Encore Boston Harbor Could Furlough Up To 1,000 Workers

EVERETT, MA — Encore Boston Harbor could furlough hundreds of workers under Gov. Charlie Baker's new pandemic restrictions, which place a 9:30 p.m. curfew on casinos. A spokesperson for the company said Friday it anticipates 670-1,000 workers will be impacted.

Encore announced earlier this week it would reduce its casino hours – which have been 24 hours a day – to 12-9 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m.-9 p.m. on weekends. The hotel will also close through at least Dec. 15.

The state's new regulations went into effect Friday. These include requiring restaurants to close at 9:30 p.m., except for takeout service, reducing gathering limits and imposing a stricter mask mandate. The Department of Public Health also reinstated a stay-at-home advisory. Read more here.

Many in the hospitality industry worry the advisory will further hamper businesses that have been hit hard throughout the pandemic, with shifting restrictions on hours, capacity and what type of food people need to get to order alcohol.

"Restaurants are not the problem," Steve Clark, Massachusetts Restaurant Association Director of Government Affairs, told Patch Monday afternoon.

In August, the casino laid off nearly 400 employees who were previously furloughed.

"With continued efforts from the State to minimize the spread of COVID-19, Encore Boston Harbor continues to operate with a significantly reduced capacity in all parts of our resort," a spokesperson for the company said at the time.

The casino paid its employees from its closure March 15 through the end of May. Parent company Wynn Resorts said the closure cost the resort $220 million.