Constantino Touts Lincoln-Benefiting Legislation

Rep. Gregory J. Costantino (D-Dist. 44, Lincoln, Smithfield, Johnston) announced that initiatives that will help the town of Lincoln have been included in the state budget that the House Finance committee approved Thursday night.

One item would increase the fee that Lincoln and Tiverton receive as host communities for sports wagering. That flat fee was doubled from $100,000 to $200,000 per community.

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“The host communities incur a lot of expense from these casinos,” said Costantino in a news release. “It’s only fair that Lincoln and Tiverton be fairly compensated to offset those expenses. I’m gratified to see that this budget provides that compensation to Lincoln.”

The budget also includes a guarantee that Lincoln and Tiverton receive at least $3 million annually for hosting the Twin River casinos, regardless of whether the gaming facility is operational for any part of the year. If there are any closures moving forward, the minimum stipend would be prorated per day of such closure for that state fiscal year, the news release said.

The budget as approved by the House Finance Committee is expected to be considered by the House of Representatives next week.