Sun, May 13, 2012
Steve Wynn has dropped out of the Massachusetts casino merry-go-round after voters in Foxboro handed him a stinging defeat last week in his plan to build a casino next to Gillette Stadium, home of the New England Patriots (l.). His company announces no plans for further efforts in the Bay State. At the same time, he reveals more about his plans for the recently approved property in the Cotai region of Macau.
Sun, May 06, 2012
A bill passed by the Pennsylvania House of Representatives would create a statewide auction for the casino license that was stripped from Foxwoods Philadelphia (rendering of the proposed project at left). Foxwoods could not get financing for the property and subsequent efforts to sell to Wynn Resorts or Caesars Entertainment fell through.
Sat, Apr 28, 2012
The bill to add a sixth Maryland casino location and legalize table games could be the subject of the second of two special sessions of the legislature. Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley (l.) doesn’t want the budget discussions bogged down by casino negotiations.
Sun, Apr 22, 2012
Although the company hasn’t confirmed it, multiple sources are reporting that the Macau government will grant Wynn Macau the land concession it needs to begin construction on a $2 billion project in the Cotai region of the SAR. With only two concessions to be granted in 2012, that leaves one more for either MGM China or locally owned SJM. At left, a picture pulled from a video by Las Vegas news website vegastripping.com purportedly shows a rendering of the Cotai property over Wynn’s left shoulder.
Fri, Apr 13, 2012
Last-minute extras added in the Maryland House of Delegates as a condition of passing the bill to add a sixth casino and approve table games ultimately killed the measure. It could return in a special session, but many competing interests make it a difficult sell. It’s good news for the Cordish Company, which will open the state’s largest casino, Maryland Live! (l.), near Baltimore in June.
Sun, Apr 08, 2012
Full House Resorts will buy the Silver Slipper Casino (l.) in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi for $70 million. The first land-based casino rebuilt after Hurricane Katrina, the property offers a 37,000-square-foot casino with 1,000 slots and 26 table games. The move is only the latest development in sales and construction of new and existing casinos on the Gulf Coast and in the center of the state.
Sat, Mar 31, 2012
The ever-controversial offshore casinos of Goa have long been the recipients of good news-bad news from the government. Last week, it was revealed that the almost $40 entry fee is being lowered to less than $10. However, the annual license fee is increasing by almost $300,000. On top of that, locals may be banned altogether from the floating casinos (Casino Carnival at left).
Sun, Mar 25, 2012
The last two members of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (all five members shown at left) have been appointed, which means the commission can begin doing its work. However, chairman Stephen Crosby is warning that unrealistic deadlines could hobble that work. And the jockeying continues among the companies and towns hoping to win the casino sweepstakes.
Sat, Mar 17, 2012
Both legislative houses in New York have approved a bill that would clear the path for up to seven new gaming halls in the state. Governor Andrew Cuomo (l.) pushed the deal through. A second identical bill needs to be passed next year before a statewide and local referendums are held.
Sat, Mar 10, 2012
American Gaming Association President and CEO Frank Fahrenkopf (l.) last week delivered a major policy speech on regulatory reform before more than 350 regulators at the 11th annual GLI University Roundtable. Caesars’ Jan Jones emphasized similar points during a keynote speech on the second day.
Sat, Mar 03, 2012
Yet another shoe has dropped in the federal government’s pursuit of online gaming violators. This shoe, however, was long expected and overdue, as the Justice Department shut down the Bodog site and issued indictments against several executives, including founder Canadian Calvin Ayre (l.).
Sat, Feb 25, 2012
Just a day after it appeared Kentucky’s constitutional amendment to allow seven casinos was on a fast track to passage, the state Senate voted it down. Anti-gaming Senate President David Williams (l.), who was defeated last year in the gubernatorial campaign by Governor Steve Beshear, prevailed in surprise vote.
