Senate approves more dog racing at Twin River
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Twin River's Future
Officials from Harrah's show up at the State House.Published: June 30, 2009
Updated: July 1, 2009
PROVIDENCE—Legislation forcing a bankrupt slot parlor in Lincoln to offer more greyhound racing is headed to Gov. Don Carcieri, who has promised to veto it.
The state Senate voted Tuesday to force the Twin River racetrack and slot parlor to offer 200 days of racing, instead of the current 125 days.
Twin River’s owners have filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection while struggling to repay more than $500 million in debt. The filing would allow Twin River to escape creditor lawsuits while it reorganizes its business.
As part of a deal with Carcieri’s administration, Twin River sought to end greyhound racing, which it says loses $10.5 million annually. The Rhode Island Greyhound Owners Association said keeping the races will preserve 225 jobs.
Also Tuesday, two top executives of Harrah’s met with House Speaker William Murphy at the State House.
The Las Vegas-based gaming giant had partnered with the Narragansett Indian tribe in hopes of building a casino in West Warwick in 2006.
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Reader Reactions
Harrah’s is in Chapter 11 themselves so I doubt if they’ll be swooping in to save anybody. Get rid of the dogs, they are costing us 10 million a year. This state is beyond repair.
Wouldn’t be the first time the state forced a business into a position where that business loses more money than it would if the state hadn’t stepped in.
Jan Jones (remember her when Harrah’s backed the Narragansett Indians attempt to open a casino) was in town today and she strongly would be in favor of Harrah’s taking over Twin River. If they can promise a big payday for the state, Harrah’s would be a perfect choice to run a full fledged casino and there would be ABSOLUTELY NO GREYHOUND RACING allowed! Now all Governor Carcieri has to do is veto the continued expansion of greyhound racing and that will pave the way for Harrah’s to waltz in and try to help bail out Rhode Island.
In the contract when the casino came,“casino with greyhound racing”.The live handle supported the track before the casino came.The greyhound track knew it would lose a lot of it’s live handle by letting in the casino,so they are compensated.Problem is when you go to bed with an casino they want it all.The casino will quit promoting the horse or dog track side of it.They are greedy plus they want the real estate that tracks take up.To sum it up without the dogs, they’re would not be an casino.A deals a deal,Right? the people that own the dogs bring a lot guest out to the casino.
I’m missing something here…..is an extra 75 days of racing going to turn a $10M deficit into any kind of money making operation. Are you kidding me? What is the legislature thinking here? Where is the rest of this article explaining how this will somehow make the Twin River complex get back in the black? <c’mon channel 10> If it doesn’t or can’t make money then I’m sorry, I agree with the governor that the dogs must go. The party’s over folks, it’s time to get real with these types of businesses and the states finances. If they are a losing proposition, then, like horse racing years ago, it’s time to move on to greener pastures to a part of the country that supports it.
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