As Boston recovers from its World Series hangover and prepares to elect a new mayor to succeed Tom Menino, East Boston residents will also be weighing the viability of brining a casino to Suffolk Downs. A recent WBUR poll of 302 residents likely to vote on the East Boston Casino Referendum between October 26-28 shows the majority thinks the vote should proceed despite Caesars Entertainment having been asked to withdraw due to its sketchy ties to unfavorable subsidies.
According to the data 69 percent of those think the vote should continue as planned despite Caesars being dropped, 68% percent think it would be fair to do so, but if the election were held today 46 percent would vote no for a Suffolk Downs Casino and only 32 percent would vote yes.
Perhaps the most telling statistics, though, are that 33 percent feel gambling is okay in other places but don’t want it in East Boston while 50 percent think gambling is acceptable anywhere it is legally allowed. One could easily deduce that the overall sentiment in respect to the entire initiative has turned to: Yeah, I’d support a casino and gambling, just not particularly close to where I live.
And it’s not surprising seeing as how both Boston mayoral candidates Marty Walsh and John Connolly think along similar lines.
During the final debate between the two on Tuesday, moderator R.D. Sahl asked each vier for their thoughts on the project. Of course, both candidates responses weren’t as direct as Yes, I want one or Hell no, but they did allude that a casino doesn’t quite fit in their respective agendas for City Hall and The Hub.
Both feel, as do the residents of Eastie, that only those who live in the neighborhood should decide. Connolly, in an obvious attempt to duck the question, went as far to suggest that prosperity lies in another area saying “Future of East Boston is in the waterfront, not casinos.”
For his part, Marty Walsh also feels an East Boston gaming facility is for those in East Boston to decide, but posed the question of what is to become of Suffolk Downs and the 160 acre parcel of land it sits on should a substitute for Caesars not be found by election day.
Keep in mind that the sample size of 302 residents represents a mere fraction of the the neighborhood’s 40,000-plus population, so take this data with a grain of salt. Be sure to check back to BostInno for the latest casino news and details.
