Massachusetts Gaming Commission Accused of Meddling

The owner of Wynn Resorts, Steve Wynn, was encouraged to remain in the hunt for a casino in the Boston area, alleges Caesars.

An amendment to a lawsuit against the chairman of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) was filed recently by Caesars Entertainment Corp. (CEC). The land based, online and mobile casino operator has accused the MGC of encouraging Steve Wynn to continue his bid to secure a casino in the Boston area.

Caesars attorneys wrote in the federal lawsuit, “Notwithstanding his statutory role as the unbiased overseer of the Massachusetts gaming license application process, [Stephen] Crosby, in the company of another commissioner, took it upon himself to place a call to Wynn and to ask Wynn to remain in the Massachusetts licensing process.”

The law of the land

American gambling laws expressly prohibit this kind of biased involvement in such processes. This kind of news is very embarrassing for the Massachusetts Gaming Commission and also for Wynn Resorts.

The owner of Wynn Resorts, Steve Wynn took it upon himself to last week to deny any claim of wrongdoing. “At no time has any member of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission ever initiated contact with me and I have never been discouraged from withdrawing from the licensing process in Massachusetts,” Steve Wynn said in a statement.

Wynn, in a somewhat aggressive tone, added: “This lawsuit and the misrepresentations included within it are a shameless, desperate attempt by Caesars to deflect attention from the serious issues raised in their investigation, including their current financial condition.”