Mohegan Sun Palmer News

"Palmer has been tremendously supportive and welcoming to Mohegan Sun during this past year," said Jeff Hartmann, Chief Operating Officer at Mohegan Sun. "There's a lot of excitement about the project and the economic opportunities it will create, and we'd like to take this evening on May 6th to thank community residents for their interest, and to discuss next steps as we move forward in this process."

Mohegan Sun Palmer will bring 2,500 to 3,000 permanent, full-time jobs and another 1,500 to 2,000 construction jobs to western Massachusetts. It will also create a variety of opportunities for Mohegan Sun to partner with area businesses, tourism entities and cultural organizations to promote growth throughout the region. Mohegan Sun is excited to continue meeting with the local community about this significant opportunity.

We want to thank you for your interest during the past year with an open house event at our office at 1426 Main Street. The event takes place on May 6, 2010 from 5:00pm to 7:00pm. Mohegan Sun officials will be there to answer your questions about the future of the Palmer destination casino resort.

Please join us for this event marking our one year anniversary in Palmer.

Refreshments and appetizers will be served.

Join us on May 6th at the Mohegan Sun storefront at 1426 Main Street in Palmer from 5:00pm to 7:00pm. RSVPs are encouraged.  Please respond to ahause@oneillandassoc.com

The Republican Supports Expanded Gaming in the Commonwealth and a Destination Casino Resort for Western Massachusetts

In a comprehensive and wide-ranging editorial, The Republican announces its support for expanded gaming in the Commonwealth and for a destination casino resort in western Massachusetts. The region's leading daily newspaper cites new revenues and job creation as major benefits of expanded gaming, and says that a "resort casino in Palmer - like the $500 to $600 million facility proposed by Mohegan Sun on land near Exit 8 off the Massachusetts Turnpike - would deliver thousands of good-paying jobs."
Read the full article »

Strong Support in Palmer for Mohegan Sun Destination Casino Resort

A recent UMass Dartmouth poll finds that support continues to grow for a destination resort casino resort in Palmer.  Sixty-four percent of local residents polled indicated they support a proposal by Mohegan Sun to build a resort casino in town - up from 60 percent last summer, and 55 percent in 2008. Mohegan Sun estimates that the project would create 2,500 to 3,000 permanent, full-time jobs.
Read the full article »

Massachusetts Political Leaders Discuss Support for Expanded Gaming in the Commonwealth

In an op-ed to the Boston Globe, House Speaker Robert DeLeo and House Committee Chairman Brian Dempsey cite significant job creation and new revenues as reasons why they support expanded gaming in Massachusetts.  Speaker DeLeo and Chairman Dempsey project that the bill could generate as many as 6,000 construction jobs and 7,000 permanent service sector jobs.
Read the full article »

With overwhelming support, the House of Representatives passed expanded gaming legislation on April 14th. The landslide vote of 120-37 approved a bill that would feature two destination casino resorts in the Commonwealth. The process will now move to the Senate, where officials are expected to take up the debate in the coming weeks.

Once legislation has been voted upon in the Senate, finalized and signed by the Governor, an advisory commission will be formed to begin the process of determining the geographic areas for the two destination resort casinos. In addition, each host municipality will hold a local referendum to ensure that the community is in favor of hosting a resort casino.

"During the past year we've had the opportunity to talk with thousands of residents in Palmer and throughout western Massachusetts who are excited about the economic development and job creation that is part of the Mohegan Sun Palmer project," said Paul Brody, Vice President of Development at Mohegan Sun.  "We look forward to the process ahead and the chance to compete for a license that will allow us to create thousands of jobs and a new tourist destination in the region."

Longtime Mohegan Sun employees in Connecticut have discussed what it's like working at a premier entertainment destination that features everything from top casino games and fine dining to retail stores and concerts.

"Working at Mohegan Sun is different from any other place I've worked," said Brenda Schafer, Benefits Specialist at Mohegan Sun who has been with the company for almost 13 years. "It's given me a lot more experience and ability to try different things."

"That's what is great about destination casino resorts like ours, which are really about daily performances on many levels," said Jeff Hartmann, chief operating officer at Mohegan Sun. "Our Palmer project will create thousands of jobs and opportunities for western Massachusetts residents to become a part of a diverse industry."

During the announcement of the gambling bill, Speaker DeLeo made it clear that jobs and revenue were the main focus of the proposed legislation. "The bill is about creating or preserving jobs, jobs and more jobs," said Speaker DeLeo.

The bill estimates that approximately 15,000 permanent and temporary jobs will be created - 3,500 jobs at each casino resort and 1,000 at each track. The Mohegan Sun Palmer project alone would produce 1,000 to 2,000 construction jobs and 2,500 to 3,000 permanent jobs for the western Massachusetts.

In addition, the bill is expected to bring in between $300 and $600 million in new state revenue annually. The Commonwealth would collect 40 percent of revenues from slot machines at the tracks and 25 percent of slots and table game revenue at the casinos.