What Effect Has the New Encore Casino in Boston Had in the Northeast?

What effect has the new Encore Casino in Boston had in the Northeast and the rest of the country? By the way, they did a top-notch job on the facility.

With only around four months of revenue to report, it’s far too early to say what impact Encore Boston Harbor will have on New England. It doesn’t seem to have made much of an initial impact on Plainridge Park, which is relatively near. MGM Springfield, out in the western part of Massachusetts is pretty far away — and has problems of its own.

It should become, like Borgata, Foxwoods, Mohegan Sun, and MGM National Harbor (outside Washington, D.C.), one of the four or five dominant casinos on the East Coast. However, its economic impact probably won’t ripple past the immediately surrounding states — although it might incentivize politicians in New Hampshire to legalize casino gambling.

However, in the Boston area, restaurants are already hurting from the impact of Encore. It’s scarfed up much of the labor market for eateries and there’s even talk of outside restaurants being forced to close. Encore’s high-end restaurant product is not only skimming the cream off the Beantown workforce, it could exert pressure on competitors.

In the meantime, for a minute there it looked like Encore might have a security problem. Late on a Monday night in mid-August, police were called there to break up three fights, two large and one small, all within an hour of one another. But so far, it was just an aberration; the joint's been calm ever since.

What effect has the new Encore Casino in Boston had in the Northeast and the rest of the country?

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Kevin Lewis Oct-27-2019

That familiar sucking sound

Imagine the plight of Bostonians, facing an hour or more trip to get to Foxwoods or Mohegan Sun...and lo! a casino doth appear, right there in town! Now, they say, we won't have to burn half a tank of gas to go and lose our money! Hallelujah!

I doubt that the impact of a casino on a major city is a net positive. Sure, there's JOBZ JOBZ JOBZ, but whatever profits are earned by the casino are NOT invested in the local economy. That money leaves town, never to return. Casinos don't create or produce anything tangible, and have huge negative social impacts. I bet there's been an increase in business for local pawnshops and payday lenders.

steve crouse Oct-27-2019

2 words

Only two words to refute your statement, Keven.

LAS VEGAS.

Maureen Oct-27-2019

Northeast

I live in New England and probably will not return to Foxwoods or Mohegan Sun (although they have a great breakfast at the Sun)
Gas and traffic plus a remake of the Poker room and buffet at the WOODS are the reason I wouldn't make the long drive.
Encore has huge parking fees( well at least when they opened) and most restaurants are quite expensive. NH is actually running a shuttle to the encore. Vegas is still an option but both Bconnected messing up the usual traveler and high air fares that may also create a change in tourism.

Roy Furukawa Oct-27-2019

Third Word

As much as I don't usually agree with Kevin, he's right this time. AC is a good example of casinos surrounded by plight. As for Las Vegas, it's just a different animal from everywhere else because it is and has been the main industry there for such a long time, it doesn't suck up other long established businesses like in other cities. I asked friends from NY why they always came to Las Vegas when AC was so close and they said it was because AC is NOT Las Vegas.

Maureen Oct-27-2019

Northeast

I always see additional local reviews for Vegas but since we have traveled to Vegas for many decades, I can honestly say that there are very few LOCAL established restaurants I have visited.I guess that there are enough locals that can keep the established places open.  There are many casino restaurants that we don't go back to so again it is all in what you prefer when visiting a casino city.

Question of the Day - 27 October 2019

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