TIVERTON — From the outside, one might not realize that the newly built Tiverton Casino Hotel houses more than 1,000 slot machines, 32 table games, five eateries and an 84-room hotel. A preview event Thursday morning opened the facility to guests for the first time ahead of Saturday’s official opening. Attended by state and local politicians, Twin River officials and others, it began with a ribbon-cutting and continued with a first look inside the casino in an up-and-running state. A number of dignitaries were in attendance to celebrate the ribbon-cutting ceremony, including John Taylor Jr., the executive chairman of Twin River Worldwide Holdings; Speaker of the Rhode Island House Nicholas Mattiello; Senate President Dominic Ruggerio; Tiverton Town Council Vice President John Edwards IV; AFL-CIO President George Nee; Secretary of Commerce Stefan Pryor on behalf of Gov. Gina Raimondo; and Fall River Mayor Jasiel Correia II. The ceremony kicked off with an introduction from Joe Moore: “I was the general manager at Newport Grand Casino until 11 o’clock on Tuesday night. I now serve in the same capacity at the soon-to-be-open, beautiful, new Tiverton Casino Hotel.” “And we welcome you!” someone shouted from the crowd amid applause. The cheers continued as Taylor took the stage. He thanked the casino supporters along with all of the residents of Tiverton, and briefly reflected on the tumultuous journey it took to get there. “To think we conducted our first blast on July 7, 2017, and here we are on Aug. 30, 2018, just over one year later, cutting the ribbon on an 85,000-square-foot casino and an 84-room hotel is truly remarkable,” Taylor said. ″$140 million injected in the local economy,” Pryor said as he counted off the impressive qualities of the new facility and its impact on the state. “The employment results are terrific.” Mattiello spoke of employment also, praising the casino for generating “300 union jobs ..., preserving our state revenues, 400 permanent jobs, and a great destination for our Rhode Island citizens to enjoy and recreate at.” Ruggerio looked ahead: “Hopefully down the line we can do internet gaming at the facilities that are in existence now, and I think that’ll bring in a lot of revenue for the state so we can use that money for educational purposes, road repairs and things of that nature,” he said. Edwards and Nee also shared encouraging words, thanked Taylor and commended the laborers who completed the project. When the doors opened and those in attendance were allowed to enter, the facility was ready for action. Two men at one of the roulette tables, Chris Perry and Ronnie Dewillis, disclosed it was their first day working and training in the new casino. Perry was one of the 141 Newport Grand employees who transitioned to the new facility and Dewillis previously worked at Foxwoods in Connecticut. They agreed this casino had something special to offer. “You can tell it was actually built to be a casino,” Dewillis said. Tiverton Casino Hotel is tucked away off a branch of the new roundabout on Route 81 at Stafford Road and William S. Canning Boulevard, located only 400 feet from the border of Fall River, Massachusetts. Gambling isn’t the only way to indulge in the casino’s entertainment. An upscale Italian restaurant is situated on the right side, offering traditional fare for lunch and dinner in the Trattoria Romana, and a separate Tuscan Chop House offers steak and seafood, reserved for more intimate dinners. Those seeking a quick bite between games can choose to go to Dunkin’ Donuts, Jacky’s Galaxie, Mooyah or Pie Five Pizza Co. Filling your glass won’t be an issue, with servers delivering drinks to the floor, multiple bars to walk up to, and a self-serve iPour wall in the Center Bar. “We feature four reds, four whites and 16 craft beers. You have the ability to come up and be the bartender yourself,” said Mackenzie Monteiro, beverage manager at the casino. The iPour wall works with a patron’s player’s card; you choose a glass, tap your card against your choice of beer or wine which activates the tap, and then you can pour your own drink. The system measures how many ounces you pour. “It’s great because you don’t waste your money. Everything’s priced per ounce so you know exactly what you’re getting into,” Monteiro said. “If you only want a taste of something, like you’re unsure, you can pour yourself just a couple of ounces. If you want a full beer, you just fill it up.” Not only is it the only self-serving bar in Rhode Island, but it also offers exclusive craft beers like AmeriCannon that can’t be found elsewhere in the state, she said. The purpose is to offer something unique, and the selection changes seasonally. The grand opening will take place on Saturday at 10 a.m., and it’s expected to start off with a bang. Live music and DJs will grace the Center Bar stage on Friday, Saturday and Sunday night for Labor Day weekend, and each Friday and Saturday moving forward.