In the US, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission will investigate Pansy Ho and her relationship to MGM Resorts as it examines the company’s bid for the western Massachusetts casino licence.
Commission chairman Stephen Crosby said it will look at everyone important to each applicant, including Pansy Ho, MGM’s partner in Macau.
Crosby said the commission is likely to approve two casino licences next February and March and the slots casino licence in September or October.
The third full casino licence will go to the Mashpee Wampanoag Indians, assuming the tribe gets various federal approvals and negotiates a compact with the state that can get Department of Interior approval, all of which appears to be in progress.
The issue of MGM’s relationship with Pansy Ho was bound to come up because New Jersey investigators found her unsuitable for licensing. MGM is now asking New Jersey to reopen its licensing renewal saying circumstances have changed in Macau with MGM China now a public company and Ho’s share of the company having been cut from 50 to 27.4 per cent.
Ho was found unsuitable because of her father’s alleged, but never proven, association with criminals and the belief of New Jersey investigators that she was not sufficiently independent of her father.
MGM is competing against Penn National, Mohegan Sun and Hard Rock for the casino licence.
