Construction is set to begin on the first major gambling facility in Massachusetts. On Friday, Penn National Gaming held a groundbreaking ceremony for a $225 million slots parlor at the Plainridge harness race track in Plainville.
Plainridge Park Casino is slated to open next spring.
Penn National was awarded the state's only slots parlor license last month by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission.
The facility will be allowed to install up to 1,250 slot machines, but cannot offer table games such as blackjack.
In addition to hundreds of temporary construction jobs, the company says there will be 500 new, permanent jobs at the casino after it opens.
Penn National operates 26 other gambling operations in 16 U.S. states and the province of Ontario.
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