Worldwide casino business MGM Resorts International is entering the race to operate a resort casino in Massachusetts. The Boston Herald reports the firm has earmarked a site in Brimfield near the Mass. turnpike in the hope of gaining a licence. The latest has many excited of the prospects for casinos in the states and the hate-to-say-I-told-you-so’ers are out in force.
“A lot of people were questioning if Massachusetts would be able to attract the big players in the industry,” said Clyde Barrow, a casino expert from the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth. “If you look at the line-up now…Massachusetts has some of the biggest players in the world.”
MGM will team up with Rolling Hills Estates Realty Trust, with principal David Callahan expected to formally announce MGM as a partner in the plan later today. MGM follows Caesars, Wynn, the owners of Connecticut casino Mohegan Sun, Ameristar and Hard Rock in entering the Massachusetts casino race.
Connecticut’s other major casino operator Foxwoods is opting to stay silent on whether it will join the race. Boston Daily reports repeated requests for a comment from officials at the Ledyard casino have fallen on deaf ears. It does rely on Mass residents for “about twice as much of its business” as the other Connecticut casino run by Mohegan Sun and would lose out to any casinos built in the neighboring state. What’s clear is the neighbor will be losing business when Mass opens up. How much is yet to be determined.