MGM, he pointed out, has put millions into the redevelopment of the former Court Square Hotel into apartments and given generously to local charities. When the COVID-19 shutdown happened in March 2020 there were 2,500 people working at the resort casino that includes a 250-room hotel.Īt the press conference that followed the roughly hour-long private meeting in the mayor’s office, Hornbuckle stressed MGM has lived up to its financial commitments to the city as spelled out in a development agreement and paid $107 million to the city.

The MGM Springfield casino briefly reached the 3,000 employee mark at the time of its grand opening five years ago. When Las Vegas-style gambling was legalized in Massachusetts in 2011 the major selling point was jobs – initially in the construction industry, where projections were largely fulfilled, and then in the service, hospitality and leisure sectors. A sportsbook that will begin operating inside the casino at the end of this month will have 20 fulltime employees. The expansion of amenities that will take place over the next few months will add “dozens of jobs,” he said. Hornbuckle said more than 30 new table game dealers had recently been trained at MGM’s casino school in Springfield.

“But it is going to involve making Springfield more of a destination and it’s not all on MGM.

“There is capacity in that building for 3,000 jobs,” Hornbuckle said. There are currently about 1,400 employees with more than 250 job openings advertised, according to MGM Springfield officials. He said an employment goal of 2,000 at the casino is more realistic. “Our original valuation of this market simply was off – full stop,” Hornbuckle said. But he conceded an employment goal of 3,000 that was repeatedly pitched to voters a decade ago to win approval to build the casino is unattainable. A month after some officials in Springfield, Massachusetts questioned if the MGM casino was fulfilling its economic development promises, the top official with the international entertainment company met Friday with Mayor Domenic Sarno.Īfter an hour-long private meeting in the mayor’s office, MGM Resorts International President and CEO Bill Hornbuckle said there is now an action plan to restore amenities largely shuttered since the pandemic hit in 2020 including expanding restaurant and bar hours and repurposing retail space.

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