Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker, Lt. “For you in labor, you were cementing the spirit of Springfield … you’re building the future of Springfield.” We didn’t just build a beautiful building,” he said. MGM Resorts International CEO Jim Murren declared that his company was “investing in the revival of a great American city. The day before the opening MGM held a press conference attended by various VIPs who commented on the opening. The final acts before opening played out, with Commissioner Bruce Stebbins, of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission reviewing the site before granting a certificate of operations.
The gaming floor sits amidst restaurants, bars, retail shopping, a ten-lane bowling alley, eight screen movie theater, event center and 250-room hotel, all on a 14.5 acre footprint. It has 2,550 slot machines, 120 gaming tables and 23 poker tables. It was the first true casino to open since the legislature passed the Expanded Gaming Act of 2011. The $960 million MGM Springfield opened in the Bay State’s third largest city on August 24.
