Massachusetts Gaming Commission Chairman Steve Crosby told journalist Carinigiri in an interview with New England Public Radio (NEPR) that construction of MGM Springfield is on schedule and will be the first integrated casino resort to open in Massachusetts. Mr Crosby explained that the gambling regulator is strictly overseeing the construction process, and that allowing direct contact with the workers responsible for the building is completing the first work on bad weather.
When the casino project is completed, the multi-million dollar complex is expected to create at least 3,000 permanent jobs. Asked about the workers MGM is expected to hire for construction projects, Mr Crosby explained that the idea was to give jobs to people who really need them, such as those with criminal records. He added that both the House and Senate will pass amendments to the state legal framework for those in sensitive positions sometime next month.
Mr Crosby dismissed MGM announcements of establishing gambling facilities in Bridgeport and concerns that these gambling houses will change their annual tax revenues in East Windsor, close to Springfield, pointing out that casino construction in Bridgeport will not materialize anytime soon and has nothing to worry about.
At the end of the interview, Mr. Crosby explained that gambling regulators are working with the Department of Public Health to establish an appropriate voluntary self-exclusion system to protect players' interests, which is expected to take place before the casino opens in 2018.
Reason for MGM Springfield Resort Delay
The main reason for the one-year delay was the reconstruction of the Highway 91 elevated bridge close to the MGM resort location, which prevented construction companies from proceeding as scheduled, and the gambler asked to postpone the opening of the MGM Springfield Grand until September next year.