MGM Springfield Gets Sports-betting License
SPRINGFIELD — MGM Springfield and its online sportsbook, BetMGM, both received approval Monday for sports betting in Massachusetts, when the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) voted 5-0 to approve the casino’s retail application.
Last week, the MGC voted to award a mobile-betting license to WynnBET, allowing it to partner with Encore Boston Harbor, which received the first in-person sports-betting license in the Commonwealth.
The approval comes despite concerns among Springfield leaders that MGM has fallen far short of fulfilling its promises of jobs and economic development, and among commissioners about a lawsuit against MGM over its employment diversity practices.
“Thank you to the entire commission,” MGM Springfield President Chris Kelley said. “We recognize that this is a multi-step process. But this is a very important step forward for our entire team at MGM Springfield, and so we thank you. And we appreciate the thoughtful and deliberate approach that the commission has taken. And I have to say we are extraordinarily excited about, in the not-too-distant future, transitioning an extraordinary sports lounge into a sportsbook.”
The Springfield casino has built a 4,586-square-foot sports-wagering lounge with stadium seating, a 45-foot viewing wall, and an enclosed wagering counter and space for wagering kiosks. There will be betting windows and betting kiosks in the sportsbook area, as well as other betting kiosks spread around the main gaming floor and in the casino’s high-limits area.
