Lost in all of the discussions about how much a prospective casino developer will invest in a MA casino ($500 million+), or what the license itself will cost ($85 million+) is the money spent chasing the license, which was revealed recently.  In an article by Steve LeBlanc of the Associated Press, it states that $11.4 million has been spent in lobbying efforts in the last 5 years in MA.  Far and away leading that list are the owners of Suffolk Downs, having spent $2.8 million making sure they are at the front of the bus.  The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, who appears to have no competition at the moment for the Southeastern MA license, spent nearly a million.  For MGM Resorts, the second largest gaming company in the world and a proponent of a Brimfield casino, only a mere $60,000 has been spent to date.  One thing is for certain; that number will skyrocket as the actual gaming commission is formed and official applications are filed.