Massachusetts Gaming Commission urges resolution as Encore Boston Harbor tax falls

Regulators in Massachusetts want the standoff between Encore Boston Harbor and its striking staff brought to an end. The push from the Massachusetts Gaming Commission followed a September tax payment from the casino that was its smallest in over five and a half years. Roughly 1,350 employees were on strike over pay and benefits at the time of the drop.

Encore Boston Harbor's September 2026 tax bill to the state came to slightly above US$11.5m, while the same month a year earlier had produced US$14.8m. Gaming revenue at the Everett property reached US$46.1m for the month, a year-on-year drop of over 22 per cent.

Speaking at a Thursday meeting, the commission's chair, Jordan Maynard, noted that no monthly payment from the casino had been this small since the worst period of the Covid-19 pandemic. Commissioner Paul Brodeur called the revenue effect “substantial” and warned that smaller tax receipts can hit the money available for public services.

Brodeur said: "A dip of a quarter million dollars into the commonwealth's revenue is a couple of teachers, it is a relevant benefit around MassHealth. It's always important to keep in mind that these revenue impacts really are human impacts."

Tom Mari, president of Teamsters Local 25, pointed to the numbers as proof of how much casino staff add to the business, and urged Encore to settle on terms that recognise that role. “These workers are fighting for what they deserve: a fair contract that reflects the value they bring to Encore,” Mari said. He went on: “The message to Encore’s management is loud and clear: you cannot expect to be one of the region’s few five-star resorts without treating the workers who make it possible with the respect they deserve.”

According to Encore, a “significant economic proposal” was put forward some time ago, and the company has spent several weeks expecting the union to return to the table. Staff represented by the unions work as drivers, valets, cashiers, attendants and cooks, among other roles.

The workers have been without a fresh deal since their contracts ran out on August 31, as talks with casino management did not settle their demands. Their asks include a $10 hourly raise spread across four years, a $25 per hour starting base wage, and protections for healthcare and pension benefits.

Wynn Resorts runs Encore Boston Harbor. The company has said in the past that the workers' demands must be “grounded in financial reality” so that conditions leading to layoffs are not created.