural. MontyBurns has been the only one dissing Wynn at this point. You took his comments as an excuse to slam pretty much the whole state as if we were one big Borg. In that context, I'm pretty sure my 1983 crack about your Dukkassis comments doesn't rise to the level of "thrown mud".

Probably not. I was here a lot a while back - but had an epic laptop failure and lost track of my old account info. So I just ghosted the forums for a year or two. Recently starting playing more live and decided to register as an active member again.

Interesting. I'm a business owner too (in my case, a lot smaller than what you had going on). My business partner's wife works in the hc industry, and is a relative of the CEO at Haywood. Which hospitals were you a board member of?

Hmmm, I see a reading comprehension leak. Did I ever claim he's not interested? No, just said buzz does not have him at top of pack for first-approval.

And most of us feel that it's somewhere in between those ridiculous extremes.

Ah, using 'ghetto' in MA - you must be from the far suburbs. Sidetrack to lottery? Yeah, I don't like the lottery much either (although it's apparently most successful state lottery in US, in terms of total sales and revenue).

Whether its +ev to support the overall health and welfare of the nation is a debate we can have elsewhere. I just point that out to show we do well enough to care about the nation as a whole, not just our own little corner.

Never been a registered Dem - didn't realize that caring for the country as a whole was a partisan thing now.

Perhaps, but I didn't defend the govt - you took one guy's anti-Steve Wynn comment, and proceeded to throw out a bunch of tired, inaccurate, Dem-Rep partisan agiprop. I pointed out that our little state may have it's problems, but we still manage to do pretty well for ourselves.

Um - have you read the MA casino bill? Winslow's amendment with the internet poker licensing is part of the passed House bill, and is in the current version that the Senate is reviewing. It reportedly has wide support from both parties. Even the Boston Glob featured an opinion piece on Friday in support of internet licensing.

j-p...now we're getting somewhere. Your points are well-taken.
I'm lucky in that I can compare just about all the type of gaming all over the country, since I'm lucky enough to visit them. Thats really where I'm coming from.
I would like the best for the Bay State since I was born there in 1955, and lived there until 2001, like I stated.
The hospitals I was a board member on are pretty close to Gardner. (within 20 minutes) that really narrows it down. Think east. Before the UMass takeover. Lets just leave it at that, since I wish to remain fairly anonymous on a brick and mortar poker chat board. If you really want to be a detective, you do know my first name and last initial. I'd be happy to talk about my cv details only in p/m. thanks.
Now, you did say that things being "fine" or "corrupt and hopeless" are ridiculous extremes. I'm not gonna parse every sentence in your message- you can keep doing that. But I'll parse that one.
My over-riding point is this- People in Mass and New England have a view that things need to be a "certain way" and only that way. Large business are viewed with scorn and contempt, unless they happen to be headquartered in Mass., like Raytheon, Titleist/Foot Joy, Spaulding, Gillette...we could go on. I suppose somewhere else in the USA, those companies are looked upon with the same contempt.
But we digress from the topic of poker.
I think Steve Wynn runs a great gaming company. Perhaps our buddy Monte should tip the dealers two chips instead of one the next time he drags a pot at the Wynn.

Nah, that's fine. Not trying to "out" you, fellow player - just making connections. Conversations are generally easier when you find commonalities.

I think New Englanders are proud of their successes, like any other self-identified cultural groups. And we can get prickly if we think we're being marginalized. But I worked for one of the largest international corporations in the world for about a decade as their technical liaison at MIT, and dealt with many other people in similar roles. I don't recall any of the scorn or contempt you speak of, nor do I recall any of my associates complaining of anything like that. Generally, when I told people who I worked for and what I did, they were curious and enthusuastic about my company's interest in the region.

Indeed.

As I said, I don't know much about Mr. Wynn other than the few articles I've read. He's obviously a very effective businessman. Is he someone who'll be good for the region? I don't know. If he decides to get into the MA casino market, I'm sure we'll hear more about him, good and ill. Personally,at this point, if it's a choice of shameless developers, I'd rather have someone with a record of competence than an *** like Vornado (the guy responsible for the Filene's hole, who is supposedly trying to coddle up to Menino and the BRA wrt a Suffolk Downs casino project).

Anyone have experience fighting a speeding ticket in MA?

j-p....re: Suffolk Downs.
Last I heard out here, Caesars/Harrahs had some kind of inside line on Suffolk. Didn't they loan Sterling Suffolk some money? Thats thier usual MO- issue a loan to a poorly run or hurting casino, then end up with it.
Its how they basically acquired Planet Hollywood. They also have quite a stake in The Palms now.
Vornado. Long time ago, the Kennedy Family had a lot of thier money in that REIT. May be worth googling.

Apparently it helps if you're Gisele Bundchen.

I have too much experience fighting speeding tickets in Mass, NH and NY. My lawyer usually negotiates with a police prosecutor immediately after the offense. A lot of police departments have a dedicated police prosecutor. Its usually not the police officer who wrote the ticket. The key is to find out who handles the case in the police department. Then negotiate with that person to keep it out of court and get the charge reduced.

It helps to have a clean record. Usually the charge is reduced to parking violation or 'continued without a finding pending clean record for 6 months.' Sometimes just asking to take a driving class instead of the ticket can work. Or even better to sign up for a class before calling to negotiate, then drop the class later. It doesn't have to be a lawyer to contact the police negotiator and try to work it out. Something like

"I got caught speeding. It was wrong. This is a wake up call. I realize my speeding is dangerous. I have signed up for a driving school to take a seminar in defensive driving. I have a clean record. I am a blah/blah upstanding citizen. This was a one time mistake. Is there anything that can be done to reduce the charge? If I complete the class, can you just drop the ticket?"