Tagged: casino

The Massachusetts Gaming Commission Tuesday set the end of February 2014 as the outside date for awarding the first casino license in the state.    WAMC”s Pioneer Valley Bureau Chief  Paul Tuthill reports..

   The state’s gaming industry regulators discussed a master schedule which commission chairman Stephen Crosby described as prudent.

The background checks on the casino license applicants is the most time consuming part of the schedule, pegged to take a minimum of six months. The draft master schedule calls for the investigations to begin in January.

The state law that legalized casino gambling in Massachusetts requires voters in a host community to approve the casino development in a referendum.  The law permits cities , such as Springfield, to hold either an at-large  vote or limit it to just the ward where the casino would be built.  WAMC’s Pioneer Valley Bureau Chief Paul Tuthill reports.

       Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno is adamant the voter referendum on whether there should be a casino built in Springfield will be held city-wide.

The city of Springfield Massachusetts, Friday, launched a formal casino selection process and set  an early October deadline for casino operators to make their intentions known.   WAMC’s Pioneer Valley Bureau Chief Paul Tuthill reports.

       Casino operators that want to build in Springfield have until October 10 to file an initial proposal with the city. After a preliminary review, city officials will determine by November 1st  which projects will advance to a more rigorous evaluation that will eventually culminate in a voter referendum on casino gambling in Springfield.

Officials in Springfield Massachusetts have agreed to changes in a casino selection competition to address concerns about the timetable that were  raised last week by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission. It will likely push back until next summer a voter referendum on a casino in Springfield..  WAMC’s  Pioneer Valley Bureau Chief Paul Tuthill reports.