So we're not going to lose focus on that. 'That's the whole thing with MGM and continued city projects, whether downtown or in our neighborhoods. But the message here is that things are being repurposed, retooled, and we're still looking to get to those goals,' Sarno said. 'We have to acknowledge how COVID-19 pandemic has affected each and every one of us for the last two and a half years. Mayor Domenic Sarno thanked Hornbuckle for visiting and for delivering his message 'bluntly.' He also said the casino expects to open for sports betting later this month. Hornbuckle said he wants to bring MGM Springfield 'back to life.' He announced the reopening and expanded hours of some restaurants and non-gambling activities. 'If there was an economic motivator of real scale, you know, in retrospect, this project would have never happened,' he said.

He noted the company had kept its financial commitments to Springfield, with $107 million going to the city, and said he has a 'deep, deep respect for this community.'Īsked about specific benchmarks MGM was looking for, Hornbuckle said he wanted the Springfield casino to 'lean in more on community communications.' He said the company has forecasts and budgets, but no 'economic benchmark, per se.'

Hornbuckle on Friday declined to comment on the lawsuit. They pointed to a discrimination lawsuit filed by a former employee, who claimed the casino fudged its workforce diversity numbers. Hornbuckle came to Springfield a few weeks after some local officials again questioned MGM's commitment to the city. We're trying to make the very best of it,' he said. 'We thought there would be more business here than ultimately materialized - scale, scope, etc. But he also said the company misread the Springfield market. Hornbuckle blamed the even smaller staff now on the COVID-19 pandemic, in-part. The numbers dropped significantly in the months that followed. Hornbuckle said the casino opened with more than 2,900 employees, in August 2018. Gambling revenues are about $22 million a month, far off from MGM's projections. Our original valuation of this market simply was off - full stop.' 'Let's just come to an understanding here: If it's, something dynamically has changed in this marketplace. ' milestone ought to be like 2,000 employees, not ,' he said, according to audio recorded by WAMC. On a visit to Springfield to meet with city officials, Bill Hornbuckle said the resort employed 1,440 employees, with 279 openings. The president and CEO of MGM Resorts said Friday it's 'not a real notion' to expect its Springfield casino to return to its originally promised number of 3,000 jobs. 15, 2018, photo shows slot machines on the main floor at the MGM Springfield casino.

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