A Superior Court Judge, who is in charge of the lawsuit the city of Boston filed against the Massachusetts Gaming Commission’s decision to award Wynn Resorts with a casino license, said, although implicitly, that she is considering the dismissal of the said lawsuit.
Boston Mayor Martin Walsh’s administration has long been contending the state gambling regulator’s decision to provide the popular gambling operator with one of the three licenses for full-scale casinos within the Massachusetts borders. Wynn Resorts is planning to build a $1.7-billion casino resort on the Everett waterfront.
City officials claimed that if launched, the future gambling venue will have negative traffic impact on Boston’s neighborhood of Charlestown.
During a two-and-a-half-hour hearing in Boston, Superior Court Judge Janet Sanders was presented with more details on the matter and revealed that she would need more time before announcing her final decision. Yet, she pointed out she is well-aware of the fact that the legal issue requires to be solved quickly. Judge Sanders also noted that the lawsuit may eventually be dismissed as she is not sure whether it is within her authority to intervene in the state’s casino matters.
She in a way challenged the assertion that Charlestown residents should be given the opportunity to vote on the future casino as it will be quite close to the neighborhood. The Superior Court Judge said that it is all matter of geography and that one needs to look at the map in order to resolve the contention.
However, Thomas Frongillo, attorney for Boston, argued that a road beginning from Boston and ending at the casino site makes the city part of the premises of the gambling venue. He also added that the expected rise in traffic once the casino opens doors will most definitely impact the residents of Charlestown. According to Mr. Frongillo, people will be particularly hampered by the traffic at Sullivan Square, which has long been known as one of the places with the heaviest traffic issues in the state.
Boston officials have previously filed a great number of different legal documents to support their claim that the selection of Wynn Resorts as the preferred applicant for a casino license in the Greater Boston area was result of “a corrupt process.”
According to the city’s administration, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission has neglected a number of laws and regulations and has deliberately favored the Wynn Resorts proposal over the others submitted for the region.
The state gambling regulator has denied its involvement in any wrongdoing and has asked Judge Sanders to dismiss the lawsuit against it.
