Wynn Resorts “has the edge” over the Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority in a contest for the sole license to operate a casino in Greater Boston, the chairman of Massachusetts Gaming Commission said at a hearing Monday.
The four commissioners agreed that the Wynn plan is between “very good” and “outstanding” while the Mohegan Sun Massachusetts plan is “very good.” They did not vote on the plans, however.
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Acting Chairman James McHugh said that Wynn “has the edge,” although he commended the Mohegan Sun plan, too.
The Wynn plan was praised for its solid financial backing and the number of jobs it would create. The commission expressed apprehension, however, over the lack of traffic mitigation in Wynn’s plan, particularly regarding Sullivan Square in the Charlestown section of Boston, across the Mystic River from Wynn’s proposed site in Everett.
Before a midday break Monday, the commission summarized its overall analysis amid days of deliberations last week and this week. In an overview of the plans, the four commissioners agreed Wynn’s proposal is slightly better.
Their review continues Tuesday morning as the Mohegan tribe and Wynn respond to questions.
The commission is considering rival proposals: Mohegan Sun Massachusetts’ $1.3 billion casino at Suffolk Downs in Revere and Wynn Resorts’ $1.6 billion casino in Everett.
The Mohegan Sun plan is estimated to create 2,538 full-time-equivalent jobs with an annual payroll of $107.5 million in the fifth year of operations. The Wynn proposal calls for 3,287 full-time-equivalent jobs with an annual payroll of $186.4 million in payroll.
However, job creation doesn’t capture the jobs Mohegan Sun would save by rescuing a financially troubled Suffolk Downs, which hasn’t been profitable since 2007.
“We’re talking about preserving jobs, preserving the existing industry, and I think that’s worth some weight in this discussion,” said Commissioner Gayle Cameron.
Even after the commission awards a license, it’s unclear if Massachusetts will have casinos at all. On Nov. 4, voters statewide will decide whether to repeal a 2011 law allowing three resort casinos in different regions of the state, as well as one slots parlor. If the referendum passes, it will nullify all pending casinos, including an MGM Springfield casino and a slots parlor in Plainville, Mass.
Earlier this year, the commission decided to give MGM Resorts International a license to build an $800 million casino in Springfield and Penn National Gaming received a license to operate a slots parlor in Plainville, Mass.
The Greater Boston license is the second of three awards by the state for a regional “resort casino.” The third and final license is on a delayed schedule for the southeastern part of the state. Plainville is the slots license.
The five-person commission has only four voting members in the Boston casino competition. Chairman Stephen P. Crosby was criticized for his business relationship with one of the landowners in Everett, where Wynn Resorts wants to build a casino. Crosby recused himself from the process in May.
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