MASSACHUSETTS IS FACED with some big decisions in the wake of the US Supreme Court’s decision last month to scrap the federal law that prohibits states other than Nevada and (in limited form) Montana, Delaware, and Oregon from allowing sports betting within their borders. In the Murphy case, the Supreme Court did not affirmatively legalize sports betting; rather, it simply held that Congress […]
Gambling
Posted inGambling
Wynn accused of reneging on $19m deal
THE DRAMA SURROUNDING the Wynn Resorts casino took another odd turn when one of the former owners of the Everett property on which the facility is being built alleged that Wynn reneged on a handshake deal to pay him nearly $19 million in return for essentially accepting a lower sales price. Anthony Gattineri, one of […]
Posted inGambling
Casino notes: MGM seeks later ‘last call’
THE MASSACHUSETTS GAMING COMMISSION is treading cautiously with a request from MGM Resorts to serve alcohol until 4 a.m. on the gambling floor of its soon-to-open Springfield casino. MGM is attempting to take advantage of a change in state law approved last year that allows casinos, subject to the approval of the Gaming Commission, to […]
Posted inGambling
All bets are on
Way back in 2005, when casino gambling in Massachusetts was still just a twinkle in Bob DeLeo’s eye, Gary Loveman, the Harvard Business School prof-turned-casino-pitchman regaled the region’s business bigs at a downtown luncheon of the Boston College Chief Executives’ Club. Loveman, then the chief executive of Harrah’s Entertainment, talked with the unbridled confidence of […]
Posted inThe Download
All bets are on
Way back in 2005, when casino gambling in Massachusetts was still just a twinkle in Bob DeLeo’s eye, Gary Loveman, the Harvard Business School prof-turned-casino-pitchman regaled the region’s business bigs at a downtown luncheon of the Boston College Chief Executives’ Club. Loveman, then the chief executive of Harrah’s Entertainment, talked with the unbridled confidence of […]
Posted inGambling
Making book on Beacon Hill
MONDAY’S RULING FROM the U.S. Supreme Court that states are free to legalize sports betting opened the door to the possibility of a further expansion of gaming in Massachusetts, a topic Gov. Charlie Baker is planning to talk about with legislative leaders Monday afternoon. The decision in Murphy v. National Collegiate Athletic Association, which the […]
Posted inGambling
Gaming Commission: Steve Wynn, Wynn Resorts divorced
WYNN RESORTS CLEARED an initial hurdle on Monday in seeking to hang on to its casino license in Massachusetts, securing confirmation from the state Gaming Commission that Steve Wynn no longer plays any role in running the company named after him. The decision was expected, since Steve Wynn, after allegations of sexual misconduct surfaced against […]
Posted inGambling
Cost of Everett casino rises another $100m
EVEN AS WYNN RESORTS is fighting to retain its Massachusetts casino license, the cost of the Everett project keeps on rising. At a hearing before the Massachusetts Gaming Commission on Friday, Wynn Resorts officials said the expected price tag of the project was now $2.5 billion. That means the cost has increased another $100 million […]
Posted inGambling
Maddox walks a tightrope
WYNN RESORTS CEO MATT MADDOX walked a tightrope on Friday before the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, telling the commissioners that the Wynn brand remains strong after the departure of the company’s namesake while informing them that the firm would like to change the name of its Boston casino to Encore Boston Harbor due to “cultural sensitivity.” […]
Posted inGambling
Hustle up Gaming Commission
It may be time for the Massachusetts Gaming Commission to make up its mind about the suitability of Wynn Resorts to open a casino in Everett because the uncertainty is starting to take a toll. Wynn CEO Matt Maddox hosted a conference call with financial analysts on Tuesday after the release of the company’s first […]