Wynn Resorts Is Considering a Name Change for its Everett Project
The company is open to rebranding the Massachusetts property in the wake of sexual misconduct allegations against Steve Wynn.
Photo via AP/ Charles Krupa
In the midst of pressure from residents and state politicians, executives at Wynn Resorts said they are open to removing the Wynn name from the company’s massive casino project underway in Everett.
The Boston Herald reports that Wynn Boston Harbor Robert DeSalvio said Thursday his team is “absolutely considering a rebranding of the project,” which has come under scrutiny in the wake of sexual abuse allegations against Wynn Resorts founder, Steve Wynn. After the Wall Street Journal published its January story detailing accusations of a decades-long pattern of misconduct, the casino mogul resigned from his top post at Wynn Resorts and sold his company stock.
Executives at Wynn Resorts rebuffed prior calls to consider a name change due to branding concerns. When asked about scrubbing Wynn’s name from the Everett property in February, Matt Maddox, the company’s new CEO, told the Boston Globe, “Wynn is a brand—it’s not about a person.”
The Massachusetts Gaming Commission is conducting an ongoing investigation into whether Wynn’s behavior violates the state’s suitability standard for casino licensees. Though no official verdict has been reached, Gaming Commission chairman Stephen Crosby said the Everett project is underway “on an at-risk basis,” according to the Globe.
At the end of February, Attorney General Maura Healey and Gov. Charlie Baker supported the idea of scrubbing the Wynn name from the property in Massachusetts. In a statement, Healey told the Herald it was “clear” that if the allegations are true, “the casino cannot bear Wynn’s name.” Baker echoed her position, calling the accusations “horrifying and incredibly disturbing.”
According to Massachusetts law, casino licensees are required to maintain “integrity, honesty, good character, and reputation.” In January, the Gaming Commission investigation announced Wynn failed to disclose a $7.5 million settlement paid out after sexual assault allegations when he applied for a license to operate a casino in Massachusetts.
