Encore Casino Everett Ma Address
The impact to the workforce at the Encore Boston Harbor casino is still being analyzed after the major rollback of hours by Gov. Charlie Baker on Monday due to escalating case numbers statewide – a rollback that will take effect on Friday and is still an uncertainty as to how it will affect the casino and other businesses in Everett.
Welcome to Encore Boston Harbor Resort. Luxury hotel rooms & suites, fine dining, casino, event center, shopping. A mix of mainstays and rotating specials, the Encore buffet is priced at $38.99 all day (12 p.m. To 10 p.m.) and is all-you-can-eat for a time limit of two hours.
On Monday, Gov. Baker put a new stay-at-home curfew statewide from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., calling on businesses of many types to close by 9:30 p.m. to in-person services, including restaurants that are already hurting and the casino which had just gotten some gains in bringing back the Roulette game to its offerings.
The governor cited that cases are up statewide 278 percent since Labor Day, and hospitalizations are up 145 percent in the same time period.
“These measures are meant to disrupt rising trends now, so the Commonwealth can keep the economy and schools open for residents and to prevent the need to roll back to Phase I or Phase II of the reopening plan,” he said in a press conference on Monday afternoon.
All orders and advisories will be effective Friday, Nov. 6 at 12:01 a.m.
Encore Spokesperson Rosie Salisbury said they will analyze the business demand under the new regulations, but they fully support the governor’s new regulations.
“We’re still analyzing the impact to our operations and making adjustments accordingly,” said Salisbury. “We need to better understand what the business demand will be under this new operating model. Encore Boston Harbor supports and will adhere to the additional directives put forth by the Commonwealth aimed to reduce the ongoing risk to public health. As a result, the resort will adjust its operating hours to be in compliance with new regulations.”
The new casino operating hours will be 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., seven days a week, beginning Friday, Nov. 6.
In addition, all hotel reservations at Encore Boston Harbor have been cancelled through Dec. 15. Wynn Resorts has a quarterly earnings call on Thursday, Nov. 5, and the matter is likely to come up during that call.
The early closure of businesses comes at a time when many restaurants and licensed establishments – such as bar and grill setups with alcohol sales – had been struggling with an 11 p.m. closing time across the board. Now, with a 9:30 p.m. closing time, many will struggle to keep the doors open.
The specifics of the business closures are as follows:
Effective Nov. 6, the following businesses and activities must close to the public each day between the hours of 9:30 p.m. and 5 a.m. A full list can be access at the state’s website.
*Restaurants (in-person dining must cease at 9:30 p.m., although takeout and delivery may continue for food and non-alcoholic beverages, but not alcohol)
*Liquor stores and other retail establishments that sell alcohol must cease alcohol sales at 9:30 p.m. (but may continue to sell other products)
*Adult-use marijuana sales must cease at 9:30 p.m. (not including medical marijuana)
*Indoor & outdoor events
*Theaters/movie theaters (including drive-in movie theaters), and performance venues (indoor and outdoor)
*Youth and adult amateur sports activities
*Golf facilities
*Recreational boating and boating businesses
*Outdoor recreational experiences
*Casinos and horse tracks/simulcast facilities
*Driving and flight schools
*Zoos, botanical gardens, wildlife reserves, nature centers
*Close contact personal services (such as hair and nail salons)
*Gyms, Fitness Centers and Health Clubs
*Indoor and outdoor pools
*Museums/cultural & historical facilities/guided tours
Gov. Baker’s announcement on Monday also included an updated face covering mandate in public places, and a reduction for gatherings – which have been a prime area for spreading COVID-19 this fall.
The new gatherings order reduces the gathering size limit for gatherings at private residences: indoor gatherings at private residences are limited to 10 people and outdoor gatherings at private residences are limited to 25 people. The limit on gatherings held in public spaces and at event venues (e.g. wedding venues) remains the same. The new order also requires that all gatherings (regardless of size or location) must end and disperse by 9:30 p.m.
