Fallout Begins From Gambling Suspension At Rhode Island Track

If the Twin River gambling parlor had its way, greyhound racing would go away for good at the track. Lawmakers of the state, however, wants to force the track to continue the racing, and it is escalating into a legal battle.

Twin River has already started to prepare for the upcoming suspension of racing by laying off twenty-seven workers. They are the only firings that will take place, according to Twin River spokeswoman Patti Doyle.

Just last month, Governor Don Carcieri played into the wishes of Twin River when he vetoed legislation that would force the track to operate for 200 dates a year, up from the current 125. The track wants to close down the racing forever and not operate any races.

Twin River has already sought bankruptcy protection because they have lost a large sum of money from the greyhound racing. They claim the sport is outdated, and they cannot continue to run the races without losing more money.

Lawmakers, however, disagree. They want to increase the number of races every year, something the claim will increase interest in the sport and increase revenue. Lawmakers may have the final say when they are back in session, with the opportunity to override the governor's veto.

Rhode Island is one of the states that has been actively pursuing changing casino gambling laws. To date, there has not been no law changes, but lawmakers are discussing ways that slots and other forms of gambling could help the tracks prosper once again.

August 5, 2009
Posted By Terry Goodwin
Staff Editor, CasinoGamblingWeb.com
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