Timeline Update: Commission releases important revised timeline regarding category 1 (regions a & b) licensing deadlines and required actions
- February 03, 2014
- by MGC Communications
- 0 comments
Below please find a revised document which offers ESTIMATED schedules for the award of Category 1 (resort-casino) gaming licenses and also includes the issue date for the Category 2 (slots) license.
The projected schedule for Category 1 is based on the assumption that at least one arbitration between an applicant and a surrounding community or impacted live entertainment venue will be required and that this arbitration will take the maximum amount of days allowable under the Commission’s regulations.
If full length arbitrations are not necessary in a particular Category 1 region, this schedule could potentially be adjusted to allow the earlier award of a gaming license. Although these dates are based on timetables required by statute and the Commission’s regulations, they are estimates because they may need to be adjusted due to unforeseen circumstances or to improve the licensing process.
Last week, the commission hosted presentations from communities seeking “surrounding community” status from Category 1 applicants. The Commission will make decisions regarding designations for surrounding communities and impacted live entertainment venue on February 18, 2014 for both Region A (Eastern Mass) and Region B (Western Mass). This new date for Region B will give the Commission further time to review the materials received last week from the petitioners and applicants. The Commission also hopes that this new date will provide all the parties with more time to have any further conversations in advance of the Commission’s decisions.
On February 18, the Commission also expects to issue its written determinations of surrounding community status to those communities that have previously been designated as surrounding communities by applicants but which have not yet executed a surrounding community agreement. All such communities and any communities newly determined to be surrounding communities by the Commission will then have thirty days to negotiate a surrounding community agreement before the Commission’s arbitration process begins.
View the estimated schedule here.