Penn National pays application fees to Springfield, state

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) - Penn National Gaming has announced they have paid the $650,000 in application fees required by both the City of Springfield and the Massachusetts Gaming Commission.

The company, which hopes to build an $807 million resort-style casino in the city’s North End, announced Friday that they had made the payments, which are required for them to move forward with their proposal. A majority of those fees, $400,000 goes to the state, while the remaining $250,000 is the city’s charge.

Penn National President and Chief Operating Officer Tim Willmott said that they are excited to move forward.

“We are more confident than ever that our proposal to develop a casino in the North End of Springfield is superior to any others that have been proposed in western Massachusetts,” said Wilmott in a statement sent to 22News.

Rival developer MGM, which hopes to build on a site in the South End, has already submitted the fee.