Massachusetts Gaming Commission holds off on reconsidering Brockton casino

The Massachusetts Gaming Commission, which rejected a proposed $700 million casino in Brockton more than two years ago, held off on a request for reconsideration at its meeting Thursday in favor of other gaming issues now in full swing, including the opening of MGM Springfield on Aug. 24.

Mass Gaming & Entertainment petitioned for reconsideration of its Brockton casino project in June, arguing "the southeastern region of Massachusetts continues to languish" without a casino. There is also another proposal for a casino in Taunton by the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, which has been held up by litigation and federal legislative issues.

Under the state gaming law, up to three casinos are permitted in the state including one in the southeastern region, known as Region C. Casinos are approved in the other two regions in Springfield and Boston.

Mass Gaming and Entertainment, in its petition, said: "Reconsideration of MG&E's application is not just the right thing to do for the Southeast region of the Commonwealth, it also is the legal thing to do."

Gaming Commission members said they must establish a process for dealing with the reconsideration request, including public input. There has been a lot of changes in the gaming industry inside and outside of Massachusetts since the Brockton casino was rejected by the state commission in April of 2016.

Commission staff members including General Counsel Catherine Blue, recommended that various issues be addressed and reported to the Gaming Commission "by a date to be set by the Commission" in regard to the reconsideration request.

The issues suggested would include a review of the gambling market in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic area including revenue receipts and projections, and a review of the gaming market in Massachusetts in terms of expected demand for gaming, Blue said.

The staff also recommended a review of factors such as the unemployment rate in the state by each region, and a review of the availability of workers with casino skills to determine if the employment marketplace can fill jobs with a potential third casino in Massachusetts.

Gaming Commission members took no vote on the reconsideration request.

With MGM Springfield opening, and Encore Boston Harbor under construction, "we've got our hands full," commission Chairman Stephen Crosby said. He and other commission members said there could be some preliminary staff review ahead of September.

Mass Gaming & Entertainment, in its petition, asked that its application be reconsidered and granted "without further delay."

"Put simply, reconsideration and approval of MG&E's application would mean over $100 million dollars in the Commonwealth's coffers and thousands of jobs for Massachusetts residents during the next 2-3 years as opposed to zero revenue and zero jobs for at least the next 2-3 yea