The Gaming Commission will hold a hearing today on whether it should delay giving out the coveted Greater Boston casino license until after Bay State voters weigh in on the state’s expanded gambling law in November — a move Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh is advocating as a common-sense, cost-saving measure, but gaming backers are casting as an unnecessary stalling tactic.
The Supreme Judicial Court last week sanctioned a referendum to repeal the casino law. Walsh said, “It’s really about putting it off until after the ballot question is decided. If we go through all this work before the ballot question — whether it’s arbitration or whatever we do — and the voters vote it down, we spent tens of thousands of dollars in attorneys fees from the city of Boston.”
But Everett Mayor Carlos DeMaria Jr., who backs the Wynn Resorts proposal for his city, said, “In the past 10 months, Boston has repeatedly tried to derail this important and transparent process from taking its course. Despite any uncertainty with the law, we still hold a responsibility to continue to move forward.”
Wynn spokesman Michael Weaver said, “Wynn has diligently adhered to the current timeline laid out by the Gaming Commission, including filing our 4,000-page Final Environmental Impact Report yesterday. Any changes to the timeline would be unfair and burdensome to the applicants, the host communities and to taxpayers.”
The commission will hear testimony from Boston, Everett, Revere and the two casinos, spokeswoman Elaine Driscoll said. It is unclear when the panel will vote on the matter.