Thousands turn out for new Boston-area casino grand opening

Thousands turn out for new Boston-area casino grand opening

Massachusetts’ third casino has officially opened near Boston to cheers and fanfare.

Puffs of brightly color smoke were shot into the air as thousands waited for the doors of the $2.6 billion Encore Boston Harbor to open on Sunday morning.

Some patrons began waiting in line before 7 a.m. to get a glimpse of the hotel and entertainment complex, which sits on 33 acres of formerly industrial land along the Mystic River in Everett, Massachusetts. The facility features a 671-room hotel tower, a gambling floor with 3,100 slot machines and 231 table games, 15 bars and restaurants, shops, lavish art displays and a harbor walk. It employs more than 5,000 workers.

Everett Mayor Carlo DeMaria said his city will no longer be the “back door to the city of Boston.”

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