MGM told to tone down Springfield casino billboard
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (AP) — A casino billboard visible from a Massachusetts highway won’t use animations to draw visitors to MGM’s $960 million resort.
The Massachusetts Gaming Commission on Tuesday unanimously denied the Las Vegas company’s request to run videos and moving images on a large, electronic billboard on the side of its parking garage facing Interstate 91 in Springfield.
The five-member panel said the casino, for now, can post static images that rotate no more than every eight seconds. The commission will revisit the issue in 90 days.
Regulators are concerned bright, moving lights could distract drivers and lead to more accidents. MGM said a consultant’s study concluded there’s “no statistically significant correlation” between electronic signs and driver safety.
MGM Springfield is slated to open Aug. 24 as Massachusetts’ first Vegas-style resort.
