The city of Somerville took the Massachusetts Gaming Commission to court, in order for the construction of a casino venue near its border to be blocked. The local regulatory body was accused of failing to observe the law by giving Wynn Resorts permission to proceed with an Everett-based gambling project.
The lawsuit was filed last Thursday, December 4, in the Suffolk Superior Court. Somerville residents and officials claimed that Wynn Resorts should have been refused a license, due to allegations that Charles Lightbody, a convicted felon, was involved in the Everett project, which was estimated to cost $1.6 billion.
The casino site is located just across the Mystic River, not far from the Assembly Square complex in Somerville.
Joseph Curtatone, the current Mayor of Somerville, stated that he and his fellow-residents are not keen on the potential construction of a gambling venue within the territory of the city, for it will have “a detrimental effect on the quality of life in Somerville.”
Elaine Driscoll, spokeswoman for the Gaming Commission, stated that the regulatory body had absolutely complied with the law upon allowing the transaction of the land. She also pointed out that the commission has always been trying to protect people’s interests.
The regulatory body asked for a quick resolution of the Somerville complaint. According to the lawsuit that the city filed, the court needs to declare that the commission violated a state law by giving a license to Wynn and this decision should be canceled.
Back in September, Wynn was awarded a license, beating Mohegan Sun’s project for a venue in Revere. The commission announced that its decision was made after a comprehensive analysis of the two proposals.
In October, Revere took the commission to court, claiming that the regulatory body treated Wynn in a better way and that its decision was arbitrary. The Massachusetts Gaming Commission rejected these accusations.
Since Wynn was awarded its license, three men were accused of trying to hide that Lightbody was a major stakeholder in the Everett-based project and more particularly, in the potential casino’s site. Allegedly, the commission was informed about his involvement more than a year ago. However, there is no evidence that Wynn managers were aware of Lightbody’s ownership.
According to Somerville’s claim felons should not be licensed as vendors. That is, they should not be allowed to take part in any casino projects and therefore, profiting from these.
Yet, according to an analysis by the commission, when a real estate transaction takes place, the respective parties are not regarded as gaming and non-gaming vendors. In other words, they could not be subjected to the requirement for vendor licensing.
Some time ago, Somerville officials asked Wynn Resorts for a substantial compensation for the city and the gaming operator refused. Then, their dispute was to be solved by the Gaming Commission. The arbitration was won by Wynn and it was decided that it would need to pay annually the amount of $650,000 as a compensation for the city as a “surrounding community.”
