Summary

The present report is the first in a series of reports that will document changes in the social and economic landscape in Massachusetts that can potentially be attributed to the introduction of these new gambling venues. It is important to recognize that the impacts of casino gambling in Massachusetts in 2018 are likely not reflective of the impacts that will be seen in future years. This is because the only significant changes that have occurred to date are the construction impacts of building the three facilities as well as the opening of the Plainridge Park Casino (PPC) (the smallest of the three new venues) in June 2015. Indeed, other than the very clear revenue, employment, and spending of PPC, there is little evidence of marked socioeconomic changes to date in Massachusetts that can be attributed to gambling.