![]() Poker is a casino offering that, unfortunately at this time, puts people in very tight proximity to each other. Revenue has returned to pre-pandemic levels, as Encore Boston Harbor reported $52.5 million in gross gaming revenue in June, per state figures. Prior to the pandemic, the casino was raking in about $50 million per month from slots and table games. There is 190,461 square feet of gaming space.Īt its peak prior to COVID-19, according to the MGC, Encore had more than 2,800 slot machines. “Based on current market conditions and the resulting need to prioritize space, Encore Boston Harbor will not be bringing back live poker at this time. If and when poker should return to Encore, it will likely be at a reduced capacity,” the casino said in a statement last week.Īccording to the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, the casino currently has about 1,850 slot machines and 184 gaming tables (none poker). ![]() People want poker but we can’t have it.”Ī smaller, roughly 20-table poker room at MGM Springfield also has not reopened. “We legalized casinos here for players to legally gamble, not to give companies monopoly power to maximize revenue per square foot. “This continues to be frustrating,” one local on Twitter said in response to the news that Encore might never reopen the room. As of July of last year, the room was full of slot machines, according to one visitor. It was noted that complaints received about the lack of poker have increased ten fold in just the last two weeks.ĭespite the many unhappy casino-goers who miss live poker, Encore said poker might never return to the property. Poker is allowed, but the casino has chosen not to resume it, regulators said in a meeting Thursday. The casino reopened in July 2020 after getting the go-ahead from government officials. The Massachusetts casino, which opened in 2019, still hasn’t reopened its 74-table poker room. It’s not true of every poker room in the country, however, with arguably the most notable non-reopening belonging to the apparently popular poker room at Encore Boston Harbor. Poker rooms across the country have reopened since the pandemic started to wane amid widespread vaccinations. Is poker being used as a bargaining chip for sports betting in the Bay State?
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