Revere tracking casino's effects in effort to get in on annual payments

REVERE, Mass. — Just days from the opening of the Encore Boston Harbor Casino, Revere city leaders are keeping a close eye on the impact it will bring to their community.

It's about a 20-minute drive to the casino from Revere, which itself borders both Boston and Everett, and the city is launching a Casino Advisory Commission to track it.

Mayor Brian Arrigo says Revere is not considered a surrounding community to the casino, meaning they will not receive an annual payment from Wynn Resorts to help mitigate negative impacts on the city.

They’ll now keep a closer eye on traffic, calls for emergencies and crime rates in hopes of later making their case to the state for more resources.

"I’m trying to make sure people know we have their back and this is happening," Mayor Arrigo said. "We cannot take a back seat and just wait and see what happens."

Traffic issues are at the top of commuters' minds ahead of the opening.

Shuttles will run every 20 minutes on Sunday from the Blue Line’s Wonderland stop to Encore Boston Harbor.

"Traffic is going to be horrendous," Revere resident Jim Yonker said. "If they’re going to be doing shuttle buses on top of what’s already here, it’s going to be a nightmare."

Blue Line commuters say it could make their daily ride a lot less comfortable.

Other locals are looking on the bright side.

"I think it will be a good opportunity for a lot of different diversity and something new," Somerville's Rhiannon King said.

Revere residents can call 311 to report issues directly related to the casino and they will be keeping track of that data.

Cox Media Group