Many residents in Rhode Island have persistently voiced their concerns about potential negative impacts of a casino in their local communities, including crime, addiction, and general moral corruption. However, the Rhode Island-based Twin River Management group proposes to stay competitive in the growing market by constructing a new hotel-casino in Tiverton, Rhode Island, only 400 feet from the Massachusetts border.īefore they can move forward with the project, state and local residents will have to approve the proposal in a referendum on the November ballot. The Mashpee Wampanoag tribe has already broken ground on the First Lite casino in Taunton, Massachusetts - just 45 minutes away from the Newport Grand casino in Rhode Island. Approximately 52% and 44% of the patrons at Twin River and Newport Grand respectively are residents of Massachusetts, which renders both casinos extremely vulnerable to new competition across the border. In Rhode Island, the gambling industry depends on the patronage of out-of-staters. Over the last few years, the gambling industry in the Northeast has been gradually expanding into new states, creating fierce competition for local gamblers.
