MGM Springfield won’t hurt state lottery
The state treasurer said that the casino that will open its doors on Friday will not harm the Massachusetts Lottery.
US.- State Treasurer Deborah B. Goldberg explained that the new MGM casino opening Friday in Springfield will not harm the Massachusetts Lottery, despite the fact that she’s cautious and that there’s still time to evaluate the impact.
The lottery has placed casinos as a threat for a long time, as they thought that they could cannibalise 10 per cent of the business that brings money to local towns and cities. However, a provision in the state’s regulations requires casinos to provide space for lottery sales, and the state has been enjoying healthy returns from the Plainridge Park Casino.
“It will not harm the Lottery in any way,” Goldberg told the Herald. “I’m cautiously optimistic. But I never count any money until it’s in,” she said. Plainridge gas generated US$2.4 million in sales in 2016 and US$3.6 million in 2017. A recent study also showed that ever since the casino opened in 2015, lottery sales increased 25 per cent, and concluded that the extra competition from the casino does not affect lottery performance. While it is still unclear if MGM’s casinos will affect lottery sales, the state Gaming Commission will study the effect, as it did with Plainridge.
Mark Hawke, mayor of Gardner and the president of the Massachusetts Municipal Association, said: “We are always mindful that the casino revenue, that online gambling, could cut into the Lottery money. We’re always reminding the Legislature they need to keep cities and towns in mind. We rely greatly on this revenue.”
Massachusetts brand new hotel and casino, MGM Springfield, is scheduled to open its doors to the public this Friday, August 24th. The casino space is located on one floor and features more than 2,500 slot machines and the state’s first gaming tables, including Roulette, Blackjack and poker rooms.
