The long and winding road that causes an Everett casino for Steve Wynn is getting closer to the finish line: the Massachusetts Gaming Commission’s madly demanding investigative bureau has finally given the go-ahead from a suitability standpoint for the casino mogul to open his first-ever Bay State property.

Cleared for Takeoff

The recommendation was made week that is early last a commission meeting, and followed a four-member sign-off on a revised deal for the prepared casino a few times earlier.

Needless to say, Steve Wynn has to be breathing a sigh of relief. With his typical colorful and wording that is cut-to-the-chase he summed up his feelings on having made it this far and being this near to the end of the regulatory hurdles altogether.

‘ This is a investment that is big us here in Boston,’ Wynn noted. ‘This is not a box of slots. This is a ‘wham-bam-thank-you-ma’am’ fancy hotel.’

Needless to say, there’s no free meal with this commission; an organization that has proved to be finicky to a degree which has driven the majority of the proposed casinos’ executives to distraction. The Commission’s Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement is still demanding that some conditions be met, such as for example showing the outfit that Wynn’s interactions in his Macau gambling enterprises fall suitably within what the BIE considers ‘responsible business practices. to that end’

Ensuing Doings

Wynn has hardly been the only subject of extreme scrutiny by the Commission; nor has it all been going in a single direction. Caesars Entertainment who ended up being essentially rejected as a business that is appropriate for Suffolk Downs’ East-Boston-now-Revere casino project recently filed a lawsuit against the Commission’s Chairman, Stephen Crosby, claiming that Crosby had failed to adequately reveal a potential conflict of interest relating to Wynn. Crosby had a prior company relationship with a component owner of the land on which Everett is to be built a former Mansanto chemical plant which could at the least give the appearance of some favoritism being proven to Wynn’s casino project here.

Caesars reported a shortage of ‘objectivity and fairness’on Crosby’s part within the matter, even going so far as to imply that Crosby intentionally wanted to derail Suffolk Downs’ casino application. Caesars via that Suffolk Downs partnership, which is now dissolved was in the running for the same eastern Massachusetts casino license as competitor Wynn. Suffolk Downs has since regrouped and is now aiming for a Revere casino with new partner Mohegan Sun.

But Crosby has not taken any of these allegations lying down, and records he will not intend to recuse himself from voting on the Wynn casino project. In fact, he claims the process to date has certainly been ‘incredibly transparent.’

And for his part, Wynn is supporting up Crosby, saying the commissioner’s reputation and actions to date have been ‘unblemished.’

‘I think fair and reasonable individuals will see that and realize that I’ve fulfilled my responsibilities of disclosure,’ Crosby added.

Wynn also fired back at Caesars, with an ‘I’m-nicer-than-you-are’-style retort. The casino magnate noted that he raised no protests to the commission vis-à-vis its Suffolk that is allowing Downs now move forward with their Revere-only casino plans after being rejected by East Boston voters in November.

Unsavory Shadows Hang Over Everett Land Deal

Yes, he’s now received regulatory approval from the Massachusetts Commission, but is everything really on the up-and-up with Wynn’s Everett land deal? Not according to convicted felon Charles Lightbody, who claims he is making cash on Wynn’s land purchase, one way or another, although the Commission views things differently.

Lightbody even bragged to a still-incarcerated mob enforcer friend about it on tape.

‘It’s gonna be described as a real home run if we are able to get the permits through,’ Lightbody told Daren Bufalino, who’s in state prison, doing time for attempted extortion and conspiracy. ‘ You’ll own half the [expletive] city,’ Lightbody told Bufalino in Aug. 2012, implying that the convict might benefit aswell.

Lightbody had been talking about Wynn’s deal with the Everett land owners to fork over $75 million for his Massachusetts casino project, on spec.

In response to that, the Commission unanimously approved a revised submitted land deal plan from Wynn, which lowered the parcel that is 29-acre price down to $35 million, essentially eliminating the risk of Lightbody benefitting from the land deal. A group who paid just $8 million four years ago for the same parcel although Lightbody’s name had never shown up on any documents, he was reportedly part of that original sellers group.

Wynn had to swear to the Commission that solely the owners that are principal make any profits from the deal beneath the revised contract.

Lightbody’s taped jail conversations with Bufalino were subpoenaed by the commission investigators. In them, the ex-felon makes clear he intends to benefit from the land deal, no matter whether he gets squeezed out or not. Lightbody also indicated within the conversation that he knew how to cover up his part-ownership from any scrutiny that is winner casino signup bonus regulatory. Moreover, two associated with Everett property owners say Lightbody bought a choice on a nearby strip club, an option which he will exercise should the casino come to fruition.

‘The other thing around the corner that goes with a casino I own,’ Lightbody is heard telling Bufalino during one of their exchanges.’It’s the smartest thing you could have by having a casino. There’s only two things, females and booze, right across the corner. [Expletive] locked it. Locked up tight as a drum.’

The commission investigators determined that Bufalino had, in fact, received prison canteen money from Lightbody, and that the two men were friends during the course of their investigations.

With Board Chairman Stephen Crosby recused due to their conflict of interest, the remainder of the Massachusetts Commission gave a thumbs-up to the revised land agreement, despite detectives discovering that the selling principals had maybe not disclosed Lightbody’s initial 12.5 percent ownership share, and had also falsified documents so so it showed up the ex-con had exited through the deal before he actually had.