Wynn CEO warns Massachusetts state officials of the impact of embracing new gaming technology

Craig Billings, chief executive of Wynn Resorts, has warned Massachusetts policymakers that continued gaming expansion could undermine investment in the state's three destination resort casinos. In a Boston Globe opinion piece, he said sports betting, online lottery games, proposals for online gaming and a new law permitting historic horse racing put jobs, tax revenue, municipal payments and long-term development at risk.

Wynn has invested $2.6bn in Encore Boston Harbor since 2019 and reports generating more than $1.1bn in state tax revenue, $1.3bn in employee compensation, $370m in community payments and $15m in nonprofit donations. The state's other casinos are Penn Entertainment's Plainridge Park Casino and MGM Springfield; the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe operates a slot parlour.

Billings said historic horse racing machines function as slot machines under a different label and argued eInstant lottery games similarly compete with casinos. He also cited competition from New Hampshire and noted Encore's labour costs rose 37 per cent over four years while revenue grew less than two per cent. The state's three casinos reported $101.9m in gross gaming revenue in August.