Remember some of the greatest New England comebacks? How about the 2004 Red Sox breaking the curse as the first baseball team to return from a 0-3 deficit and win a seven-game series? Then, there’s Super Bowl LI, when the New England Patriots came back from a 25-point deficit in only 114 seconds, giving them the Super Bowl LI Champions title against the Atlanta Falcons. And how about the Amazing Comeback by Massachusetts Casinos in the past few months?
The Commonwealth’s Cautious Approach
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts has tended to hold up progress in its relatively new gambling industry. The reasoning has always been “to do it right the first time.” But, it’s not necessarily a negative approach. For example, Massachusetts has the best safeguards in New England for problem gambling in place with GameSense.
When it comes to gambling, Massachusetts casinos have been behind at times. Examples include:
- Each casino was at least one year late in the opening
- Massachusetts opened after the pandemic over a month later than the Connecticut tribal casinos. Even Later than Twin River and Tiverton casinos.
- The reopening did not include Roulette, Craps, and Poker for the first month, and poker rooms continue to be dormant, while Connecticut and New Hampshire are the only states to offer poker in casinos.
Related Post – MASSACHUSETTS CASINOS ENDURE TOUGH ROAD
An Astounding Comeback
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts kept the three casinos under a watchful eye, employing stricter Covid protocols than other businesses. But, this summer, the Massachusetts gaming industry had a fantastic comeback.
Picture this:
- MGM Springfield managed to bring in over $21 million last month – a slight drop from March, yet nothing that will worry MGM Resorts officials.
- The Encore Boston Harbor generated almost half of the April total of over $50 million of the state’s gross gaming revenue, making it the most popular gambling venue in the state.
- Plainridge Park Casino added over $12 million last month – more than any month since June 2019 — nine months before the pandemic struck.
All of these factors added to a massive summer for Massachusetts casinos. Despite the protocol of everyone being masked in all three casinos as of September, it seems that players are almost back in full force. Patrons are excited to enjoy entertainment as they did before with more vaccinations. Massachusetts’s gaming industry should continue to make a fantastic comeback.
Latest Setbacks
Massachusetts does have casinos, so it’s not anti-gambling. Three Massachusetts commercial casinos — Plainridge Park in Plainville, Encore Boston Harbor in Everett and MGM Springfield —reported $762,758,615 in combined handle for August. That’s the second-best month in the state after July’s $807,913,393.
Lou Monaco for TopUsCasinos
As mentioned previously, facemasks have returned to Massachusetts casinos. However, only MGM Springfield requires them due to MGM requiring all guests to wear face masks inside public spaces at all of its U.S. “outlets” as it moves to upgrade its coronavirus safety measures. Previously, the casino operator only required employees to wear masks. While seemingly a setback in this remarkable comeback by Massachusetts Casinos, it has not diminished the number of visitors. The most significant setback is the inability to legalize sports betting.
A recent post by Lou Monaco for TopUsCasinos reports, “When asked about the possibility of sports betting legislation this fall, Senate President Karen Spilka told the news service that the Senate Ways and Means Committee…is looking into it. However, no hearings are scheduled shortly, according to the committee’s website…”
Two months ago, the Massachusetts state House approved legal sports betting legislation – again! But the state Senate continues to hold the process. According to Mr. Monaco, “The state Senate does plan to debate and vote next week on an election reform bill Democrats put out on Thursday, with… key priorities up in the air.”
Accentuating the Positive
After a terrific summer in New England’s casinos, the positives outweigh the negatives.
Roulette and Craps are Back!...with poker to open in the fall!
Entertainment is Back With the Following Openings:
- MGM – Roar Comedy Club & Symphony Hall Events
- Encore – Memoire
- Plainridge Park – Revolution Lounge
Sports Betting lounges for when The Commonwealth legalizes it.
- MGM Springfield has prepared two betting areas, the sportsbook and the annex in TAP Sports Bar
- Encore Boston Harbor has replaced the Buffet area with its vast sportsbook.
Summary – Will the Amazing Comeback Continue?
Yes. And neighboring states with legalized sports betting should pursue sports bettors now with a vengeance. Once Massachusetts legalizes it (when or if), it will be every state for itself. Hopefully, this competition will translate to favorable odds for players.
Binbin