Stern Talks Limitations and No-Smoking At New Bedford Casino

Pending approval from the Massachusetts Gaming Commission Thursday, KG Urban Enterprises forges ahead with a New Bedford casino proposal.

The City and KG Urban have agreed to strict building restrictions, including limited signage and a scaled-down hotel. Speaking on "The Taylor Cormier Show", Operating Partner Andrew Stern says those stipulations could change with time. "In the future, if this place is hitting a grand slam, then we just like anybody else could come back to the City and say 'We'd like to put up another hotel.' But that would have to be negotiated with the City. There would have to be an amendment to the Host Community Agreement," said Stern. Stern says the current limitations outlined in the Host Community Agreement reflect the market that could support a New Bedford casino.

One thing that won't be allowed in a New Bedford casino, or any other Massachusetts gaming facility, is smoking. Smoking is allowed in Rhode Island and Connecticut casinos, but when the Expanded Gaming Act was passed by the Massachusetts Legislature in 2011 it was made clear that guests of the casinos would not be able to light up on the gaming floor.

Stern doesn't feel like the no-smoking policy will have a damaging effect if New Bedford's casino proposal becomes a reality. "When New York was one of the first in the country to [ban smoking] and everyone told Mike Bloomberg that all the bars were gonna die in New York City and the restaurants, it didn't happen.....I don't think it's going to hurt," he said.

The final public forum on the casino before the June 23 referendum is scheduled for June 17 at 6pm at Normandin Middle School.