For the time being all avid supporters of the proposed new casino venue situated in Brockton, Massachusetts would have to patiently wait until September at least, as the Massachusetts Gaming Commission recently voiced its position. It became known that big projects such as MGM Springfield and Encore Boston Harbor are a priority at the moment and a second review of the proposed Southeast casino venue would have to wait until this fall.
This Thursday witnessed one of the long-anticipated meetings on a state level which had the potential to move forward the proposed gaming venue project. As it was confirmed by the regulator overseeing the field, at the moment there are other projects under development in the area which would delay the process of consideration. The proposed casino facility in Brockton was projected to cost some $677 million to its developers Rush Street Gaming. In addition to the construction costs, the operator was also supposed to pay some $85 million for casino license.
Ever since it was given the thumbs down by the local authorities overseeing the field, the casino developer has been anticipating a better opportunity for a proposal. Such presented itself this June when the casino developer and operator decided to file in a request for the official reconsideration of the Commission’s decision. Hoping that the time is right due to the upswing of the local gaming field and the increased rates of construction and development, this seemed like the right move to be made.
A petition was introduced by the casino developer’s subsidiary company Mass Gaming and Entertainment, aiming to provide the casino venue with a second chance for development. Among the reasoning for such was that the Southeastern region of the state has not witnessed a significant boost in its development for quite some time. In the meantime, there are two other casino developments currently under construction – one by MGM Resorts in Springfield, and another one managed by Wynn Resorts in Boston.
Brockton Casino Expected to Boost Region
The potential building of a new venue was estimated to bring more to the local field commonly referred to as Region C, but, as it turns out, the gaming commission was not on the same page. The said reconsideration process would have to wait until September at least, as it was established by the regulator, but there are other factors involved as well.
The general public would have a say in this matter in the foreseeable future. A thorough estimation of the market was proposed by the members of the commission, as a part of the reconsideration. Another thing which should be taken into account is the levels of unemployment in the different regions of the state. If there is enough data proving that the new casino venue is going to provide work positions to many people in need and vice versa, this might influence the final decision of the state authorities.
The ultimate objective of the casino developer was to revive the region and introduce a breath of fresh air to the field with the help of a new gaming venue. The year 2016 turned out being a dud when it comes to casino offering, as the local officials were not willing to give it a chance. Commission Chairman Stephen Crosby made it more than clear that the region is not willing to give its third casino license to Rush Street Gaming and its casino proposal.
As it was stated back then, the casino facility which was going to be constructed on the premises of the Brockton Fairgrounds was estimated to bring few improvements to the region at the end of the day. In the meantime, the rough estimations presented by the subsidiary company claims that the new casino venue would have the potential to rake in some $100 million for the state to reinvest in the community.
It would provide as many as 1,800 locals with new permanent job opportunities, and 2,000 with construction jobs. More development on the subject is expected to take place this September, possibly bringing a third casino venue to the state.
