Gaming Commission Chairman Stephen Crosby speaks to Franklin County business leaders

GREENFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) - There are no plans in the works to build a casino in Franklin County, but the allowance of casino gambling in Massachusetts will have a statewide impact. That is why Gaming Commission Chairman Stephen Crosby came to Greenfield Friday morning to speak about the progress of the casino licensing process.

Crosby addressed the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce during a breakfast at Greenfield Community College.

Crosby’s stop in Greenfield is one of many that the Gaming Commission is doing across Massachusetts, in an effort to get feedback and educate community leaders about the casino process.

22News asked what the timeframe would be for when a casino would be up and running here in western Massachusetts.

"I would say at the very earliest, maybe two years from now. More likely two and a half to three is when the facilities will actually be up and operating," Crosby said.

Currently, there are four proposals for a casino in western Massachusetts, all of them are in Hampden County, with three in Springfield (Ameristar, MGM, and Penn National) and one is in Palmer (Mohegan Sun).