The Battle For Blackjack In Boston

 
The Massachusetts Gambling Commission takes a final vote on the highly prized casino licenses across the state.

When Massachusetts legislators authorized three casinos across the state, and additionally a slot machine only facility, back in 2011 there was pretty fierce competition between the bidders to win the licenses on offer. Three years later the Massachusetts Gaming Commission’s four members finally voted on the various plans put forward and those fortunate enough to win the lucrative contracts have been announced, to the chagrin of the losers, some of whom aren’t entirely happy with the result.

Of course given Massachusetts has a vote on this November’s ballot to repeal the state’s relatively sensible gambling laws there’s still the possibility that this entire process will have been massive waste of everyone’s time and tax payer’s money. Not that this is dampening the spirits of Wynn Resorts who won the much coveted license to operate a casino in Everett right on the edge of the untapped catchment area of Boston. Their $1.6 billion plan includes low-profile ferry boats, a commitment to clean up the site and a glass exterior in “Wynn Bronze” whatever that might be.

Three of four commissioners approved of Wynn’s casino strategy and voted for the project over its rival Mohegan Sun who have pledged to remain neutral in the November ballot despite both it’s core Connecticut market being on the line, the new casino near Boston likely to cost them large swathes of their market, and some of its financial partners supporting a referendum in California targeting a competitor. However perhaps in hope of winning the southeastern Massachusetts casino license later this year, they’re unlikely to play spoiler at this point.

“We expect that now that a decision has been made, everybody will find it much easier to relate to one another,” said Steve Wynn chairman and CEO of Wynn Resorts, “get on with the job of creating jobs and building a better life for the citizens of Everett and the surrounding communities in the Greater Boston area.” And those jobs were an important consideration in the choice made with Wynn promising to bring 4,382 positions to the area at a cost to payroll of some $170 million. Will November’s vote ruin the dream? We’ll keep an eye on it and let you know.