Plainville and Penn National Gaming have been awarded the sole license to operate a slot-machine parlor in Massachusetts with conditions, to Penn National Gaming, which plans to operate the facility at the Plainridge harness racetrack.
The license was tentatively awarded by the state Gaming Commission, Elaine Driscoll, a spokeswoman for the panel, said yesterday in an e-mail. The company will need to accept conditions today before an official vote, she said.
The plans are plans to build a $225 million slot-machine facility at the Plainridge Racecourse, a harness-racing track in Plainville, about 35 miles southwest of Boston.
“We are currently reviewing the Gaming Commission’s conditions, but don’t see any major areas of concerns,” Chief Executive Officer Tim Wilmott said in an e-mailed statement.
The casino, which will include 1,250 slot machines, live racing and the first-ever Doug Flutie Sports Bar, could open by the second quarter of next year, Wilmott said.
The five-member panel considered job creation and the future of the state’s horse racing industry, among other criteria. In 2011, the state legalized casino betting with legislation that authorized three resorts and one slot parlor.
“The Plainville option is a sure-fire bet, it’s a proven operator,” commission Chairman Stephen Crosby said during the deliberations. “I think they’re going to do the job well.”
Cordish Cos., based in Baltimore, proposed a $200 million facility in Leominster and pledged to contribute $1 million annually to technology start-ups in the state, but came up short earning just 2 votes out of the possible 5.
Needless to say, things are just getting started in Massachusetts.