Former Casino Tycoon Steve Wynn Donates $50M to Hometown New York State Hospital

Posted on: March 5, 2021, 01:58h. 

Last updated on: March 5, 2021, 02:14h.

Devin O'Connor @CasinoorgDevinO Read More
Expertise: Asia Pacific Gaming, Commercial Gaming, Legislation, Politics.

Billionaire Steve Wynn has given $50 million to a nonprofit healthcare system near his hometown in Central New York. In return, the Mohawk Valley Health System in Utica is renaming its new facility The Wynn Hospital.

Steve Wynn donation hospital casino
Steve Wynn is seen this week announcing his $50 million gift to the Mohawk Valley Health System. The casino magnate grew up in the New York town of Utica. (Image: Mohawk Valley Health System)

So far, there has been no protest of the gift from the disgraced casino magnate. Wynn resigned in January of 2018 from Wynn Resorts in the wake of alleged sexual misconduct and maintains that he never acted inappropriately with female staffers. But he nonetheless stepped away from his namesake company, and sold off his entire stake in the business a month later.

Since his departure from the gaming industry, Wynn has been relatively low-key. Aside from a few public sightings captured by paparazzo, the man who forever changed Las Vegas has stayed under the radar.

That changed this week with the massive philanthropic donation. The Wynn Hospital, expected to open in 2023, is being constructed directly across the street from where Wynn’s father used to own a bingo parlor.

The irony of it is too much,” the 79-year-old said at an in-person event this week celebrating the gift. “Our family has deep roots in Utica.

“I have everlasting and fond memories of my childhood in the community, which provided a strong foundation for the rest of my life. This is my way of thanking the community and recognizing my parents,” Wynn added.

Wynn Legacy

Steve Wynn has never been charged with a crime stemming from his alleged wrongful sexual acts. He continues to argue that the reports were the workings of his former ex-wife Elaine Wynn, who he was engulfed with in a nasty divorce proceeding at the time.

Wynn, however, was tried and convicted in the media. And as a result, officials in Massachusetts ordered Wynn Resorts to strip the Wynn name from the company’s $2.6 billion casino property near Boston. The resort originally intended to be called Wynn Boston Harbor was rebranded to Encore Boston Harbor.

Despite the lingering anecdotal linkage of sexual wrongdoing, the Mohawk Valley Health System gladly welcomed the $50 million contribution.

“This is five-oh million dollars,” said an elated Darlene Stromstad, president and CEO of Mohawk Valley Health. “The funds will elevate The Wynn Hospital to greater heights and result in important service enhancements and lifesaving outcomes.

“I can’t thank the Wynn family enough for making this level of investment in the region, its people, its local families, and its crucially important health care. This gift will have a lasting legacy on the Mohawk Valley,” she concluded.

Wynn Utica History

Mr. Wynn grew up in Utica. His father changed the family’s last name from Weinberg to Wynn in 1946 to avoid Jewish discrimination.

Following his father’s unexpected death in 1963, Wynn took over the family bingo business, eventually moving it to Maryland. The businessman’s vision soon turned to casino development, and he built many of the most iconic resorts in Atlantic City and Las Vegas.

On the Strip, Wynn is responsible for The Mirage, Treasure Island, Bellagio, Wynn Las Vegas, and Encore at Wynn Las Vegas.