The short answer is no, though the future of poker in Boston is still an open question.
In March of this year, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) refused to renew the license of Boston’s only poker room, The Poker Room at the Renaissance Hotel. At the time, it was reported that this was due to a series of underage gambling arrests at the venue.
Since then, several other poker rooms have closed in Boston including The Poker Room at the Mandarin Oriental and The Poker Room at The InterContinental. While some have speculated that this is due to excessive regulation by the MGC – or even a crackdown on gambling by the state – it’s still too early to tell for sure.
With that said, Encore Boston – which is set to open later this year – may be able to fill the void left by The Poker Room at the Renaissance Hotel. However, whether or not this will be enough to keep poker alive in Boston remains to be seen.
