PHILIP MARCELO, Associated Press
BOSTON (AP) — MGM Resorts International has paid Massachusetts a required $85 million gambling licensing fee for its $800 million Springfield resort casino, state gambling regulators announced yesterday.
The Las Vegas-based company, through the limited liability company Blue Tarp reDevelopment, submitted the payment for its 15-year license electronically. MGM won the western region’s sole resort casino license over the summer. The license payment did not come due until after voters defeated a ballot question to repeal the state’s casino law earlier this month.
The state Gaming Commission said MGM’s payment brings the total amount of gambling license payments received by the state to $195 million.
Wynn Resorts, which is building a $1.6 billion casino in Everett, paid its $85 million fee earlier this month. Penn National Gaming has also paid a $25 million slots-parlor license fee for its $225 million expansion of Plainridge, the harness racing track in Plainville.
The gambling commission says the payments will be forwarded to the state comptroller’s office, which will then distribute the money to a range of public funds.
Among them are the health care payment reform fund (23 percent); the community colleges fund (17 percent); the transportation infrastructure fund (14.5 percent); the manufacturing fund (13 percent); and the community mitigation fund (10 percent).
