As regulators convene a meeting with licensees Wednesday morning, Encore Boston Harbor, MGM Springfield and Plainridge Park Casino have requested that the Mass. Gaming Commission allow them to return to full pre-pandemic operations as the governor lifts COVID-19 restrictions this weekend.
"This would mean opening up every slot machine, every gaming table, restoring our restaurants to previous occupancy, restoring the occupancy of the gaming floor," Jacqui Krum, senior vice president at Encore Boston Harbor, said. She added, "We would allow fully vaccinated guests to not wear a mask, and we will continue to make complimentary masks available for guests to use."
Seth Stratton, vice president and general counsel of MGM Springfield, told commissioners after Krum's presentation, "We're just going to say 'me too' generally to what Jacqui said. We echo her comments."
Plainridge Park General Manager North Grounsell said the Plainville slots parlor wants "to be able to conduct any activity that is permissible by law and regulations for which the business demand is present and that we have the team members available to meet those first two requirements."
Gov. Charlie Baker is lifting nearly all COVID-19 business restrictions effective Saturday, but the gaming areas of the state's slots parlor and two casinos are under the purview of the Gaming Commission. That body is meeting Wednesday with representatives from Encore, MGM Springfield and Plainridge Park Casino to consider unwinding its own COVID-19 restrictions.
Since mid-July 2020, the casinos and slots parlor have been operating under the commission's guidelines, which cap occupancy (currently at no more than 40 percent), require masks, limit which games are offered and more.
A return to pre-pandemic operations for the three gaming centers would mean a return to standard occupancy levels, the rebooting of all slot machines, table games with a full complement of player seats, the removal of most plexiglass barriers and allowing fully vaccinated gamblers to go mask-free. It would also mean a return to pre-pandemic cocktail service and guests would no longer have to be seated to be served a beverage.
But neither Encore nor MGM Springfield would commit Wednesday to bring poker back as a part of their return to normal operations. The casinos have said poker is not profitable for them with only four players allowed at a table under the commission's rules and officials from both facilities said they will assess the future of poker and will announce a decision on whether to bring it back by the end of 2021.