Sat, Feb 18, 2012
The Ohio Casino Control Commission has finally set a date for when the state’s first casino will open: May 14. On that date the Horseshoe Casino Cleveland (l.) will be the first of the state’s four casinos approved by voters to begin operation, followed two weeks later by Penn National Gaming’s Hollywood Casino Toledo.
Sat, Feb 11, 2012
The mini-IPO issued last week by Caesars Entertainment was a huge hit on its first day of trading, increasing its value by more than 70 percent. The next day, Caesars announced a downsizing of casino space in Atlantic City at the former Claridge Hotel (l.), but not commenting on a report that up to 10 properties were for sale in the Midwest.
Sat, Feb 04, 2012
The December ruling by the Justice Department about the legality of online lottery ticket sales has opened up the logjam on potential online gaming legalization. With Congress seemingly at an impasse about the issue, states are taking the lead. And it’s many more states than just the gaming hotbeds of Nevada and New Jersey. Read this complete report on the actions in each state considering online gaming.
Sun, Jan 29, 2012
Sports betting is the hot topic in New Jersey as two congressmen, Rep. Frank Pallone and Rep. Frank LoBiondo (l.), have each unveiled legislation that would amend the 1992 federal ban. Following a new law that allows for sports wagering at Atlantic City casinos if the federal ban is overturned, Pallone’s bill would aim to make New Jersey exempt from federal restrictions, while LoBiondo seeks to give all states the right to opt out of the federal ban.
Sat, Jan 21, 2012
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has signed a bill to allow Atlantic City casinos and state racetracks to accept wagers on athletic events. The bill, which quickly worked its way through both Houses, would give the state ammunition to challenge a 1992 federal ban on sports wagering.
Sun, Jan 15, 2012
South Korea appears to have jumped into the lead in the race to announce the next integrated resort in the Asian market. Plans to install a $3 billion integrated resort near the main international airport, Inchon Airport (l.), are lacking only a final agreement and the name of the U.S.-based developer. But all U.S. companies have insisted that locals be permitted to gamble before they agreed to invest.
Sun, Jan 08, 2012
A revised bill tries to stroke all parties as the potential casino bidders jockey for position. Florida state Senator Dennis Jones wants an up-or-down vote on the destination resort bill the day before the official legislative session begins, but Senator Ellyn Bogdanoff (l.), the bill’s sponsor, wants it delayed.
Sat, Dec 24, 2011
In a ruling concerning the sales of lottery tickets online, the U.S. Justice Department says the 1961 Wire Act only applies to sports betting, leaving online poker—and most likely online gaming—in the clear. The American Gaming Association has urged Congress to act quickly now that this question has been clarified.
Sun, Dec 18, 2011
The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear the case of an Indian gaming tribe in Michigan that could have national repercussions. The Gun Lake Band opened a very successful casino (l.) earlier this year despite a challenge to its legality. Should the lawsuit succeed, only Class II gaming could be used.
Sun, Dec 11, 2011
International Game Technology has announced its “Cloud solution,” which will allow seamless movement of IGT game and system content among different media. It will reduce the need for hardware and software within the casinos and can be accessed via the internet.
Sat, Dec 03, 2011
It has been a busy year for Melco Crown Entertainment Limited and Co-Chairman Lawrence Ho (l.). The company that will complete the Macau Studio City project is set to begin trading on the Hong Kong stock exchange alongside its NASDAQ listing. Meanwhile, Melco Crown’s two biggest shareholders have converted their initial loans into more equity.
Sun, Nov 27, 2011
Although “gentlemen start your engines,” is used to signal the beginning of a NASCAR race, the term could easily be applied to gaming developers in Massachusetts, where a bill signed by Governor Deval Patrick (l.) opens the gates for a period of extreme bidding to site three casinos and one slots parlor.
Sat, Nov 19, 2011
As Florida ponders a big dive into big gaming, pundits ask if the Sunshine State—home to seven Seminole casinos and a number of parimutuels—can handle the upgrade. But some of the revenue estimates for the market vary so much, it’s hard to tell what is reality, and Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado (l.) is reconsidering his early support of the Genting plan.
