A carousel made of 83,000 flowers — a whimsical feat of craftsmanship created by a celebrity designer. Millions of dollars of artwork displayed outside and inside a 27-floor sparkling glass tower, which seems to rise from the sea. Oh, and 3,000 slot machines, 144 game tables and 88 poker tables. I’m describing the Encore Boston Harbor by the numbers. The still new-ish destination casino finally opened a month ago after years of negotiations, lawsuits, a community vote and a lot of public discussion about the impact of casinos on culture and community.
Full disclosure: I was disappointed when state lawmakers passed the bill to allow casinos in the state — worried that the promises of gambling revenue plumping up state coffers and creating plentiful, well-paying jobs would never come to pass, and concerned that the shiny new facility would be make it even harder for gambling addicts. Thousands turned out for the Encore Harbor Boston’s grand opening and the place has been humming ever since. The first eight days brought in about $2 million a day — $93 million on slots alone. I now have first-hand experience about how that could happen, because I tried my hand playing the most sophisticated slots I’ve ever seen — huge, curved machines wildly different from the old drop-a-coin ones, so sophisticated that I had to get the slots consultant (yes, they do have one) to help me play. I promptly lost $3, earning a paltry 3 cents in winnings.
The slots experience was part of a recent visit a few weeks ago. I enticed a couple of friends to take the ferry boat out to Everett for a morning outing. We were the only passengers on the ferry boat for that ride, and we arrived to a low-key, though still active, scene of people playing slots and table games.
We ate in the Garden Restaurant, one of Encore’s 15 restaurants and bars. The food and dining area easily rivals that of any upscale hotel restaurant, but with an additional amenity for pocketbook-laden female customers: small, gilded stools to rest our purses. My goal was not only to have a first look at the place, but also to chat with as many employees as I could out of earshot of the bosses. To a person, they were pleased to be there — especially pleased by Encore’s hiring process, which first targeted residents with site-specific job fairs in the closest towns and cities. And they’re still hiring. I briefly interrupted one of the inside gardeners — they’ve got both inside and outside teams — as he was clipping dead ends and replacing limp plants. He said there was so much work they needed more gardeners.
Truth is, there is not much to do if you don’t gamble, so my trip was probably my first and last visit. Though I could be persuaded to return for a more detailed tour of the striking art pieces than the one led by a security guard I pressed into service as a guide.
I still don’t believe that, in the end, casino revenues will be the state budget boosting answer to revenue shortfalls. And I remain uncomfortable knowing that the data shows repeat customers are likely to be low-income hopefuls, not big money spenders who can afford their losses. Revenue is down at MGM Casino Massachusetts’ first full service casino, and profits at the Plainfield Parks slots-only casino recently dipped, too. But who knows? It could be that Encore Boston Harbor casino offers just the right elements for a successful long-term entertainment venue. For sure, I know never to bet against the house.
