Few markets our size have the combination of tourism attractions we do

July 1, 2019 | G. Michael Dobbs
news@thereminder.com

I was on vacation last week and as I stare at this blank page on Monday morning I wish I were still in bed.

That would be a serious neglect of my duties, though, and that would not be acceptable so here goes.

When I go on vacation I tend not to follow so much news. After all what is the point of time off if you still think about the very things that make up your business?

But I did see a few stories.

The double announcement that MGM Springfield won’t have a Wahlburgers anytime soon and that it is closing its Starbucks may seem like bad news.

No, it’s not, but haters are going to hate, as the kids say these days.

The last thing that casino needs is a burger restaurant. There are plenty of fine hamburgers available in the city and its environs. I never understood why we would need this one, except for the “celebrity” factor.

The casino’s own sports bar makes a mighty fine burger – several of them, in fact – so I really couldn’t see this other place was needed.

So, if the casino is still planning a standalone eatery on campus allow me to suggest a 24/7 breakfast spot. That would be a complement to other casino services.

Or perhaps an Asian fusion restaurant or one with Puerto Rican food – there are a lot of choices.

As far as the Starbucks go, the casino management has stated it needs a spot for a VIP lounge. Okay, I’ll accept that, but what I really think the complex needs is a dance club.

Not that I would go. No one needs to see me attempt to dance, but I bet younger casino patrons would enjoy such a venue and downtown Springfield would benefit from such a club.

A burger joint and a VIP lounge will probably be the least of MGM’s competitive issues. The Encore casino outside of Boston has opened and industry analysts are watching what happens next.

The theory is that with Encore open there would be little reason for anyone in the eastern part of the state to come here just for the casino experience.

We are about to see what happens in the relatively compact space of Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island when it comes to preferences for casino gaming: I’m concerned the region can not support the amount of gaming it has and we should see considerably more marketing – and competition – to capture the market.

Todd Shriber writing on the Casino.org website, said, “Gaming companies are always looking for new ways to lure and keep big bettors. Encore Boston Harbor is pulling out stops, including offering VIPs prime seating at Boston Bruins and Celtics games as well as skyboxes at storied Fenway Park for Red Sox games.

“Earlier this year, MGM Springfield signed a marketing deal with the defending World Series champion Red Sox to become the team’s official casino resort, replacing Connecticut’s Foxwoods, a tribal gaming venue.

“Data suggest MGM has been adept at attracting visitors from various parts of New England, but less so at gaining customers from Eastern Massachusetts, one of the most affluent regions in the US. Encore Boston Harbor is located in the eastern part of the state.”

I’m not surprised MGM isn’t pulling as much as it should from the Boston area. If I were to guess the 90-minute drive is the thing that prevented the average Bostonian from coming here, along with the fact too many of them believe we travel by horse and buggy and don’t have flush toilets.

Most people in the Boston area spend 90 minutes in traffic just to get anywhere.

For MGM to enjoy success, in my humble opinion, there has to be greater synergy between it and the other attractions in the region: Six Flags, the Springfield Museums, the Basketball Hall of Fame and all of the year-round activities offered at the Big E grounds.

Few markets our size have the combination of tourism attractions we do. They all must work together for all of them to prosper.

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