Sun, Nov 13, 2011
The Illinois legislature may finish out its fall session without addressing the objections of Governor Pat Quinn to a gaming expansion bill passed in May. The most recent attempt to do so died in the House last week and efforts by its champion, Rep. Lou Lang (l.), to revive it failed.
Sun, Nov 06, 2011
All eyes are on Japan to step up as the next big integrated resort project destination in Asia. The presence of Caesars Entertainment CEO Gary Loveman (l.) at a recent meeting of a pro-casino Japanese Diet members association could be a sign things are getting more serious.
Sun, Oct 30, 2011
A House hearing on Rep. Joe Barton’s online poker bill demonstrates there are still some serious questions about the legitimacy of online gaming, raised by Rep. Mary Bono Mack (l.), and how it will impact the nation. While commercial casinos are rallying behind the issue, the nation’s Native American tribes are divided and many would rather see the issue delayed indefinitely.
Sun, Oct 23, 2011
Illinois Governor Pat Quinn has threatened to veto the gaming expansion bill approved in May by the legislature unless they downsize it and make the changes he suggests. But most observers believe that all parts of the bill—particularly slots at racetracks—are important or it will fail in the legislature.
Sat, Oct 15, 2011
The industry’s largest trade show, Global Gaming Expo, moves to a new time and a new location with great success. More than 20,000 attendees visit the Sands Expo Center and hear about some of the most pressing issues in the gaming industry.
Sun, Sep 25, 2011
Ireland is finally getting down to the job of revising its antiquated and incomplete gaming legislation. The good news is that clarity is the objective for all forms of gaming, including online and land-based casinos. Not so good is that the large-scale casino resort concept, such as the one proposed for Tipperary (l.), has been rejected.
Sun, Sep 18, 2011
The Massachusetts House moved quickly to pass a gaming bill that authorizes three casinos and one slots parlor. More than 150 amendments fell by the wayside. House Speaker Robert DeLeo (l.) guided the bill to an overwhelming approval. Now the Senate will take up the bill.
Sat, Sep 10, 2011
The Obama administration’s new, less restrictive attitude towards off-reservation applications to put land into federal trust was put into action last week, and demonstrated that it is truly a case-by-case philosophy. Two applications, including one in New Mexico and one in California, were rejected, while two others in California were approved, according to BIA Director Larry Echo Hawk (l.)
Sat, Sep 03, 2011
Two “new” casinos open last week and a major expansion is announced for a third. While it may not signal a rebound for a slumping gaming industry, the new Four Winds Hartford Casino in Michigan, the reopening of the completely revamped Plaza Casino Hotel in Downtown Las Vegas (l.) and a huge addition to the Seminole tribe’s Hard Rock Tampa could demonstrate that better times are coming.
Sat, Aug 27, 2011
Proponents of online gaming in California will have to wait until next year to see the legislature take up a bill that would legalize online poker in the Golden State, after Senate leader Darrell Steinberg (l.) put it to rest. Tribes still have disagreements and the extra time could give them time to reach a middle ground.
Sat, Aug 13, 2011
Vietnam continues to be the one of the more popular prospects for casino resort development. If investors and the government can continue to see eye-to-eye, the country could end up with a thriving industry for both tourists and locals. A new project is slated for the tropical island of Phu Quoc (l.), part of Kiên Giang province.
Sat, Aug 06, 2011
While another record month for gaming revenues in Macau isn’t breaking news, the new order of market share has shaken the industry to its core. Dramatic decreases by the former top-two placeholders have opened the door for increases from all the other companies, especially Galaxy Entertainment, which debuted Galaxy Macau in May, led by Francis Lui Yiu Tung (l.), deputy chairman of the company.
