Encore Boston Harbor Partially Floods, Poker Room Expected to Soon Reopen

Posted on: October 18, 2019, 07:51h. 

Last updated on: October 19, 2019, 07:25h.

Ed Silverstein @casinoorgedsilv Read More
Expertise: Legal, Tribal Gaming.

Encore Boston Harbor was forced to close part of the new venue on Friday because of a water leak that led to flooding in a poker room, according to news reports.

Encore Boston Harbor experienced a limited leak Friday. A poker room was damaged. (Image: WCVB)

A second-floor poker room at the Everett, Massachusetts casino was damaged by the rush of water from a ceiling, WCVB TV reported. A guest said the water actually came up to his ankles as he played poker, the report said.

Water was seen flowing from the ceiling onto gaming tables late Friday afternoon. Casino officials told the TV station flooding was limited to the poker room.

The room was quickly evacuated so workers could clean up water and related damage from the flooding, WCVB said. The poker room may be reopened Friday night or Saturday, according to Boston.com.

“There has been no impact to any other part of the building,” a casino statement quoted by the station said.? Part of the poker room was expected to be opened shortly, the station added late Friday.

The flood damage was not significant, Boston.com reported.

Still, as water rushed onto poker tables, gamblers ran out of the room. The gaming room was crowded at the time because a poker tournament started around 5 p.m. ET, WHDH reported.

It was not clear what led to the leak. The cause was under investigation as of Friday night.

Part of New England experienced a Nor’easter on Thursday. There were high winds in much of the region.

Monthly GGR Drops in September

The $2.6 billion Encore Boston Harbor opened in June. The Wynn Resorts-owned property continued to dominate the Massachusetts casino landscape in September.

Last month’s gross gaming revenue (GGR) was $48.95 million. Still, that was less than the August GGR of $52.48 million, according to data from the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC).

As of the end of September, the Wynn property reported $166.8 million in GGR. Prior forecasts indicate Encore Boston Harbor could post GGR of $800 million in its first year in business, which works out to an average of $66.66 million per month.

The venue’s 210,000-square-foot gaming area has more than 3,000 slot machines and 240 table games. There are also 671 hotel rooms, as well as multiple stores, restaurants, bars, and expansive meeting space.

Encore Boston Harbor is making it easier to get to the casino, with free self-parking for guests seven days a week.

Management Change

On Wednesday, Robert DeSalvio resigned as president of Encore Boston Harbor, Wynn Resorts said in a statement. He was praised by company officials.

“Bob DeSalvio’s ability to partner with community leaders and elected officials, assemble a world-class team, and lead them to produce and launch a project of the highest quality is remarkable,” Matt Maddox, CEO of Wynn Resorts, said in a statement. “His unique talent to both manage a complicated construction process while listening to the needs of key stakeholders was essential to our success.”

The new president is Brian Gullbrants. He is in charge of hotel, food and beverage operations at the casino.