Ameristar Drops Casino Bid In Springfield

One of the three companies that had been pursuing a casino license in Springfield is dropping out of the race.

Ameristar Casinos announced on Friday that it was ending its bid to develop a resort casino on a 40-acre industrial site in the western Massachusetts city.

The Las Vegas-based company said while it believed it had the "superior" proposal, it did not consider the likelihood of it winning the sole western Massachusetts license strong enough to continue the effort.

MGM Resorts International and Penn National Gaming also have casino plans for Springfield. Proposals are also on the table for gambling facilities in Palmer and Holyoke.