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Commitments and Contingencies
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2020
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
Commitments and Contingencies Commitments and Contingencies
Employment Agreements

The Company has entered into employment agreements with several executive officers, other members of management and certain key employees. These agreements generally have three to five year terms and typically indicate a base salary and often contain provisions for discretionary bonuses. Certain of the executives are also entitled to a separation payment if terminated without "cause" or upon voluntary termination of employment for "good reason" following a "change of control" (as these terms are defined in the employment contracts). As of December 31, 2020, the Company was obligated to make future payments of $54.1 million, $28.3 million, $6.8 million, $1.0 million, $0.4 million, and $2.0 million during the years ending December 31, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, and thereafter, respectively.

Other Commitments

The Company has additional commitments for gaming tax payments in Macau, open purchase orders, construction contracts, payment obligations to communities surrounding Encore Boston Harbor, and performance and other miscellaneous contracts. As of December 31, 2020, the Company was obligated under these arrangements to make future minimum payments as follows (in thousands):

Years Ending December 31,
2021$205,756 
2022138,278 
202347,977 
202430,207 
202522,073 
Thereafter126,453 
Total minimum payments$570,744 

Letters of Credit

As of December 31, 2020, the Company had outstanding letters of credit of $16.1 million.

Litigation

In addition to the actions noted below, the Company and its affiliates are involved in litigation arising in the normal course of business. In the opinion of management, such litigation is not expected to have a material effect on the Company's financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.

Massachusetts Gaming License Related Actions

On September 17, 2014, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission ("MGC") designated Wynn MA the award winner of the Greater Boston (Region A) gaming license (the "Boston area license"). On November 7, 2014, the gaming license became effective.
Revere Action

On October 16, 2014, the City of Revere, the host community to the unsuccessful bidder for the Boston area license, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 103, and several individuals, filed a complaint against the MGC and its gaming commissioners in Suffolk Superior Court in Boston, Massachusetts (the "Revere Action"). Mohegan Sun ("Mohegan") the other applicant for the Boston area license, joined the lawsuit and challenged the MGC's award of the Boston area license. On December 3, 2015, the court granted the MGC's motion to dismiss the claims asserted in the Revere Action and the court dismissed all claims except Mohegan's claim alleging procedural error by the MGC in granting the license to Wynn MA. The plaintiffs appealed. After multiple appeals and cross appeals, only two claims remained: (1) individual plaintiffs' claim for violation of the open meeting laws; and (2) Mohegan's claim for procedural error. On July 12, 2019, the Suffolk Superior Court granted the MGC's motion for summary judgment and dismissed the open meeting law claim, leaving only Mohegan's procedural claim.

On August 2, 2019, Mohegan filed a motion to file a second amended complaint, to add new claims related to the MGC's allegedly inadequate 2013 investigation. On October 15, 2019, the court granted Mohegan's motion to amend and allowed it to file a second amended intervenor's complaint.

Wynn MA is not a party to and is not named in the Revere Action.

Derivative Litigation

A number of stockholder derivative actions were filed in state and federal court located in Clark County, Nevada against certain current and former members of the Company's Board of Directors and, in some cases, the Company's current and former officers. Each of the complaints alleged, among other things, breach of fiduciary duties in failing to detect, prevent and remedy alleged inappropriate personal conduct by Stephen A. Wynn in the workplace.

The actions filed in the Eighth Judicial District Court of Clark County, Nevada were consolidated as In re Wynn Resorts, Ltd. Derivative Litigation ("State Derivative Case").

On June 3, 2019, a separate stockholder derivative action was filed in the Eighth Judicial District Court of Clark County, Nevada alleging substantially similar causes of action as the State Derivative Case with the additional allegation that various of the Company's attorneys committed professional malpractice, and certain current and former executives also breached fiduciary duties and aided and abetted the breach of fiduciary duties, in connection with the alleged inappropriate personal conduct by Stephen A. Wynn in the workplace. This case was consolidated in September 2019 into the State Derivative Case.

On November 27, 2019, the State Derivative Case parties agreed to terms of a settlement agreement. The court approved the settlement agreement on February 12, 2020, and entered a written order approving the settlement on March 10, 2020. Following the Nevada Supreme Court’s dismissal of the only appeal, the settlement agreement became effective and final. Following the dismissal, the Company received net proceeds of $30.2 million, which has been recognized as a reduction of general and administrative expense within the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Operations for the nine months ended September 30, 2020.

