Mass Gaming

FY 2025 Community Mitigation Fund Archive

Municipal/Regional Grant Applications

The communities below are designated Host, Surrounding, and Neighboring Communities that are eligible to apply for funding through the Community Mitigation Fund. They were all assigned a proposed allocation amount in Fall 2023 and may be funded below, at, or above that amount based on community need and application strength. For more information on application criteria and the FY25 Guidelines, please click here.

As of FY2025, the CMF offered grants in via Municipal or Regional applications in the following categories:

  • Community Planning
  • Gambling Harm Reduction
  • Public Safety
  • Regional Planning
  • Regional Public Safety
  • “Specific Impacts” relating to the operation of a gaming establishment
  • Transportation
  • Workforce Development

2025 Community Mitigation Fund Applications

Municipal

City of Boston:

  • Study of impacts on young community members ages 14 to 25 years old who are living in the neighborhood of Charlestown in Boston.
  • The BPD’s Public Safety response will include strategies from eight separate BPD internal Bureaus/Units/Offices.
  • Construct road safety improvements at several key intersections, sidewalks, ramps, and crosswalks in the vicinity of the Encore Casino, namely on Cambridge Street, Parker Street, Brighton Street, Medford Street, and Caldwell Street.
  • Create an initial complete street design for safety improvements in the Charlestown neighborhood, mainly on Medford Street, Main Street, and Bunker Hill Street.
  • Help produce early-stage road & traffic signal improvement designs for the Rutherford Ave reconstruction project to improve vehicular safety and reduce traffic congestion.

 City of Cambridge:

  • Promote Cambridge as a destination for casino patrons and employees to dine and shop by working with a consultant to develop a marketing campaign for our commercial districts.
  • High visibility education and enforcement, including staff overtime and purchase of additional motorcycles.
  • Purchase of e-bikes for bikeshare system.
  • Traffic analysis related to Casino origin and destination trip generation.
  • Traffic signal equipment and improvements.

City of Chelsea:

  • Funds for a consultant to lead the creation of content and marketing materials to promote tourism to Chelsea.
  • The City will pilot a harm reduction program focused on building capacity among community members to intervene and provide support for their fellows where needed. It will further include additional support services, including financial literacy and mental health services, where welcome and appropriate.
  • Additional traffic enforcement patrols at night and on the weekends on roads leading to and from the Casino.
  • Message boards that can be used on any road to and from the casino, particularly Beacham Street and Second Street.
  • Improving connections between the Casino and Logan Airport/East Boston via Marginal Street for casino patrons and employees.

City of Chicopee:

  • Complete Street and Vision Zero Streetscape Design services, continuing from the ongoing Chicopee Center Streetscapes Project Phase 1, to mitigate the effects of traffic and socioeconomic blight.
  • The relaunch of regional Bikeshare program previously postponed due to vendor bankruptcy.

Town of East Longmeadow:

  • Identify key sites with high development prospects that we can leverage with purposive intention for economic and community development.
  • Purchase portable speed radar signs.
  • Traffic Cameras.
  • Pre-plan training to prepare ELFD firefighters to respond to fire or EMS emergencies at MGM Springfield Casino, the Mass Mutual Center, and the nearby hotels.
  • Collect, tabulate, and analyze crash data from LaSalle Street southerly to Center Square Driveway, just north of the East Longmeadow Rotary.
  • Install RRFB signalized crosswalk.
  • Design services required to install new cement concrete sidewalks.

City of Everett:

  • Provide additional funds for overtime for land-based operations dedicated during peak times to support public safety efforts, in and around the casino as well as additional funds for overtime for maritime operations.
  • Purchase 10 additional GEU-capable radios with gaming channels; expand existing ShotSpotter to cover the Lower Broadway area and add cameras and antennas for video coverage of Lower Broadway.
  • Active Shooter Incident Management Command Training, Provided by ALERT Center at Texas State University, to be taken by Everett Police and Fire (Fire also employs EMS-staff).
  • Purchase of a second ambulance for the Everett Fire Department and associated stealth system to allow for the new apparatus to adhere to the City’s green initiatives for all new vehicles.
  • The training will be provided over a six-month period and includes boat handling, water safety, marine firefighting, and surface water rescue. This will ensure that our members are well-trained in handling any firefighting and life-saving incidents that may occur on the water.
  • Proposed Encore Corridor Upgrades will provide traffic signal improvements that will contribute to enhanced safety and commute time reduction adding a notable benefit to the quality of life in this host community.
  • This Transportation Construction project proposes to reconfigure the roadway and sidewalk network in Everett Square, make pedestrian realm improvements and signal improvements that will allow more frequent transit service as well as provide much-needed improvements to green and open space in the square.
  • This project would improve LMTMA’s technological infrastructure by purchasing and implementing a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software system/database, support the launch of additional member services including carshare, vanpool, and bike share, help launch the first Everett shuttle service and further advance shuttle planning in Charlestown.

