An acoustic guitarist plays to a small crowd. There are also a few people playing the machines alone, with the rapt focus of air traffic controllers.

Couples and small groups sit together at neighboring slots, chatting and pounding buttons. A large group of guys breaks into a cheer at a craps table - something good happened there. Slot machines broadcast a cacophony of bells and chirps, looking for attention. The general vibe is, well, a lot like Vegas. I didn’t feel the need to get a chest X-ray after spending some time here.

Thankfully, casinos in Massachusetts are smoke free. It lacks that stale ashtray aroma that often permeates gambling halls. MGM reports that 57.2 percent of MGM Springfield’s employees are minorities and 46 percent are women. The clientele is diverse, at least on this night, and the staff even more so. Walking around, I think about the 2017 Globe Spotlight series on race, which found that crowds at other big venues, such as Fenway Park and Gillette Stadium, were overwhelmingly white. Second observation: There may not be a more racially diverse large entertainment venue in Massachusetts.

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