In an effort to soften its image as a casino that only cares about high rollers and to widen its appeal to the casual player and the “hometown” the $2.6 billion Encore Boston Harbor has eliminated its $50 able game minimums and parking fees.
Five months after Wynn opened the mega-casino in Everett within view of the Boston skyline, Brian Gullbrants, the newly ensconced president of the casino told the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, “The last thing we want to do is be a Vegas casino in Boston. We want to be a Boston casino in Boston.” He added, “We want to be Greater Boston’s hometown casino. And we want everyone to come and feel welcome and like they can have a great time there, whether they are playing or not playing.”
The Encore also plans to introduce a tiered loyalty rewards system early next year that makes it easier for players of all financial levels to rack up points.
Although the casino is dropping parking fees, the existing fees for buses and water shuttles will remain.
Gullbrants, the replacement of Robert DeSalvio, who opened the casino, told the commission: “We thought we could charge for parking here in Boston, and we were wrong,” he said. “We have now made self-parking free for all guests, 24/7. We thought we could charge for some of the transportation like boats and premiums buses. We were wrong.”
Although the Encore has posted strong numbers overall, especially for table games, slots revenues have been less robust, accounting for less than half of the resort’s total gross in the first three months. The fourth month was the lowest yet, $22.5 million in table game revenues and $22.2 million from slots.
Earlier this month Wynn Resorts CEO Matt Maddox told investors during a quarterly report that the company was making some top executive changes, with a new senior vice president of communications, Eric Kraus and executive vice president, Jenny Holaday, in charge of gaming operations.
Maddox commented, “We’re learning each and every day to become more local, make sure we’re giving the customers what they want.”
Crime Statistic Rise
Correlation may not be causation, however crime statistics have risen in the town of Everett since the Encore Boston Harbor opened there in June, giving police food for thought.
Police data collected by the Massachusetts State Police Gaming Enforcement Unit and the Everett Police Department in the past five months indicates that criminal activity at the casino increases beginning at 11 p.m., with arrests most likely to happen between 2 a.m. – 4 a.m.
Police have arrested more than 160 people at the casino since it opened, reported WCVB-TV last week, with disorderly conduct, assault and battery, larceny and cheating being the most common charges. Auto accidents and fights are the two top police responses.
As a result, there is always plenty of activity at the Malden District Court on Monday mornings as persons arrested on the weekend are arraigned.
Gayle Cameron, one of five who sits on the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, said these statistics do not surprise her. She formerly was in charge of the casino crime unit of the New Jersey State Police, which enforced the law in Atlantic City. “We anticipated there’d be some issues,” she told WCVB-TV. “Yes, there is some criminal activity, and the bigger issue is around some drunk and disorderly behavior.”
In a report to the commission from an analyst, the panel learned that the casino was built on land that had been a dead industrial area, and that crime activity went from virtually zero to the activity seen now.
The analyst, Christopher Bruce, told the commission: “Communities close to Encore will likely see increases in crimes and calls for service.”
Everett Police Chief Steven Mazzie added, “It’s right in line with our research, with what we thought we’d see.”
Both the city and State Police anticipated higher crime near the casino and increased staffing as a result.
