The opening of the resort that covers 14 acres was the culmination of a process that began seven years ago when the Expanded Gaming Act was passed in 2011 and gambling was legalized in the Commonwealth. The state of Massachusetts' first integrated luxury resort and entertainment destination, MGM Springfield opened on Friday, August 24, 2018, in the city that sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River. Betting on sports futures, props and lay bets.