In October, Rep. Natalie Higgins (D-Leominster) proposed a bill to allow a casino to be built in Central Massachusetts to help fund the extension of Commuter Rail services from the Route 2 corridor into North Central Massachusetts. Current Massachusetts law splits the state into three regions, affording each a single full-service casino. The proposed legislation would create a fourth region, Region D, making the cities of Fitchburg and Leominster and the towns of Ashburnham, Lunenburg and Westminster eligible for a casino gaming license. Once a hypothetical casino were established, the state would use 25% of its gaming revenue to build out the railway. The state currently has two full-service casinos: Encore Boston Harbor in Everett and MGM Springfield.
