A rendering of the proposed Mohegan Sun casino in Revere at Suffolk Downs.
Credit: Mohegan Sun
The Massachusetts Gaming Commission continues to analyze the two Boston-area casino plans today, with commissioners evaluating potential effects on the local economy and infrastructure.
Mohegan Sun hopes to build a casino at Suffolk Downs racetrack in Revere, while Wynn Resorts Ltd is eyeing a location in Everett.
Gaming Commissioner Gayle Cameron, assessing what each applicant has done to mitigate the local impact of a casino, says Mohegan has reached generous annual payments with all communities that surround the Revere site and has committed to improving transportation infrastructure.
Cameron ultimately deemed their application to be “sufficient/very good.”
The commissioner, however, had several problems with Wynn’s Everett proposal, saying their planned transportation changes for the Sullivan Square area is “inadequate and incomplete, because the proposed improvements do not fully mitigate the additional traffic.”
Wynn, she said, also provided minimal information on how the casino would affect housing and school populations. She thought their proposal was “insufficient/sufficient.”
Commissioner Bruce Stebbins, meanwhile, judged the potential economic development aspects of both proposals. Mohegan, he said, proposed to create more than 2,500 jobs within five years, whereas Wynn would create more than 3,200 jobs within five years. He deemed Mohegan’s economic development strategy to be “sufficient/very good” and Wynn’s to be “very good.”
Deliberations regarding the two prospective Boston casinos will continue throughout the week.
