Lawsuit: Encore Boston Harbor Cheating, Withholding Winnings

EVERETT, MA — Encore Boston Harbor hasn't been open a month, and the Everett resort and casino is already being accused of cheating. A class action lawsuit filed by the Law Offices of Joshua N. Garick in Middlesex Superior Court Monday claims the casino is cheating blackjack players and withholding slot machine winnings.

The suit accuses the Everett casino of intentionally paying customers "odds of 6 to 5 when a player is dealt a 'blackjack,' when Massachusetts law clearly and unambiguously states that a player who is dealt a 'blackjack' shall be paid at odds of 3 to 2."

This would result in $30 million in additional revenue for the casino each year, the lawsuit claims.

"Since opening, Encore Boston Harbor follows the Massachusetts Gaming Commission regulations for blackjack payouts," the casino said in a statement, citing state gambling rules, which mention 6 to 5 payouts.

The lawsuit also alleges Encore fails to refund the entire amount of slot winnings to its customers.

"When a slot player cashes out his or her winnings at a ticket redemption machine positioned throughout the casino, these machines only pay out in whole dollar amounts, without paying change, and without instruction on how to obtain the balance," according to the lawsuit. "The unredeemed change, therefore, is never returned to the player and is simply added to Encore's coffers."

The suit seeks to return the "millions of dollars Encore has brazenly stolen and will continue to steal from its customers unless and until it changes its practices to conform with Massachusetts law."

The $2.6 billion resort and casino opened June 23.