Casino mogul Steve Wynn is the big winner in the race to build a gaming industry in Massachusetts. He beat out Connecticut’s Mohegan Sun in the competition for the Greater Boston license, likely the most lucrative awarded by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission.
His $1.6 billion resort casino is planned for the town of Everett, just north of Boston, on what is now vacant land near the Mystic River.
Mohegan Sun had proposed a casino at the racetrack at Suffolk Down in nearby Revere, but the commissioners voted three to one to approve Wynn’s proposal instead. Commission Chair James McHugh, the lone vote for the Mohegan proposal, described it as a “really, really difficult decision,” and said both applicants were “terrifically qualified.”
Mohegan Sun’s Mitchell Etess issued a statement in the wake of the decision, saying “disappointed doesn’t even begin” to describe his feelings. It’s the second unsuccessful attempt for the Mohegans in the Massachusetts market — a proposal in the town of Palmer was voted down by local residents.
Wynn Resorts has described their plan as the largest private development in the state’s history. But it may not all be clear sailing for Wynn. He must now wait for the results of a referendum scheduled for November 4th in which the voters of Massachusetts will have the opportunity to repeal the entire gaming law.