The Massachusetts Gaming Commission has announced that it has levied a $100,000 fine against MGM Resorts International for ‘multiple underage violations’ inside the American casino operator’s MGM Springfield facility.

Underage infractions:

The eastern state’s gaming regulator used an official Thursday press release (pdf) to detail that the financial penalty was imposed after examinations by its Investigations and Enforcement Bureau had uncovered ‘repeated noncompliance’ by the venue with measures ‘designed to protect and prevent underage persons from wagering or being in the gaming area.’

Two-month turmoil:

MGM Springfield began welcoming guests in late-August and the MA Gaming Commission explained that it had recorded some 22 incidents over the course of the facility’s first two operational months where individuals under the age of 21 had been allowed to access its casino floor. The regulator stated that it had uncovered a further eleven such occurrences before December 3 and that some of these may have also included underage patrons being permitted to consume alcoholic beverages.

Initial response:

Built at a cost of approximately $960 million, the MGM Springfield property features a 125,000 sq ft gambling floor complete with a collection of some 2,550 slots and 120 gaming tables. The regulator revealed that it had reacted to these initial infractions by ordering the Springfield facility to restrict underage access to a casino crosswalk in order to limit such individuals to a perimeter area.

Further breaches:

However, the Commission acknowledged that this measure had seemingly not worked as it had subsequently discovered a further 14 such incidents involving 19 underage individuals in the 20 weeks to April 23.

Consequence consent:

Karen Wells, Investigations and Enforcement Bureau Director for the Commission, declared that MGM Resorts International has agreed to pay the fine and, as such, had ‘waived its rights to an adjudicatory hearing.’ She proclaimed that the Las Vegas-headquartered casino firm has furthermore been ordered ‘to submit a detailed security plan’ detailing further measures to improve compliance.

Wells’ statement read…

“The gaming law places a high priority on the protection of minors and underage individuals. The Massachusetts Gaming Commission will continue to hold licensees to a high standard of compliance to protect the integrity of the gaming establishments.”