Would you back a casino in your local area?
A Rhode Island governor has highlighted a new bill which would allow voters to decide whether a plan to convert slots parlours into full-scale casinos is a good idea.
Governor Don Carcieri has stated his reservations about the move, as he believes it could have a long-lasting effect on the local community. This week, the official will discuss the bill with his staff, with a decision to either sign or veto it expected to be made in the coming days.
Online slots fans will be familiar with the idea of video lottery terminals. Such machines are all that are currently housed at Twin River in Lincoln and Newport Grand in Newport. If voters approve the bill, these could then become large-scale casinos hosting video terminals with games such as roulette as well as card tables and slots.
Carcieri called the issue "serious" due to constitutional concerns, as well as economic issues such as how much of a cut from the profits the state would make. He said:
"If the voters say they want it, then I'm sure there would be negotiations as to how things would proceed from there," he said. "It still needs the approval of the voters of the home community."
Online casino fans will be aware of the murky waters that surround gambling laws in the US. Elsewhere, French officials finally made online gambling legal in the country earlier this month. The move came just in time for this summer's World Cup, predicted to be a huge worldwide gambling event.