New England gambling behavior

NORTH DARTMOUTH, Mass. (WWLP) - A fresh look into New England gambling.  Like it or not, casino gambling is coming to Massachusetts.  The UMass-Dartmouth Center for Policy Analysis has been studying New England's gaming behavior.  The latest survey shows Massachusetts residents are gambling less and staying closer to home.  By 2016 or 2017, the drive to a casino will be even shorter for people in Western Massachusetts. 

“In regards to convenience wise I'd try to stay local, because of driving distances more enjoyable, get to see the area that you live”, says Easthampton’s Josh Dean.

The study shows that more people from Massachusetts visit Foxwoods than any other state, including Connecticut.  At Mohegan Sun, Connecticut residents hold a slight edge over the Bay State. 

Wherever that Western Massachusetts casino ends up, making that trip down to Connecticut may become unnecessary.

“If I have to do that, then I'd do it right here in Springfield”, says Springfield’s Wellesley Campbell

Springfield, Palmer and West Springfield are the spots that we know are competing for the Western Massachusetts gaming license.

If the trends in this study continue, the long term success of a casino in Western Massachusetts could depend on if other casinos are built in neighboring states.  Any casino built in the Albany region, near Hartford, western New Hampshire or southern Vermont could have a dramatic impact on the success of one in Western Massachusetts.