More than two years ago, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission rejected the proposed $700 million Brockton Casino. Now, the voices asking for the reconsideration of that decision are being heard and the Commission will postpone their new verdict until September.
The reason behind the postponing of the reconsideration is that there is simply too much at stake for the members of the commission at this moment, especially with the pending opening of MGM Springfield on August 24th.
The reconsideration of Brockton's fate comes after Mass Gaming & Entertainment filed in a petition in June. Also, Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe has proposed another casino in Taunton, and that is also being held up by legislative issues...
...And the current law states that the maximum of three casinos can operate in the state, one of them being in the southeastern region, and the other two in Boston and Springfield.
The petition says, in part, that "reconsideration of MG&E's application is not just the right thing to do for the Southeast region of the Commonwealth, it also is the legal thing to do."
Mass Gaming Commission recognizes the arguments proposed by the petitioners, but also warns that there is a process that would first need to be established before actually reconsidering the casino...
...General Counsel, Catherine Blue, says that “various issues need to be addressed,” such as the gambling market in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic area, including revenue receipts and projections.
The rate of unemployment in each of Massachusett's regions must also be reviewed as well as availability of workers with casino skills.
Stephen Crosby, Commission Chairman, says that “with MGM Springfield opening, sports betting legalization and Encore Boston Harbor under construction, we've got our hands full.”
Source:
“Mass. Gaming Commission holds off on reconsidering Brockton casino”, Goonan Peter, masslive.com, July 26, 2018.