Town of Foxborough

  • Regional Destination Marketing Initiative to continue the marketing and promotion of VisitFPW to target audiences in an effort to increase visitation and branding leading up to FIFA World Cup 2026.

City of Holyoke:

  • Activating vacant and blighted lots in high tourism areas.
  • Continued maintenance of exploreholyoke.com
  • Shuttle service between MGM and Holyoke for special events.
  • Support for local events and initiatives.
  • Provide membership assistance to local businesses.
  • Perform a citywide harm reduction survey.
  • Overtime officers to address challenges related to casino impact.
  • Lighting installations for poorly lit high tourism areas.
  • Fees and costs associated with membership and infrastructure of bike share program.
  • Fees and costs associated with membership and infrastructure of bike share program.

City of Lynn:

  • Funding will be used for the purchase, installation, and administration of City Cameras.

Town of Longmeadow:

  • This project includes purchasing new rescue and emergency medical equipment to increase LFD’s response capability and interoperability with mutual aid partners on the I-91 corridor.
  • Purchase and installation of one traffic camera each for four primary intersections in Longmeadow and installation of fiber line to connect them to the network.
  • Install pedestrian amenities and re-construct an existing and non-compliant raised crosswalk at a highly trafficked intersection on Williams Street.

Town of Ludlow:

  • Concept & development of marketing campaign.
  • Traffic & speeding signage, lighted crosswalks, radar gun, message trailer.
  • Fire extraction equipment.

City of Malden:

  • Purchase a series of traffic calming devices for Malden Police Department to use.
  • Provide all sworn MPD officers with de-escalation, implicit bias, and use of force training.
  • Complete the 25% redesign for Broadway.
  • Signal timing improvement plan on Main Street North; intersection control evaluation at the intersection of Main and Salem Streets; signal timing and geometric study of the intersections of Main Street/Charles/Madison/Eastern.
  • Construction: Pedestrian signalization and vehicle detection on Broadway.
  • Construction: traffic signal detection and interconnection on Main Street.
  • Construction: Installation of overhead pedestrian flashing beacon.
  • Planning: Improve roadway capacity by preparing an inventory of citywide traffic signal operations and electrical systems conditions to improve signal operations and maintenance.

Town of Mansfield:

  • Overtime for nuanced response to hotels with goal of reducing calls for service and coordinating services for repeat participants.

City of Medford:

  • Transformation study for the greater Wellington area.
  • Research study to understand gaming issues affecting young adults ages 18-24 in Medford.
  • Purchase and training of equipment designed for E-vehicle and lithium-ion battery fires for Medford Fire Department.
  • Training for Medford Police Officers on de-escalation and use of force to address increased interactions between public safety personnel and casino patrons and employees.
  • Training for Medford Police Officers on implicit bias to address increased interactions between public safety personnel and casino patrons and employees.
  • Digital signage for the Chevalier Theatre to improve wayfinding for the theatre for residents and patrons.
  • Installation of new LED ceiling lights in the Chevalier Theatre.
  • Phase 1 study of Salem Street Corridor and Casino on impacts on vehicular traffic, and possible mitigation through mode-shift from vehicles to alternate transportation modes.
  • Safety improvements to Salem Street to increase safety for non-vehicular modes of transport impacted by increased vehicular traffic in area related to Casino.

City of Melrose:

  • Economic development.
  • Survey, Social Norm Campaign, Personalized Normative Feedback Training, Financial Management Classes.
  • City of Melrose: AED’s – Portable, Stationary, and Training.
  • City of Melrose: Council on Aging Initiative – Older Adult Programming.

Town of Northampton:

  • Fund Northampton’s portion of operational cost as part of the regional bike share program led by Town of Northampton for 8 Pioneer Valley communities & UMass.

Town of Plainville:

  • Signposts and solar-operated wireless speed signs with data collection.
  • In-car rechargeable smart sequential electronic flares.

City of Revere:

  • The project would serve to complete a short- and long-term strategic plan for the Revere History Museum.
  • To create a strong partnership between the Haas Health and Wellness Center, the City’s Harm Reduction Specialists/Outreach Workers, and those populations identified as at high for gambling-related harms or those at most risk for problematic gambling behaviors.
  • The project involves the purchase of the latest technology in vehicular extrication equipment.
  • Revere will partner with Bunker Hill Community College (BHCC) to offer their EMT course to 12 Revere residents.
  • Project funds will provide for the necessary administration of MGC programs.
  • The City of Revere would use funding from the Massachusetts Gaming Commission to advance the planning of the Revere Beach Connector.

Town of Saugus:

  • Identification of business opportunities and public improvements at Saugus RiverWalk.
  • Targeted marketing campaign to attract visitors.
  • Enhanced traffic enforcement and education.

City of Somerville:

  • Provide MBTA passes to employees of East Somerville small businesses.
  • Install GPS-based traffic signal preemption capabilities on fire apparatus and signalized intersections.
  • Reconstruct the intersection of Middlesex Avenue and Mystic Avenue to reduce traffic congestion and improve safety for all road users.