The new gatherings order also requires that organizers of gatherings report known positive COVID-19 cases to the local health department in that community and requires organizers to cooperate with contact tracing. The gatherings order authorizes continued enforcement by local health and police departments and specifies that fines for violating the gathering order will be $500 for each person above the limit at a particular gathering.
Encore Boston Harbor has notmade its quarterly Host Community Agreement (HCA) payment on March 31 to theCity, but it has assured City leaders it would make two quarterly payments of$12.5 million by at least June 30.
Mayor Carlo DeMaria andChief Financial Officer Eric Demas said they continue to meet with Encore everyTuesday remotely – as they have done for years now – and have agreed to allowthe company leeway as they focus on paying their employees a full salary whilethey bring in no revenue due to the COVID-19 casino closures (in Boston and LasVegas).
“They did not make the paymenton March 31,” said Demas. “They are in transition right now. I think they areone of the first companies to say they would pay their employees, and thatincludes tipped employees…They said they will be making payments soon and theytold the City not to worry and would be fulfilling all of their obligations.They always have done what they said, so we support that…We understand theirfocus is on their employees right now and are 100 percent committed they willmake good by June 30.”
Payments are due on the lastday of each quarter, with the first payment in the current fiscal year cominglast September. That payment was also late, but the Dec. 31 payment came early.Because of the COVID-19 situation, they will miss the March 31 payment, buthave promised to make up the final two payments before the end of the fiscalyear on June 30.
Quarterly payments come intwo separate sums, one of $5 million and another of $1.25 million, for a totalof $6.25 million per quarter.
“They’ve been an excellentbusiness partner in the city,” said Demas. “Our liquidity remains strong so aslong as their payment comes in by June 30, we’ll be fine.”
The payment, also, issubject to the Mayor’s extension on excise and property tax payments – as theHCA payment is technically both of those. So, like other taxpayers, Encore wasofficially granted the extension to June 30.
Rethinking the Budget
Right now, City finances allover the region are at a standstill, and with Fiscal Year 2021 looking to bevery difficult, Everett is no exception though its financial position isstronger than some neighboring communities, Demas said.
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“Fiscal Year 2021 is goingto be tough,” he said. “Unfortunately, there not a lot that is known. It’s awaiting game. Right now the states are waiting to see what the federalgovernment will do with Stimulus 4. They already will get 75 percentreimbursement for COVID-related expenses, so we know that. Until the federalgovernment takes action, the states can’t take action. Once that happens,cities and towns across the country will know what to expect and what resourceswill be available.”
Encore Boston Red Card
Everett is in a goodposition, however, because the City isn’t as dependent on revenue streams likemeals taxes and hotel excise taxes. For year, Everett got little to no revenuefrom those sources. With the opening of Encore, that was going to be a new, andlucrative, stream of revenue. However, this being the first year of thoserevenues, Demas said the City was very conservative in its expectations.
The City budgeted to collect$3.2 million for both revenue streams this year, and as of March 31, theycollected $3.7 million with one more quarter – albeit a very light quarter – togo.
That said, there are a lotof questions about real estate taxes and personal property taxes and thiscoming year’s budget.
“We had our budget togetherand nearly complete five or six weeks ago,” he said. “we were ready to startpolishing it when this broke out…We are in the process of completelyre-starting our budget process again…What I’m hoping is the state can gettogether as a group and put out one budget and streamline that state process socities and towns will know what to expect.”
He said, for the City, theywon’t have full numbers until two or three weeks from now, especially withdeadlines being extended on most bills.
He said that despite theextension and the complications from the pandemic, Everett residents are doinga great job of paying online and dropping payments in the City Hall drop box.
“With the uncertain timeswe’re in, it’s important to realize all the positive things we have here inEverett,” he said. “We’re fortunate compared to a lot of other places.”