2 Mass. gaming panel staffers to step down

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http://www.bostonherald.com/business/business_markets/2015/07/2_mass_gaming_panel_staffers_to_step_down



2 Mass. gaming panel staffers to step down
Tuesday, July 28, 2015
Bob McGovern

The Gaming Commission’s executive director and a commissioner will step down soon, and officials may have a hard time finding willing replacements due to the ongoing brouhaha surrounding the casino business in the Bay State, according to a gaming expert.

Gaming Commission Executive Director Rick Day and James F. McHugh, one of five commissioners, are “moving on to the next phase of their lives,” according to a memo from Chairman Steve Crosby. McHugh, who said he is retiring, will leave Sept. 30. The commission will meet to determine when Day will step aside, according to spokeswoman Elaine Driscoll. She declined to comment on why Day is leaving.

“All of a sudden, you’re going to have to get two people to start from scratch, and that’s not going to be easy at all,” said Father Richard McGowan, a professor at Boston College who follows the gaming industry. “I don’t know if you’re going to have too many eager people. This is a full-time job, and finding someone to fill that role is going to be difficult.”

Day, who makes $185,000 a year, and McHugh, who makes $64,532, are leaving as the commission faces numerous challenges. It is defending itself against a lawsuit from city of Boston, which has argued that it should be a host community to the Wynn casino set for Everett. Recently, a developer withdrew a proposal to build a
$650 million casino in New Bedford, citing too much potential competition.