Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment has told an American newspaper that should the Massachusetts Gaming Commission find that Wynn Resorts is unfit for a license to open its $2.5 billion Encore Boston Harbor casino complex, that they are ready to step in and buy the property.
“If that determination finds Wynn Resorts unsuitable to hold a gaming license in Massachusetts, Mohegan Sun is prepared to participate in a process that would assign that license to another operator—and enter into negotiations with the appropriate parties to acquire the facility under construction,” the company told the Boston Herald in a statement.
Wynn Resorts has been under investigation by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission since early this year in connection with the sexual assault allegations against company co-founder Steve Wynn. Although Steve Wynn no longer has any business connection to the company that bears his name, questions remain about whether or not other company officials handled the matter appropriately.
A report is due to be published soon that will have strong bearing on the case, but Steve Wynn has sued to have portions of the report kept private—in particular any information that he says violates his own attorney-client protections.
Mohegan had earlier lost out to Wynn in bidding for the project in the city Everett, next to Boston, but they maintain that even now “it is the best choice as gaming operator and license holder.”
However, the Boston Herald also reported that Everett Mayor Carlo DeMaria was openly antagonistic to Mohegan’s move: “Mohegan Sun is not welcome to operate a casino in the city of Everett. We made a deal with Wynn Resorts to operate a five-star international destination resort and I will never accept anything less—certainly not a gaming parlor that would be used to protect their interests in Connecticut at the expense of our community and residents. Wynn Resorts’ partnership with Everett and the Commonwealth runs far deeper than a building with slot machines.”
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