Chair Of MA Gaming Commission Resigns Amid Wynn Probe

EVERETT, MA – The chair of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission resigned Wednesday amid allegations of bias both in favor of and against Wynn Resorts in the commission's investigation into Wynn's suitability to hold a casino license in the state. In a statement posted to the commission's website, Stephen Crosby wrote that he received a letter on Sept. 17 from one of Steve Wynn's lawyers claiming he had already decided against Wynn and a letter on Sept. 25 from counsel to Mohegan Sun alleging he had made up his mind for Wynn.

Mohegan Sun also sued the commission over the awarding of a gaming license to Wynn, and the one-time owner of Suffolk Downs filed a $3 billion lawsuit against Wynn Resorts in which it claims bias on the part of Crosby.

"I simply cannot let my involvement in these critical deliberations be used by others to hamper the Commission’s ability to do its work, or to undermine the confidence of the public in that work," Crosby wrote. Gayle Cameron was named interim commissioner of the agency on Thursday.

The commission began investigating whether Wynn Resorts was suitable to hold a gaming license after allegations of sexual misconduct against the company's founder Steve Wynn were made public earlier this year. Wynn has denied the allegations, but stepped down from his role as head of the company and sold his shares.

Since then, the Everett resort and casino has since taken steps to distance itself from its developer's namesake by changing the name of the complex to Encore Boston Harbor and removing Steve Wynn as an "individual qualifier" on its Massachusetts license.

The $2.5 billion resort and casino remains on track to open in June 2019.

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