Plainville Is Getting A New Town Hall Thanks To Plainridge Casino
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The comment section of any gaming article is frequently occupied by the anti-casino group, posing cynical questions about the destination and purpose of the money. However, when it comes to Plainville, Massachusetts, there is no ambiguity regarding the allocation of a significant portion of the funds earned from Plainridge Park Casino.
About 100 residents of Plainville, along with a handful of local dignitaries, gathered on Monday night to initiate the construction of a $34 million municipal complex. This upcoming establishment will consist of a town hall and a public safety building.
The project is being funded by the funds collected from Plainridge Park Casino.
The new buildings are desperately needed in Plainville as the current town hall and public safety building are insufficiently sized to cater to the town’s needs.
In addition, the new municipal complex will eliminate a local eyesore by replacing both a vacant site and an unused school, which will be demolished for its construction.
Economic boon for the area
Plainridge Casino offers more than just a new town hall as part of its benefits.
In June 2015, Plainridge Park Casino was introduced as an expansion to Plainridge Park Racecourse. Prior to this addition, the property solely provided live harness racing and simulcast racetrack experiences. With the establishment of the casino, 1,250 slot machines were made available to visitors.
Contrary to the typical predictions of disaster, the local economy has greatly benefited from the presence of the casino.
According to The Sun Chronicle, the casino contributed over $75 million in taxes to the state, paid $4 million in taxes and fees to the Town of Plainville, and generated over 500 job opportunities within its initial 12 months of operation.
Furthermore, The Sun Chronicle highlights that a significant portion, amounting to a quarter, of those positions were filled by unemployed individuals.
In just two years, Plainridge has amassed an impressive $325 million solely from slot revenue.
No adverse effects on the lottery
Furthermore, the casino has not caused any harm to the well-established gaming industry in Massachusetts, specifically the Massachusetts Lottery, which is highly valued by the state.
According to a report released by the University of Massachusetts School of Public Health and Health Sciences, as a component of the Social and Economic Impacts Of Gambling In Massachusetts (SEIGMA) study, it is stated that…
Following the inauguration of Plainridge Park Casino, it was observed that lottery sales, on average, did not decline in proximity to the casino. However, lottery revenue in the vicinity of the casino experienced a slower growth compared to the rest of the state, except for Plainville, where lottery revenue saw a significant increase.
Crime concerns were way overblown
Put fears of a casino-induced crime wave to rest with consultant Christopher W. Bruce’s report titled “Assessing the Impact of Gambling on Public Safety in Massachusetts Cities and Towns: Analysis of changes in police data after the first year of operation at Plainridge Park Casino”.
Bruce’s report concluded that…
- During its initial 12 months of operation, Plainridge Park demonstrated crime and call statistics that were in line with other regional facilities of similar size.
- There were only a few notable crime spikes in the surrounding vicinity.
- The largest upticks were observed in traffic-related incidents such as complaints, collisions, disabled vehicles, and suspicious vehicles.
- The presence of the casino is associated with a rise in economic crimes, such as credit card fraud and con games, as supported by certain evidence.
- In order to gain a comprehensive understanding, it is essential to conduct additional research using complete datasets for crime and traffic collisions, particularly data collected in 2017.
Upshot
Thanks to Plainridge Park Casino, Plainville residents will soon witness the results of their votes every time they travel down Route 1a in the near future. Additionally, whenever they visit the new town hall to obtain a dog license or pay their water bill, the impact of their choice will be evident.