Mohegan Sun ambushes Wynn

Pursuing by lawsuit what it could not win on merit, Mohegan Sun has piled onto the scrum of litigation against the Massachusetts Gaming Commission for having awarded a Boston-area casino license to Wynn Resorts (which had no comment). Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority CEO Mitchell Etess felt no shame at playing the victim card. “We were the most injured party. Yeah, this was bad for Revere and for those workers losing their jobs,” he shrugged. “But we were really not treated fairly at the end of the day, and it was time for us to stand up for ourselves.”

Mohegan Sun, in its filings, asserts that Steve Wynn was awarded several mulligans in the application process while Mohegan Sun received no do-overs. “Apparently enamored with the person behind the Wynn application, but not the actual project presented in that application, the Commission ignored the law and manipulated the application process to grant the license to Wynn notwithstanding several disqualifying components of its application,” the lawsuit sneers. Adds The Associated Press, “The suit also alleges that the Gaming Commission failed to impose at least a dozen conditions on Wynn that are mandated by law, including those relating to environmental remediation, neighboring community obligations, project labor and labor harmony agreements, pedestrian safety, investor suitability, audit requirements and a lottery agreement, among others.”

The complaint also dredges up the allegation that Wynn’s now-consummated land purchase “appears to enrich individuals affiliated with criminal enterprises and who are the target of federal and state indictments.” The MGC responded, “Each gaming license was awarded based solely on merit and the decision-making process was executed with unprecedented transparency.”

Neither Mohegan Sun or co-litigant Revere is asking that the license be awarded to the tribal casino. But, let’s face it: Who’s likely to get it by default?

* While the court fight goes through its preliminaries, Wynn has been busy finalizing his new design for Everett. There’s hardly a need for pictures, as it will look very much like his last four casinos: a curving, bronze-colored tower. Wynn has widened the structure, giving him 100 more hotel rooms, and ditched a nightclub in preference for meeting space. Belaboring the obvious, Wynn Resorts Senior Vice President of Hotel Development Robert DeSalvio said, “This is a style we really like.” (Ya think?)

MGC Chairman Stephen Crosby praised the design as a significant improvement over its predecessor, calling it “striking … Something exciting and to be proud of.” The entrance will be flanked by a pair of indoor gardens containing floral replicas of a carousel and a Ferris wheel. Central to the lobby will be the inscrutable choice of a Jeff Koons Popeye sculpture — a touch of Wynn whimsy.

Wynn may have to turn his attention to local politics soon, however. New Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey (D, left) would like the MGC to bar casino patrons from getting cash advances on their credit cards and having ATM withdrawals capped at a certain amount. The Bay State may be getting gambling but politicians want to keep it on a short leash.