$43 Billion for Vietnam Tourism

by Staff

Fri, Jul 29, 2011

Vietnam is showing little sign of the economic pessimism currently dominating the U.S. and Europe. Authorities there are planning for a doubling of the tourism industry in the next 10 years—good news for projects like Genting’s $4 billion JV.

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Are Investors Getting Gun Shy on Macau?

by Staff

Fri, Jul 29, 2011

A Reuters story last week suggested that large international investors are shying away from sinking more money into Macau casino operators because of uncertainty about what will happen with the original concessions start to expire in 2020.

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Macau Legislators Seek Involuntary Ban

by Staff

Fri, Jul 29, 2011

Macau is looking to tweak its casino regulations with the addition of a self-ban clause, age restrictions on employment and a mild version of player identification. The measures are seen by certain lawmakers as going too far in some cases and not far enough in others.

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Singapore Self-Bans Easier Online

by Staff

Fri, Jul 29, 2011

Singapore has found that just having a self-exclusion measure available is not enough. Ease of access and anonymity are proving to be key—especially to foreigners who feel the need to apply.

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Macau Money Laundering Potential Cited

by Staff

Fri, Jul 29, 2011

The U.S. State Department has produced a report that identifies Macau as having the attributes of a money laundering center. The report says that as mush as 10 times the official revenue figure of $23.5 billion may be changing hands in the VIP areas.

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Blackpool Casino Targets 2012 Reopening

by Staff

Fri, Jul 29, 2011

The rebirth of the Paris Casino (l.) at the U.K. seaside resort of Blackpool has seen its share of delays. But owner Pierre Coulon is now expecting to be ready in time for Christmas 2011.

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Italy Says Money Talks, Nobody Walks

by Staff

Fri, Jul 29, 2011

Italy appears to be the one bright spot in all of Europe these days. Now come additional opportunities in the nation’s relatively new VLT and revamped AWP markets.

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Spain’s Proposed Online Regs Criticized

by Staff

Fri, Jul 29, 2011

Spain is taking a hard-line approach in its proposed regulations for the online gaming industry. Limits to losses and deposits for players, combined with broad definitions of “operator” for licensing and tax purposes, are giving the industry reason to fret.

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Gaming Board Calls In Sick

by Staff

Fri, Jul 29, 2011

Nearly all of the 118 employees of the Bahamas Gaming Board recently staged a sickout in response to a breakdown in negotiations for an industrial agreement. The sickout, however, has not affected casino operations, like the one at Kerzner’s Atlantis on Paradise Island (l.).

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Northern Marianas Factions Still Battling

by Staff

Fri, Jul 29, 2011

Pro-casino legislators in the Northern Marianas House of Representatives are still trying to establish a gaming industry on the main island of Saipan. The latest attempt involves authorizing casinos in just the senatorial district in which Saipan is located.

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New Zealand Needs Organized Poker

by Staff

Fri, Jul 29, 2011

The demand for safe and secure poker games and tournaments appears to be going unmet in the Waikato Region of New Zealand. Players are calling for the local SkyCity property in Hamilton to step up and provide.

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Off-Duty Police Sue Crown

by Staff

Fri, Jul 29, 2011

The Crown property in Melbourne, Australia is facing a lawsuit by two veteran police offers. The men allege they were mistreated for no reason. The casino is staying mum.

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OLG Lost $56 Million on Gaming

by Staff

Fri, Jul 29, 2011

Bingo and casinos were the loss leaders last year; though the numbers were up, the profits were non-existent.

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New Jersey Senator Disputes Intra-State Issue

by Staff

Fri, Jul 29, 2011

In a letter to the Justice Department two weeks ago, U.S. Senators Harry Reid and Jon Kyl contended that the Justice Department considers even intrastate online gaming illegal. Ray Lesniak (l.), a New Jersey state senator, disputes that allegation.

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Irish Online Regs More Urgent Now

by Staff

Fri, Jul 29, 2011

The indictment of Full Tilt Poker in the U.S. and the suspension of its European licenses have put at risk more than 700 Irish jobs as the fate of the company hangs in the balance.

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Bronson Forms Online Poker Company

by Staff

Fri, Jul 29, 2011

Former casino executive Richard “Skip” Bronson has formed a company that is lobbying for legalization of online gaming, and hopes to provide software and consulting services for the new market.

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MGM Seeks Extension to Sell Borgata Shares

by Staff

Fri, Jul 29, 2011

MGM Resorts International is seeking additional time to sell its 50 percent stake in Atlantic City's Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa. MGM, whose shares are now in trust, is requesting an 18-month extension to its sell-out agreement signed in March 2010.

