Massachusetts okays Plainridge Park opening, lets top regulator off the hook

Like Michael Corleone at the end of the first Godfather movie, Thursday saw the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) settle all family business.

To start, the MGC voted to issue a provisional “opening certificate” to Plainridge Park Casino, officially clearing the way for next week’s launch of Penn National Gaming’s $250m venue. The property will have a test run on Monday (22) before opening to the public on Wednesday. The slots parlor is the first of four new major gaming venues the state will welcome in coming years.

Second, the office of state Attorney General Maura Healey said it wouldn’t take any action on a protest filed by the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe, which had challenged the legality of Plainridge’s deal with the state.

In May, the tribe accused the MGC of breaking both state law and the tribe’s gaming compact with the state by allowing electronic table games at the Plainridge facility. State law restricts Plainridge to no more than 1,250 slot machines but the MGC has allowed the venue up to 1,500 ‘gaming positions,’ which includes multi-player electronic tables offering craps, blackjack and other games.