MGM Springfield to Pay $6.8 Million in Wage-and-hour Case

SPRINGFIELD — MGM Springfield will pay more than $6.8 million in restitution and penalties for wage-and-hour law violations at its downtown casino, according to New England Public Media. The settlement comes after a multi-year investigation by the Massachusetts attorney general’s office.

“MGM Springfield’s failure to provide its employees, especially service workers earning an hourly wage and relying on tips, with their full wages and benefits made it more difficult for these employees to take care of themselves and their families,” Attorney General Andrea Campbell said in a statement.

More than 2,000 employees were impacted, the AG’s office said, from table game dealers to kitchen staff. About $460,000 of the settlement will go back to employees as restitution, but most of the settlement money — nearly $6.4 million — will be paid to the state as a fine. The settlement covers violations between August 2018 and the end of 2019.

MGM “neither admits nor denies the allegations” in the settlement agreement. “We take our compliance obligations seriously and have made proactive updates since 2019 to address this issue,” MGM Resorts spokesperson Dara Cohen said in a statement. “We will continue to invest in training and regular reviews of our policies and procedures to ensure ongoing compliance.”