Despite a resolution from the Lawrence City Council outlining the risks and urging them to reconsider, Salem, just over the state line in New Hampshire, is going ahead with plans to build a casino. 

The Salem Planning Board voted 5-2 at a meeting held Nov. 26 to approve a developer’s proposal for a “charitable gaming” establishment at the site of an old Lord & Taylor store at The Mall at Rockingham Park. It would have 1,340 gaming positions, restaurants, and event space. (Betting on casino-style games in New Hampshire is illegal, but charitable betting on games of chance, like poker, blackjack, and roulette, is not.)

Lawrence City Councillors are concerned that it will target “financially desperate” residents of Lawrence, the poorest city in the state. 

“People who are struggling financially, or with gambling, which is an addiction, that’s the clientele any casino targets,” said Stephany Infante, vice president of the Lawrence City Council. “In Lawrence, we’re trying to tackle financial struggle, mental health issues, addiction, et cetera, and this is just going to add another component to those challenges.” 

The Council sent a resolution to the Planning Board that described Lawrence residents as “a primary target.” It said that having a local casino — “a 10 to 15 minute car ride from the homes of nearly all Lawrence residents” — would help criminal operations such as fentanyl trafficking and human sex trafficking thrive because of the opportunities it presents for money laundering, and emphasized the danger of gambling addiction. 

In addition to being the lowest-income city in the state, according to the resolution, “Lawrence is one of the poorest cities in the United States.” The median household income is $54,000 and one in five residents live below the poverty line. 

Community members voiced concerns at the meeting Nov. 26. Less Purnell, who lives at 257 Mount Vernon St. in Lawrence, “noted the City Council of Lawrence, Massachusetts asked not to support this project,” according to Planning Board meeting minutes. “It was voted unanimously.” 

But others were in support, like Richard D’Agostino, of Salem, who “does not think they are building this to target people from Lawrence or Methuen,” and said the “criticism is misguided.” 

After community comments and discussion of logistics related to the project, vice chair Sean Lewis made a motion to approve the site plan with a series of conditions and revisions that passed 5 to 2. 

The Planning Board considered “dozens of written statements and hours of public comment over the course of three meetings,” said Jacob LaFontaine, Salem’s planning director. 

“Prior to acting on the plan, the Board heard a great deal of public testimony, both in support and in opposition of the proposal, and received comment from various town departments…as well as reviews from third party traffic and design consultants,” he wrote in a statement to Boston.com in response to questions about whether Lawrence’s resolution had been considered in the decision. 

The casino developers, one of whom is one of the largest developers in Massachusetts, Lupoli Companies, said the $160 million Live! Casino Salem project would include more than 900 historical horse racing machines, which were legalized in 2021 and work like slot machines, as well as over 40 tables, according to a document shared with Salem town officials. 

“Hardcore commercialized gambling like electronic gambling machines, the kind of gambling proposed for the Mall, is recognized as an addiction on the same level as heroin, cocaine, and opioids in the American Psychiatric Association’s DSM V,” the Lawrence City Council wrote in its resolution. 

With two 60,000 square foot floors, the facility will include event space, a sports lounge, golf simulators, and restaurants, in addition to the casino itself. 

The developers said the project is estimated to generate $128 million in annual economic stimulus to the region, “supporting job growth, driving tourism, and providing opportunities for local, minority, women, and veteran-owned businesses.” 1,800 direct and indirect job opportunities will be created during construction, and over 700 permanent jobs will be part of ongoing operations at Live! Casino Salem. But, as Infante pointed out, “there’s no guarantee that they’re going to employ Lawrence residents.”

Beyond concerns over addiction and economic struggles, she’s also concerned about how the casino will impact public safety. Currently, the closest casino to Lawrence is Encore, in Everett, and most people take Ubers and Lyfts to get there, Infante said. 

“With one that’s 10, 15 minutes away, that’s going to be a different story because people will feel more comfortable driving there,” Infante said. “People are gambling and drinking, and then they’re going to be coming back to Lawrence on 93. In the last two months or so, we’ve had two major car accidents.” 

But since the Planning Board has already voted, there’s not much that can be done, Infante said. 

“I feel disappointed. It’s a slap in the face,” she said. “We voted unanimously against the casino because we all know the impact that this could have on our community.”

The casino is expected to be developed in phases, with the first phase to open in 2025.