Massachusetts gamblers have officially enjoyed MGM Springfield for half a decade.
Opening in August 2018, MGM Springfield was the first full-service casino to open its doors in Massachusetts. Since then, the Springfield casino has become a local hot spot for entertainment.
So in honor of MGM Springfield’s fifth birthday, here’s a look at five eye-popping numbers related to the 125,000 square foot gaming facility.
More than $10 billion in total handle
In five years, bettors at MGM Springfield have wagered more than $10.4 billion. More specifically, MGM Springfield has generated a total handle of $10,411,798,675.
That total ranks third among Massachusetts casinos, behind Encore Boston Harbor ($16 billion) and Plainridge Park ($15.5 billion).
MGM Springfield boasts an all-time revenue mark of $1.1 billion, which has resulted in $290.3 million worth of taxes. The casino officially surpassed the $1 billion mark in revenue earlier this year in January.
More than $500 million added to Springfield economy
Long before MGM Springfield celebrated its five-year anniversary, a University of Massachusetts study revealed that the casino had an impact on the city by more than half a billion dollars.
UMass’ study focused solely on the construction of the casino — not its gambling output.
The casino’s construction created many job opportunities for local workers. In fact, the report said that 2,963 of the 4,249 workers responsible for its creation were Massachusetts residents.
The study also shares that for every two dollars spent on construction, another dollar was spent on other activities, such as clothing, food and housing for Massachusetts communities. Every dollar paid to construction workers building MGM Springfield resulted in $1.29 for local businesses.
Did not reach first-year revenue projections
MGM Springfield originally vowed to hit more than $400 million in revenue for its first year of operation. But it failed.
The casino’s first-year revenue came out to a little more than $250 million, or slightly more than half of the projections.
At the time, MGM Springfield President and COO Mike Mathis dismissed any sort of negativity around missing the projections. Instead, he highlighted the local impact the casino had on the Springfield area.
Mathis claimed that more than six million visitors stepped foot in the casino, and that it created 2,500 jobs. Originally, more than 3,000 employees worked at the casino, which equated to roughly 500 losing their jobs within the first year.
Features more than 1,500 slot machines
There’s no shortage of options for gamblers at MGM Springfield. Whether you’re a fan of slot machines or sitting down for a table game, the facility has you covered.
MGM Springfield boasts 1,506 slot machines, which stands as the second-most of any casino within Massachusetts.
It’s behind Encore Boston Harbor’s total of 2,464 and stands ahead of Plainridge Park Casino’s 937. It’s a good amount, considering that Massachusetts casinos as a whole reduced their slot machine count after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Additionally, the Springfield casino also offers guests 48 table games to play.
Over $8.5 million in sports betting handle
MGM Springfield began accepting sports bets in January. So far, the facility has generated $8,551,080 in total handle.
In turn, GM Springfield has reported $314,558 in revenue from sports betting, and has provided $83,108 in taxes to the stats.
Former Boston Bruin Ray Bourque was one of the first visitors to place a bet at the facility, and he placed his wager on — you guessed it — his former team to win the Stanley Cup.
Additionally, Massachusetts State Senator Adam Gomez placed a wager on the Kansas City Chiefs to win Super Bowl. Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno and State Representative Carlos Gonzalez also bet on the game, but wagered on the Philadelphia Eagles to come out on top.