What were the odds?

What's House Speaker Sal DiMasi up to?

In a hard-to-fathom move, the man identified as single-handedly putting a halt to casino gambling legislation in Massachusetts is now proposing voters get a (non-binding) say on the issue.

The announcement comes as the Senate rejected a Republican ploy to endorse casino gambling as part of its fiscal 2009 budget proposal.

Senate Ways and Means Committee Chairman Steve Panagiotakis proposed a November referendum earlier this year -- at the height of the controversy. DiMasi didn't buy it then, but now he says he would be inclined to let voters offer a preference.

“I remain opposed to casino gambling,” DiMasi said in a statement issued this morning. “But, given the magnitude of what the Senate is considering, I would support as a compromise Senator Panagiotakos’ proposal to put an advisory question on casinos before voters this fall.”

Clearly a head scratcher, since DiMasi won this one hands down. Gov. Deval Patrick, who tossed away a lot of political capital on this fight, has been met with snark when he suggested the issue is not dead.

DiMasi has been battered of late over a series of unseemly looking activities involving friends and legislation. More importantly, those controversies have failed to still jockeying in the House to be his eventual replacement.

Is agreeing to a referendum a quid pro quo to end that back room maneuvering for his crown? It would certainly be interesting to see how House votes against the bill shift in support of placing a question on the ballot.