Senate passes Twin River 24-hr gambling

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) - The Rhode Island Senate has approved a bill that would allow 24-7 gambling at Twin River in Lincoln.

If passed, the bill would also keep greyhound racing alive at the now bankrupt gambling facility. The bill would extend dog racing to 200 days. The dog racing is set to end on August 8th, running only 125 days. The bill now heads to Governor Donald Carcieri's desk for approval.

“The bill to extend racing days passed the general assembly with strong support. Our legislators saw the obvious choice: protect 225 jobs and millions in revenue, or protect the interests of big banks with no interest in our state. We cannot afford to put more Rhode Islanders on unemployment and the big banks do not need any more financial assistance from our taxpayers,” said Jennifer Bramley, spokesperson for the Rhode Island Greyhound Owners Association.