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Wynn Casino Connected To Boston By Land, By Sea, And By Foot Bridge?

Despite an ongoing suitability investigation by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission stemming from accusations against the company’s former CEO and Chairman Steve Wynn, construction on the Wynn Boston Harbor project is chugging right along. The Massachusetts casino-hotel is slated to open in June 2019. Meanwhile, construction crews are finishing new floors of the main tower at a pace of about one every two weeks.

The 27-floor hotel-casino will radically change the Everett skyline and transform the entire area along the Mystic River into a world-class destination.

But the transformative effect of the Wynn Boston Harbor project will extend well beyond the property’s 13-acre footprint.

A long-proposed footbridge gets a second look

One of the latest additions to the project is an expansive 780-foot footbridge. The state first considered building one back in 2009. With the Wynn casino as the impetus, the state resurrected the project. However, the cost is now much higher than the old 2009 plan. In nine years, the estimated cost ballooned from $8 million to $23 million.

The state hasn’t explained how it will pay for the bridge. In fact, the Department of Conservation and Recreation says it’s looking at, “multiple funding sources.”

One of those sources would be Wynn Resorts. Wynn Resorts is ready to commit $250,000 to planning and said it would contribute even more to construction.

If the project goes forward, the proposed bridge would be the longest bike and foot bridge in the state, and the most expensive. The bridge would span the Mystic River and link the Wynn property in Everett with Assembly Station, an Orange Line stop on the opposite bank in Somerville, Massachusetts.

More than one way to get to Wynn Boston Harbor

The footbridge would provide yet another way for local residents to make their way to the casino.

With a 3,000-space underground garage, the hotel-casino will appeal to residents from Central Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, and beyond.

The Wynn casino’s location is about an hour drive from some of the bigger population centers in New England:

  • Worcester, MA
  • Providence, RI
  • Nashua, NH
  • Manchester, NH

For out-of-towners, the property is a short taxi ride from Boston’s Logan Airport or from hotels in the city proper.

The bottom line is, even though its located in the city, Wynn Boston Harbor is trying to be as convenient and accessible to as many people as possible. Most of the methods are pretty conventional; some others, not so much.

Water shuttles

Wynn will be operating a water shuttle service that will ferry casino-goers from the seaport in downtown Boston to the Wynn Boston Harbor casino in Everett. The three shuttles will run around the clock seven days a week.

According to the Wynn Boston Harbor website:

“Wynn Boston Harbor’s exclusive water shuttle service, connecting to Boston Harbor and beyond, will make visits to the resort both enjoyable and convenient. These low-profile, European-style boats will be enclosed and temperature-controlled, ensuring passenger comfort year-round. In addition, the resort’s docks will accommodate water taxis and private boats for drop-offs and pickups.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Online Gambling Will Be Prohibited At PA Casinos; Here’s Why That’s A Bad Idea

Online Gambling Will Be Prohibited At PA Casinos; Here’s Why That’s A Bad Idea

Between high tax rates, a prohibition on online gambling at Pennsylvania casinos, and a potential limit of one skin per operator, the state is making things very hard for prospective online gambling operators.

The post Online Gambling Will Be Prohibited At PA Casinos; Here’s Why That’s A Bad Idea appeared first on Online Poker Report.

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The PA Online Lottery Is Probably A Bigger Deal Than You Realize

It’s going to be a profitable spring for the Pennsylvania Lottery.

This May, Pennsylvania will launch its iLottery, an online form of the lottery that will include scratch-offs, Keno, and draw games. Once the platform is live, it will make PA the fifth state in the country to offer an online lottery platform, joining:

  • Michigan
  • Illinois
  • Georgia
  • Kentucky

Michigan is considered the sterling example of iLottery success. According to Pennsylvania Lottery Spokesperson Gary Miller, the state served as a case study as PA formed its online games.

“We are looking at successful iLottery models across the industry, including in Michigan and other states that were early adopters. Pennsylvania and Michigan have a lot in common demographically and currently, they are the U.S. iLottery industry leader.”

The games will be available to anyone who is 18 or older and physically located in the state of Pennsylvania. So, a 23-year-old New Jersey resident could conceivably drive into Pennsylvania, stop at a McDonald’s near the state line, and buy a couple of PA iLottery scratchers on his or her phone.

A closer look at virtual sports

Scratchers, draw games, and Keno are familiar territory for PA gamblers. All three are currently offered in the state. Virtual sports, on the other hand, is not.

The concept is that lottery players can wager on fictional sporting events — a soccer match, let’s say. Their win or loss depends on the score of the game. These games provide a new form of gambling. It also gives sports fans action during down times between professional sports seasons.

There is one catch to virtual sports, though. They’ll only be available via lottery terminals in bars and taverns. For now, they won’t be available on mobile platforms.

Gov. Tom Wolf noted in a press release that the Lottery expects these four new wagering avenues to add around $75 million to the state’s coffers over the next five years.

Self-regulation to play important role in iLottery

Much of what we know about security and self-regulation involved in the upcoming iLottery launch comes from a Feb. 20 appearance by Revenue Secretary Dan Hassell in front of the House of Representative’s Appropriations Committee.

Hassell said that the new platform will include the ability to block yourself from playing online lottery games for up to five years.

Also, following standard procedure for state lotteries, players won’t be able to purchase any games with their credit card.

2018 a big year for PA gambling

Along with the launch of the iLottery, the state is scheduled to launch its online casino platforms later this year.

The extent of the online casino market is not known yet. However, Miller says the state is hoping that, no matter how many sites go live this year, the combination of the two online gambling platforms should drive more customers to traditional lottery games available for purchase at gas stations, truck stops and other locations.

“We anticipate that by attracting new players and broadening their awareness of lottery games, it will help to grow sales of traditional games.”

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