(Updated) Bob Salsberg, ASSOCIATED PRESS
BOSTON (AP) – A group led by Chicago casino and real estate tycoon Neil Bluhm was a late entry into the Massachusetts casino gambling competition on Tuesday as a key deadline approached for potential developers.
Massachusetts Gaming & Entertainment LLC announced that it had submitted a preliminary application along with a $400,000, non-refundable entry fee to the state’s Gaming Commission, though it had not yet chosen a location for a casino.
The company said it was evaluating “a select number of sites” in the Boston area and would make an announcement at a later date. It also did not specify in its statement whether it planned to bid for the eastern Massachusetts resort casino license or for a slots parlor.
“When developing our properties, we pride ourselves on customizing each project to the surrounding area and collaborating with the host community and other interested parties to build unique entertainment destinations,” said Greg Carlin, chief executive of Mass Gaming & Entertainment.
The company was formed by Bluhm, chairman of Chicago-based Rush Street Gaming. It operates casinos in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Des Plaines, Ill., near O’Hare International Airport.
The submission came just hours before the 5 p.m. Tuesday deadline set by the commission for initial applications and entry fees, and brought to eight the number of firms that have officially entered the competition for a gaming license under the state’s 2011 expanded gambling law.
The commission planned to announce the final field of applicants after the deadline, though it has not ruled out the possibility of accepting late applications.
Through Monday, seven would-be casino operators had submitted so-called Phase 1 applications.
MGM International, Penn National Gaming, Hard Rock International and Mohegan Sun are seeking the regional resort casino license for western Massachusetts. MGM and Penn National have both proposed casinos in Springfield, Hard Rock is looking to build at the Eastern States Exposition in West Springfield and Mohegan Sun has plans to build in the town of Palmer.
Wynn Resorts, run by Las Vegas casino magnate Steve Wynn, and the Suffolk Downs thoroughbred track in East Boston are pursuing the eastern resort casino license. Wynn has secured a lease on the site of a former chemical plant in Everett.
The Plainridge harness race track in Plainville is seeking the sole license available for a slots-only gambling facility. George Carney, president of Raynham Park, told The Associated Press in December that he also planned to seek a slots parlor license for the former dog-racing track.
The commission expects to spend several months investigating the financial qualifications and backgrounds of the Phase 1 applicants but will not yet be evaluating the specific development plans. Applicants cleared by the commission will then be invited to participate in a second, more competitive phase of the licensing process.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.
