Casino Games Begin At Twin River

Starting today, Twin River Casino will begin offering blackjack, roulette and craps in attempt to get a head start on Massachusetts. 65 new tables featuring Las Vegas-style games will be unveiled during a ribbon cutting ceremony at the Lincoln, RI casino.

Supporters of the new tables have said that the games will rival the casinos in Massachusetts that have been authorized but not yet built.

Twin River renovated an area for the new tables, hired 400 new employees and held two "soft-opening" trial runs in which several hundred players participated. While most of Twin River will remain dedicated to slots, the space set aside for tables blends easily into the gambling facility.

"We want to deliver a great customer-player experience that people want to come back to," said Twin River chairman John Taylor. "That's what's going to differentiate us. We have the location, we have the product."

Much like Twin River, the Newport Grand slot parlor sought to incorporate table games but were shut down by local voters. Supporters feel as though the additions to the casinos would prevent the decline of revenue once Massachusetts builds a casino.

Twin River and Newport Grand contribute about $300 million a year to state coffers.