FOXBORO – Plans to bring a $1 billion resort-style casino to Foxboro have been shelved following decisive victories by two anti-casino candidates in Monday’s town election.
The announcement by The Kraft Group and Wynn Resorts came a day after Foxboro voters elected two selectman candidates who opposed opening negotiations with developer Steve Wynn. The Las Vegas-based casino mogul had wanted to build the resort on land leased from New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft across Route 1 from Gillette Stadium.
Four of the five selectmen will be opposed to a casino in the town, instead of three out of five. A selectman who supported considering the casino was unseated in the election.
The state Legislature passed a law last year that legalized casino gambling in Massachusetts. Under it, a prospective casino developer must first negotiate with local officials in the municipality where the casino would be built.
The Kraft Group issued a statement saying the town’s citizens have spoken, via the results of Monday’s election: “As we originally committed, we have heard them and respect their collective voice.”
Stephanie Crimmins, who founded the group No Foxboro Casino in December, said members of the organization were thrilled by the news.
“We were hopeful that this would happen, but none of us expected this to happen as quickly as it did,” she said.
The proposal’s suspension bolsters a plan for a resort casino at the Suffolk Downs horse racing track in East Boston. That plan would have had to compete with the Foxboro proposal for the sole casino license that will be available in the Greater Boston/Central Massachusetts area. A rival casino project has also been proposed in Milford.
Chip Tuttle, Suffolk Downs’ chief operating officer, said the horse track operators’ approach to winning a casino license won’t change. He said the focus will be on working with local residents to make sure the proposal would provide jobs and bring road improvements and tourism growth.
The casino law allows for three resort casinos and one slots parlor. The three casino licenses will be divvied up among three regions: Greater Boston, Southeastern Massachusetts and Western Massachusetts. The law put Foxboro and the rest of Norfolk County in the Greater Boston region.