The Encore Boston Harbor is the newest casino to open in the state of Massachusetts. Owned by Wynn Resorts, the casino is one that has fought hard to be able to be created in the region of Everett as well as faced additional scrutiny due to sexual allegations against the former owner of the brand, Steve Wynn. The casino finally reached its opening day over the weekend and was welcomed to the community by a huge crowd of visitors. Unfortunately, among the crowd were a few cheaters with police making arrests at the roulette table due to the actions of gamers.
Arrests Made
The casino was open only 24 hour before the arrests were made, possibly a record for crime in the gambling industry! Everett Police Chief Steven Mazzie reported to the media that the property was subject to cheating during the first day of operations involving the game of roulette.
As the facility prepared to open their doors, thousands of people were lined up outside waiting to gain entry. Tens of thousands of people would arrive on opening day to see what the facility was going to provide. Among those visiting were two people who had their sights on the roulette tables and how they could cheat the venue.
According to Mazzie, Jankelli S. Volquez and Hector Hernandez were seen cheating at the roulette tables, arrested and charged with cheating as well as conspiracy. Yet another individual was charged with trespassing and was kicked out of the casino. A fourth individual as arrested for disorderly conduct.
Aside from the four arrests, the opening of the casino went off without a hitch. The resort saw a large influx of people and the property was prepared with security onsite for protection of guests.
Major Traffic
With the opening of the facility, there were worries that the casino would cause traffic congestion in the area. Apparently, the roadways were not as busy as they believed and public transit was used by visitors to reach the facility. In an effort to ensure traffic was handled, Wynn Resorts encouraged players to use the public options to visit.
They offered free shuttles at stations over the weekend to encourage less traffic on the roadways. The option is an alternative to driving, which seems to have been preferred by many. In order to ensure traffic congestion was not an issue, Wynn Resorts worked with several groups to offer public transit options to visitors.
According to Encore Boston Harbor Executive Director of Transportation, James Folk, no matter where a visitor is coming from, they will have a public transportation option. Boat shuttles are offered from the Boston Seaport and the property as well as standard shuttles.
The property is expected to draw a huge crowd of visitors every year. A total of 8 million people are estimated to be visiting the property annually. Officials hope that the property will not be a traffic issue in the future.
For now, security will remain on their toes watching as players enter the gaming floor. It would not be surprising to find other individuals trying to cheat the casino while in the early days of operation. Over the weekend, it is unclear as to if the criminals thought the venue would be overcrowded and they could get away with their scheme or if they thought security would not be paying attention. Whatever the case may be, the casino caught those trying to cheat them during opening weekend and charges were filed.
