A 60-acre site in Brockton emerged on Thursday as one of three locations in the competition for the resort casino license in Southeastern Massachusetts, along with a proposal for a casino on the New Bedford waterfront and one in Somerset.
The state Gaming Commission, faced with requests from the New Bedford and Somerset groups to remain in the competition despite having missed a Jan. 30 deadline for submission of applications, allowed them extensions to March 16.
In its appearance before the commission, the development group proposing the New Bedford casino said it was in negotiations with three established casino operators, including Foxwoods Resort, and it is close to striking a deal with one. Foxwoods opened New England’s first casino in the early 1990s.
“Three applicants remain in the game, and that’s really satisfying” to the commission, James McHugh, the commission vice-chairman, said after the meeting.
The commission has on two previous occasions allowed extensions of the deadline for applications in the Southeastern region to encourage robust competition to help ensure the best possible casino.
Mass Gaming & Entertainment is the only group to have met the commission’s Jan. 30 deadline. At the Thursday’s meeting, it revealed that it has a new partner: George Carney, the longtime owner of Raynham Park, a former dog-racing track that now simulcasts horse racing with video feeds from other tracks. The other partner is Rush Street Gaming, which operates four casinos in the Midwest and Canada.
The group wants to build a casino on the Brockton Fairgrounds, a large swath of land that includes a horse racing track unused for almost 15 years. Carney owns the fairgrounds and last year proposed returning thoroughbred racing there, in the event that Suffolk Downs does not reopen as New England’s only thoroughbred racing venue.
“The city of Brockton needs jobs and [the casino proposal] would bring employment to the city,” Carney told the commission.
John M. Donnelly, a lawyer for Mass Gaming & Entertainment, unsuccessfully requested that the commission deny extensions to the other applicants.
“We’ve got a deal and we are ready to go and we want to get going as fast as possible,” Donnelly said.
After the commission vote allowing the extensions, over Mass Gaming & Entertainment’s objection, Carney said he was happy to compete with the other applicants for the license.
“We accept the commission’s decision,” he said.
KG Urban, a New York-based development firm which was represented at the commission meeting by former NBA commissioner David Stern, has yet to make a deal with an operator or to secure financing. But Stern said his group is very close to a deal with either Foxwoods, or one of two other casino operators now in negotiations with the group. He did not name the other two casino operators.
Stern said he is confident that once the KG Urban group secures a deal with an operator it will be able to obtain financing. The Gaming Commission considers applications incomplete until operators and equity partners are included.
“It’s important to have robust competition and we have come some distance to be part of that competition,” said Stern, adding that the group has spent seven years and about $10 million so far in developing its proposal, aside from the application fee.
KG Urban provided the commission with copies of letters of support from New Bedford’s mayor and numerous city councilors.
Two other applicants, Somerset On The Move LLC and Crossroads, revealed at the meeting that, since submitting proposals separately last week, they have joined as partners proposing a casino in the town of Somerset, near the Rhode Island border.
“We have the full support of the town of Somerset,” said David P. Hanlon, representing the group.
Only one applicant, Seafan Trust, was eliminated from the competition on Thursday, because it alone had failed to pay the $400,000 non-refundable fee by Friday’s deadline.
All the applicants must pass a background test conducted by the commission’s investigations and enforcement bureau. They must also negotiate host agreements with local communities, and win local referendums.
The state Gambling Commission previously awarded two resort casino licenses in other regions: to Wynn Resorts for a $1.75 billion development in Everett and to MGM for an $800 million casino in downtown Springfield.
Penn National Gaming won the only license to operate a slot parlor, at the harness racing facility in Plainville.
Sean P. Murphy can be reached at smurphy@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @spmurphyboston.