In 2018, several actions filed in the United States District Court, District of Nevada were consolidated as In re Wynn Resorts, Ltd. Derivative Litigation ("Federal Derivative Case"), which also claim corporate waste and violation of Section 14(a) of the Exchange Act. In June 2018, the Company filed a motion to dismiss and a motion to stay pending resolution of the Securities Action (described below). On March 29, 2019, the Court granted the Company's request for a stay. On March 25, 2020, the parties stipulated to dismiss the Federal Derivative Case given the approved settlement in the State Derivative Case.

On March 25, 2019, a separate stockholder derivative action was filed in the United States District Court, District of Nevada alleging identical causes of action as the Federal Derivative Case with the additional allegation that the Board of Directors improperly refused the stockholder's demand to commence litigation against the officers and directors of the Company. On June 10, 2019, the Company filed a motion to dismiss, or alternatively to consolidate this action into the Federal Derivative Case. On March 23, 2020, the court denied the Company’s motion to dismiss as moot given the approved settlement in the State Derivative Case. On April 30, 2020, the Company filed a motion for summary judgment, seeking dismissal of the claims given the approved settlement in the State Derivative Case. On January 12, 2021, the court granted the Company’s motion for summary judgment of this action and denied the stockholder’s request to vacate the parties stipulation to dismiss the Federal Derivative Case. Absent an appeal of the court’s decision, this matter is resolved.
Each of the actions sought to recover for the Company unspecified damages, including restitution and disgorgement of profits, and also sought to recover attorneys' fees, costs and related expenses for the plaintiff.

Individual Stockholder Actions

A number of stockholders filed individual actions in the Eighth Judicial District Court of Clark County, Nevada against certain current and former members of the Company's Board of Directors and certain of the Company's current and former officers ("Individual Stockholder Actions"). Each of the complaints alleged that defendants, among other things, breached their fiduciary duties in failing to detect, prevent and remedy alleged inappropriate personal conduct by Stephen A. Wynn in the workplace causing injury to each of the individual stockholders.

On January 29, 2019, the defendants filed motions to dismiss each of the Individual Stockholder Actions. On December 12, 2019, the district court entered an order denying the motions to dismiss, which the defendants appealed to the Nevada Supreme Court on December 24, 2019. On July 27, 2020, the Supreme Court issued an order mandating that the district court dismiss the actions. As of September 2, 2020, all of the Individual Stockholder Actions have been dismissed.

Securities Action

On February 20, 2018, a putative securities class action was filed against the Company and certain current and former officers of the Company in the United States District Court, Southern District of New York (which was subsequently transferred to the United States District Court, District of Nevada) by John V. Ferris and Joann M. Ferris on behalf of all persons who purchased the Company's common stock between February 28, 2014 and January 25, 2018. The complaint alleges, among other things, certain violations of federal securities laws and seeks to recover unspecified damages as well as attorneys' fees, costs and related expenses for the plaintiffs. On April 15, 2019, the Company filed a motion to dismiss, which the court granted on May 27, 2020, with leave to amend. On July 1, 2020, the plaintiffs filed an amended complaint. On August 14, 2020, the Company filed a motion to dismiss the amended complaint, which is pending decision from the court.

The defendants in these actions will vigorously defend against the claims pleaded against them. These actions are in preliminary stages and management has determined that based on proceedings to date, it is currently unable to determine the probability of the outcome of these actions or the range of reasonably possible loss, if any.

Federal Investigation

From time to time, the Company receives regulatory inquiries about compliance with anti-money laundering laws. The Company received requests for information from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California relating to its anti-money laundering policies and procedures, and in the first half of 2020, received two grand jury subpoenas regarding various transactions at Wynn Las Vegas relating to certain patrons and agents who reside or operate in foreign jurisdictions. The Company continues to cooperate with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in its investigation, which remains ongoing. Because no charges or claims have been brought, the Company is unable to predict the outcome of the investigation, the extent of the materiality of the outcome, or reasonably estimate the possible range of loss, if any, which could be associated with the resolution of any possible charges or claims that may be brought against the Company.