<doc-sep>TIVERTON, R.I. (WPRI) — The Tiverton Casino Hotel is one step closer to opening to the public. State leaders and Twin River officials broke ground at the site off William S. Canning Boulevard and Stafford Road in June 2017 and on Thursday, they cut a ceremonial ribbon outside the 85,000 square-foot casino and 84-room hotel. The new facility will take over the gambling license held for decades by Newport Grand, which shut down for good Wednesday night . It features more than 1,000 slot machines and 32 table games. Senate President Dominick Ruggerio said Thursday he looks forward to eventually adding legalized sports betting at the new casino, as well as Twin River’s main facility in Lincoln. “I think it’s a great opportunity for the state of Rhode Island,” he said. “Hopefully down the line, we can do internet gaming at the two facilities that are in existence now, and I think that’ll bring in a lot of revenue for the state, so they can use that revenue for educational purposes, road repairs, and things of that nature.” Guests and other dignitaries including House Speaker Nicholas Mattiello, Commerce Secretary Stefan Pryor and Twin River board chairman John Taylor Jr. toured the new casino after the ribbon-cutting. Officials said they made it a point to give the casino a subtle exterior, with no flashing neon signs. A grand opening for the Tiverton Casino Hotel will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday.<doc-sep>As of Sept. 1, Rhode Island will officially have two full-scale casinos, operating table games like poker and blackjack. Twin River Casino held a ribbon cutting Thursday for its new location in Tiverton, and gambling opens to the public on Saturday. Unwrapping The New Facility The ribbon cutting marks the completion of a 85,000-square-foot casino near Rhode Island’s border with Fall River. The opening brings an end to a year-long push to get a second full casino in Rhode Island. Newport residents rejected a proposal to put games like roulette and poker in Newport Grand. After buying Newport Grand, Twin River management proposed transferring the gaming license to a new facility in Tiverton, which was approved in 2016. A spokeswoman for Twin River said 550 people have been hired to run the new casino, 141 from Newport Grand, which closed earlier this week. The Tiverton facility will face competition from MGM, which opened a resort casino in Springfield last week. Programs Attempt To Curtail Problem Gambling<doc-sep>While gamblers were trying their luck at the grand opening, a union representing security officers picketed just off the grounds. TIVERTON — Cliff Raistrick waited in line with a few friends, eager to get a glimpse inside the new Twin River-Tiverton casino. When the doors opened, the Newport resident knew just where he was headed. “I’m going to hit the roulette, play the odds,” he said. After a soft opening Wednesday and a ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday, the “convenience” casino, which holds 1,000 slot machines and 32 tables games, officially opened to the public at 10 o’clock on Saturday morning. Hundreds of people lined the front sidewalk of the casino that rests on 21 acres of property along the Massachusetts border, and when the doors opened, they let out a cheer. “I loved that moment when we opened the doors, and the staff was all here, from the president of the company on down,” said Patti Doyle, a spokesperson for Twin River Management Group. “There was obviously a certain sense of excitement and anticipation, and it’s nice that the day is finally here.” Doyle said there were no "set projections or expectations" for opening day. "We just want to make sure that each and every guest who walks through these doors has a positive experience. The crew here, it’s all hands on deck ready to receive guests all day and all night long," she added. Tiverton voters approved a casino in November 2016, and the $140 million project broke ground about 13 months ago. Twin River transferred the gaming license from Newport Grand, a slots parlor, to the new facility in Tiverton, located less than a half mile from Route 24. Included on the grounds is a three-story, 84-room hotel, but it will be about seven to 10 days, Doyle said, before the casino begins taking reservations. “That was by design," Doyle said. "The rooms are ready, but we just wanted to ease into this whole process." David Dupont was a frequent visitor to Newport Grand, but he’ll have a much shorter trip to Twin River-Tiverton from his home in New Bedford, Massachusetts. Standing in the parking garage awaiting the arrival of his brother, Dupont said his only interest is the slot machines. “I don’t play the card games,” he