SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (AP) — One million visitors checked out Massachusetts' first resort casino in its first six weeks of operation, MGM Springfield officials reported Thursday.
The company reported the attendance figures and other early results for the casino that opened Aug. 24 near the Connecticut state line to state gambling regulators reviewing the facility's initial days of operations.
MGM Springfield President Michael Mathis also told the state Gaming Commission that the casino, hotel, entertainment and shopping complex generated more than $36 million in gambling revenues in those early weeks, translating to about $9 million in tax revenues for the state, which collects 25 percent of its gambling revenues.
The casino is averaging more than 15,000 visitors per day, which is roughly on par with expectations, MGM spokesman Saverio Mancini said after the meeting.
Regulators had previously disclosed the casino generated $21 million from gambling in November, a slight dip from October's $22 million and September's $27 million.
Commission officials said Thursday their review found no major issues at the casino's outdoor plaza, even though alcohol is permitted there. But they said the casino recently banned families from crossing through the gambling floor because it had become too difficult to enforce underage gambling rules.
In other matters, the commission said it will discuss the possibility of licensing another casino in the southeastern part of the state near Rhode Island after the New Year.
Rush Street Gaming had asked the panel to reconsider its 2016 decision not to award the Chicago-based company a gambling license for a proposed casino on the Brockton Fairgrounds.
The company's request comes as the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe's plans for a major resort in nearby Taunton remains mired in litigation. The only other gambling facility in the southeastern region is Plainridge Park, a slots parlor in Plainville. Wynn Resorts is building a casino in the Boston-area slated to open next year.