Wynn Resorts is poised to open the $2.6 billion Encore Boston Harbor in Everett on June 23. The curved bronze tower with 671 rooms, is iconic Wynn, although its setting is anything but Las Vegas.
The casino resort also has 15 restaurants and lounges, a spa, a salon and a Harborwalk of 6.5 acres.
When visitors to the largest casino on the East Coast walk into the casino’s garden esplanade they will be greeted by the 6-foot-5 inch 2,000 pound mirror polished stainless steel Jeff Koons sculpture of Popeye that had been destined for that spot for five years. It was moved from the Wynn Las Vegas several weeks ago.
Right now the $28 million sculpture is wrapped in plastic to protect it from construction dust, but just before the grand opening it will be revealed.
Some art critics consider Koons faddish, but according to Roger Thomas, executive vice president of design for Wynn Design & Development, the stainless steel Popeye is an integral part of the five-star experience of the casino that sits along the Mystic River, amidst an industrial waterfront, next to a subway repair facility and water and power plants, facing the Boston skyline.
Thomas told the Republican, “Our guests find themselves in an environment that makes them feel their best selves. Hopefully, we help you feel funnier, more romantic, even more considerate” he said. “When you leave, you realize you’ve had a completely different experience that if you want again, you’ll simply have to return.”
Koons is a big fan of the cartoon character that is almost ninety years old and has created three statues of him. The character is a symbol of strength and machismo.
According to Thomas, the mirror aspect of the sculpture invites the onlooker to look at him or herself. “The person looking at them is actually reflected in the art. I think the person looking at the art becomes a piece of the art while they’re involved at the art,” he said. “I think that’s a wonderful, very contemporary late 20th century notion.”
Thomas is a world-class designer who assembled a team that has brought art to the casino from all over the world. One such is a Charles Arnolidi painting that guests registering can glance at. There is also a carousel sculpture of 83,000 flowers and 11,000 jewels at the entrance. Above the gaming floor hang Murano glass chandeliers.
Although the man who originally gave the task to Thomas, Steve Wynn, resigned the company in disgrace more than a year ago, much of his mission has remained intact. That task is to buy art that is not “hotel art.”
“They’re nothing that anyone’s seen at a hotel,” Thomas told the Republican. “I hope that we’ve surrounded everyone with beauty that they find unique and surprising in a different way than what we find in hotels.”
The opening day pricing to stay the night at the Encore will start at $650 and peak at about $2,600. Those prices will linger for the first few weeks after the opening. Yet no one expects any of those rooms to be vacant.
Last week the mayor of Everett, Carlo DeMaria, talked about how the Encore will set a somewhat different tone for a city known for its gritty industrial setting.
“We were ready for something like this,” he told the News-Miner. “Everett will no longer be that place where the scrap yards and the used car lots and the power plant are.”
This effort was immeasurably assisted by the company’s massive investment in the environmental clean-up of the 33 acre former chemical plant that Monsanto’s tenancy had turned into a hazardous waste site. The effort cost $70 million, and earned Wynn kudos from environmentalists for largely returning a section of the waterfront to its pristine condition of the 19th century. For the first time in living memory the public will be able to visit this section of the riverfront without the risk of getting sick. But they won’t be able to do it before June 21, the date when the company plans to unveil much of what it has done on the land over the past several years.
Wynn Resorts also has plans to do redevelopment on some of this land.
Robert DeSalvio, president of the Encore Boston Harbor, told the Massachusetts Gaming Commission recently that he expects to welcome 8 million visitors a year to the casino.
That many visitors, especially the large numbers expected during the opening days, is creating major headache for area transportation officials, who expect a bulge in the use of the subway and shuttles, and whose commuters are expected to receive the business end of this hit.
One Everett commuter told News-Miner, “It’s a nightmare now. I can’t see how it gets any better,” but added, “But I still can’t wait to check it out. I’ll just live there. I won’t come home anymore.”
New England casino expert Clyde Barrow calls the Wynn casino a gamble that requires a number of factors coming together to succeed in meeting revenue expectations.
“Wynn is clearly banking on their ability to attract Asian ‘whales’ and other wealthy gamblers from around the world,” he said. “But it doesn’t make sense to me why anyone would fly right over Las Vegas to visit Everett, Massachusetts.”
On the other hand, the casino will be able to tap onto a “virtual monopoly,” of the Boston metro area as Fitch analyst Alex Bumazhny puts it.
Wynn Resorts spends 10 times as much to attract high-end customers as it does to lure the average player because they spend 50 times as much as the typical player.
Such players are a vital part of the mix. Last month MGM Springfield President Michael Mathis in part blamed less than expected revenues for that casino on a paucity of high rollers coming to that part of the state. He said they seem to prefer restaurants and bars to gaming.
To accommodate such “whales,” the company has a fleet of Cadillac Escalades, custom-designed Range Rover Autobiographies and Lincoln Continental limousines whisk high rollers from Boston Logan International Airport. They will have access to suites at Boston Bruins and Celtics games and a skybox at Fenway Park.
For those of a more cultural bent there are special seats at the Boston Symphony Orchestra, one of many arts organizations the casino has become a sponsor of.
