Casino and Gambling Crimes

After nearly four years of construction, the Encore Boston Harbor luxury resort and casino in Everett, MA is scheduled to open its doors this month. The $2.6 billion-dollar project promises huge economic development and hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenue for the Commonwealth. The five-star operation, owned by Wynn Resorts, will reportedly create 5,500 new jobs in the area.

But while casinos can bring new jobs and revenue, studies have shown they are also associated with an increase in criminal activity. Given the public concern over the impact of the casino on the greater Boston community, law enforcement and prosecutors in the Commonwealth are likely to take these cases extremely seriously in the coming years.

Casino-related offenses are not like other criminal cases. If you’ve been accused of a crime stemming from an incident at a casino, it is important to hire an experienced criminal defense attorney who understands the complexity of these cases. While casinos must follow state law, they are also regulated by the Gaming Commission. Also, it is important to understand the relationship between the police and the casino’s own security staff, including your rights against both.

In 2012, Massachusetts passed a law that authorized the opening of casinos. Last August, the MGM Casino opened its doors in Springfield, MA. In the months following the opening, crime surged about 300 percent in and around the casino. Between September and December of 2018, over two-hundred crimes inside of the casino were reported, including sixteen robberies and five violent assaults.

The types of crimes most commonly committed at casinos may surprise you. If your case arose from an incident at Encore Boston Harbor in Everett, Massachusetts, it will likely be handled out of the Malden District Court. Boston criminal defense attorney Patrick J. Murphy defends people against all types of charges involving casino-related offenses, including but not limited to:

• Assault
• Assault and Battery
• Credit Card Fraud
• Disorderly Conduct
• Forgery
• Identity Theft
• Larceny
• Larceny by Check
• Larceny of a Motor Vehicle
• Operating Under the Influence of Drugs or Alcohol (also known as OUI / DUI / DWI)
• Possession of a Firearm
• Prostitution
• Rape
• Robbery
• Solicitation of a Prostitute
• Trespass

The security staff hired by the casino are not the police. These employees are often under-trained and over-zealous. If casino security or local police try to discuss your case with you, assert your Miranda rights and request to speak with a criminal defense attorney immediately. The earlier you can get a lawyer involved, the better your chance of having your case dismissed or even preventing charges against you from being filed.

If you are facing a casino-related charge from Encore Boston, MGM Springfield, or any other casino in the state, you should speak with an experienced criminal defense lawyer immediately. The Law Office of Patrick J. Murphy has over twenty-five years of experience defending people accused of all types of crime. Attorney Patrick J. Murphy's law office is located at One South Market Street, Fourth Floor in downtown Boston, less than a fifteen-minute drive from the Encore Boston Harbor Casino. If you need to discuss your casino charge, Attorney Murphy provides a free and confidential consultation. You can reach the Law Office of Patrick J. Murphy at (617) 367-0450 any time, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, or you can use our online form to set up an appointment.