Photo by Steve Klamkin
WPRO News and the Associated Press
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) – The prospective developer of a casino at Newport Grand is still considering investing in the property even though table games aren’t allowed.
A ballot question on permitting table games at the slots parlor was approved statewide Tuesday but rejected in Newport. It needed majority approval of statewide voters and local voters to pass.
Former Providence Mayor Joseph Paolino and two investors said they would spend $40 million to turn the slots parlor into an “entertainment complex,” but only if it could add table games.
Paolino on Wednesday says moving forward with the project isn’t out of the question, but it’s more of a challenge now. Paolino says he wants to crunch the numbers with Newport Grand’s owner.
A leader of the anti-casino movement in Newport said they’d welcome the investment.
