Prior Rhode Island law prohibited the Twin River Casino from building a hotel on its property. However, Rhode Island Governor Raimondo recently signed a bill allowing the state’s only full-fledged casino to do so, reports the Providence Journal.
The anticipated June opening of Massachusetts’ first gaming facility explains the policy shift. “As our neighboring states look to draw revenue and economic development away from Rhode Island, we need to examine every possible way to remain competitive and create more economic opportunities here in Rhode Island,” the governor stated.
The hotel will be built in the Courtyard Marriott or Hampton Inn style and will be four-stories and have 150 to 250 rooms and cost between $30 and $35 million to construct. The project is expected to create approximately 200 temporary construction jobs and 100 full-time employees. Casino officials claim the hotel will focus on retaining “convenience gamblers” within the surrounding area, not drawing gamblers from a wider area, the article states.
