Earlier this week, a local media, Boston 25 News reported that some of the staff from Encore Boston Harbor were likely to lose their jobs in the near future. According to the report, the layoff was targeting 70 members of staff who did not belong to a union, with the bartenders being replaced by automatic drink dispensers. But it seems these were just mere rumors. News by Casino.org indicates that the newly opened casino has no plans whatsoever of dismissing any of its staff.
Wynn Resorts, which operates Encore Boston Harbor, gave a statement to Casino.org stating that the company did not have any plans of laying off staff. However, a few adjustments are underway and they are likely to affect the staff, though there would be zero dismissal.
Currently, they are trying to improve their services, putting into consideration the customer feedback and their business needs. The gaming operator assured its employees that anyone who would be affected by the current adjustments would be given alternative jobs still within the organization.
Encore Boston Harbor was opened in late June and created 5,000 jobs – something that was definitely seen as a great economic stride in the right direction. This is more than a total of 9,800 jobs present currently in the gaming industry of Massachusetts. The other gaming venues in the state are owned by MGM Springfield and Penn National, which operates a slots-only gaming venue in Plainridge.
When the gambling law was passed in 2011, legislators expected it would create at least 15,000 new jobs. It is obvious this target is yet to be attained. Encore’s job website shows there are 81 openings in the casino, 30 of which have been posted since the beginning of the year.
During its commissioning, Encore was expected to earn $800 million in revenue, in the first year only. According to the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC), as of November 30, the gaming venue had generated not less than $260 million, with the highest earnings being recorded in August, $52.48 million. In analyzing this, experts are predicting that in the next few months, if the current revenue curve continues like this, the earning might go through the roof.
In fact, Encore is rapidly becoming a popular gaming venue, but not without some adjustments along the way. When it initially opened, the patrons had to incur the costs of their parking, a decision Encore soon discovered was a bad idea. The policy was scrapped off in October.
It also had to lower its table game minimum from $50 to $15. This was after Encore discovered that the pricing was too high for local gamblers, who did not appreciate taking a turn at blackjack or roulette at $50 per game.
The numbers for the gross gaming revenue for the month of December will be released next week by the MGC. It will provide a good insight as to whether the adjustments made have actually bear fruits.
