Wynn bankrolling effort for Massachusetts casino
BOSTON — Las Vegas casino operator Steve Wynn is bankrolling an effort to convince Everett, Mass., voters to support a proposed casino in the city, while nothing has been spent in opposition to the plan, according to campaign finance records.
A referendum is scheduled for Saturday on a host community agreement Wynn signed with city officials that calls for $30 million in advance payments to Everett and more than $25 million in annual payments if the casino was to open for business.
Supporters and critics of the plan say they anticipate voter approval of the agreement, marking a key step forward for Wynn in a casino selection process that will ultimately be decided by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission.
Wynn has proposed a $1.2 billion casino on a 37-acre site along the Mystic River that once housed a chemical plant.
In a report posted by the state Office of Campaign and Political Finance, the pro-casino group Everett United, which is pushing for a yes vote on the referendum, reported $85,455 in contributions through June 4, all but $455 of which had come from Wynn Resorts. The group reported about $25,000 in expenditures through that date.
The group additionally received more than $150,000 “in-kind” contributions from Wynn Resorts for specific purposes, largely consulting services, according to the report.