Massachusetts regulators have fined MGM Springfield $100,000 for falling short in its efforts to keep people under 21 from gambling or drinking alcohol.
Karen Wells leads the Investigations and Enforcement Bureau at the Massachusetts Gaming Commission. She said one complication is MGM's open floor plan, with multiple entrances to the gambling area.
“The priority, from a regulatory perspective, is the safety and well-being of the most vulnerable,” Wells told the commission at its meeting in Springfield. “That includes minors. If that means more security officers roaming the floor, if it means more personnel checking, then that’s what needs to be done.”
Casino president Mike Mathis said MGM is trying to address the problem — but did not fight the fine.
“To me, it’s a signal — it’s a signal to me, personally, a signal to the company, and to our staff, that our regulators are taking this very seriously, and that we have to continue to strive for 100 percent compliance — zero incidents,” he said.
Mathis said MGM continues to step up ID checking, and has also increased training for employees.
Safety near the casino
Later in the hearing, the commission's crime analyst, Christopher Bruce, said the MGM casino has been the "top hot spot" for crime, arrests and calls for police in the greater Springfield region.
But Bruce said the numbers from the casino's first four months are not necessarily something to worry about.
“I want to caution that just because it’s number one numerically doesn’t mean it’s unsafe in any particular way,” he said. “Any place that gathers thousands of people is going to have a certain volume of crime and calls for service.”
The report found incidents at the casino boosted violent crime about 2 percent in Springfield, with a 1 percent increase in property crimes. That's compared to a baseline study the consultant presented last fall.
Bruce also found the casino likely led to an increase in nighttime thefts from vehicles in neighborhoods near the casino.
And he found that vehicle crashes in the area show "patterns that could be attributed to the presence of MGM." From his report:
In Springfield, crashes were higher on streets directly around the casino, north in the Metro Center, southeast in Forest Park, and east in Old Hill. East Longmeadow, Wilbraham, Agawam, and West Springfield all showed increases on some intersections and stat routes that could plausibly feed traffic to MGM.
Bruce said he will provide a more detailed crash analysis for the area around the casino in the next report.
Heather Brandon contributed.
Disclosure: MGM has purchased underwriting from New England Public Radio publicizing the company's non-gambling activities. The NEPR newsroom operates independently of the station's development department, and editorial decisions are made without regard to any funding relationships.
