• Massachusetts lawmakers representing Springfield unsuccessfully sought to have the city’s Community Mitigation Fund money returned
• State lawmakers recently voted to redirect such annual allocations

Springfield, MA, home to MGM Springfield, will not regain its full annual allocation of community mitigation funding after state lawmakers this week rejected motions to reestablish the Western Massachusetts city’s full share.

The Marriott and Sheraton hotels in Springfield, Mass., are pictured from along Memorial Bridge. MGM Springfield is about two-tenths of a mile east of the Sheraton. (Image: Shutterstock)

Massachusetts’ 2011 Expanded Gaming Act established the Community Mitigation Fund (CMF).

The commonwealth’s Resort-Casino licensees, MGM Springfield and Encore Boston Harbor, direct 25% of their annual gross gaming revenue (GGR) to the state. Since the MGM and Wynn Resorts developments got underway almost a decade ago, the state has, in turn, used some of those casino tax proceeds to flush the Community Mitigation Fund. The account is to help host cities offset elevated costs associated with the casinos, including initiatives for community planning, public safety, transportation, and workforce development.

The refocus resulted in Springfield receiving less than $400K in community mitigation money in the 2025 fiscal year. 

Senate Rejects Amendments 

On Thursday, Massachusetts Sens. Adam Gomez (D-Hamden) and Jacob Oliveira (D-Hamden) proposed two amendments to restore Springfield’s annual mitigation benefit.

“In 2011, the Legislature passed the Expanded Gaming Act. That law wasn’t just about generating revenue; it was about responsible development. It recognized that casinos bring real impacts. To address those impacts, the Legislature created the Community Mitigation Fund, funded by 6.5% of gross gaming revenues. Since 2015, the CMF has awarded over $56 million in grants for cities and towns. But in FY25, that funding was zeroed out,” Gomez said on the Senate floor.

This was not a technical oversight; it was a policy choice,” Gomez continued. “It has real consequences. In Springfield, we are proud to host one of the state’s largest casinos. But it has brought increased demands on our services and roads. And in past years, we got millions from the CMF to meet these demands, but that funding is now gone and the impacts remain.”

Gomez’s Amendments 58 and 59 sought to restore the 6.5% funding for the CMF and ensure that Springfield is guaranteed $3 million annually moving forward.

Gomez cited the fact that while Springfield’s CMF benefit has nearly disappeared, lawmakers allocated Boston $10 million to offset hosting the World Cup next year. The Greater Boston Area will host seven World Cup matches, including a quarterfinal, at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, roughly 20 miles south of the capital city.

Stagnate Casino Revenue

State lawmakers said the annual CMF benefit for Springfield isn’t as needed as it once was, as costs associated with the construction and opening of the MGM casino are long in the past. Proponents of ending the subsidy also cited flattening casino revenue, meaning further public safety, community planning, and infrastructure costs directly linked to the casino are unlikely.

According to the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, gross gaming revenue at MGM Springfield (slots and table games) totaled $259.1 million in 2022, $274 million in 2023, and $272.1 million last year.

Through September, MGM Springfield’s GGR totaled $212.2 million. That’s a 4% year-over-year increase.

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