Proponents of a casino planned for Tiverton, R.I., just 380 feet from the Massachusetts state line, say they are “cautiously optimistic” they will eke out a narrow victory in Tuesday’s local referendum vote.
The casino measure won a decisive victory statewide but is ahead by just 283 votes in Tiverton, 3,927 to 3,644, according to the state’s Board of Election website.
Election officials have 756 absentee ballots to count, and will announce the final tally Thursday. The casino needs local and statewide approval to move forward.The casino marks an effort to keep Rhode Island gamblers from venturing into Massachusetts and draw customers from Southeastern Massachusetts, including bordering Fall River. The owners of Twin River Casino, a sprawling complex in Lincoln, R.I., are behind the plan, which calls for about 1,000 slot machines and 32 table games. Business at Twin River fell by about 6 percent after Plainridge Park Casino, Massachusetts’ first casino, opened nearby in 2015. Patti Doyle, a spokeswoman for Twin River Casino, said she is confident the casino will prevail. Opponents would need almost 70 percent of the remaining votes to win a majority, she said. Advertisement The Twin River group spent about $4.5 million on advertising for the local and state campaigns. The Rev. John Higginbotham of the Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Tiverton led a grass-roots campaign against the measure.“We put up one heck of a fight,” he said Wednesday. “But we were up against an opponent with plenty of money and political support. The odds were stacked against us.”The casino in Tiverton is supported by Governor Gina Raimondo and other high-ranking elected officials.Sean P. Murphy can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Follow him on Twitter @spmurphyboston.| < Prev | Next > |
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