The Massachusetts Gaming Commission Thursday denied a request to waive state registration for cleaning jobs on the casino floor at MGM Springfield.
Officials from MGM and community leaders said allowing those who have criminal records to work on the casino floor would give the company more staffing flexibility.
They said it would also provide more opportunities for people having trouble finding jobs if they have a record.
But Paul Connelly, who heads the commission's licensing department said there should be a standard.
"Not to make it too dramatic, but [the] gaming floor from a regulatory perspective is kind of sacrosanct," Connelly said. "That is a big red flag to us as we do the analysis as to whether we thought they were positions eligible for exemption."
And in a 3-2 vote, the Commission went along with Connelly's recommendation.
They previously allowed about 800 positions to be free from the registration requirement.
