State gives green light to Springfield casino plans
After years of Beacon Hill debate over casinos and a lengthy regulatory process, Massachusetts has its first resort casino licensee after the state gaming commission gave its blessing to MGM International’s plan for downtown Springfield.
The panel Friday unanimously approved MGM, which plans to build and operate a casino on a 14.5-acre parcel in the Western Massachusetts city. MGM estimates the project will bring 3,000 permanent jobs and 2,000 construction jobs to Springfield.
But the license award is contingent on resolution of a possible ballot question in November under an agreement that allows licensing and related fees to be postponed in case the state’s highest court decides the repeal question meets constitutional requirements to be placed on the ballot, allowing voters the opportunity to overturn the 2011 law that allowed casino gambling.
MGM’s plans call for a 25-story, 250-room hotel with a spa, pool and roof deck, 125,000 square feet of gaming space with 3,000 slot machines, 75 gaming tables, a poker room and high-limit VIP gambling area, 55,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space and a multi-level parking garage.
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