said. Because he was a rewards member at Newport Grand, Dupont was invited to the soft opening on Wednesday. He said he’s been to a number of casinos in the region, and this one stacks up. “We walked around and checked it out, and I liked it,” Dupont said. “I was impressed with everything. They did a good job.” Slot machines were a popular choice early Saturday morning, but about an hour after the doors opened, the table games began to fill up. As promised, Raistrick was stationed by the roulette table. He was boisterous as the ball spun around and fell into a winning number. “Let’s keep this fire going!” he yelled out while standing behind a large pile of chips. About 45 minutes later, he was ready to cash out. “I came here with $30 and I’m up $360,” he said. “I’m done.” Opening day wasn’t fun and games for everyone. Just off the casino grounds, on the rotary at the intersection of William S. Canning Boulevard and Stafford Road, about a dozen picketers stood holding signs. They represented the Casino Security Officers Association of Rhode Island Local No. 1. The group, whose members had been security officers at Newport Grand, formed a union on March 10 and has been in negotiations with Twin River for an initial contract. The union is looking for better pay and working conditions, spokesman Ralph Ezoviski said. Negotiations stalled when it came to the classification of five security officers. Twin River referred to them as “captains,” or management, and the union disagreed. Ezoviski said the casino offered to give the five employees jobs at its Lincoln location, but the union declined that offer. The union met on Wednesday night and announced it would picket during the opening. The next day, Ezoviski said, the five employees, including the president and secretary of the union, were fired. “That’s why we’re here today,” Ezoviski said. The picketing was strictly informational, Ezoviski said, and the security officers have no intention to strike. He said the union just wants to find common ground with the casino. “I told them, pick a time, pick a location and we’ll negotiate,” he said. Doyle said she was aware members of the union would be protesting, but offered no further comment. sbarrett@newportri.com<doc-sep>
After Wednesday’s soft opening and a ribbon-cutting ceremony the following day, on Saturday morning the new Tiverton Casino Hotel opened less than a mile from the Massachusetts border near Fall River. According to the Providence Journal, hundreds lined the sidewalk in the front of the facility as they waited to enter the new “convenience” casino, which officially opened to the public at 10am on Saturday. Amenities and expectations: The property which is situated on 21 acres includes an 84-room hotel, food, beverage, and entertainment outlets, fitness center, meeting space and a 38,000 square foot casino with 32 gaming tables and some 1,000 slot machines. Patti Doyle, a spokeswoman for Rhode Island-based Twin River Management Group, which in addition to the Tiverton casino, owns and operates the Twin River Casino in Lincoln, RI, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Biloxi, MS and Arapahoe Park in Aurora, CO, said… “I loved that moment when we opened the doors, and the staff was all here, from the president of the company on down. There was obviously a certain sense of excitement and anticipation, and it’s nice that the day is finally here.” Doyle explained that the company had no “set projections or expectations” for opening day. “We just want to make sure that each and every guest who walks through these doors has a positive experience. The crew here, it’s all-hands-on-deck ready to receive guests all day and all night long,” she said. Approvals process: Twin River Management had its plan for the new Tiverton Casino Hotel approved via a statewide referendum in November 2016, and some five months later the Tiverton Town Council unanimously approved zoning regulations for its construction. A wholly-owned subsidiary of Twin River Worldwide Holdings, Inc., the company broke ground on the $140 million project a little over a year ago, having transferred the gaming license from the Newport Grand Casino (pictured left) to the new venue in Tiverton. Twin River Management Group announced it would be closing the slots casino [Newport Grand Casino] on August 7. While an October 1 target date for the casino opening was given previously, at the end of May the management company’s chairman, John E. Taylor Jr., reportedly announced that due to unexpected progress made by construction crews during the winter months, the Tiverton casino would open sooner than expected. Projected tax revenue: The Newport County town of Tiverton believes that it will see a minimum of $3 million collected annually in gambling revenue and an additional $1 million in taxes.