GGRAsia – Wynn Boston licence hearing maybe this month: report

Wynn Boston licence hearing maybe this month: report

Mar 01, 2019 Newsdesk Latest News, Top of the deck, World

The gaming regulator in Massachusetts in the United States said it expected the lawsuit filed by Steve Wynn against it and its chief investigator would be dismissed.

The regulator should then be able to move forward with an adjudicatory hearing on sexual harassment allegations against Mr Wynn and to determine the suitability of Wynn Resorts Ltd – which has said it has severed connections with its founder and former chairman – to be licensed to open its new Boston casino resort (pictured in an artist’s rendering).

The commission’s investigation report on Mr Wynn’s case would be made publicly available on the first day of the adjudicatory hearing. Wynn Resorts officials will be allowed to respond, according to the regulator.

Such adjudication could be as early as this month, reported on Thursday the Las Vegas Review-Journal newspaper. Wynn Resorts would reportedly like to open its new venue in June.

Massachusetts Gaming Commission lawyers have acknowledged that any protracted litigation about the venue could negatively affect the aims of the state in accepting the scheme in the first place: i.e., job creation and tax yield from gambling and other services at the resort. It is to be named Encore Boston Harbor, after the Wynn name was dropped in the aftermath of the allegations against company founder Mr Wynn that have sparked Massachusetts’ adjudication.

Cathy Judd-Stein, chairwoman of the commission was cited by the Review-Journal as saying that the body had directed its executive director Edward Bedrosian to complete final settlement agreements to satisfy claims filed by Mr Wynn.

Mr Wynn filed the lawsuit in November. It led Massachusetts to the block of the release of a report said to contain opinion on whether Mr Wynn engaged in sexual misconduct against women employees when he led Wynn Resorts. Mr Wynn’s lawsuit alleged that any use by the Massachusetts regulator – for the purposes of adjudication – of statements he had made to lawyers would be breach of client-lawyer confidentiality.

A decision on the future of Mr Wynn’s lawsuit is scheduled to be heard by Clark County District Court Judge Elizabeth Gonzalez in Las Vegas, Nevada on Monday, the Review-Journal reported.

As and when the Massachusetts regulator’s investigation report does become public it will have been “carefully edited” to comply with its resolution agreement with Mr Wynn, Ms Judd-Stein was cited by the Boston Herald newspaper as saying.

Mr Wynn resigned as chief executive and chairman of Wynn Resorts in February 2018, weeks after allegations of sexual misconduct were made against him. He denies the allegations. Sweeping changes followed regarding the membership of the firm’s board.

Wynn Resorts is the parent company of Macau-based casino operator Wynn Macau Ltd.