Supreme Judicial Court To Decide Case Likely To Determine the Future of Casino Gambling In Massachusetts

The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court is set to hear arguments today in a case which is likely to determine the future of casino gambling in Massachusetts. The question the Court will decide is whether a referendum question should be allowed on the November ballot asking voters if they want the state’s 2011 casino law repealed. If allowed on the ballot, recent public opinion surveys indicate that the referendum could derail the state’s current casino licensing process and gambling giants like MGM, Mohegan Sun and Steve Wynn could lose the millions they have invested in the planning, development and promotion of various proposals for casinos in Boston and Springfield. Secretary of State Martha Coakley argued that casino developers through their investment have “an implied contractual right” to see the application process play out and that placing the question on the ballot would violate the state constitution because the referendum could cause casino developers to lose property without being compensated for it. Opponents of casino gambling who petitioned for the referendum argue that the state and its residents have a right to revise laws impacting “public morals and welfare” at any time. A decision is expected sometime in July.