Mass. gaming panel to meet with city officials

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (AP) -- The city of Springfield's process for choosing between at least four potential casino operators is being put under the microscope by the state's gaming commission.

The panel is scheduled to be in Springfield on Tuesday to meet with Mayor Domenic Sarno and other officials.

The city plans to review the casino proposals before entering into negotiations with one or more of the developers.

The state commission -- which has the final says on awarding casino licenses -- wants to make sure Springfield's selection process doesn't conflict with its own system for evaluating potential bidders.

The panel has also asked Springfield to suspend the process until questions are resolved about a possible conflict involving a consultant who has also lobbied in Illinois for MGM, one of the companies interested in Springfield.