In 2011, commercial casinos were legalized with the passage of the Expanded Gaming Act. Two Indian tribes have been trying for many years to open their own gambling operations in the state but have received staunch opposition.
Horse race betting has been legal in Massachusetts since the 1930s, and a state lottery was established in 1971, but the state has made progress toward casino legalization only in the last couple of decades. The MGM Springfield brought in revenues of about $9.5m (£7.2m) in its first week of business.
It took seven years after legalization, but the first resort casino in Massachusetts finally opened on August 24.
