After all the fights, lawsuits and corporate posturing, MGM might get its hands on the Boston-area casino license after all. 

Rumors are swirling that Wynn Resorts, reeling in the wake of its CEO’s departure related to decades of sexual harassment accusations, is considering selling its half-built gambling palace on the Everett border. MGM executives – who three years ago lost the coveted Boston-area license and had to settle for Springfield – are no doubt chortling with glee in their conference rooms.  

But the building is nothing without the casino license, and the sale of either will require the approval of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission. MGM will have to come back to negotiations to win the property and the license, and there’s no guarantee the commission will award it to MGM, since MGM currently holds the Western Massachusetts license. 

Everett Mayor Carlo DeMaria presents another roadblock, telling The Boston Globe that he may veto the sale of the property over concerns that the new owner won’t hold to concessions and promises made by Wynn. 

Wynn officials did not comment on the speculative sale, saying only that the $2.4 billion casino is on track for a June 2019 opening. The general public likely doesn’t care much about who actually owns the building – even if they are following the story, Wynn’s ouster as CEO probably absolves a lot of blame. The company is not the man, after all, and the company is making moves to remove Wynn (the man) from Wynn the company’s Massachusetts casino license. But the whole messy business remains under investigation by the MGC and there’s no guarantee that the commission will allow Wynn (the company) to retain the license; a decision is expected this summer. 

Wynn has some time to consider its options; June 2019 is more than a year away, but every day of construction costs hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars. Unloading the property and transferring the license probably makes the most sense for the beleaguered gambling giant at this point, even though it has already spent an estimated $1 billion on the project. (No doubt the new tax laws contain a provision that will keep them from suffering any substantial loss.)  

Another rumor has it that MGM has offered to buy the entire Wynn empire, and that’s the best outcome for the future of the casino and for the city of Everett. The new conglomerate should honor the commitments and concessions contracted by its predecessors – but even if it doesn’t and negotiations are reopened, at least MGM is a known entity. 

The sale of either the property or the company is a gamble – pun intended – but so was building the casino in the first place. In the end, the house always wins; let’s hope in this case the house is the state of Massachusetts.