People at the Port of Encore Boston are going full speed as Massachusetts lawmakers drag their feet in the chamber over a sports betting bill crossing the finish line.
The new WynnBET sports bar is spectacular, as is all the other amenities of the $2.6 billion luxury resort that opened two years ago outside Boston City.
With over-60s televisions, standout 10-foot-tall, 123-foot-long video walls across the venue, new grab-and-go food and beverage options, comfortable seating, VIP sections and a dynamic atmosphere, the ultra-modern space gives sports fans everything they can ask for. 안전 토토사이트
Massachusetts began its famous sports betting can in May 2018 after the U.S. Supreme Court repealed a nationwide sports betting ban. During that time, 32 states have legalized sports betting, and records have routinely been broken across the U.S. over the past two weeks, especially with the start of the NFL season.
Meanwhile, the Massachusetts House of Representatives passed a bill in July to legalize sports betting, but the bill has yet to be introduced to the state Senate. Because the bill is circulating, betting windows at “Winbet Sports Bar” are ready and willing to accept bets, and can start taking them when they are legal.
According to encore Boston Harbor Chairman Jenny Holday, if Massachusetts’s sports betting bill is made into law and all tightening regulations are resolved, the betting window will be occupied and taken action within four weeks.
“We’ve finished organizing, we’ve done our job descriptions, we’ve got approval from the (Gaming) committee,” she said with certainty. “All we have to do is hire and train, and we’ll be ready to go.”
Holiday is very similar to many Bay State sports bettors who find it hard to believe that Massachusetts does not offer a legal and regulated sports betting market, with nearby Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Connecticut enjoying a two-week gold rush. Sixteen of the 23 states with NFL teams have started regulated markets, and as Holiday pointed out, Boston is one of the few major cities in the U.S. with four professional sports teams that are not accepting bets and are tapping into tax revenues.
“How can we not have it yet? We will give it away,” she said. “We have sports gamblers that cross state lines. Think about all those states. They don’t even have a professional team. They want our team.”
Nevertheless, the lack of legal sports betting in the state has certainly not deprived Winbet Sports Bar of its shine. Business has been brisk, especially since it officially opened on Sept. 11 during the New England Patriots event.
“I keep telling everyone, the only difference between now and when we’re betting on sports is that the window is open,” said Holliday, who was previously the executive vice president of operations at Encore Boston Harbor and also worked as a senior marketing executive at Caesars Entertainment in Atlantic City and Motor City Casino in Detroit. “I think it’s the most beautifully designed space we’ve ever delivered.”
In addition to providing a spectacular space to watch sports, the development of the WynnBET Sports Bar allowed the resort to introduce several features previously lacking, especially more casual food and beverage options and additional bar seating.
Locals Frank DePasquale and Nick Barano, who have dozens of Boston-area restaurants in their portfolio, including Fratelli at Encore Boston Harbor, have opened Frank & Knicks at Winbet Sports Bar, where customers order through counter service or Grab & Go. The menu features a selection of Boston’s North End favorites, including Rosetta’s meatball serve, eggplant and chicken parmigiana and house made roast beef paninis, but it was the brick oven pizza that stopped the pizza lover on his way.
“It’s very exciting for us to be a part of this,” said Barano, his eyes glistening as he looked up at the giant screen showing a Red Sox game. “The place is already electric. Once we make a sports bet, we’d love to see it. This town is crazy about sports. It would be incredible if we finally opened the window.”
On the other side of WynnBET is a new Shake Shack that offers a “modern burger stand” menu and a much-needed rectangular bar with video poker machines and dozens of TVs.
Speaking of bar seats, the 15-seater full-service bar in the middle of WynnBET sits just below a super-sized older digital display that doesn’t stop scrolling with sports scores and odds.
“We were definitely ‘restricted’ before we did this, and Boston is always allowed to watch games from different locations,” Holladay added. “So I think we checked a lot of boxes.
“This is so much better than the sports books in Vegas. It’s smaller. It’s more attractive and accessible. It’s so cool,” she added. “We’re going to have to be really patient while waiting for all the windows to close. In the meantime, I don’t think there’s a better place for Boston sports fans to see their teams.”
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