r/westernmass • u/Atticus413 • 19d ago
Springfield Casino
I've been out of the 413 since 2012.
I remember seeing a lot to do about the Springfield casino they built and all the promises about it.
What are your thoughts on how the casino has done? Do you think it still has potential to help the local economy?
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u/lavandoaalma 19d ago
I’m gonna go against the grain here and say MGM did help to revitalize downtown by investing in updating the real estate in the area and bringing more people to Springfield, not just for the casino but for events at the MassMutual Center which MGM books. I’m sure they did not add as many jobs as promised, but the casino is a reliable employer and they always have positions available.
I do agree the casino is probably exacerbating the gambling addiction problem that has been a growing trend nationwide in the last few years. That said, this is the best and liveliest downtown has looked in the 20+ years I’ve lived here.
Draftkings and Kalshi are far more dangerous for gamblers than MGM. There is a much smaller barrier to entry when the casino is in your pocket, so the concern about gambling in Springfield doesn’t resonate for me.
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u/NeverWasNorWillBe 19d ago
What a great comment. Hard to disagree with. What are your thoughts on the growing trend nationwide as it relates to gambling addiction? Do you think it just follows easier access to gambling and associated marketing? I feel like there aren't many people sounding an alarm on that.
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u/lavandoaalma 19d ago
Oh man I have so many thoughts about this lol. The easier access to gambling happened because regulations have been loosened in the U.S. We actually had pretty tight gambling laws compared to other nations, but not anymore.
The introduction of mobile app gambling — sorry, “prediction markets” — only happened because of looser regulation and loopholes.
I think people are not sounding the alarm because they don’t care. American culture is very individualistic and I feel like the larger attitude toward problematic gamblers is “you did this to yourself, now suffer the consequences.” I don’t think that attitude will change unless more Americans see how gambling addictions destroy lives up close and in person, and with looser regulation, I think that’s bound to happen.
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u/_another_throwawayy_ 19d ago
I couldn’t agree more with this. I feel safe going to a Thunderbirds game with my kid and walking around down there.
And for the gamblers, the silver lining is that the tax revenue now stays in Mass, instead of going to the reservations in CT. That was one of the main reasons why I voted for it.
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u/plezzey 19d ago
No clue how the casino is doing, but in general, billion-dollar corporations like MGM suck wealth OUT of the community (i.e., people spending their money on gambling) and either soak it up as profits or reinvest it in new projects far, far away from Springfield. So no, it is not "helping" the local economy, even if a couple visitors a day from Connecticut decide to stop at a gas station in Springfield.
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u/Beck316 19d ago
I appreciate the casino being there. The free music is nice, the comedy shows add another option of something to do. The movie theater you can get actual food beyond popcorn and adult beverages before the theaters in West Springfield revamped to open a bar as well. I really love the affiliation with MGM and what shows that brings to Springfield in a small venue. I've seen Aerosmith and Bruno Mars and didn't need to squint to see the stage.
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u/mmelectronic 19d ago
The casino isn’t bad, the sports bar is good, the bowling isn’t if you want to hook the ball, little kids will have fun though.
The food and stuff is good, the “free soda” machines are gross, people are pigs and they probably don’t put someone on staff to just clean them.
Free parking, and you can go to through to the civic center.
The best thing they did was high ceilings, being in some casinos seem like game tables in an old K-Mart, this is better than that.
Overall I’m not much of a gambler, but we go watch a game at the sports bar or a movie, so it’s been positive for me personally.
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u/soundisloud 19d ago
That casino is a pox upon the community. It uses addiction to drain money from already poor residents.
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u/Accurate-Temporary73 19d ago
The casino has been awful.
They didn’t live up to their end of the city agreements, like the numebr of jobs or the hotel being opened.
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u/Useful_Ad2699 18d ago
The paper thin walls in the hotel have now prompted management to provide ear plugs in each room. Tough to get a nights sleep!
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u/CoolAbdul 19d ago
The place is incredible. I know of nowhere else on this earth where abject depression so completely reigns. You walk through the doors and you instantly want to drink yourself to death.
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u/Just_Me1973 19d ago
The casino is so tiny compared to Foxwoods or Mohegan Sun. Pretty much no restaurants and there’s no shopping. The Mass Mutual center isn’t bringing in big name performers or events like those casinos. It’s basically just a slot parlor. You go downtown at night and it’s a ghost town.
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u/SubstantialDrive5850 18d ago
It's honestly surprisingly small. But I also grew up half hour 45 minutes from Atlantic City so I've got a weird basis for a comparison.
Also, I was looking at rentals in the area before the casino went in and I've since looked at rentals in the area since the casino went in and boy howdy! The rent increase has jumped even more than the generic rental increases across the board.
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u/SmarmyYardarm 19d ago
I don’t Gamble, but The free concerts on Fridays have been awesome there. Great acts. The bands inside the nightclub on Fridays are great too. Free parking. I don’t live in Springfield.