City of Springfield:

  • Creation of District Wayfinding and Identity Signage Detailed Designs/CDs for Cohesion, Integration & Synergy with MGM Campus & Area Businesses.
  • Will build off existing research to implement gaming harm reduction and outreach work aimed at young adults.
  • Police equipment upgrades, Crisis/Attack training, deployments for homeless outreach, anti-john, traffic issues
  • Fire Department equipment upgrades to extrication “Jaws of Life” equipment.
  • Design of Phase II Expansion of Public Realm Streetscape, Hardscape & Landscape project to priority development area around MGM & State/Main/Willow/Union economic development projects
  • Request for second tranche grant to fund 2023 MGC-approved parking infrastructure project to solve for parking deficiencies, improve traffic flow and assist in new economic development.

Town of West Springfield:

  • Continued support for additional staffing added as a result of the MGM Springfield Casino.
  • Fire training related to ladder company operations and truck placement specific to hotel occupancies.
  • Police overtime for dedicated saturation patrols in the area of the Memorial Bridge and the North End Bridge to reduce impaired driving.
  • Overtime costs for police officer participation in two training sessions.
  • Portable radar message sign that will be deployed in the area of the Memorial Bridge and the North End Bridge to assist with traffic enforcement.

Town of Wilbraham:

  • Two highway message boards.
  • Four license plate cameras.
  • A multi-lens CCTV camera for the main radio transmit site for state and local infrastructure security.
  • 96TB video server to manage video camera upgrades.
  • Software to redact videos.
  • Hire qualified professionals to evaluate and redesign the intersection of Springfield Street and Stony Hill.

Town of Wrentham:

  • Additional training in the use of force and de-escalation.

 

Regional

Hampden County District Attorney’s Office:

  • The continued funding for the purpose of mitigating the impact of funding for personnel to handle casino-related persecutions.

Hampden County Sheriff’s Department:

  • Hampden County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) is in its ninth of a ten-year lease due to the relocation of Western Massachusetts Recovery and Wellness Center (WMRWC) from 26 Howard Street to 155 Mill Street Springfield, MA, has experienced a significant lease offset due to the forced move for the MGM Casino.

Holyoke Community College

  • The potential impact of the proposed project is to mitigate existing education and training gaps that existed prior to MGM Resorts coming into the region, and present challenges to MGM’s ability to source talent. The Work Ready 2024 proposal is designed to address these factors with a comprehensive array of programming, including HiSET/GED and ESOL (Springfield Public Schools Ahead of the Game), digital literacy (STCC Hampden Prep), and culinary/hotel training (HCC Line Cook) delivered by our consortia partners.

Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office:

  • The Gaming Enforcement Division at the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office will add resources to address gaming-related domestic violence and sexual assault cases while building capacity to investigate and prosecute human trafficking crimes.

MassHire Metro North Workforce Board:

  • A regional project aimed at addressing the workforce needs of the hospitality sector impacted by the Encore Boston Harbor gaming facility and the COVID-19 induced economic downturn. A consortium of partners will provide contextualized ESOL training, occupational skills training, job readiness training, digital literacy training, and career counseling.

Metropolitan Area Planning Council:

  • Develop the extension of the Chelsea Greenway shared-use path from its current end point in Chelsea to connect to Encore Casino and to the Northern Strand Trail in Everett.
  • Create a small business regional planning initiative to explore and recommend strategies to better support small businesses in the retail, hotel/hospitality, travel services, food service/dining, recreation, and entertainment industries, i.e., industries impacted by casino operations; and organize, develop content for and hold a half-day supplier diversity conference for business support organizations.
  • Integrate arts and culture entertainment venues into existing digital regional marketing tools to increase marketing and awareness of venues in competition with the Encore Casino.

Pioneer Valley Planning Commission:

  • Requesting funding to collect and evaluate data regarding BIPOC- and women-owned small- and micro-businesses in the Pioneer Valley to gain a greater understanding of how best to enhance MGM’s efforts to meet its diversity procurement quotas under the Host Community Agreement.

Southeast Regional Planning & Economic Development District:

  • Develop an arts and cultural tourism plan for the Category 2 region including the communities of Attleboro, Foxborough, Mansfield, North Attleboro, Plainville, and Wrentham.

Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office:

  • For funding personnel and electronic hardware & software to combat human trafficking and prosecute such crimes.

RELATED CONTENT

Contact

Any communities with questions on these and other gaming-related matters are urged to contact Joe Delaney at Joseph.Delaney@massgaming.gov or Mary Thurlow at Mary.Thurlow@massgaming.gov.

Quarterly Report Forms

All CMF grantees must submit quarterly reports as part of their contracted grant agreement with the Massachusetts Gaming Commission.

ACCESS FORMS

Reports and Studies Developed as a Result of the Community Mitigation Fund

View reports and studies developed as a result of the Community Mitigation Fund.

VIEW REPORTS AND STUDIES

Gaming Policy Advisory Committee

The Gaming Policy Advisory Committee designates subcommittees to examine community mitigation, compulsive gambling and gaming impacts on cultural facilities and tourism.

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