16 September, 2013
The Town of Hopkinton has filed suit in Middlesex Superior Court against the Massachusetts Gaming
Commission (MGC) alleging that the Commission has withheld public records contained in the
gaming license application of Crossroads Massachusetts LLC, the business entity behind the
Foxwoods casino proposal in Milford. In April and July of this year, the MGC provided the Town with
records pertaining to the businesses and individuals backing the proposed casino, but much of the
information was redacted, with the Commission, stating that “the public interest in obtaining this
information does not substantially outweigh the seriousness of the invasion of privacy….”
In its suit, the Town alleges the withheld information does not fall within the ambit of the Gaming
Law’s public records exemption, which permit redactions of material contained in a gaming license
application only for information that would place prospective casino developers at a competitive
disadvantage.
John Mosher, Chairman of Hopkinton’s Board of Selectmen, commented,“Residents and local governments
of the Metrowest region need information and have a right to
acquire it. It is critical to understand how the proposed casino could impact our region and know who
the region is doing business with. Hopkinton has followed the Massachusetts Gaming Commission’s
(MGC) direction regarding potential surrounding communities on multiple occasions and has
attempted to engage Foxwoods Massachusetts LLC since March. To date, Foxwoods has declined our
invitations.
Requests to the MGC to obtain information on the applicant have been consistently rejected. The
Foxwood’s application contains information that any resident, whether its our neighbors in Milford,
or any other potential surrounding community, should know as they continue to weigh the merits of
this proposal. The Gaming Commission should be requiring full disclosure of this information rather
than assisting the applicant in keeping it concealed.”
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| final_complaint_as_filed_09-09-2013.pdf | 822.42 KB |
| hopkinton_v_mgc_exhibits.pdf | 754.65 KB |
