Monthly Archives: June 2015

New Bedford casino support among larger margins in recent votes across state

The casino support New Bedford voters showed Tuesday, when the $650 million waterfront proposal won approval to move forward with a citywide margin of 73 to 27 percent, was one of the larger margins, by percentage, in casino votes elsewhere in Massachusetts in recent years. Everett voters approved the Wynn Resorts proposal – now licensed and moving forward – with 86 percent support in June 2013, with 32 percent turnout.

MGM to delay Massachusetts casino’s opening by a year

MGM Resorts submitted a revised schedule for its $800-million Springfield casino to Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) on Thursday, delaying its opening date by a year.

Under the new plan, the gambling facility is to be completed in August 2018 and to have its official opening on September 5, 2018. Originally, the property was expected to open doors for visitors in the fall of 2017.

MGM officials explained that the main reason for their move was the delay in the project for the Interstate 91 viaduct’s rehabilitation. According to them, it would make it difficult for the casino operator to follow its initial plan and open its property on time. The reconstruction project would close important lanes and exits in near proximity to the $800-million casino.

“At this point, we want to make sure we open the best way we can,” MGM Springfield President Michael Mathis told the commission. “The industry is littered with many examples of companies that made the wrong decisions for opening. Those are long-lasting decisions that take a long time to recover from. In a very competitive environment, we may lose some of these customers, frankly, forever.”

Essendon becomes the latest AFL club to end ties with gambling companies

Australian football club Essendon has ended its commercial partnerships with betting and wagering companies.

Essendon Chief Executive Xavier Campbell said that the decision was not taken lightly given the highly lucrative nature of deals but added that it was a necessary stand to take against the negative impact of gambling.

The club also acknowledged that the move may cause some short-term financial pain, but says it’s focusing on strengthening relationships with other partners.

“We have a fantastic group of commercial partners and we will be directing our energy to nurturing these existing relationships, as well as establishing new partnerships with like-minded companies,” said Campbell.

Seminole says government violated compact, intends to keep blackjack

The Seminole Tribe plays hardball with Florida legislators over the gambling compact that would give the tribe exclusivity in gambling operations in the state.

The Seminole Tribe of Florida Chairman James Billie informed Gov. Rick Scott in letter with a subject “notice of commencement of compact dispute resolution procedures” that the tribe would keep on offering blackjack and other table games at its venues, despite the fact that its gambling compact with the state would expire on July 31.

The compact between the tribe and the state in 2010 gave the Seminole tribe exclusive rights to provide blackjack and other popular card on its three casinos in Broward County and their other casinos in Tampa and Immokalee.

In return the tribe would have to guarantee $1 billion in revenue.

Nice wedding gift: Downers Grove man wins $2M lottery prize

A west suburban man won $2 million from a lottery ticket he bought while running errands for his upcoming wedding, the Illinois Lottery announced Thursday. Downers Grove resident Chase Knapp, 33, was out shopping for his fiancA© and decided to “try his luck” – stopping at three stores to buy lottery tickets, according to a statement from the Illinois Lottery, which didn’t say when he purchased the ticket.