The Massachusetts Gaming Commission will soon be under entirely new management. With the agency in the midst of a search for a new executive director, the governor's office announced Tuesday morning that Chairwoman Cathy Judd-Stein will retire next month when her five-year term is up.
Judd-Stein, a veteran state government lawyer who was tapped by then-Gov. Charlie Baker in January 2019 to take the helm of an agency that faced a slate of complicated challenges, will retire from public service effective March 21, and the administration is starting a search for her replacement, Gov. Maura Healey's office said.
"Cathy Judd-Stein led the Massachusetts Gaming Commission through a critical time for the industry, from the COVID-19 pandemic to the launch of sports wagering. We are grateful for her many years of service to the people of Massachusetts and wish her the best in her retirement," Healey said in a statement. "Our administration looks forward to beginning the search for an experienced leader to take the reins of this important commission."
The Gaming Commission has five members: one person appointed by the governor (Judd-Stein), one person with experience in criminal investigations and law enforcement appointed by the attorney general (Commissioner Eileen O'Brien), one person with experience in corporate finance and securities appointed by the treasurer (Commissioner Nakisha Skinner), and two people jointly appointed by majority vote of the governor, attorney general and treasurer (Commissioners Brad Hill and Jordan Maynard). The governor designates the chair of the commission.
Described by former Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito in 2019 as one of the administration's "go-to people for complicated things," Judd-Stein had worked in Baker's office since 2015, and previously worked as a legal advisor to Govs. Paul Cellucci, Jane Swift, Mitt Romney and Deval Patrick. She served as assistant executive director, director of policy and special counsel at the Massachusetts Lottery and later served as then-Treasurer Steve Grossman's general counsel.
"It has been an honor and a privilege to spend over 25 years working in public service for the Commonwealth," Judd-Stein said. "During my tenure at the Gaming Commission, I have been grateful for the partnership with my fellow Commissioners and the outstanding accomplishments of our dedicated team."
Judd-Stein said the commission has dealt with complex issues, "prioritizing integrity and the health and well-being of gaming employees and patrons, working always to advance the best interests of the Commonwealth."
The Gaming Commission is in a markedly different place than it was in early 2019 when Judd-Stein was appointed to take over about four months after the resignation of inaugural chairman Stephen Crosby.
Massachusetts had one slots parlor (Plainridge Park Casino in Plainville) that had been open for a few years and one resort-style casino (MGM Springfield) that had been open for one month when Crosby abruptly resigned in frustration in September 2018. His departure came as the Gaming Commission was reevaluating the circumstances surrounding its 2014 decision to award Wynn Resorts a casino license and was preparing to make public the findings of its investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct against former casino magnate Steve Wynn and the handling of those allegations by Wynn Resorts.
The month before Judd-Stein was appointed by Baker, Interim Chair Gayle Cameron said that it was the "urgent priority" of Gaming Commission to end its almost yearlong investigation and to begin deliberations over whether Wynn Resorts would continue to hold the license for its resort casino in Everett, which was 90 percent complete and slated to open in the summer of 2019. A lawsuit Wynn filed against the commission and its top investigator seeking to keep certain documents out of the commission's investigative report had been stalling that process for months.
One month into Judd-Stein's tenure as chair, the commission voted to finalize a settlement in the case. Judd-Stein chaired a three-day adjudicatory hearing on Wynn's suitability in early April and the commission decided in late April 2019 to fine the company $35 million, but not to revoke its lucrative Boston-region casino license despite "significant" and "repetitive" failures related to sexual misconduct allegations against founder Steve Wynn and the "considerable shortcomings" of the company's then-chief executive.
"Although the commission did not find substantial evidence necessary to disrupt the licensee's suitability status, the decision speaks for itself," Judd-Stein said at the time. "We, the entire commission, were profoundly disturbed by repeated systemic failures and the pervasive culture of non-disclosure."
Encore Boston Harbor opened later in the summer of 2019 and the Gaming Commission was in the early stages of exploring whether to launch an application process for a third casino license in southeastern Massachusetts, which was authorized but not required under the state's 2011 expanded gaming law.
Then COVID-19 hit in March 2020 and the Mass. Gaming Commission held a rare Saturday morning meeting at which it decided to close Massachusetts casinos -- built with the intention of staying open 24 hours a day and 365 days a year -- for two weeks. That two weeks turned into four months and the Gaming Commission spent countless meetings poring over reopening plans and overseeing the phased return of gambling centers.
And since August 2022, the Gaming Commission has largely been focused on implementing and overseeing legal sports betting in Massachusetts.
"Since 2019, I've worked alongside creative, committed, and generous colleagues, including my fellow commissioners and the dedicated team responsible for making the MGC run well. I am proud of the work we accomplished together – the hard decisions, the important research, the best-in-class policies, and standing up a new industry in Massachusetts as sports wagering was legalized," Judd-Stein said Tuesday. She added, "I know that I'm leaving the Commission in a solid place with great people who will continue to carry out our responsibilities, prioritizing integrity, the health and welfare of those who choose to gamble, and the Commonwealth's best interests. I am committed to doing my part until my final day on the job."
The commission is already in the midst of a transition period. Karen Wells stepped down as executive director last summer and General Counsel Todd Grossman has been leading the commission as interim executive director since then. The commission is in the process of finding and hiring its fourth executive director.
