Massachusetts Gaming Commission

The mayor of Springfield Massachusetts has announced a delay in negotiations over building a resort casino downtown. The city will take more time to review written proposals from two casino operators competing for the city’s support. 

Eleven applications were filed for gaming licenses in Massachusetts by Tuesday night’s deadline.

   In announcing the applicants, Massachusetts Gaming Commission Chairman Steve Crosby said the state is assured of robust competition to maximize  job creation and tax revenue.

Two high powered casino operators competing to develop projects in Springfield submitted detailed proposals to the city and filed initial applications for a casino license to the Massachusetts Gaming Commission.  WAMC’s Pioneer Valley Bureau Chief Paul Tuthill reports.

The Massachusetts Gaming Commission has begun several days of meetings  to address dozens of policy questions.   It’s a prelude to the commissioners writing the final regulations to fully implement the year old gambling law and license resort casinos.   WAMC”s Pioneer Valley Bureau Chief Paul Tuthill reports.

       The gaming commissioners, meeting in Boston, voted unanimously Tuesday to set a policy that bans a community from holding a referendum on a casino project until it has been determined the developer is suitable to hold a gaming license in Massachusetts. 

Nevada based gaming company Ameristar has unveiled renderings and announced details about the resort casino it hopes to build in Springfield Massachusetts.  It is one of three companies competing for casino development rights in Springfield.   WAMC”s Pioneer Valley Bureau Chief Paul Tuthill reports.

Three experienced casino operators stepped forward ahead of a Thursday night deadline and will compete in Springfield for the chance to  build a casino in western Massachusetts.  Each is proposing a development project totaling almost $1 billion.   WAMC’s Pioneer Valley Bureau Chief Paul Tuthill reports

A report to the Massachusetts Gaming Commission estimates the state will need to establish a labor pool of 30,000 candidates to fill approximately 10,000 jobs in the new casino industry. Commissioners  will need to establish a plan for workforce development to go along with a master schedule that projects the awarding of casino licenses in the winter of 2014.   WAMC’s  Pioneer Valley Bureau Chief Paul Tuthill reports

The Massachusetts Gaming Commission Tuesday set the end of February 2014 as the outside date for awarding the first casino license in the state.    WAMC”s Pioneer Valley Bureau Chief  Paul Tuthill reports..

   The state’s gaming industry regulators discussed a master schedule which commission chairman Stephen Crosby described as prudent.

The background checks on the casino license applicants is the most time consuming part of the schedule, pegged to take a minimum of six months. The draft master schedule calls for the investigations to begin in January.

Officials in Springfield Massachusetts have agreed to changes in a casino selection competition to address concerns about the timetable that were  raised last week by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission. It will likely push back until next summer a voter referendum on a casino in Springfield..  WAMC’s  Pioneer Valley Bureau Chief Paul Tuthill reports.

The Massachusetts Gaming Commission clashed with Springfield city officials Tuesday over the city’s proposed casino selection competition.  The state and local timetables that would lead to the launch of a resort casino development in western Massachusetts remain at odds.   WAMC”s Pioneer Valley Bureau Chief Paul Tuthill reports.

The five member Massachusetts Gaming Commission held a  forum Wednesday in western Massachusetts. It’s the area of the state where competition for a lucrative casino license appears to be most keen..  WAMC’s Pioneer Valley Bureau Chief Paul Tuthill reports.

The chairman of the powerful gaming commission, Stephen Crosby said the apparent level of interest in western Massachusetts by major casino operators is proof the state’s new casino law is working as intended.

The five member Massachusetts Gaming Commission held its first public meeting Tuesday as it set about to bring casino gambling to the state.   WAMC’s Pioneer Valley Bureau Chief Paul Tuthill reports.

     Declaring  the decades long debate over whether to bring casinos to Massachusetts is over, Stephen Crosby, the chairman of the powerful gaming commission, said he and the other four appointees were ready to get to work to implement the public policy in the best way they can.  He pledged that much of that work would take place in full public view.

The five member Massachusetts Gaming Commission is now in place. The commissioners will draft regulations to establish a new casino gambling industry in Massachusetts and award the much coveted licenses for resort casinos.  One member of the new commission is from western Massachusetts. Bruce Stebbins is a Springfield resident, a former member of the city council, and a small business development specialist.    He spoke recently with WAMC’s Pioneer Valley Bureau Chief Paul Tuthill.