It was one of the biggest deals in memory that didn’t happen: Wynn Resorts this month discussed selling the Encore Boston Harbor hotel and casino to MGM Resorts, though talks broke off without an agreement.
But MGM was not the only suitor for the $2.6 billion gambling resort on the Mystic River in Everett. Boston businessman John W. Henry, principal owner of the Boston Red Sox and the owner and publisher of The Boston Globe, backed by a group of potential investors, quietly investigated buying the Encore in 2018 and again just weeks ago, Henry confirmed in response to questions from a Globe reporter.