Last week the owners of Twin River made public a proposal to build a 150- to 250-room hotel on the Lincoln site, something they believe will help protect the state’s largest gambling facility from the effects of the introduction of gaming in Massachusetts.
The process requires General Assembly approval, and already there is some pushback.
Both House Speaker Nicholas Mattiello, D-Cranston, and Senate President M. Teresa Paiva Weed, D-Newport, were quoted in The Providence Journal as saying that the effects on the “hospitality industry” at large need to be taken into account before approving the Twin River plan.
If Twin River is to compete effectively with the Bay State facilities, it needs all the tools at its disposal, and that includes being able to offer patrons the option of staying on-site. And if more patrons come to Twin River as a result, it seems likely that other hoteliers will derive some benefit as well.
One final thing. Twin River is Rhode Island’s third-largest revenue source. Whatever your thoughts on gambling, this is not the time to blow another hole in the state’s budget by not allowing the hotel. •