Hampden may use casino mitigation funds to address traffic concerns Updated Jan 27, 2021; HAMPDEN — When MGM Resorts International first laid its chips on the table about building a Springfield casino, surrounding communities sought funding to mitigate its impact. While some were approved to eventually be allocated such funds, Hampden’s Select Board members at the time walked away empty-handed — or so they thought. More than four years later, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission reached out to the town’s Select Board and asked what the community had planned for its $100,000 worth of mitigation funds, said Select Board Chair Donald Davenport. “Apparently, they neglected to notify us,” said Davenport.