State Rep. Bud L. Williams has filed a bill in the state legislature that calls for increased representation from Western Massachusetts on the Massachusetts Gaming Commission. The action was taken to address concerns regarding the operational performance of the MGM Springfield casino.
The bill, House No. 424, calls for one of the full-time members of the commission to be a resident of either Hampden, Hampshire, Franklin, or Berkshire counties. “This legislation will go a long way to level the playing field, keeping the attention on MGM and holding their feet to the fire,” Williams said at a hearing on his bill last week, as reported by MassLive.
Williams expressed his disappointment in the development of MGM Springfield during the hearing. According to the lawmaker, the casino has failed to meet the expectations outlined in the host community agreement with the city, falling significantly short of its financial goals since its opening in August 2018. He also highlighted issues such as limited restaurant hours, inadequate marketing efforts, and a lack of entertainment options that required intervention from state representatives to address.
Williams, a Democrat representing Springfield, spoke at the Joint Committee’s Economic Development and Emerging Technologies hearing last week Tuesday and said the casino was in need of improvement. The lawmaker said MGM continues to operate far below its financial goals.
The five-member Massachusetts Gaming Commission oversees the three casinos in the state. The last Western Massachusetts resident to sit on the commission was Bruce Stebbins, who left in 2021 and now sits on the Cannabis Control Commission.
The controversy surrounding MGM Springfield’s development coincides with an ongoing discrimination lawsuit filed by former employee Chelan Brown. Brown alleges she was wrongfully terminated after exposing inaccurate reports on the casino’s diversity hiring practices and procurement from minority-owned businesses.
The Massachusetts Gaming Commission is aware of Williams’ proposed legislation, with spokesperson Thomas Mills confirming that the bill will be discussed during the commission’s May 16 meeting. “I would note that the entire MGC, our staff, and each of the five commissioners take seriously their responsibility to represent the interests of the entire Commonwealth,” Mills said, as reported by the above-mentioned media.
As for revenue, while MGM doesn’t break down results by locations, early this month, it reported that net revenues at its regional casinos, including MGM Springfield, totaled $946 million in the most recent quarter. That’s compared with $891 million for the same time period last year, a 6% increase the company attributes to non-gaming revenue growth at places such as hotels and restaurants.
Original article: https://www.yogonet.com/international/news/2023/05/16/67156-proposed-bill-seeks-to-add-western-massachusetts-representative-to-state-39s-gaming-commission
