As Encore BostonHarbor nears official grand opening, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC)has completed the installation and inspection of the resort-casino’s 3,158Electronic Gaming Devices (EGDs or slot machines), 143 table games and 88 pokertables.
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It would drop Encore from 16,000 to 4,000, and Plainridge slots parlor, owned by Penn National Gaming (Nasdaq: PENN), from 5,000 to 1,400. Stratton said MGM’s experts have not recommended.
MGC’s Investigations andEnforcement Bureau (IEB) and the Information Technology Services Division(ITSD) work together to supervise the installation and ongoing inspection ofall gaming equipment and software, electronic slot monitoring systems andlicensee records to ensure the integrity of the games, compliance withregulations and overall adherence to Massachusetts strict gaming standards.
“As Encore Boston Harborgets ready to open to the public, the MGC is focused on ensuring that ourpolicies and procedures protect the integrity of the gaming industry andsafeguards fair play for patrons,” said MGC Chair Cathy Judd-Stein. “I commendthe ongoing dedication of MGC’s IEB and ITSD staff for their commitment to thehighest standards of regulatory compliance.”
Slot machine payouts aredetermined by software (random number generators) and each machine is mandatedby Commission regulation to have a minimum theoretical payout of 80 percentover the cycle of the game.
Table games, including allcorresponding equipment, must also be thoroughly inspected to insure theintegrity and fairness of each and every game. Every game is inspected by theIEB prior to the casino opening and then routinely inspected moving forward.
MGC staff, including itsgaming agents, focus on the following areas to verify game integrity andcompliance:
SHIPPING: MGC must beprovided prior notice of every slot machine that is shipped or transported toMassachusetts, including information about each slot machine and its software.
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TESTING: In additionto testing by independent test labs, MGC staff verifies and validates that theslots machines on the gaming floor, and its respective software, are operatingproperly and in compliance with Massachusetts regulations.
MONITORING: MGCutilizes a central control computer system to monitor all EGD’s.MGC requires every slot machine to be connected to MGC’s CentralMonitoring System. This 24/7 state-of-the-art monitoring system provides MGCwith immediate access to each slot machine to ensure the integrity of themachine, help detect potential instances of money laundering, and toensure proper collection of state taxes.
REVENUE: Before thegaming revenue is counted at the gaming establishment, MGC, through its CentralMonitoring System, is able to quickly assess anticipated dollars which it thenverifies with the casino’s slot monitoring system (SMS) computation. A handcount is then performed by casino staff resulting in essentially a triple auditon every slot machine. The triple count will ensure the integrity of theEGD and the amount of revenue generated. Table game revenue is also closelymonitored to ensure compliance with internal controls.
AUDITS: MGC staff willroutinely review and audit payouts from slot machines to confirm that theamount of money returned to players are consistent with approved programs.
SURVEILLANCE: Each gamingestablishment is required to install state-of-the-art surveillance and securitysystems. Surveillance will be performed 24/7/365 by the casino and the MGCstaff. This sophisticated surveillance system is a critical tool for ensuringcompliance and also assists greatly with overall public safety and securityconsiderations.
Encore Boston Harbor was excited to welcome back Roulette to its gaming floor this week after the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) voted 5-0 on Oct. 8 to allow the game to return for the first time since the casino’s shut down in April.
Encore, in particularly, had been pushing to allow Roulette and Craps since the full re-opening last summer, custom building a Plexiglas separator that allowed guests to play the high-energy ball-rolling game at a safe distance and with the right precautions. However, last August, the MGC felt it was too late to bring back such games, and put it off until the fall.
Now, however, with a good track record in the resort of being safe and having no compliance problems or COVID-19 outbreaks, the MGC felt it was time to allow one new game to accompany Blackjack and slot machines. Both Blackjack and slots are operating at a scaled-down capacity, and poker and Craps and other games still are not allowed.
“We have worked with the licensees to identify health and safety precautions associated with Roulette,” said Loretta Lillios of the MGC.
She said already Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York and New Jersey have brought back Roulette and that the state Department of Public Health (DPH) was amenable to allowing Roulette with precautions. Some of the precautions include only having three players to a table, and all are required to be seated, the MGC rules stated. Unlike in normal Roulette, no patrons would be permitted to gather or observe at the tables, and players/dealers would be separated by a six-foot Plexiglas barrier. Likewise, all bets have to be in before the ball starts rolling in the game – which is unlike the typical game where bets are taken while the ball spins around the wheel.
At Encore, there would be not more than 16 tables with 48 players at them. The new game does not add to their capacity, but simply allows another offering to the games now offered on the gaming floor.
MGC regulators said at Encore, the addition of the new game would likely result in the re-hiring of about 60 people to their jobs.
Commissioner Gayle Cameron said she felt it was appropriate to bring Roulette back.
“We have a positive track record and the licensees are working really hard to go by the rules and the numbers of cases in the casinos are minimal,” she said. “That’s not the case everywhere…I’m convinced the safety precautions here are appropriate and probably stronger than anywhere else, especially with the dealer not taking bets while the ball is in play. It is also pretty important to note that some of these individuals will be getting their jobs back.”
Encore Spokesman Eric Kraus said they are thrilled to have Roulette back on the gaming floor, and got started immediately offering the game.
“We don’t know yet if there will be any major increase in our volume of our guests, but it allows another game for our guests, who have been asking repeatedly when Roulette would be back,” he said. “It helps us really upgrade our games portfolio for our guests.”
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He said they would be re-hiring dealers for Blackjack as a result of bringing the game back. However they didn’t know just how many.
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He said Roulette dealers are some of the most experienced, and all know how to deal Blackjack as well. So, when Roulette closed down, many came back as Blackjack dealers. Now, they have moved back to Roulette, and that allows Encore to be able to bring back some Blackjack dealers.
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“We’re looking at expanding our dealers and we’re looking at that now,” he said. “We don’t know an absolute number that will come back right now, but we’re in the process of figuring that out.”