Governor Deval Patrick had his casino gambling proposal shot down by the legislature in Massachusetts shortly after he took office. He vowed that he would continue his fight even after the defeat of the proposal. This week, a door seemingly opened up to Patrick. One that would have allowed him to bring the casino gambling he desired to the state. The Mashpee Wampanoag tribe sent a formal letter to the governor asking to open discussions about building a casino.

A comprehensive report on casinos said the state could reap USD 596.7 million in total annual government revenues if state legislators legalized three destination casinos. The report was released by the administration of Governor Deval L. Patrick. It was completed by Spectrum Gaming Group of Linwood. In the past, Spectrum has worked for casinos and governments around the world.

A USD 1 billion destination resort casino would take shape on New Bedford’s waterfront under plans laid out by a group of local business executives. Northeast Resorts wants to build a huge casino, shopping and housing complex on a key stretch of the old port city’s harborfront, previously home to the now shuttered Revere Copper plant. In honor of the old Revere Copper, the project is being dubbed “Revere Landing.”

Middleborough - Reports that Governor Deval Patrick was poised to begin negotiating a contract, or compact, with the Mashpee Wampanoag for a casino in Middleborough caused some ripples of concern across Southeastern Massachusetts this week. According to the Statehouse News Service, Patrick on Monday had said that, although he expects no additional casino legislation to be forthcoming this session...

Boston - Gov. Deval Patrick's attempt to introduce casino gambling went down in defeat, 108-46, thursday evening in the House. The vote came after hours of debate in the House and a marathon 13 hours of testimony on Tuesday. The Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies decided not to recommend the bill in a close vote - 10-8 - on Wednesday. House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi, D-Boston, who has been strongly against the proposal, reportedly strong-armed the vote.

The state’s already tense gambling debate erupted into a political brawl yesterday, as casino proponents charged that House Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi is orchestrating a defeat of the governor’s casino legislation even before a legislative committee publicly airs the pros and cons next week. Furious political maneuvering spilled into the open, sparking heated exchanges through the halls of the State House.

Aides to Governor Deval Patrick fanned out across the State House yesterday, delivering copies of an 11-page, color brochure extolling the benefits of the governor’s casino plan to individual lawmakers, a move that emphasized his key arguments in advance of the scheduled release today of an independent analysis by the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce.

The Commonwealth’s Speaker of the House Sal DiMasi has long been seen as the biggest obstacle in the way of Governor Deval Patrick’s plan to build three luxury casinos in the Bay State. DiMasi lived up to that reputation Monday by delivering a blistering attack against the governor’s projections for how many jobs the initiative would create. A Globe piece made clear on Sunday that Patrick’s numbers are lazy at best, and exceedingly misleading at worst.

MonsonN, Massachusetts – As reported by the Worchester Telegram & Gazette: "State Rep. Todd M. Smola, R-Palmer, said this weekend that with Gov. Deval L. Patrick's casino legislation heading for the Joint Committee on Economic Development for study and hearings, a debate on the bill may well not come before this fall. "If that's the case, communities that might find themselves in the neighborhood of a casino have plenty of time to weigh the pros and cons...

Boston - Gov. Deval Patrick released a USD 28 billion budget proposal yesterday, banking on casino licensing fees to fund local aid and challenging his critics in the Legislature to come up with their own solutions to the state's fiscal challenges. "It's better than just digging once again and even deeper into the rainy day fund. What we need are fixes that will last," Patrick said at a press conference yesterday.

Detroit - A trio of casinos similar to those proposed by Gov. Deval Patrick have hit a wall in Detroit, leaving the cash-strapped city reeling from plummeting gambling revenues and sending a harsh warning to Massachusetts. A Herald review shows revenue generated by three Motor City casinos was down USD 82 million in 2007 while the state’s take fell by USD 10 million.