Wynn CEO Expects Overseas Gamblers to Flock to New Boston Casino

(Bloomberg) -- Wynn Resorts Ltd., set to open a $2.6 billion casino near Boston on Sunday, expects to pack the resort with 15,000 to 20,000 people a day, many from outside the U.S.

The Encore Boston Harbor casino, perched along the Mystic River in Everett, Massachusetts, will attract customers from Latin America and as far away as Asia, Chief Executive Officer Matt Maddox said Friday on Bloomberg Television.

“It’ll really be one of the first large-scale integrated resorts in a major metropolitan area in the United States,” he said in an interview with Vonnie Quinn and Guy Johnson. “We’re already seeing quite large demand from our international customers.”

The project will test whether Bostonians are ready for Vegas-style glitz so close to the city. It features 15 restaurants and bars, and the casino got permission to serve drinks until 4 a.m. -- two hours later than normal in the state.

Earlier this year, Wynn shocked the casino industry and state officials by holding talks with MGM Resorts International about selling Encore Boston Harbor. The two companies quickly ended the discussions, clearing the way for Wynn to open the resort.

“Encore Boston Harbor is not for sale,” Maddox reiterated on Friday. “Those talks were ceased before they really even started.”

To contact the reporter on this story: Randall Williams in New York at rwilliams407@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Nick Turner at nturner7@bloomberg.net, Jonathan Roeder

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