The region around Encore Boston Harbor in Everett has not experienced a sizable increase in crime rates attributable to the casino’s presence, according to research presented to gaming regulators on Thursday.
Consultants for the Massachusetts Gaming Commission studied crime data for Chelsea, Malden, Melrose, Saugus, Lynn and the casino’s hometown of Everett over a period of nearly four years from Sept. 30, 2018 to July 2, 2022. That includes Encore’s opening on June 23, 2019, its brief closure early in the COVID-19 pandemic and then its reopening.
They found that while offense rates fluctuated, the trends indicate the casino “has limited impact on crime in the region.”
