MGM Springfield says it had slightly more than 2,000 employees at the end of June. That's according to the company's latest report to the Massachusetts Gaming Commission.
MGM Springfield head Mike Mathis told regulators in Springfield Thursday the casino lost about 200 employees to Encore Boston Harbor, mainly card dealers and managers, when its in-state rival opened this summer.
"I certainly don't fault them," Mathis said. "You had great, trained employees that were already licensed — licensed being the key to some of the pre-opening timeline. And they got more aggressive with offering our folks opportunities."
Mathis called losing employees to Encore "a one-time hit." He said MGM Springfield is working to bring potential new employees through training school, and is trying to hire former employees who worked at other casinos who may have been laid off.
After MGM's presentation, Massachusetts Gaming Commission Chair Cathy Judd-Stein insisted the Springfield casino is headed in the right direction. That's despite the size of the workforce going backwards, and the resort missing its first-year gambling revenue goal by more than $100 million.
Judd-Stein was asked if either of those issues concern her.
"With respect to economic development — I've said it before — it's a little bit of a long-term play," she said. "While it's been a full year, I think we continue to, and need to, look over more time to one, really understand our data, and then understand the trends."
Judd-Stein said the commission is satisfied with MGM, in terms of being what she called "a great partner for Springfield."
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