Encore: Guest Limits Seek to Avoid Repeat of State Rules Breach

Wynn Resorts is toughening its rules at Encore Boston Harbor to prevent a repeat of the state violation regarding the number of people allowed to gather at one place. Massachusetts has a 25-person limit on indoor gatherings, yet police had to intervene and break a party of more than 100 people inside one of the suites of the casino resort.

According to the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, a large group of people partying inside a suite at Encore Harbor was broken up by the police around 3am, August 16, as it was in obvious breach of the rule limiting indoor gatherings, aimed at halting any further person-to-person transmission of the coronavirus.

Notice of Noncompliance Sent to the Casino

The gaming regulator sent the casino resort a notice of noncompliance with the state rules and is looking to discuss Encore’s oversight procedures during its next meeting. The casino resort guest who held the party is facing a $500 penalty, the commission explained.

“This is much more serious than a guest being disturbed by noise, and certainly whatever measures they had before were not effective enough.”

Gayle Cameron, Commissioner, Massachusetts Gaming Commission

In response to the breach which was called “egregious” violation by the regulator’s Chairwoman Cathy Judd-Stein, management at Encore Boston Harbor informed the commission it had already instituted new rules to limit the number of guests per room to 4 and the number of persons for a two-bedroom suite to 8.

“The stakes are too high for anything but full compliance with those safety standards.”

Cathy Judd-Stein, Chairwoman, Massachusetts Gaming Commission

In addition to the limits on the number of persons allowed inside, the casino resort has additionally boosted security at the site and has been aggressively monitoring the amount of food and drinks being brought inside by guests to draw insights regarding any pending large gatherings.

Guest Reservations Cancelled After the New Restrictions

As a result of the toughened measures, several reservations for the resort have been cancelled, showing that the new limitations are working and proving that staff at Encore is determined to stick to its guns and make its guests abide by the rules so a repeat of the mid-month failure is avoided.

Encore Boston Harbor, as well as the other casinos in Massachusetts, was closed down mid-March to help state effort to curb the spread of the coronavirus. The casino resort reopened July 12 with limited capacity and strict health and safety measures in place for team members and guests.