Encore Boston Harbor reported $46.06 million in gross gaming revenue for September 2026, down 22% from a year earlier as a strike involving approximately 1,300 workers continued at the Everett, Massachusetts casino.
According to Massachusetts Gaming Commission figures released October 20, the result was Encore’s lowest monthly gaming revenue since February 2021. The decline also reduced the state’s monthly gaming tax collections from $14.8 million to $11.5 million.
Members of UNITE HERE Local 26 and Teamsters Local 25 have been on strike since September 4 over wages and benefits. The walkout has disrupted casino operations, although the revenue figures alone cannot establish how much of the decline resulted from the strike.
Slot Wagers and Table Game Revenue Decline
Casino.org reported that wagers on Encore’s more than 2,700 slot machines fell from $444.4 million in September 2025 to $354.4 million in September 2026, a decline of about 20%.
Table game revenue also dropped below $19.2 million, its lowest level since February 2021.
The casino’s slot machines returned 92.41% of wagers during September, their highest monthly payout percentage since January 2020. However, the figures do not establish whether payout rates influenced customer activity.
The Boston Globe reported that the picket lines have discouraged some potential visitors, with striking workers maintaining a presence around the clock.
Meanwhile, Massachusetts’ other two casinos reported relatively stable results. MGM Springfield generated approximately $22 million in gaming revenue, down 1.2% year over year, while Plainridge Park Casino recorded a 2.4% increase.
Unions and Wynn Resorts Remain Divided Over Contract Terms
The workers’ previous contract expired on August 31. The unions are seeking wage increases totaling $10 per hour over four years, a $25 hourly starting wage and guaranteed health care and pension benefits.
Wynn Resorts maintains that it has offered a fair contract and is negotiating in good faith. The company told Casino.org that union employees already receive an average of $96,000 annually in combined pay and benefits, a figure union representatives dispute.
Wynn also argues that higher labor costs could put jobs at risk.
A senior company official said management had proposed a lump-sum compensation package that union leaders could allocate among wages, health care, pensions and other benefits.
According to The Boston Globe, the two sides held only two formal bargaining sessions between the September 4 walkout and October 20.
However, representatives from the Teamsters and Encore have described recent discussions as positive. An Encore spokesperson said management was waiting for the unions to respond to a proposal submitted in September.
Gaming Commission Reviews Strike’s Financial Impact
The Massachusetts Gaming Commission discussed Encore’s declining revenue during its October 22 meeting.
Commission Chair Jordan Maynard noted that September produced Encore’s lowest monthly gaming tax payment in more than five and a half years.
Officials also reported operational disruptions at the property. Encore closed its company-operated restaurants, while some other services operated on reduced schedules.
The revenue decline has drawn mixed reactions from those involved in the labor dispute.
James Atkins, a Teamsters chief steward, told The Boston Globe that he had hoped for a larger percentage decline but acknowledged that the results showed the strike was affecting business.
Bill Werner, a hospitality labor relations specialist and professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, cautioned that gaming revenue alone does not capture the full financial impact.
Werner explained that Encore could be reducing operating expenses through lower staffing levels and scaled-back services. He suggested that employee headcount and visitor traffic would provide a clearer picture of the disruption.
The September figures indicate a substantial decline in gaming activity, but the strike’s precise financial impact remains difficult to isolate from other factors affecting casino performance.
With no new labor agreement announced, the dispute continues as both sides remain divided over compensation and benefits.
