Massachusetts’s two casino resorts would like to offer poker again, but the lack of it doesn’t seem to be a major hit to their profits.
Although Governor Charlie Baker is releasing a timeline for reopening, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission has not given a timeline for the return of poker.
The Plainridge Park slots parlor and the MGM Springfield and Encore Boston Harbor have operated under diminished capacity since July of 2020. They also were required to have masks for all, limit the types of games and other safety protocols. The Springfield and Boston casinos have yet to formally request a return of poker.
Despite Baker’s announcements, the commission will decide when casinos can actually bring back poker. The only exception are the casino restaurants, which can reopen fully based on the governor’s executive orders.
MGC Investigations and Enforcement Bureau Director Loretta Lillios commented recently, “The three licensees are continuing to abide by and dedicate substantial staff and resources to the health and safety measures put into place by the commission, and this also holds true so those areas of the gaming establishments, in particular the restaurants, that are governed by the specifications put into place by the governor’s office.”
IEB Assistant Director Bruce Band added, “Since the governor’s announcement, our questions about when poker is opening up in this state has increased probably by 30 percent. Everybody’s asking us when we’re opening up.”
The commission’s restart group will begin working soon, according to MGC Executive Director Karen Wells.
Over the past few months the commission has allowed the casinos to add some games, including roulette and craps. Technically the casinos could have offered poker, but they said they couldn’t make a profit if the number of players was limited to four. According to the Encore Boston Harbor, “fully operational poker” would allow nine players.
The MGM has made similar statements.
Even without poker the Bay State’s casinos are rebounding nicely. March was the best month for all three casinos, ever.
