It’s a week of new beginnings as MGM Resorts International is set to unveil the latest addition to its portfolio. That’s where we’ll start our weekly recap of the casino news headlines:
MGM Springfield Casino and Entertainment Venue To Open Friday
A new MGM mega-resort has been added to the portfolio as the MGM Springfield prepares to open. The sprawling combination of a gambling center, hotel and entertainment complex will open its doors Friday in the Massachusetts city. Located just about a two-hour drive from Boston, Springfield is where basketball was invented.
The space is quite epic for a city with a population just over 167,000. The resort offers 125,000 square feet for the gambling floor alone, with 2,550 slot machines, 120 tables and a 23-table poker room. The hotel has 252 rooms. The resort will feature some high-end dining, including Michael Mina’s Cal Mare, The Chandler Steakhouse and an outlet of TAP Sports Bar, which is also featured in MGM National Harbor.
The cocktail program is also something that will immediately become one of the best spots in the city with the Lobby Bar and Commonwealth Bar taking mixology to a new level. Add in a spa, high-end shopping and an arcade/bowling area, and this is quickly going to become the place to be.
We’ve seen how a resort like this can attract people in droves as MGM National Harbor has held the No. 1 spot in terms of monthly casino revenue ever since it opened its doors. MGM Springfield is aiming to accomplish the same feat.
Two Pennsylvania Casinos Hit With Fines
Two casinos based in the state of Pennsylvania were hit with fines this week totaling $160,000. The state’s Gaming Control Board had been investigating and found a number of violations at two particular gaming spots.
The first was the Washington Trotting Association Inc., which was hit with an $80,000 fine. The penalty came from an investigation at the company’s The Meadows Racetrack and Casino. That investigation found that employees of the racetrack gave out over $830,000 in complimentary services over eight years, dating back to 2009. According to state law, only a few select employees are allowed to do that, with caps placed on the value of services given.
Another $80,000 in fines was handed out to Valley Forge Convention Center Partners, L.P., which controls the Valley Forge Casino Resort. The largest portion, $50,000, was the result of a collection of several infractions, chiefly “failure to safeguard its revenues and assets.” Another $30,000 fine was levied for non-compliance toward guidelines.
Man Wins Over $875,000 At Detroit Casino
Talk about a Wheel of Fortune. A man put $20 into the Wheel of Fortune Double Diamond slot machine at the Greektown Casino in Detroit and earned the payday of his life. The 50-year-old, who requested anonymity, won a prize of $875,527. He told Detroit TV station WXYZ that he was too shocked to even move at the time. He hasn’t decided entirely how he’ll spend the money but one thing he does plan is taking his family on a trip.
It’s not the first time this slot machine has produced such a big payout. In 2015, a guest of the same casino won $2 million when playing the same Wheel of Fortune slot machine. In 2004, another guest won $1.77 million.