R
aynham Park, a simulcast racing center in Raynham, Massachusetts, will be entering a massive transformation project to convert into a state-of-the-art betting facility. The makeover, set to begin in November, will make Raynham Park “rival Vegas,” according to Chris Carney, an investor whose family owns the venue.
According to Carney, the family will file plans with the town in November, reports The Taunton Daily Gazette. Should sports betting be legalized in the state of Massachusetts, Raynham Park will seek to include it among its offerings.
The sprawling site will also be home to a new distribution center, with rumors pointing towards Amazon. While the investor has confirmed the company approached him, no deal has been signed.
“We’re going to take it to the next level,” Carney describes the upcoming betting facility. “It will rival Vegas.” Simulcast betting on greyhound, thoroughbred and harness racing will also continue to be offered at the updated facility.
In September, the town granted Carney permits for the demolition of buildings and slabs. The property revival will benefit Raynham’s tax coffers, while an existing recycling facility is set to remain open. A truck-driving school will continue to use the area in the short term, according to the previously cited news source.
“We’ve been with the community since the 1940s,” said Carney. “We’re not going to do anything that’s going to embarrass the town.”
Plans to offer sports wagering at the updated facility will have to wait until it becomes legal to place bets in Massachusetts. While the State House of Representatives has approved sports betting, it must still pass the State Senate and be signed into law by Gov. Charlie Baker.
House Bill No. 3977 was amended and then passed by Massachusetts representatives in July by a vote of 156-3. Should it be approved, the bill would allow residents in the state to bet on sports, something many of them are doing in New Hampshire or Rhode Island, where it’s legal, or through their phones and offshore applications.
Many players within the gaming industry in the state eagerly await for this approval to happen. As part of the casino’s celebration of its three-year anniversary, and anticipating legal sport betting in the state, MGM Springfield in Massachusetts opened two new luxury sports lounges, one of them designed for betting.
Original article: https://www.yogonet.com/international//noticias/2021/10/05/59624-massachusetts-racing-center-to-undergo-makeover-into-vegas-style-betting-venue
