Rolling the Dice

Coverage of casino licensing and the gambling referendum

Wareham gaming proposal gets cool reception

Local senator not on board; Rosenberg urges caution

By Bruce Mohl Casinos, Massachusetts Legislature 0 Comments Aug 20, 2019

A QUINCY DEVELOPER with an interesting Wareham racino proposal called on the Legislature to revisit the state’s gaming statute, but early feedback from Beacon Hill and one of the drafters of the law suggested the idea was unlikely to gain any traction any time soon, if at all. Thomas O’Connell, a developer who previously built(...)

Encore eating into Conn., Rhode Island gambling revenue

Everett casino pulls in nearly $50m in first full month

By Michael Jonas 0 Comments Aug 15, 2019

THE ENCORE BOSTON HARBOR casino brought in close to $50 million during its first full month of operation, and the lavish riverfront gambling facility already appears to be taking a bite out of the New England casino market while also setting a new standard for table game revenue. July revenue figures released by the Massachusetts(...)

SE Mass. deserves casino gambling discussion

Economic stimulus badly needed in the region

By Thomas Norton Casinos 0 Comments Aug 11, 2019

THE ROAD TO CASINO gaming in Massachusetts has been long and winding, but nowhere as much as the place where it began – southeastern Massachusetts. It’s been nearly eight years since the state authorized up to four gaming facilities in Massachusetts – three so-called category 1 casinos allocated by region and one category 2 slots-only(...)

Wynn fielding calls on adjacent land

Maddox on arena, other proposal: ‘We’re not in a rush’

By Bruce Mohl Casinos 0 Comments Aug 6, 2019

THE CEO OF WYNN RESORTS said on Tuesday that his company has been approached by firms looking to partner on an arena or boutique entertainment ventures on land the company has purchased across the street from the Encore Boston Harbor casino. Matt Maddox said just before the opening of the casino in June that he(...)

Encore/ Gaming Commission/ Janet Sanders/ Mohegan/ Wynn

Mohegan’s “all or nothing” challenge to Encore dismissed

Judge rules open meeting violations don’t warrant license revocation

By Andy Metzger 0 Comments Jul 19, 2019

RELATIVELY MINOR VIOLATIONS of the open meeting law by state gambling regulators shouldn’t invalidate Encore Boston Harbor’s casino license, a state judge wrote in dismissing a court challenge brought by a handful of Revere residents. The three residents’ open meeting law challenge was part of a larger suit that Encore’s rival, Mohegan Sun, is pursuing(...)

Gaming Commission backs Encore on blackjack odds

Lawyer: Client intends to pursue theft allegation in court

By Colin A. Young Casinos 0 Comments Jul 18, 2019

STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE AN INITIAL INVESTIGATION into the claims of a lawsuit alleging Encore Boston Harbor is duping customers by paying out at less favorable odds for blackjack wins found that the Everett casino is not violating any Gaming Commission rules or regulations, a commission official said Thursday. The lawyer suing the Wynn Resorts(...)

Encore gets seal of gaming commission approval

Official operating certificate granted days after casino launch

By Andy Metzger Encore Boston Harbor 0 Comments Jun 27, 2019

FOUR DAYS AFTER its grand opening, Greater Boston’s first casino won a conditional operating certificate on Thursday morning. The Massachusetts Gaming Commission voted unanimously to award the certificate that will enable Encore Boston Harbor to remain open around the clock for the foreseeable future, offering gamblers a range of 3,151 slot machines and 231 table(...)

Boston reports moderate traffic from Encore opening

No headcount yet on the number of casino visitors

By Andy Metzger crowd, Encore, headcount, traffic, Transportation, Wynn 0 Comments Jun 24, 2019

A BIG CROWD turned out for the opening of Encore Boston Harbor on Sunday, but there is no official word yet on how attendance matched up against the casino’s prediction of roughly 50,000 visitors. At noon Sunday, which was about two hours after the doors to the 24/7 gambling establishment opened to the public for(...)

Wynn Resorts formally opens for business

Traffic not bad at the start of the day

By Andy Metzger Casinos 0 Comments Jun 23, 2019

WITH AN AUDACIOUS midmorning fireworks display, an emotional speech from the mayor of Everett, and a crowd of thousands lined up in the hot sun, Encore Boston Harbor threw open its doors to the public on Sunday. In his speech Sunday morning, Everett Mayor Carlo DeMaria referenced the bruising regulatory and legal challenges that Wynn(...)

You’ve got to check it out

For $2.6b, a bit of high-end Vegas in Everett

By Bruce Mohl Casinos 0 Comments Jun 21, 2019

HERE’S SOME TIDBITS picked up on a media tour inside Encore Boston Harbor on Friday. This is a unique place, with lots of local flavor, but if you’ve been to either of the two Wynn Resorts properties in Las Vegas a lot will feel familiar – the flowery décor, the serene spa, and the heavy(...)