Tagged: casino

Of the four companies competing for the lone casino license available in western Massachusetts, one has stood out when it comes to marketing.  MGM Resorts International, which hopes to build a casino in downtown Springfield, has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on advertising.

The city of Springfield is seeking an exception to Proposition 2 ½ , the Massachusetts property tax cap law, when it comes to casinos.

   An $800 million resort casino could mean tens of millions of dollars annually in additional property taxes for Springfield.  But Mayor Domenic Sarno said the city will not get the full financial benefits from a casino development unless a change is made to Prop 2 ½.

The lure of thousands of jobs in the fledgling Massachusetts gaming industry is powerful in the greater Springfield area, where unemployment remains high.  One of the companies competing for the lone casino license available in western Massachusetts is holding a career fair to show off the types of jobs being promised. 

ALBANY – As the issue of legalizing casino gaming in New York heads toward reality, Governor Cuomo and the legislature are at odds over the number of facilities to be allowed.

The governor wants to start with three upstate, without naming locations.

The legislature would like seven approved.  Senator John Bonacic (R- Mount Hope), chairman of the Senate Gaming and Wagering Committee, would like the locations identified.

The two companies competing to build a resort casino in Springfield Massachusetts have affirmed local hiring goals.

   Penn National Gaming says  its goal is to hire 90 percent of its workforce from the city of Springfield.  MGM Resorts said 35  percent of its employees would be city residents, and 90 percent would live in the Greater Springfield area.  William Ward, held of the Hampden Regional Employment Board said the agency will work with whichever company gets the casino license