The second Hunger Games movie may be tearing up box office sales these days, but the way things are going in Massachusetts now, you can make a case that the twists and turns going on there are straight out of a best-selling novel.
Here’s the plot: Casino A had a deal with Location A and B to build a casino. Location A approved the deal but Location B declined. So Casino A decided to do business exclusively with Location A, despite an agreement that any modifications to the agreement needed Location B’s thumbs up. Meanwhile, Casino B struck its own deal with Location C, but during the vote, Casino B’s hope to build a casino in Location C was derailed by such a slim margin that Casino B asked for a recount. It eventually got it, but the results stayed the same. So with Casino A and Casino B stuck in their respective predicaments, the two decided to team up at the last minute to build a casino in Location A.
Casino A is Suffolk Downs. Casino B is Mohegan Sun. Is your head spinning yet?
The surprising turn of events occurred after Mohegan Sun’s recount bid fell flat on its face. With nowhere to go yet still seemingly interested in building a casino in Massachusetts, Mohegan Sun struck a deal with a fellow scorned casino company to build a casino in one of the few cities that welcomed a gambling establishment within its borders. The deal also works pretty well for Suffolk Downs after it dropped former partner Caesars Entertainment from its gambling venture.
Officials for both companies settled the terms after intense negotiations, not surprising considering the effects of what the partnership could bring to the city of Revere and, to a lesser extent, the entire casino race in the state. It also gives both Suffolk Downs and Mohegan Sun a second chance to secure a casino license in Massachusetts after their initial bids ended up getting rejected by the cities they were courting.
The intricacies of the deal have yet to be announced, but barring any unforeseen setbacks – not exactly academic considering everything that’s gone these past few months – the Suffolk Downs-Mohegan Sun partnership is expected to formalized and signed at the soonest possible notice. Once the agreement is in place, Suffolk Downs won’t have to sweat out the December 31 deadline state regulators gave it to find a suitable partner to replace Caesars. Having Mohegan Sun on board also shortcuts what would’ve been another tedious round of background checks a new company without any previous dealings in the state would’ve had to go through.
In the end, Suffolk Downs and Mohegan Sun both refused to give up in their mission to win a casino license in Massachusetts. They weren’t able to do it on their own merits, so both took the step to try again, this time in each other’s loving arms.
