Wynn Resorts Will Remove Steve Wynn’s Name from its Boston Harbor Property
Following intense scrutiny and speculation, the Everett property will be rebranded as Encore Boston Harbor, Wynn Resorts CEO Matt Maddox told the Massachusetts Gaming Commission.
Planned Wynn casino in Everett. Rendering by Wynn.
Steve Wynn’s name will not appear in Everett.
Four months after the Wall Street Journal published a bombshell report in which several women accused the casino mogul of sexual abuse spanning decades, Matt Maddox, the CEO of Wynn Resorts, told Massachusetts regulators his company’s forthcoming property will be renamed Encore Boston Harbor. The move, reported by the Boston Globe, aims to widen the gulf between the company—which is still under investigation by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission—and its founder, who has come under intense scrutiny in the #MeToo era.
“The Wynn brand is strong,” Maddox said, according to the Globe. “I also understand the cultural sensitivity here.”
The Encore name is not brand new for Wynn Resorts, which operates luxury properties under the moniker in Las Vegas and Macau.
In March, Wynn executives said a rebrand for the property was on the table, and Attorney General Maura Healey and Gov. Charlie Baker have both expressed support for such a move.
Wynn Resorts has taken several steps to distance itself from its founder since the allegations against him surfaced, including adding more women to its board of directors. Wynn resigned from his post as CEO of the company in February and subsequently sold off his stock.
Rumors swirled in recent weeks that Wynn Resorts was looking to sell the $2.5 billion Everett property to MGM resorts, and Maddox made statements that though the company was keen on the Boston market, it had to consider potential risks moving forward.
The Everett casino is scheduled to open in June 2019.
