Court Says Encore Boston Harbor Didn’t Shortchange or Mislead Customers

A Massachusetts consumer claimed that Encore Boston Harbor and its ownership group, Wynn Resorts, shortchanged its customers. However, the court sided with the casino.

In a lawsuit filed in August 2019, Richard Schuster, who claims to be one of the casino’s first patrons, alleged that the property’s ticket redemption units had technical issues that didn’t properly disperse coins. Schuster also said that the coinless machines introduced shortly after the casino’s opening were unfair.

The man alleged that Encore Boston Harbor shortchanged him on the 12 visits he made to the property, echoing other similar cases. Because of that, he accused the property of violating Massachusetts’ consumer protection laws and violating its contract.

Wynn Says Schuster Was Fully Aware of How to Redeem His Tickets

However, Wynn Resorts officials explained that the ticket redemption units dispense cash in the amount of the nearest whole dollar value. The coinless machines would then issue a ticket with the rest of the change that players can redeem at a cashier window.

Schuster alleged that the coinless machines discourage consumers from seeking to redeem their change, allowing the casino to keep it. He himself would often throw away the tickets instead of redeeming them at a cashier window.

Upon examining the facts, the court agreed that Wynn’s coinless machines did not breach any regulations. It also rejected Schuster’s claim that the machines were unethical. Judge Allison Burroughs noted that Schuster had all the information he needed to redeem his change, despite claiming that it should have been included on the tickets.

Following the verdict, Schuster appealed the judge’s ruling to the First Court of Appeals. However, Wynn’s attorneys want the case dismissed, claiming that the consumer had not been subjected to any unfair or deceptive conduct.

According to Wynn’s representatives, the plaintiff did not receive any misleading information and was, in fact, aware of how to redeem his tickets. The casino emphasized that Schuster ultimately chose to “do something with his TRU tickets other than what he was instructed to do.”

The casino company added that its coinless TRU ticket machines are fully in line with Massachusetts’ standards.