Plainville Leaders Testify in Support of Authorizing Table Games at Plainridge Park Casino
On November 13, 2025, the Plainville Select Board (Brian Kelly, Maggie Clarke, and Jeff Johnson), along with Town Administrator Brian Noble appeared before the Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies to urge the Legislature to amend the Expanded Gaming Act to permit limited table games at Plainridge Park Casino (PPC). Their testimony highlighted PPC’s strong record of regulatory compliance, community partnership, and substantial economic contributions—including more than $64 million in annual state and local aid and nearly $15 million to the Race Horse Development Fund, as noted in the Massachusetts Gaming Commission’s FY2024 Annual Report. Independent research from the UMass Donahue Institute has consistently found PPC’s impacts on Plainville and the region to be “largely positive.”
Town officials emphasized that Massachusetts now faces increasing competitive pressure from neighboring states and the anticipated opening of a tribal gaming facility in Taunton, which—unlike commercial casinos—will not generate tax revenue for the Commonwealth. Rhode Island casinos already offer full table games, drawing customers and economic activity away from Massachusetts. Without legislative action, the Commonwealth risks losing revenue, jobs, and local investment, even as it continues to bear regulatory and mitigation responsibilities.
Plainville’s request is narrow and responsible: allow PPC, the state’s sole Category 2 licensee with nearly a decade of proven performance, to offer table games under full state oversight and taxation. Officials testified that this step would protect hundreds of Massachusetts jobs, preserve millions in annual revenue for state and local governments, and strengthen Plainville’s long-term fiscal stability as a host community.
Here is the video of the testimony for residents and stakeholders to review.