DeSalvio said, “For us, we’ve never moved off our original projections. People are going love the interior of the building, and when they walk out on that harbor walk and see what was done out there, I think they’ll agree this is a unique and special place.”
The casino will open at 10 a.m. on June 23, a Sunday. There will be no evening fireworks to welcome the opening. Part of that is purposeful, to put the sudden traffic dump on a weekend, instead of a weekday when it will have maximum impact on commuters. Nevertheless, the casino is spending $1 million to inform residents about the transportation options available for reaching the casino, such as the river shuttles to bring them across from Boston.
Casino officials hope that the morning opening won’t expose patrons lined up to as much heat of the day as it would later. Water and snacks will be provided for those waiting to get in.
The Massachusetts Gaming Commission is very hands-on about how casinos operate in the Bay State and so even such trivial details required its permission. The commission is also requiring the casino to promote Massachusetts tourism. Wynn is working with the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism, Boston Convention and Visitors Bureau to develop programs to inform visitors to the Encore of the various other tourist attractions awaiting them when they leave the gaming floor.
The commission also required the casino to set aside a prominent space for GameSense, which is a program designed to inform players about their opting out options and to make sure they are informed about their odds of actually winning.
Since its implementation in the Bay State GameSense has signed up 571 people. Its advisors are trained to suggest that players take a break and even consider signing up for the voluntary self-exclusion program.
Mark Vander Linden, director of research and responsible gaming for the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, interviewed by Williamsville Wellness, said, “Although we recognize the decision to limit your gambling can be difficult, enrolling in the program is not.” He added, “We are steadfast in our commitment to provide the people of Massachusetts with the tools necessary to empower consumer decisions about healthy levels of play, and when it may be time to step away.”
A GameSense advisor at MGM Springfield said, “We want people to leave with resources and like they have a support structure. It’s listening to that, letting them talk about it. A lot of times people just want to talk.”
Last minute preparations include three test dates that will be on June 17, June 19 and June 20. The commission authorized the casino to conduct the trials after its staff inspected the 3,158 slots, 143 gaming tables and 88 poker tables.
The tests to determine how smoothly operations perform are necessary before the MGC issues a conditional operations certificate that will allow the announced opening to actually take place. A permanent operations certificate will hopefully be issued within 90 days of opening.
Each test will involve the 5,800 employees.
The “patrons” for these test dates are by invitation only. Any profits will go to charity.
Meanwhile the Encore’s security team judges that it is ready to deal with potential criminals and has already begun sharing data with the Everett Police Department.
Everett Police Chief Steven Mazzie observed of the multiple levels of security: “Thousands of security cameras. One thing people should know is, if you come in and around that area, be prepared to be on video.”
Those cameras will be alerted every time someone hits a jackpot. The games are designed to favor the house, so that when someone wins big, all eyes will review the play that led up to the win to make sure all the proper procedures were observed.
Up from the city police there’s the State Police Gaming Enforcement Unit, whose commander, Det. Lt. Brian Connors, says it is inevitable that crime will uptick, simply because of the increased volume of people.
That was certainly the case when the MGM Springfield opened last Augusts. Thousands of calls were made from the casino between August and May. However, only 2 percent of the crime increase in Springfield itself could be attributed to the casino.
Some critics of casinos fret that this crime won’t stay at the casino, but will spread across Everett. An Everett resident whose family has lived there for generations told CBS Boston “I mean people go in there and lose money. They’re going to come out and they’re going to need more money.”
Arrests for cheating were fairly common after the MGM Springfield opened. According to Connors “Trying to add to an existing bet to enhance their winnings, or pinching a bet, where they’re trying to take chips away.” Such individuals are typically escorted out of the casino—and, of course, banned from returning.
MGM Springfield
Meanwhile, the MGM Springfield is still not living up to expectations. The casino, which opened in August reported May figures of $22.285 million. This was 2.14 percent higher than April figures of $21.8 million.
The slight increase might be attributable to new entertainment offerings that were intended to reverse the April figures that were 15 percent lower than March.
During its first 10 months open the MGM Springfield has grossed $212.5 million, including $66.9 million from tables and the balance of $145.52 from slot machines.
Recently Michael Mathis, president and chief operating officer of the casino told the MGC “We continue to be pleased with our performance. We’re capturing market share and growing loyalty.:
He added, “May was an especially rewarding month for us as thousands of guests won cash and prizes through our Great Outdoor Giveaway and various other casino marketing promotions. We were also buoyed by the start of our outdoor summer concert series MGM LIVE presented by The Big E, as well as the launch of Food Truck Fridays. Our Roar Comedy Series continued to be the place for laughs in the region with several near sell-out performances. And we capped off the month with a fun new advertising campaign highlighting MGM Springfield’s ease of access, convenience and the place to go for spontaneous fun and excitement.”
All glowing talk aside, the fact remains that MGM originally told the commission it expected to make $418 million in gross receipts its first year. This translates into $34.8 million per month. So far, the only month to come near that was September, when gross receipts were $26.9. It was also the first full month of operation.
The opening of the Encore Boston Harbor is likely to have an effect on the Springfield’s bottom line.
