Yesterday, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) voted to settle a lawsuit with Steve Wynn. The unanimous 5-0 vote will allow the MGC to conclude its
Wynn Resorts suitability review into if it should hold a casino license in the state and open the new
Encore Boston Harbor in June of this year, as planned.
The commission asked the public to be removed from the meeting while they held an executive session to speak on the matter behind closed doors. Once the meeting opened back up to the public, the commission revealed the decision and motion.
The motion from Commissioner Gayle Cameron was as follows:
“I move to authorize the Commission’s legal counsel to work to finalize an agreement, the terms of which are consistent with the Commission’s discussion in the February 20th executive session, that will result in dismissal of the case captioned
Stephen A. Wynn vs. Karen Wells, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, and Wynn Resorts, et al. that is presently pending in the Clark County District Court in Nevada, and will enable the Commission to receive an investigative report and move forward with an adjudicatory proceeding regarding Wynn Resorts’ suitability as soon as possible.”
Elaine Driscoll, Director of Communications for the MGC, explained the meaning of the outcome, saying, “Today the Massachusetts Gaming Commission voted to authorize its legal counsel to finalize an agreement guaranteeing that commissioners have access to important investigative information relevant to the Wynn Resorts suitability review. This action also eliminates the uncertainty of protracted litigation and allows the MGC to commence its preparations for an adjudicatory hearing and a robust, public review of its investigatory findings.”
The MGC decided to investigate if Wynn Resorts was suitable to hold a coveted Massachusetts casino license following sexual misconduct allegations that surrounded casino magnate Steve Wynn early last year. In February 2018, Wynn resigned as chairman and chief of his company, and in April the company announced that it would change the name of the new casino from Wynn Boston Harbor to Encore Boston Harbor.
The $2.5 billion resort is being built just outside Boston in the city of Everett. Back in August,
MGM Springfield opened in western Massachusetts, about 100 miles from Boston,
becoming the state's first full-blown casino resort.