MGM Springfield Adds New Sports Lounges, Hopes for Sports Betting

MGM Springfield arrived on the casino scene in Massachusetts three years ago, determined to leave its mark on the state. It has succeeded, even as Encore Boston Harbor steals some of its thunder. The MGM Resorts International property is celebrating its third anniversary in style, introducing two dedicated sports lounges and asserting, “Our best days still lie before us.”

MGM Springfield Ready for the Future

MGM Springfield revealed its two new sports lounges yesterday, showing off video displays that would make every man-cave owner envious. According to media outlet MassLive, one of the lounges, located on the casino floor where video poker machines used to reside, sports a 45-foot, high-definition wall of 16 screens, with comfortable theater-style seating for up to 70. The lounge is topped off with an island bar, putting it within easy reach of everyone. The second lounge, added to the rear of the property’s Tap Room, is smaller, but also has its own viewing wall that is still impressive.

Casinos know they need to offer additional services other than the gaming tables and slot machines. They want to create a well-rounded experience for all of their guests, accomplished through the integration of amenities that provide more entertainment options. MGM Springfield was built on that mantra, and is also looking ahead to a different era of gaming in Massachusetts. That era, it hopes, will include sports betting and the new sports lounges will be the hub of significant activity. First, however, Massachusetts lawmakers have to figure out how to quit bickering and approve sports betting legislation. It could have happened this summer, but now the state has to wait until next year, at the earliest, to see legal sports betting.

MGM Springfield Rebounds from COVID-19

Like casinos across the globe, MGM Springfield suffered from the shutdowns caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. It was forced to close for four months last year, less than two years after it opened, but is now seeing a rebound with impressive revenue gains. New issues may arise from the resurgence of COVID-19; however, MGM Springfield is ready and will forge ahead off the knowledge and experience it gained from the previous closure.

According to Chris Kelley, the property’s president, “Our origins story is one that resembles the city itself — built on a fighting spirit, no stranger to challenges, resilience. And perhaps most importantly, in the case of our great city and the MGM property that carries its name, our best days still lie before us.” He added, “It’s fair to say that sometimes the future can be difficult to predict. But as our team members have embodied, inspired and demonstrated time and again: at MGM Springfield, we know how to hit the curve. Cheers to that.”