The vote puts the Springfield casino on the same footing as Encore Boston Harbor in Everett, both of which are expected to be ready to begin taking bets once the Gaming Commission gets more specific about its plan to launch in-person betting in 'late January' and awards the operations certificates that will be required for operators. MGM Springfield supplemented its application with greater detail and again on Monday answered numerous questions from commissioners. Gaming Commission punted on a potential license vote because they felt that the Springfield casino's retail betting application relied too heavily on the separate application for its connected mobile operator, BetMGM. The 5-0 vote came almost two weeks after the Mass. State regulators voted unanimously Monday to award the second in-person sports betting license in Massachusetts to MGM Springfield, allowing the casino to expand its offerings despite 'simmering' concerns among city leaders that the facility has not lived up to the jobs and economic development commitments it made when it sought its original gambling license.
