Chalk this up as a huge notch up the win column for Wynn Resorts and its pursuit of a casino license in Massachusetts.
The Las Vegas-based casino operator received a staggering 86 percent of the 6,153 votes from Everett city voters who gave their approval of Wynn’s casino proposal. Of the total number of voters, 5,320 gave their nod to Wynn in the Special Election ballot question against just 833 who voted against the proposal.
Equally more impressive was the surprising number of voters who turned out to cast their lots on the developer’s attempt to secure one of the three casino licenses that are up for grabs in the state.
Needless to say, the people of Everett are all aboard the Wynn express, eager to see how the casino operator can turn a rundown section of the city’s waterfront into what could very well be the first resort casino in Massachusetts history. Wynn has promised to build a 550-room hotel and resort complex spread over 32 acres at the former Monsanto chemical plant.
“The unprecedented voter turnout for a special election is testimony to the enthusiasm and broad support the project received throughout the months long campaign,” Everett United, the city’s vote yes campaign group, said in a press release.
For Wynn Resorts, the support from the Everett community is another feather in its cap as it seeks to finally gain entry in the state after numerous failed attempts in the past, including an ultimately unsuccessful partnership with New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft.
This strong showing of support also comes more than a month after Everett signed a casino host agreement with Wynn Resorts to be its preferred casino developer, thereby strengthening Wynn Resort’s chances of securing those coveted casino licenses. But even with these results, Wynn’s chances of securing the license is still far from a Tom Brady-esque touchdown.
The final decision will still come from the state Gaming Commission who will judge Wynn’s proposal, as well as proposals from its competitors, based on individual merits before making any decision on who secures the casino license in the Boston area.
But after this impressive show of support from Everett, Wynn Resorts must be liking its chances now.
