MGM Springfield Reports First Year a Success

Michael Mathis, president of MGM Springfield, has reported that the first year of the casino was a success. While revenues for the first year are significantly below its own predictions, Mathis said that the casino is doing fine and he is bullish about the coming year.

“I think there were a lot of naysayers that first said we would never build this; then they said people wouldn’t come because it’s Springfield. And a year later, 6 million visitors later, we’re knocking the cover off the ball on many, many facets of it,” Mathis said.

He cited examples of success as bringing in “world class” entertainment to the downtown, hiring approximately 2500 employees, and that about 40% of its workforce is from Springfield compared to its goal of 35%. In addition, the casino has not caused the traffic congestion and crime that some of the naysayers predicted, Mathis said.

For the month of July, MGM Springfield’s gross gaming revenue was $20.4 million, a 2.23% increase over gaming revenues in June. Since its opening, it has not come close to its expectations of raising $418 million in annual gross gaming revenues during its first full year of operation.

The market has some really strong competitors that have been in operation for many years, Mathis said. MGM Springfield, in luring people to the Springfield casino, has been “really successful in getting return trips.”

“It’s just a matter of when we are going to be able to get there. It’s going to take some time in a market like this. If you look at any other facility in the market, there’s always a ramp-up,” Mathis said.

The casino is making a number of changes such as adding bars including a VIP Lounge, adding new amenities, “and we will continue to get smarter about it and chip away into that number,” Mathis added.