Page 7 - BusinessWest March 17, 2021

state will enter what is known as step 1 of phase 4, prompting Kelley to glance toward the future with optimism in his voice. But in all ways, and by all accounts, the ‘ramping-up’ period for MGM Springfield — the one we all heard so much about in the months before COVID dramatically changed the landscape — has been turned on its ear.
In some ways, it will be like starting over for this operation, which recently reopened its hotel for weekends and also its sports bar, and is waiting with what can only be called bated breath to see if and to what degree patrons will return to the
In some ways, Chris Kelley
says, it feels like starting over at MGM Springfield.
blackjack tables, slot machines, bars, and, eventually (but no one really knows when) large-scale events like concerts, shows, and fundraising galas.
In a wide-ranging interview, Kelley, who has remained most- ly quiet, from a press perspective, since arriving in this region, talked with BusinessWest about the past year, but mostly about what comes next for this highly visible, nearly $1 billion busi- ness that opened to great expectations 32 months ago.
That look back was understandably painful, although he said the past year has certainly been a somewhat beneficial learning experience on many levels (more on that later) and a time when changes coming to the industry were greatly
“People are just really excited to be part of bringing downtown West Springfield back.”
accelerated.
As for the future ... it is obviously
clouded by question marks that involve everything from how much pent-up demand there will be for everything a casino has to offer, to the fate of sports gambling in the Bay State.
Kelley is optimistic about both.
He said Las Vegas has recently returned to its 24/7 character and something rapidly approaching con- ditions that existed pre-COVID — and the early indications are certainly positive.
“With vaccine distribution ramping up around the country, there’s good reason for cautious optimism as we look at our ability to gather in larger numbers, and for our industry, in the broader sense, to see improvement as opposed what it was experiencing only a few months ago. As we look at the calendar year 2021, I think we see significant opportunities for improve- ment, especially as we move into the second half of the year.”
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BusinessWest FEATURE MARCH 17, 2021 7