Fri, Jul 29, 2011
Clash between Senator John McCain (l.) and Tracie Stevens, the chairwoman of the National Indian Gaming Commission, highlights a hearing before the Senate Indian Affairs Committee on regulatory changes proposed by the NIGC.
Sat, Jul 23, 2011
A letter from Senators Jon Kyl and Harry Reid to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder (l.) has asked the Justice Department to clarify its stance on internet gambling in the U.S., criticizing the timing of April “Black Friday” indictments and warning of the explosion of “intrastate” online gaming.
Sun, Jul 17, 2011
Whether the Bay State will legalize casinos this year is still up in the air, with no agreement in sight between the governor and the two legislative kingpins. But talks will resume in September, with success hinging on the flexibility of the players, including Governor Deval Patrick and House Speaker Robert DeLeo.
Sun, Jul 10, 2011
Months after U.S. indictments of three online poker websites very little has been heard from the international online gaming regulators. While there is no expectation that all regulators will agree with the indictments, there certainly should have been an investigation. But outside of the Alderney regulators, nothing has happened. What’s going on?
Fri, Jul 01, 2011
A Supreme Court ruling that upheld a lower court ruling means that gaming tribes have a little more leverage in negotiating with states, whose ability to ask for lots of money has been clipped dramatically. The Rincon Tribe had sued then-Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (l.) for imposing an illegal tax.
Sun, Jun 26, 2011
Two bills that would legalize and regulate forms of internet gaming are introduced in the House. A bill to legalize online poker, introduced by Rep. Joe Barton (l.) would travel a different route and may be a companion bill to one being crafted in the Senate by Majority Leader Harry Reid.
Mon, Jun 20, 2011
Ohio Governor John Kasich (on right) and Rock Ohio Caesars Chairman Dan Gilbert celebrate the signing of a deal that will enable ROC to open casinos in Cleveland and Cincinnati. Penn National, which will own casinos in Columbus and Toledo, agreed to the deal over the weekend. The deal permits almost 20,000 at Ohio’s seven racetracks, as well.
Sun, Jun 12, 2011
The fifth annual G2E Asia was held last week in an environment of exploding growth for Macau. Delegates learned about expansion opportunities across the Pacific Rim and explored a trade show floor represented by almost 200 exhibitors. Sheldon Adelson (shown with American Gaming Association head Frank J. Fahrenkopf) received the show’s Visionary Award.
Sat, Jun 04, 2011
The anticipated demerger of Australia’s Tabcorp into separate entities for casinos and all other gaming has received a “yes” vote from shareholders and affirmation from the court. Now, casino operator Echo Entertainment and gaming and wagering company Tabcorp can settle into their new roles as objects of takeover speculation. However, the engineer of the deal, Tabcorp Chairman Elmer Funke Kupper (l.), is out of a job.
Sun, May 29, 2011
The 15th annual East Coast Gaming Congress examines an industry poised to begin recovery after years of recessionary woes. Issues discussed impact jurisdictions from Massachusetts to Florida and New Jersey to Ohio. (View video of ECGC at end of article).
Fri, May 20, 2011
Billionaires commit to invest millions in the IPO for MGM China. MGM Resorts founder Kirk Kerkorian, billionaire hedge fund operator John Paulson (l.) and two other “whales” contribute almost $200 million to get the offering off the ground. The offering is seeking to raise $1.5 billion.
Sun, May 08, 2011
After months of anticipation by gaming proponents, the Massachusetts legislature has taken up the issue again. The Speaker of the House Robert DeLeo (l.) seems to have softened his stance a bit from last term when his conflict with Governor Deval Patrick torpedoed a legalization bill.
Fri, Apr 29, 2011
Online gaming companies are playing down the impact of last month’s indictment of the big online poker sites, but it has clearly put a damper on plans to move a federal bill to legalize online gaming, although Congressman John Campbell (l.) says he’ll push forward with his bill. But will that encourage states to get into action? And what of the tribal desires to have a seat at the table?
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