Underneath Massachusetts’ 2011 Expanded Gaming Act, MGM Springfield is required to direct 6.5% of its gross gaming income to the state’s Group Mitigation Fund. The fund, which is run by the Massachusetts Gaming Fee, helps communities and governmental entities in offsetting impression prices associated to the operation of close by casinos.
MGM Springfield opened in 2018 and has since been offering essential funding to neighboring cities and cities via the Massachusetts Gaming Fee’s Group Mitigation Fund. The fund is served by a 6.5% tax levied on MGM Springfield and Encore Boston Harbor. (Picture: MassLive)
Holyoke is simply north of Springfield alongside the Connecticut River’s western financial institution. The Hampden County metropolis submitted its 2023 Group Mitigation Fund Grant Utility in January.
This week, the MGC agreed to award Holyoke the $200K that metropolis officers requested for the promotion of tourism and advertising initiatives. This 12 months marks the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of Holyoke being integrated within the commonwealth. The $200K grant will assist the town, which is dwelling to roughly 39K residents, fund its sesquicentennial celebrations and promote itself sooner or later.
Aaron Vega, the director of Holyoke’s Workplace of Planning and Financial Improvement, mentioned the cash will even assist the creation of a brand new tourism web site for the city and assist implement the town’s historic tourism plan. The remaining funds will go to the Holyoke Public Library and the town’s historic fee.
Different Massachusetts cities looking for 2023 grants via the Group Mitigation Fund embrace Everett, Malden, Revere, and Foxboro.
On line casino Hall
Together with the aforementioned allocations, Vega says metropolis officers are contemplating launching a shuttle service that will higher hyperlink MGM Springfield with Holyoke.
The shuttle service will create extra handy transportation between MGM Springfield and Holyoke that can incentivize residents and guests of Holyoke to go to the on line casino,” Holyoke’s grant utility defined. “Moreover, it is going to be a cross-marketing alternative for each the on line casino and the Metropolis of Holyoke.”
The shuttle is predicted to play a essential position in fostering Holyoke’s tourism initiatives and financial objectives, Vega defined.
“We’re going to capitalize on the truth that extra persons are coming to Western Massachusetts due to the on line casino,” Vega instructed The Republican.
This marks the second time that Holyoke has acquired a $200K allocation from the on line casino fund. In 2019, the town used an identical grant to ascertain its tourism plan.
The Group Mitigation Fund gives grants for eight distinct causes, which embrace transportation planning, transportation building, tasks of regional significance, workforce growth, group planning, public security, gaming arduous discount, and particular impacts regarding the operation of a gaming institution.
On line casino Taxes
Massachusetts locations a 25% tax on gross gaming income generated by its two Class 1 business resort casinos, MGM Springfield and Encore Boston Harbor. The state taxes the slots-only facility, Plainridge Park, considerably increased at 49%.
In Could, the three casinos reported GGR of roughly $98.7 million. Encore has lengthy been the market dominator, and in Could, simply led the best way with about $62.5 million. MGM was a distant second at $23.3 million. Massachusetts’ tax share final month got here to roughly $27.7 million.
Whereas 6.5% of the 25% tax positioned on MGM and Encore is earmarked for the Group Mitigation Fund, the Plainridge on line casino taxes don’t assist the initiative. As an alternative, the slot taxes are allotted for native help and the state’s Race Horse Improvement Fund.
The state additionally receives 20% of on-line sportsbook income and 15% of the gross income from retail bets. In Could, oddsmakers received $60.9 million from bettors and directed $12.1 million to the state.
Massachusetts has benefited by greater than $1 billion in gaming taxes since authorizing casinos.
