Rolling the Dice

Coverage of casino licensing and the gambling referendum

Wynn shipping contaminated soil around nation

Cleanup of 500,000 tons of toxic dirt from casino site sent to landfills in seven states and Canada

By Bruce Mohl Casinos, Environment, Wynn Resorts 0 Comments Apr 10, 2017

THE CLEANUP OF the Wynn Resorts casino site in Everett is a case of addition through subtraction. Before the Wynn tower could start going up, all of the contaminated soil on the property had to be removed. An estimated 500,000 tons of dirt containing PCBs, arsenic, lead, ash, petroleum products, and asbestos were carted off(...)

SJC opens casino can of worms

Mohegan Sun can challenge Gaming Commission award to Wynn

By Bruce Mohl Casinos 0 Comments Mar 10, 2017

THE STATE SUPREME JUDICIAL COURT reopened the casino legal wars on Friday, ruling that Mohegan Sun can challenge the Massachusetts Gaming Commission’s decision in late 2014 to award a license to Wynn Resorts for a $2.4 billion casino in Everett. The ruling plunges the Gaming Commission into uncharted waters, and it’s unclear what would happen(...)

CT tribes plan casino 13 miles from MA

East Windsor facility designed to blunt impact of MGM Springfield

By Colin A. Young Casinos 1 Comment Feb 27, 2017

STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE The competition for western New England gambling dollars heated up Monday when the two tribes operating casinos in Connecticut announced their plan to build a third casino about 13 miles from the planned MGM casino in Springfield. With Massachusetts inching closer to opening its first full-fledged casino, the Mashantucket Pequot and(...)

Wynn casino price tag goes up $300m

SEC filing says cost estimate approximately $2.4b

By Bruce Mohl Casinos 0 Comments Feb 24, 2017

WYNN RESORTS DISCLOSED on Friday that the estimated cost of building its Everett casino has risen to approximately $2.4 billion, a $300 million increase from estimates as recently as August. “The total project budget, including gaming license fees, construction costs, capitalized interest, pre-opening expenses and land costs, is estimated to be approximately $2.4 billion,” Wynn(...)

Buzz building about Suffolk Downs sale

Owners say they have nothing to report yet

By Bruce Mohl and Jack Sullivan Casinos, Growth and Development 0 Comments Feb 9, 2017

RESIDENTS OF EAST BOSTON and Revere say they are hearing a sale of Suffolk Downs is imminent, but officials at the track say they have nothing to report. “We’ve fielded a lot of interest in the property and if and when we have news we’ll be sure to tell people,” said Chip Tuttle, the chief(...)

Slots parlor not hurting lottery sales

Report suggests scratch tickets and slot machines can coexist

By Caitlin Vinton Casinos 0 Comments Jan 19, 2017

A STUDY COMMISSIONED by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission suggests the opening of the Plainridge Park Casino in Plainville in June 2015 did not cannibalize lottery sales in the surrounding area. The study, by Mark Nichols, a professor of economics at the University of Nevada at Reno, examines only one year of operation at the state’s(...)

Plainridge says it’s doing very well

GM: Revenue highest in nation on per-machine basis

By Colin A. Young Casinos 0 Comments Nov 22, 2016

STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE ONA PER-MACHINE BASIS, the slots parlor at Plainridge Park in Plainville has the highest revenue of any similar gaming facility in the country, the parlor’s general manager told the Gaming Commission on Tuesday. Plainridge Park General Manager Lance George said the slots parlor averaged a “win per unit” — the average(...)

Audit: Plainridge Casino falls short in hiring goals

Report says gaming commission at fault for not monitoring agreement

By Jack Sullivan Casinos, MA Gaming Commission, Municipal Government 0 Comments Nov 21, 2016

A NEW AUDIT says the Massachusetts Gaming Commission dropped the ball in its mandate to ensure that Plainridge Park Casino met its agreed-upon local hiring goals and that the state’s only slots parlor failed to garnish winnings of patrons to pay back delinquent child support. “Allowing Plainridge to not accomplish its plan goals could result(...)

Wynn wants to partner with locals

Will add to Everett casino’s ‘general appeal’

By Bruce Mohl Casinos 0 Comments Nov 2, 2016

LAS VEGAS CASINO DEVELOPER Steve Wynn said on Wednesday that his company is courting “local personalities” to operate food and beverage operations at the $2.1 billion hotel/casino complex under construction in Everett. Speaking to analysts after releasing the company’s third-quarter earnings report, Wynn revealed that his company will partner with locals, which is not a(...)

MA, CT, and RI to negotiate wind, solar deals

Unusual three-state bid process yields 7 projects

By Bruce Mohl Electricity, Energy 20 Comments Oct 25, 2016

MASSACHUSETTS, CONNECTICUT, AND RHODE ISLAND announced on Tuesday that they intend to negotiate seven power purchase contracts with wind and solar developers selected through an unusual three-state bidding process. The so-called three-state RFP is an attempt by the three states to pool their buying power in the pursuit of clean energy needed to meet emission(...)


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