The Massachusetts Gaming Commission is pleased to announce plans for the final evaluation, deliberation and determination process for the Region A resort-casino license. The Commission is rapidly approaching the completion of the ‘Evaluation Process’ for the Region A (Eastern Massachusetts) Category 1 (resort-casino) applications submitted by Wynn MA, LLC (Everett) and Mohegan Sun MA, LLC (Revere). In keeping with the Commission’s commitment to transparency, the results and findings of the months-long evaluation review will be made public during a series of public presentations and deliberations beginning on Monday, September 8, 2014. The Commission expects to complete its work between Friday, September 12th and Wednesday, September 17th. All meetings will be live-streamed on MassGaming.com.

On December 31, 2013, Wynn MA, LLC and Mohegan Sun MA, LLC (who had successfully completed the Phase 1 suitability process) were required to submit a completed Phase 2 application to the Commission. The Phase 2 applications are broken into sections that include key evaluation criteria:

• 1. Overview of Project
• 2. Finance
• 3. Economic Development
• 4. Building and Site Design
• 5. Mitigation

Both resort-casino applications are available for viewing here.

Commissioner James McHugh stated, “This is the culmination of an exhaustive competitive process in Eastern Mass. We look forward to sharing our findings with the public and are pleased to progress to this major milestone as we focus on implementing the expanded gaming legislation in a way that is most appropriate for the residents of the region.”

Please see the below video for more information on the evaluation, deliberation, and determination process.

Public Meeting Schedule:

Monday, September 8, through Friday, September 12 – 9:00am
Boston Convention and Exhibition Center
415 Summer Street, Room 052 (Exhibition Floor Level)
Boston, MA 

Monday, September 15  – 11:00am,
Tuesday, September 16 – 9:00am,
Wednesday, September 17 – 9:00am
180 Mt. Vernon Street
Dorchester, MA

The established ‘Evaluation Process’ for assessing and ultimately awarding  expanded gaming licenses was developed based on requirements written into the “Expanded Gaming Act” as well as criteria approved by the Commission to solicit the most competitive projects that meet the expectations provided in the final application, have a positive impact on the Massachusetts economy and enhance the state’s revenues.

A detailed explanation of the ‘Evaluation Process’ and the five key evaluation criteria is available on the commission website and can be viewed here.

Each of the four commissioners has taken the lead on overseeing independent advisers and industry experts to evaluate each gaming proposal based on more than 200 questions addressing the Commission’s key five evaluation categories. Each commissioner will publicly present the results of their efforts to their fellow commissioners. Commissioners will then have the opportunity to ask questions regarding each of the commissioner’s presentations. The information presented will then lead to public deliberations ultimately resulting in a decision about the Region A Category 1 license.

Additional facts:

• The Commission issued the state’s single slots license on February 28, 2014
• Penn National, the slots licensee, has begun construction and anticipates opening a slots facility in Plainville, Massachusetts by June 2015
• The Commission has designated MGM Springfield LLC as the Licensee for the Region B (Western Massachusetts) Category 1 (resort-casino) license

About MassGaming:

The mission of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission is to create a fair, transparent, and participatory process for implementing the expanded gaming law passed by the Legislature and signed by the Governor in November, 2011. In creating that process, the Commission will strive to ensure that its decision-making and regulatory systems engender the confidence of the public and participants, and that they provide the greatest possible economic development benefits and revenues to the people of the Commonwealth, reduce to the maximum extent possible the potentially negative or unintended consequences of the new legislation, and allow an appropriate return on investment for gaming providers that assures the operation of casino-resorts of the highest quality. For more information on MGC, please visit MassGaming.com or connect and share on Twitter (@MassGamingComm) or Facebook www.facebook.com/MAGamingComm.