BOSTON (WWLP) – The deadline has come: all companies that hope to develop a casino in western Massachusetts, central Massachusetts, or the Greater Boston area had to submit their final applications as of 5:00 P.M. The deadline also marks the last opportunity for submitting the fee and application for the state’s only slots parlor.
A total of 11 companies submitted their applications and the required $400,000 non-refundable deposit.
Getting their applications and non-refundable $400,000 deposits in on time were:
WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS
- Mohegan Sun
- MGM Springfield
- Penn-National Gaming, Inc.
- Hard Rock MA
CENTRAL MA/GREATER BOSTON
- Wynn, LLC
- Sterling Suffolk Racecourse (Caesers Entertainment/Suffolk Downs)
- Massachusetts Gaming Entertainment
UNSPECIFIED
- PPE Casino Resorts MA
- Crossroads Massachusetts
SLOTS PARLOR
- Plainridge Racecourse
- Raynham Park
The deadline does not apply to the casino license for southeastern Massachusetts, which is to be reserved for a Native American tribe.
Meanwhile, the applications may not be the very last word on where a western Massachusetts casino will go. The 22News I-Team discovered that Chicopee Mayor Michael Bissonnette has written a letter to the Gaming Commission , asking for an extension on the deadline. The deadline extension is being sought because there are three potential Chicopee casino sites in which developers have shown an interest.
Further, the deadline is only on background checks for the casino companies; a company that has undergone a background check may still decide to relocate in advance of the deadline on site proposals in June.