Encore Boston Harbor Reports Significant Revenue Decline During Ongoing Labor Dispute
Encore Boston Harbor in Everett, Massachusetts recorded gross gaming revenue of $46.1 million in September 2026, which represented a 22% decrease from the $59.1 million posted in September 2025, and this figure marked the property's lowest monthly total since February 2021 while an ongoing strike involving more than 1,300 workers that started on September 4 continued to affect operations throughout the month.
Observers note that slot coin-in dropped approximately 20% to $354.4 million during the period, whereas table game revenue fell to the range of $19.1 million to $19.2 million, and Massachusetts tax collections from the casino declined to $11.5 million compared with $14.8 million in the prior year, according to figures released in late October 2026.
Details of the Monthly Performance
Data from the September 2026 Massachusetts casino revenue report shows that the strike, which began early in the month, coincided directly with these reductions across multiple revenue categories at the property, while MGM Springfield and Plainridge Park Casino maintained relatively steady results during the same timeframe. Those who track regional gaming trends point out that the combination of reduced visitor activity and operational disruptions contributed to the overall drop, although exact visitor counts remain separate from the revenue statistics released by state regulators.
And the report released around October 20, 2026 highlights how the labor action extended through the full month, creating sustained pressure on both slot and table game segments at Encore Boston Harbor specifically. Experts have observed that such month-over-month comparisons often reflect external factors like workforce availability, yet the steady performance at the other two Massachusetts properties underscores the localized nature of the impact at this single venue.
Context of the Labor Action
The strike by more than 1,300 workers that commenced on September 4 created immediate changes in daily operations, and state revenue data indicates that these adjustments aligned with the measured declines in coin-in, table game hold, and resulting tax remittances. People familiar with casino reporting note that gross gaming revenue serves as the primary metric tracked by regulators, which allows direct year-over-year analysis without adjustment for operational costs or other variables.
But here's the thing: the September 2026 figures stand out because they represent the weakest monthly performance at Encore Boston Harbor in over five years, and this occurred precisely during the period when the labor dispute remained unresolved. Researchers who review monthly casino reports find that cross-property comparisons help isolate venue-specific events, which explains why MGM Springfield and Plainridge Park Casino revenues stayed consistent while Encore experienced the documented drop.
Tax and Regulatory Implications
Massachusetts tax collections fell to $11.5 million from the $14.8 million collected in September 2025, and this reduction mirrors the 22% decline in gross gaming revenue at the Everett property. The state gaming commission compiles these numbers each month, which provides a transparent record of how labor disruptions translate into lower tax remittances for local and state budgets. Observers note that the figures released in October 2026 offer the first complete view of September activity, and they confirm the strike's timing overlapped entirely with the reporting period.
Those who've studied this know that table game revenue landing between $19.1 million and $19.2 million reflects combined activity across multiple game types, while the slot coin-in total of $354.4 million shows the volume of wagers placed before any hold percentage calculations. Both categories contributed to the overall gross gaming revenue of $46.1 million, and the year-over-year comparison reveals the extent of the change during the strike period.
Comparison Across Massachusetts Properties
MGM Springfield and Plainridge Park Casino reported relatively steady revenues in the same September 2026 data release, which allows analysts to distinguish between broader market conditions and the specific circumstances at Encore Boston Harbor. Data indicates that the other two properties avoided similar labor actions during the month, and their results therefore provide a baseline for evaluating the impact isolated to the Everett location. The contrast appears clearly in the official monthly figures, which separate each property's performance for regulatory review.
What's significant is that the lowest monthly figure since February 2021 occurred at a time when statewide gaming activity did not show uniform declines, and this distinction helps frame the September results as tied to the ongoing strike rather than statewide trends. The report released in late October 2026 presents these numbers side by side, which enables straightforward comparisons without additional interpretation.
Conclusion
The September 2026 revenue report for Encore Boston Harbor documents a clear 22% year-over-year decline to $46.1 million, driven by reductions in both slot and table game activity during the strike that began September 4 and involved over 1,300 workers. Tax collections dropped accordingly to $11.5 million, while the other Massachusetts casinos maintained steady performance according to the same state data. These facts, drawn directly from the October 2026 release of monthly figures, establish the record of how the labor dispute aligned with the property's lowest monthly total in more than five years.