Patrick, a Democrat, is marketing new legislation that will build three casinos in and around Boston as a way to generate new revenues and jobs. The governor said Massachusetts residents currently spend $1 billion annually at Connecticut's two casinos, adding that his late mother gambled at casinos, and senior citizens and other adults "have been making their own decisions about what's best for them for a very long while. They do not need the state to tell them how they should or shouldn't spend their entertainment dollars," Patrick said.

The governor said his proposal will generate $400 million dollars in annual tax revenue and 20,000 new jobs in the state.

Packed room

Supporters of the governor's plan packed the Gardner Auditorium, wearing red T-shirts emblazoned with pro-casino messages. The room was so crowded that billionaire investor Sheldon Adelson, the CEO of Las Vegas Sands (NYSE:LVS) , who wants to build a casino in the Marlborough area, was unable, initially, to find a seat. Adelson later testified at the hearing, as did Gary Loveman, chief executive of Harrah's Entertainment. (NYSE:HET)
Not everyone, however, is totally enthusiastic about the proposed expansion.  Sen. Mark Montigny, a New Bedford Democrat and co-chairman of the legislative panel that held the hearing, described himself as a "skeptic" of casino gambling. He called for an independent analysis of Patrick's revenue estimates.

"We are doing that right now and I welcome that," Patrick said.

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