MGM Resorts to join with casino developer in Massachusetts

Callahan met with Brimfield selectmen on Oct. 24 to express an interest in developing the land his realty trust owns north of the Massachusetts Turnpike in Brimfield, which is not far north of the Connecticut border.

The Mohegan tribe, which operates the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, has proposed building a casino in Palmer — which is just west of Brimfield — and has negotiated a 99-year lease on 152 acres in the town. Both the Palmer and Brimfield proposals would compete for the western Massachusetts license.

Other casino proposals are vying for the western region license, including some in Holyoke and Springfield, said Jennifer Baruffaldi, a spokeswoman for Citizens for Jobs and Growth in Palmer.

Hard Rock International, the owner of Hard Rock Cafe, announced in November that it was teaming with Paper City Development to develop and operate a Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Holyoke.

Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods Resort Casino have been expecting the competition for years. The two casinos draw up to one-third of their customers from Massachusetts, according to estimates by the Center for Policy Analysis at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.

Each month, both casinos pay 25 % of their slot revenues to Connecticut's general fund. This past year, those revenues have averaged about us$ 15 million per casino per month.

Massachusetts lawmakers approved legislation legalizing casino gambling in November. The bill allows the establishment of a single slots parlor anywhere in the state, and three full-scale casinos: one each in the Boston area and the southeastern and western portions of the state.