Massachusetts okays Plainridge Park opening

To start, the MGC voted to issue a provisional “opening certificate” to Plainridge Park Casino, officially clearing the way for this week’s launch of Penn National Gaming’s $250m venue. The property will have a test run on Monday (22) before opening to the public on Wednesday. The slots parlor is the first of four new major gaming venues the state will welcome in coming years.

Second, the office of state Attorney General Maura Healey said it wouldn’t take any action on a protest filed by the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe, which had challenged the legality of Plainridge’s deal with the state.

In May, the tribe accused the MGC of breaking both state law and the tribe’s gaming compact with the state by allowing electronic table games at the Plainridge facility. State law restricts Plainridge to no more than 1,250 slot machines but the MGC has allowed the venue up to 1,500 ‘gaming positions,’ which includes multi-player electronic tables offering craps, blackjack and other games.

The tribe hopes to build its own casino in neighboring Taunton and believes the Plainridge electronic tables could poach up to $30m per year from the tribal venue. In the wake of Healey’s decision, the tribe said it was “exploring its options.”