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has come to the Plainville area in a long time," said Jack Lank, president of the United Regional Chamber of Com- merce. "It has a ripple effect — even the construction workers right now, they have to go somewhere to lunch and they have to bring home milk and bread after work." Casinos as economic development Casino-style gambling has been a long time coming to the towns the southern and of I-495, with the previous owners of Plainridge having lobbied the Legisla- ture since 2000 for a green light to roll out slot machines. Lawmakers finally legalized Las Vegas-style gambling in 2011, followed by a years-long licensing process through the Massachusetts Gaming Commission. But it was Penn National — one of the biggest gaming companies in the country — that finally got the chance to build the slots complex in Plainville, after the previous ownership group was disquali- fied by the gaming commission. After years of debate and planning, Plainville and other nearby towns along I-495, including Attleborough, Foxbor- ough and Wrentham, are poised to reap some of the first benefits from the new casino law. The law, however, goes far beyond just legalizing Las Vegas-style wagering. Rather, state lawmakers and Gov. Deval Patrick envision the casino law as a multibillion-dollar pump primer for the Massachusetts economy. The legislation includes extensive provisions requiring gambling develop- ers to hire and buy locally, guidelines the gaming commission has put in place dur- ing the licensing process for the state's planned gaming venues. "One of the keys to being successful in regional gambling is to buy local, hire local and partner with local businesses," said Jeff Morris, a spokesman for Penn National. Yet even as Penn National and local businesses push ahead with their plan- ning, the effort to repeal the 2011 casino law threatens to upend everything. Casino opponents are battling to get a question on the November election bal- lot that would repeal the 2011 casino law. As it stands now, anti-gambling activists will have to win a court battle to place the referendum on the ballot. Even then, Penn National and other casino developers that want to build in Massachusetts having already vowed to fight any repeal effort. Public opinion polls in Massachusetts have consistently shown majority sup- port over the years for casino gambling, notes Clyde Barrow, director of the Center for Policy Analysis at the Univer- sity of Massachusetts Dartmouth and a gaming industry expert. The strongest opposition has come from individual communities where casinos have been proposed and where residents were less happy about the pros- pect of a massive development project – and gambling – taking shape down the street. priming the economic pump Plainville, however, was one of num- ber of communities that embraced the idea of expanded gambling, with a town- wide referendum on the Penn National complex passing with 76 percent of the vote. Penn National executives have said they will move ahead with plans despite the threat of a statewide repeal, noting they have successfully battled similar efforts in other states. Penn National recently kicked off construction of its $225-million gaming complex, which will feature 1,250 slot machines, video poker, a small enter- tainment venue, and three restaurants, including a sports pub run by Boston College football legend Doug Flutie. The project will employ roughly 1,000 hard-hats over the next year, pushing millions of dollars in wages into the local economy. That will generate business for local restaurants, convenience stores and hotels as well. "It will be one of the biggest jobs sites in the area for the next 18 months," Lank said. In fact, an Irish pub, the Chieftain, has already started to ring up some extra business, having become a favorite spot for Penn National executives and staff in town overseeing the planning and construction of the company's newest gaming palace. "We are two miles away," said Tom Cahill, who owns the Plainville pub with his wife, Mary. "When they start build- ing, it's going to boom for me," he said. But the ongoing operations of Plain- ridge Park — once it's up and running — will provide an even bigger and ongoing stimulus to the local economy along the 495 South corridor. First are the 550-plus new jobs that will be created when the slots parlor opens. Average annual pay is estimated at $40,000, though that number mixes the salaries of top managers with those on the bottom rungs, a study by the Innovation Group, gaming consultants hired by Penn National, found. (The sal- ary numbers don't include tips.) Plainridge's payroll, including tips, is expected to hit $25.5 million by 2017, its second year in operation, according to the study. And a large share of the jobs will go to local residents, with Penn National com- mitted to hiring 90 percent of Plainridge Park's workforce from Plainville and surrounding communities. While that may seem like a tall order, the unemployment rate in Plainville is still around 9 percent, considerably higher than the state average, said Joseph Fernandes, town manager. There are 450 people looking for work in Plainville alone, he said. More people getting off the unemployment rolls will mean more business for local stores, res- taurants and businesses, Fernandes said. "It would be a pleasant problem from my vantage point to have everyone look- ing for a job get one," he said. The new gaming and entertainment complex will also have an insatiable ap- petite for everything from flowers to food and beverages, providing opportunities for local businesses that can fill those needs. Plainridge Park is expected to spend up to $37 million a year on "vendor expenditures," the Innovation Group study found, with $6.8 million of that paying for "food, beverage and retail s page 25 MetroWest495 Biz | May 2014 21 CAsino WBJ VIDEO Services Well executed, targeted videos can drive traffic to your web site, convert visitors into customers, and improve search results – let us help you explore whether video can be a difference maker in your marketing mix this year! 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