Attorney General Proposes Casino Commission
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Attorney General Patrick Lynch yesterday called for two state agencies to better regulate casino gambling in the Ocean State.
“I don’t think anybody who really cares about Rhode Island’s economic prospects likes the fact that we’re as dependent on the slots as we are, but there’s just no getting around it,” Lynch said.
Lynch noted that a development has been proposed in Fall River and that two casinos and two racetracks in Massachusetts could be adding 750 slot machines to each of their facilities. “We need to start preparing now for a gambling marketplace that’s about to become a lot more competitive,” Lynch said.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTOne new agency, the independent Gaming Control Commission, would license, regulate, and enforce the law on casino gaming. The other, the Division of Gaming Enforcement, would vet applications for gaming licenses, investigate alleged license violations, and routinely review casino operations. The Division of Gaming Enforcement would be run out of the Attorney General’s office.