Business & Tech

Casino Approved In Massachusetts

MGM Grand International has won a key vote in Springfield for its proposed $800 million gaming center.

By Eileen McNamara

Connecticut officials take note, new casino development in Massachusetts has came one step closer Tuesday as voters in Springfield endorsed a casino plan for that city. 

The $800 million proposal by MGM Resorts International will now go to the Massachusetts Gaming Commission for its review and vote, according to The Republican of Massachusetts. 

Casino development in neighboring Massachusetts would directly compete with Connecticut's two casinos run by the state's Native American tribes. Under an agreement with the state, the tribes give Connecticut 25 percent of the slot revenues at the casinos, money that is then redistributed to cities and towns. That revenue has become a major part of most communities' annual budgets.    

The MGM casino is one of three being proposed in Massachusetts. The operators of the Mohegan Sun Casino in Montville are proposing a casino in Palmer, Mass., and the group Hard Rock International wants to develop a casino in West Springfield, the Republic reports. 


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