The second-largest casino in Massachusetts has new leadership.
MGM Resorts announced Tuesday that Louis Theros would become the new president of MGM Springfield.
Theros replaces Chris Kelley, who stepped down a few days earlier. Kelley had served as president of the casino for four years, taking the reigns in January 2020.
Theros comes to Springfield via MGM Detroit
Theros was previously vice president and legal counsel for MGM Grand Detroit Casino. He has worked for MGM since 2015.
Additionally, Theros served as the mayor of Grosse Pointe Farms, a community on the eastern outskirts of Detroit, near the Canadian border. However, with his new responsibilities in Massachusetts, Theros will resign from his post.
Theros received his bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Michigan and his law degree from Vanderbilt University Law School. He is a graduate of Grosse Pointe North High School.
Transition from Detroit to Springfield appears seemless
MGM Springfield spokesperson Beth Ward told MassLive that Theros was already on the job.
“Louie has been literally hitting the ground running,” Ward said.
MGM Resorts announced on Jan. 2 that now-former MGM Springfield President and CEO Chris Kelley had resigned his position to move to the West Coast for family reasons.
Of the three casinos in Massachusetts, MGM Springfield is the second-largest. In November, the most recent month with available data, the Springfield property netted nearly $21 million in gross gaming revenue.
It was more than Plainrdige Park Casino’s $11.6 million but less than Encore Boston Harbor’s $61.4 million.
Theros will oversee nearly 1,500 employees
MGM Springfield employs 1,488 people, according to a filing with the Massachusetts Gaming Commission during the first quarter of 2023.
The casino is located in the heart of Springfield, roughly 90 miles west from downtown Boston. MGM opened the facility in August 2018. It was the first Las Vegas-style casino in the Bay State.
The legislature legalized brick-and-mortar casinos in 2011. Plainridge Park opened in 2011 but only offers slot machines. Table games weren’t available in Massachusetts until MGM arrived.
Massachusetts sports betting launched in January 2023, but only in brick-and-mortar locations. MA online sportsbooks became available in March. MGM Springfield is home to a BetMGM retail sportsbook location.
Additionally, there are about 1,500 slot machines and 120 table games. It’s the second-largest gaming floor in the Commonwealth.