The MGM Springfield casino resort, a project in which more than $969 million was invested, became open for business on Friday, August 24th after getting the regulatory approval from Massachusetts Gaming Commission...

...It will be this state's first land-based casino with expansive gambling and entertainment options. The grand opening had quite a bit of grandeur with an extravagant street procession that included entertainers, a marching band, horses and a celebration typical for Las Vegas or some other hot casino hub.

The inauguration event was attended by a number of celebrities, politicians and, of course, thousands of people looking to enter the new resort and begin spending their money on lavish offerings and enjoy the dining, shopping and gambling environment.

The complex spreading across the area of 14.5 acres consists of a gambling premises, hotel, restaurants, entertainment and retail shops. It was built by MGM Resorts International and will employ about 3,000 people, 35% of which will be residents of Springfield. It is expected that this Massachusetts city will cash in a yearly revenue of about $25 million!

The entire project, from the groundbreaking to the opening on August 24th, took 3 years and 5 months. The city of Springfield also received $15 million in payments upfront from MGM.

The five-floor hotel has 250 rooms, while the 125,000 square-foot casino itself boasts 2,550 slot machines and 120 table games.

The new Springfield property spokesperson, Saverio Mancini, commented: "It was a great opening day. It was a great crowd. Busy throughout the evening. People were excited, energized. I saw a lot of happy faces."

MGM Springfield's President, Michael Matis described the entire event as "pretty magical" and even went on to say that he was elated by the whole experience…

"I’ve got an active imagination but I never saw a day like this; beautiful weather and the city’s never looked better. And the community came out to support us and they’re going to go inside and enjoy this facility"...

He went on to say, “One woman got down on her knees and literally thanked us for the investment and for bringing some excitement to downtown. And our employees, they’ve been looking forward to welcoming their community into this facility for the last two months. It’s really a special, special day.”

The casino will also be hosting a string of exciting events that will surely prove to be a big hit with the local crowd. These acts include Stevie Wonder performing on September 1st and comedian Bill Burr hitting the stage a few days later.

Source:

"MGM opens Massachusetts casino with a flourish", boston.com, August 24, 2018.