MGM has committed to offering 35 percent of the jobs to Springfield residents and 90 percent to people within the region.Ĭampaign finance records show MGM spent nearly $1 million through the end of last month on the effort to win voter approval, while opponents said they spent only about $1,000 during that time.Ĭritics say a casino would prey on low-income and elderly residents and lead to crime and traffic problems. In addition to the annual revenue for the city, he says, the project would deliver 3,000 permanent jobs and 2,000 temporary construction jobs. Springfield, a working class city of about 150,000, is the state's third-largest.īill Hornbuckle, MGM's president and chief marketing officer, says the casino is a 'once in a lifetime opportunity' for Springfield. Votes on those proposals could be cast in September. Mohegan Sun has proposed a resort casino for the town of Palmer and Hard Rock has a plan for the Eastern States Exhibition in the city of West Springfield. The proposal could be in competition with two others for the western Massachusetts license. MGM promised in the agreement with Mayor Domenic Sarno to pay Springfield more than $25 million a year if the casino gets built.
