Encore Boston Harbor. (Mario Jarjour/WBZ NewsRadio)
BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — A class-action lawsuit is accusing the new Encore casino of cheating gamblers—but at a Massachusetts Gaming Commission meeting Thursday, officials said an investigation shows that isn't the case.
Preliminary findings show Encore Boston Harbor is in compliance with the Gaming Commission's regulations for blackjack payouts, and is not withholding slot machine winnings, as the suit filed on Monday alleged.
Richard Shuster of New York alleges the newly-opened Everett casino is rounding down payments from slots and shortchanging certain winning blackjack hands.
Encore President Bob DeSalvio says the Gaming Commission's findings show the lawsuit's claims are "false and unfounded."
"There is no way, shape or form that any customer is not getting exactly what they should get," DeSalvio said. "There is no way possible that we would want to keep one penny of any customer's money."
Gaming regulators did note the redemption machines for slot winnings only dispense cash, not coins, and gamblers have to go to a cashier for winnings less than a dollar. DeSalvio said he's willing to take a look at that issue.
Attorney Joshua Garrick, who represents the main plaintiff in the case, doesn't think the investigation was thorough enough.
"We are absolutely confident the Encore casino is not in compliance with Massachusetts gaming regulations, and we intend to pursue that in the court of law," he said. "We're very disappointed the investigation arm of the commission, in under 24 hours, conducted what they claim to be an investigation—the inspector sitting with Mr. DeSalvio at the same table, where they jointly said they had done nothing wrong here."
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WBZ NewsRadio's Kim Tunnicliffe (@KimWBZ) reports