Gaming Commission continues work on rules and process

The Massachusetts Gaming Commission held numerous meetings throughout the month of March with the goal of creating regulations for the second phase of the application process, which will shape the resort casino license application and award process.

The commission was also working to create a framework for the roles of host and surrounding communities in the development process.

On March 12, the commission met to consider evaluation criteria for use in assessing Phase 2 applications, which will require developers to submit the substance of their proposals to the commission in a competitive process for the state’s Region A (Greater Boston/central Massachusetts) and Region B (western Massachusetts) resort-casino licenses.

The meeting, which focused on tourism and casino design, featured discussions with Thomas Glynn of the Massachusetts Port Authority, James Rooney of the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority, Betsy Wall of the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism, and John Nunnari and Julie Taylor of the American Institute of Architects, Massachusetts Chapter.

The speakers urged the commission to use evaluation criteria that would result in resort casinos that could continue to drive tourism in the Commonwealth, particularly international tourism, and highlighted the role that sustainable design could play in enhancing the appeal of the resort casinos in Massachusetts.

A new report from the Center for Policy Analysis at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth lends support to the idea that factors beyond the actual gambling experience can influence the number of guest visits to a casino. The report, “Bring It On Home: An Overview of Gaming Behavior in New England,” indicates that gambling activity has declined by 17 percent in recent years at casinos in Connecticut, while the percentage of guests who spent money on food and drinks at the casinos increased by 21 points.

The report concludes that “the availability of table games, numerous non-gambling amenities, the physical attractiveness of the facilities, and the general atmosphere of the facilities continue to differentiate New England’s resort casino market from the convenience gambling market. … The casino industry as a whole continues to implement strategies aimed at expanding non-gaming amenities and relying less on gambling dollars.”

The commission last month also created a process for potential surrounding communities to use their regional planning agency for technical assistance in assessing probable development impacts.

At its March 21 meeting, the commission considered whether to open Region C (southeastern Massachusetts) to a parallel commercial casino application process, while the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe and the Commonwealth sought to make progress with the federal agencies involved in permitting the creation of a tribal casino in Taunton.

After their first agreement was struck down by the U.S. Department of the Interior last year, the Patrick administration and the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe announced on March 20 that they have reached agreement on a new compact for a resort-style casino in Region C. The Mashpee Wampanoag tribe is contending that it will quickly overcome legal obstacles to building a tribal casino in Taunton.

The state’s expanded gaming law gives preference to the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe in Region C. Tribal casinos do not need state licenses, just federal approval.

The Gaming Commission indicated that a decision on the Region C issue would be made in the coming weeks.

For more information about the gaming law and the casino and slot parlor process, visit http://massgaming.com.