Parcel Map For Proposed Slots Parlor in Tewksbury

Tewksbury could be the future site of the state's sole slots parlor, as Penn National Gaming has proposed a $200 million project on a 30 acre site at 300 Ames Pond Drive.

Located near the Interstate 495/Route 133 interchange, the plot of land proposed for development of a slots parlor is circled in yellow in the photo above. 

Residents have already started to speak up in favor of and against the proposed slots parlor in Tewksbury, bringing up concerns such as property value, proximity to schools, increases in tax revenue and more employment opportunities in town. 

Many residents have expressed concern that the proposed site for the slots parlor is too close to Dewing Elementary School, located at 1469 Andover Street.

Dewing is located 1.3 miles away from the proposed site for the slots parlor, according to Google Maps.

The slots parlor would come along with a hotel and restaurants, and as many as 1,250 slot machines, according to a report from the Boston Globe.

There is allowance for one slots parlor in Massachusetts, and Tewksbury will be competing with at least four other proposed sites - Leominster, Millbury, Raynham and Plainfield, according to a report from the Lowell Sun.  

Applications for the parlor are due to the Massachusetts Gaming Commission by Oct. 4, and Tewksbury residents would vote in a town wide referendum before then to approve the parlor, according to the Sun.

In a press release from Penn National Gaming, Tewksbury Town Manager Richard Montuori said Penn has a long history of building strong partnerships with the communities they do business in.

“Penn National Gaming is one of the nation’s largest regional casino operators and has an established record of building strong community partnerships and delivering on their commitments,” Montuori said. “We are excited about their interest in Tewksbury.”

Board of Selectmen Chairman Scott Wilson said the town will fully explore the opportunity at such substantial economic development.

“The economic benefits to Tewksbury from a project of this size and scale would be substantial,” Wilson said. “This is an important economic development opportunity that we need to fully explore.”

In an interview with Tewksbury Patch, Selectman Douglas Sears said a slots parlor would bring the financial infusion to the town that the Mills Mall project was intended to bring. 

"It is an an industrial area convenient to highways," Sears said. "Penn will manage this well as its investment is huge."