Mass. House, Senate leaders agree to compromise on casino bill; Gov. Patrick threatens veto

Mass. legislative leaders OK deal on casino bill

BOSTON — House and Senate leaders have agreed on a bill to legalize casino gambling in Massachusetts — drawing immediate criticism from Gov. Deval Patrick who threatened to veto the bill.

The bill would authorize three casinos and two slot machine parlors, the latter of which would be competitively bid upon by the state’s four racetrack owners.

Moments after the bill was announced Friday, Patrick issued a statement saying he was disappointed that it contained more than one slot parlor and that bidding was limited to the four racetracks.

Patrick said he could not support the bill in its current form.

Lawmakers must approve the bill before formal sessions at midnight Saturday.

The agreement comes after months of debate on Beacon Hill and days of shuttle diplomacy between House Speaker Robert DeLeo and Senate President Therese Murray.