EAST BOSTON (CBS) – A few dozen people gathered at East Boston’s Maverick Square on Saturday to try and build support against a resort casino at Suffolk Downs.

Those opponents believe a casino will hurt what they see as a growing and stable community.

WBZ NewsRadio 1030′s Mark Katic reports

The group “No Eastie Casino” knows that their fight won’t be easy.

However, with 167 Hispanic East Boston businesses openly opposing the development, and with many in Maverick Square plastering Casi-No! signs in the store fronts, organizers like Celeste Myers believe they can keep one out of their community.

“We don’t have the money and the paid staff that Suffolk Downs has, but we’ve got the passion and we’ve got the most at stake,” Myers said.

Their focus is a referendum question that could happen anytime between late summer and fall.