Judge slams Boston for “spurious” claims of regulators favoring Wynn casino bid

A Massachusetts judge has dismissed the city of Boston’s legal bid to derail the construction of Wynn Resorts new casino in neighboring Everett.

On Thursday, Suffolk County Superior Court Judge Janet Sanders ruled that the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) had acted properly in selecting Wynn as the recipient of the lone casino licensed designated for the Boston area.

Wynn was awarded the license in September 2014, beating back rival bids by Mohegan Sun and racetrack operator Suffolk Downs. The Mohegans had promised to pay Boston a lump sum of $30m plus $18m per year to reflect Boston’s status as ‘host community.’ Boston mayor Martin Walsh (pictured) believed Wynn should pay something similar to compensate for all the traffic chaos its casino is expected to bring.

But Wynn offered Boston just $6m upfront plus $2.6m per year, a deal Walsh categorically rejected. Walsh’s unwillingness to negotiate prompted the MGC to strip Boston of its ‘surrounding community’ status, thereby eliminating its legal right to any compensation, which prompted Walsh to release the legal kraken.