51 Performing Arts Centers Awarded $3.6 Million through Massachusetts Gaming Mitigation Fund

BOSTON – Mass Cultural Council today announced that 51 nonprofit and municipal performing arts centers across the Commonwealth will receive a total of $3,568,500 through the Fiscal Year 2026 Gaming Mitigation Fund grant program.   Established by the Legislature through the Massachusetts Expanded Gaming Act, the Gaming Mitigation Fund provides critical support to Massachusetts performing arts centers to offset competitive pressures created by resort-style casinos. Grant funds are used to secure touring shows and help cover touring artist fees, helping local venues compete for nationally and internationally recognized acts.   “Mass Cultural Council is proud to support our performing arts centers and the communities they serve,” said David T. Slatery, Acting Executive Director, Mass Cultural Council. “These organizations are vibrant cultural anchors and powerful economic drivers. This funding ensures they can continue to attract exceptional touring performances, expand access to high-quality arts experiences, and strengthen local economies across Massachusetts.”   As the Commonwealth’s independent state arts agency, Mass Cultural Council is charged with bolstering the cultural sector, thereby advancing economic vitality, supporting transformational change, and celebrating, preserving, and inspiring creativity across all Massachusetts communities.   Now in the second year of a two-year grant cycle, all FY26 recipients previously applied for and received funding through the program in FY25. Individual grant awards this year range from $6,000 to $200,000. As directed by statute, Mass Cultural Council receives 2% of state casino tax revenues to administer the program. The Gaming Mitigation Fund is specifically designed to mitigate the direct competitive impact of casinos, which often operate with larger entertainment budgets and expanded amenities, and preserve the sustainability of nonprofit and municipal performing arts venues throughout the Commonwealth. Since its launch six years ago, the Gaming Mitigation Fund has invested more than $20 million in over 90 organizations statewide, strengthening the cultural infrastructure that makes Massachusetts communities vibrant places to live, work, and visit.