Encore Boston Harbor President Robert DeSalvio gives us the nitty-gritty (emphasis on gritty) of developing the Massachusetts megaresort. For instance, I’ll bet you didn’t know Wynn Resorts rented 600 railroad cards to—repeatedly—
haul arsenic-tainted soil from the site, trucked off to Georgia, among other unfortunate recipients. Speaking of railroads, DeSalvio gently pushes CEO Matt Maddox under the train, saying that his (DeSalvio’s) focus at the time of the attempted sale to MGM Resorts International was entirely on opening Encore … and on propping up employee morale.
DeSalvio’s biggest previous accomplishment was opening Sands Bethlehem and it’s probably fair to say he learned from the experience. Where Sands opened messily, in stages, Encore debuted as a finished product, which is as it should be. It was also elevated above the floodplain because “all of Boston has to be concerned about future sea level rise.” Whilst on the wet subject, Encore’s three water taxis are reported to be “extremely popular.”
Wynn also avoided bad feelings with the local entertainment community by eschewing an Encore theater in favor of luxury 
suites at Gillette Stadium, TD Garden and Wang Theatre. DeSalvio’s banking heavily on business-meeting traffic, noting the heavy biotech and technology presences in the region. As for the detente with the local theater and sports community, that may not last. Encore has as-yet-undeveloped acreage, which DeSalvio moots for maybe a theater and/or a pool. It’s New England, remember, so make that pool a heated one.
Kudos to author Roger Gros for coining the phrase “Wynn-wash” to describe what the company has done in Boston. Those of us who thought Wynn Resorts would flounder without its founder have been proven very wrong.
* Sports betting “is only new to you if you’ve had your head in the sand.” Thus speaks Ameristar Council Bluffs General Manager Paul Czak. Even so, compliance at Nebraska colleges and universities are ramping up their schooling of athletes on how to steer clear of prohibited activities. As for Ameristar, it has seen an influx of Cornhusker State bettors since it opened it sports book. That’s more of the same for Czak, who notes that the majority of his regular already customers have Nebraska zip codes. The question, we suppose, is whether the desire to keep sports-betting dollars within Nebraska finally tips the electoral scales in favor of legalized gambling, after many failed tries.
* If you visit Las Vegas in the cold-weather months, hoping to escape the douchebags by the pool, it is time to despair. Station Casinos has announced plans to cover the Kaos pool at the Palms with a dome so that the partying, fist pumping and thumping house music can continue all year ‘long. Don’t say you weren’t warned.
* Our apologies to Binion’s Gambling Hall & Hotel. Owner Terry Caudill has put out the word that it doesn’t have a resort fee and never had one (perhaps because the hotel was closed for several years). Whatever the case, thank you, sir, for correcting our oversight.
* Could this be the next novelty coming to Las Vegas? Pole-dancing robots? Creator Giles Walker says he wants to explore the nature of voyeurism. (Uh-huh.) What better place to explore it than Sin City? A combination of plastic mannequin parts and car straps, the robots even come with stiletto heels.
* Who needs strippers? Nevadans are already the 15th happiest people in America, according to WalletHub. They’re third in (lack of) depression, sixteenth in number of work hours, twentieth in safety and twenty-third in the amount of commuting time they must endure. The unhappiest city in America? No surprise, it’s Detroit, where perhaps they gamble to take their mind off their misery.
* Order a drink at Park MGM and you’ll get hit with a resort fee. An unfortunate customer bought $38 worth of drinks at the Mama Rabbit Mezcal & Tequila Bar and was slapped with a $1.90 “service charge.” Call us cynical but we doubt that the extra 
money was going to the waitress as a buttress for her tips. VitalVegas broke the story, which is going viral. “This fee is applied to all things that keep the venue operationally running, like the gaming maintenance for all bar top games, Wi-Fi, lounge maintenance,” MGM explained weakly, as those things are what are known as the cost of doing business. “This charge you’re seeing is a venue fee. It is not only applied for table service, but for bar service as well, and is being applied to every check in the venue,” grumbled the lion. Is there going to be a “venue fee” for the lobby, in case you have to park your ass there while waiting to check in to an overpriced room?
MGM isn’t the only villain. Sahara Las Vegas returned to its roots by slapping customers in the face with a service fee on cocktails. Fortunately, this phenomenon is in its early stages and consumers have the prerogative to fight back, mainly by boycotting any bar or restaurant that charges these odious little fees. Trust me, they’ll get the point.
* Speaking of VitalVegas, it has the first look at the insides of Virgin Hotel & Casino (née Hard Rock Hotel). It will be worth the wait.
