In the end, the state authorized three resort casinos, complete with hotels, spas, and other amenities, and one slot parlor with no table games and a modest 1,250 machines. When the state approved casinos in 2011, it came as a compromise, with Governor Deval Patrick favoring only full-scale resort casinos and House Speaker Robert DeLeo pushing for legislation that included help for the struggling horse-racing industry.

“We operate successfully in highly competitive markets across the country and expect to do the same in Massachusetts,” he said.

For its size, the casino’s revenue figures are strong. The company is optimistic about the casino’s future, he added. “This is a highly competitive market where we learned that, despite having the newest product and great customer service, we underestimated the ongoing benefit that table games and indoor smoking continues to provide Twin River,” said Eric Schippers, senior vice president for public affairs for Penn National. Penn National Gaming, the casino company that owns Plainridge, said it underestimated the effect of nearby Twin River Casino. Police statistics show no increase in crime because of the casino, and problem gambling specialists assigned to the casino report little evidence of compulsive betting, he said. “Everyone talked with this exaggerated sense of anxiety about increases in prostitution, in human trafficking, in drunkenness, but it hasn’t happened.” “The first year shows it’s possible to bring in the positive effects of gambling without the negatives,” Crosby said. Crosby described Plainridge Park as a clear success, citing the creation of about 500 new jobs and low levels of harmful impacts, such as drunken driving and problem gambling.

Plainridge park casino careers