RI casino owner Bally’s sues Lincoln and Tiverton over property values – The Providence Journal

Ballys, owner of the states two casinos, has sued the towns of Lincoln and Tiverton, claiming their property taxes should be reduced due to the impact of COVID-19.

In separate lawsuits filed in Superior Court, Ballys claims that government mandates significantly limited business operations at both Tiverton Casino & Hotel and at Twin River Lincoln Casino Resort, which were closed for a period of time and then re-opened with reduced hours.

Despite the casinos limited operations in 2020 and the beginning of 2021, Ballys said the towns failed to apply an economic obsolescence factor to the December 2020 assessment. Economic obsolescence is a loss in value due to causes beyond the physical asset.

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Ballys says the Lincoln tax assessor assessed Twin River at $108.4 million in December 2020 the same value as the previous year. Ballys appealed the assessment in October and the town later denied it.

Ballys contends that the assessments of both casinos constitute an illegal tax on the two properties.

In a nearly identical suit against Tiverton, Ballys claims that the assessment of its casino and hotel was assessed at $60.4 million in December 2020. Again, Ballys appealed the assessment and again, the appeal was denied.

In both suits, the company says the December 2020 assessments were greater than the fair market value of the properties.

The Journal has reached out to David Robert, Tivertons tax assessor, and Lincolns assessor, Brenda Keeble.

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Meanwhile, dozens of Ballys Twin River employees, wearing red T-shirts that said Ballys United, gathered in front of Providence City Hall on Tuesday to demand that the company restore pre-pandemic staff levels and hours at the casino. The workers were joined by other Ballys employees, Local 26 leaders (the hospitality and food service workers union) and Providence City Council members Jo-Ann Ryan and Carmen Castillo.

With their union contract expiring on July 1, workers called for the full reopening of the casino and significant wage increases.

Employees claim the casino business has remained profitable despite the pandemic. In 2021, they said, gambling revenues at Twin River rose to nearly 81% of pre-pandemic levels.

But, they said, before the pandemic there were three times as many full-time workers as there are now. Among the 260 workers currently on the schedule, workers said only 64 are employed full time. Because the casino is understaffed, employees said they are exhausted after their shifts, according to a statement from Local 26.

Linda Borg covers education for the Journal.

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RI casino owner Bally's sues Lincoln and Tiverton over property values - The Providence Journal