Almost lost in the excitement over the opening of Plainridge Park, in Plainview, is a little-reported event: New Bedford‘s vote on 
casino host-community status. To say that KG Urban Enterprises won is rather an understatement. It garnered 73% of votes cast, in a rout of anti-casino forces, who were evidently unmotivated to get out and vote. (Turnout was light: 21%.) This sets up a confrontation between KG’s partner, Foxwoods Resort Casino, and Neil Bluhm‘s Rush Street Gaming for the last casino license in Massachusetts.
Unless Bluhm or KG Urban can get their casino to market quickly, Penn National Gaming could have the Bay State to itself for two and a half years or more. Neither Wynn Boston nor MGM Springfield is expected to open before 2018. What’s more, 
thanks to a congenial ruling by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, Penn is able to cram in 250 more gaming positions than envisioned in the enabling legislation by classifying electronic table games as “slot machines.” That would seem to run a cart and horses through the idea of a slots-only racino at the harness track … but it also means that Penn can recoup its investment even more quickly. Skies have been cloudy in Massachusetts this week but Penn is poised to make hay even while the sun doesn’t shine.
* Gaming will soon have a new publicly traded company, Golden Entertainment, the love child of Golden Gaming and Lakes Entertainment. Golden’s takeover bid was voted through by Lakes 
shareholders this week and approval by regulators in Nevada seems a cinch. Ditto Montana, where Blake Sartini‘s company operates slot routes. Since Golden will obtain Lakes’ Rocky Gap Casino, in Maryland, in the deal, it will give Sartini’s company nearly a coast-to-coast reach.
In lieu of a golden parachute, Lakes CEO Lyle Berman will get a seat on the Golden board. Sartini has been selective in his acquisitions but, if the IPO goes through, S&G expects him to continue picking off the low-hanging fruit of the casino industry.
* Congratulations to Marcus Glover. Evidently his handling of the opening of Horseshoe Cleveland and subsequent stewardship of the property impressed MGM Resorts International. MGM has made Glover general manager of Beau Rivage, which is quite a feather in anyone’s cap. Plus, I’m sure he’ll be glad to trade winters on Lake Erie for ones on the Gulf Coast.