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Genting Vs. NY Casino

by Staff

Fri, Jul 29, 2011

The Asian gaming giant the Genting Group doesn’t think there is enough room for the racino it is building at New York City’s Aqueduct (l.), and a casino the Shinnecock Nation of New York would like to build on Long Island at neighboring Belmont racetrack.

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Massachusetts Gaming Bill Delayed Again

by Staff

Fri, Jul 29, 2011

The taking up of the Massachusetts gaming expansion bill has been delayed until after Labor Day, according to a statement released by the House Speaker Robert DeLeo and Senate President Therese Murray.

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Pennsylvania Study to Seek New Casino Site

by Staff

Fri, Jul 29, 2011

A marketing study contracted by the state of Pennsylvania will suggest the best potential location for a re-bidding of the stand-alone casino license stripped from Foxwoods Philadelphia.

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Ohio Casino Annexation Begins

by Staff

Fri, Jul 29, 2011

A legal fight that slowed the start of the Hollywood Casino in Columbus, Ohio has been settled and the process begun to annex the property where the casino will be built into the city.

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Minnesota Racetracks Reopen, Regroup

by Staff

Fri, Jul 29, 2011

Minnesota’s two racetracks, Canterbury Park and Running Aces Harness Park in Shakopee, both took significant financial hits as a result of the recent three-week government shutdown. The tracks Aces lost about $3 million and its 1,000 employees were forced to take unpaid leave.

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Penn National Execs Address Maryland Competition

by Staff

Fri, Jul 29, 2011

In their quarterly conference call with analysts, Peter Carlino (l.), chairman of Penn National Gaming, assessed the competitive challenge posed by new casinos opening in Maryland.

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Racinos Become Kentucky Political Football

by Staff

Fri, Jul 29, 2011

The issue of a constitutional amendment to expand gambling with slots at racetracks has become an issue for both sides in the Kentucky gubernatorial race.

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FBI, IRS Eye Florida Congressman

by Staff

Fri, Jul 29, 2011

Big-gun federal agencies have Florida congressman in their sights. Rep. David Rivera (l.) reportedly got $1 million in casino consulting fees and failed to disclose it.

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MGM: CityCenter Structurally Sound

by Staff

Fri, Jul 29, 2011

Amid dispute about the Harmon Tower—which MGM says is unstable—the casino giant says the rest of the buildings in the CityCenter complex are safe.

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Too Much Sin in Sin City?

by Staff

Fri, Jul 29, 2011

Strip business leaders speaking out against street peddlers, panhandlers, performers and especially, handbillers who pass out X-rated advertisements.

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Bookies Hail End of Football Lockout

by Staff

Fri, Jul 29, 2011

Loss of the NFL season could have been crippling for sports betting in Las Vegas, say bookmakers.

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Sparks Says No to Lazy 8

by Staff

Fri, Jul 29, 2011

Developer who bought old Reno gaming license has been trying for years to find the right location for a casino. He’ll have to keep looking.

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No Colorado Tax-Repeal Talks--Yet

by Staff

Fri, Jul 29, 2011

The five new members of Colorado’s gambling commission said they have not yet discussed whether or not to keep a 5 percent tax break that was approved in May. The tax cut took effect July 1.

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Bailey Uses Partnership with New Jersey Track

by Staff

Fri, Jul 29, 2011

Resorts Casino Hotel co-owner Morris Bailey is perusing a marketing strategy aimed to benefit the casino and the Monmouth Park Racetrack. Bailey, who now runs the horse track under a five-year lease, is integrating programs that reward loyal customers at both facilities. The partnership is the first for the rival industries in New Jersey.

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Crimes Higher Since Casino Opened

by Staff

Fri, Jul 29, 2011

Law enforcement officers in LaGrange, Missouri said the number of bad check charges and domestic violence cases have risen since the Mark Twain Casino opened 10 years ago. The highest increase occurred during the casino’s first year.

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West Virginia Lottery Shifts Upward

by Staff

Fri, Jul 29, 2011

The West Virginia Lottery generated $1.39 billion, a 3 percent rise in total revenue, for the 2010-2011 budget year, The increase is due to the huge success of table games at Charles Town’s Hollywood Casino plus a surge in sales of scratch-off games.

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Investors Nowhere To Be Found In Charleston

by Staff

Fri, Jul 29, 2011

A group in Charleston, South Carolina is having difficulty raising up to $10 million to launch a gambling boat venture, originally set to start this fall. Last October the North Charleston City Council approved zoning changes that would allow gambling boats to cruise from the Cooper River to international waters where Las Vegas-style table games and slots are not prohibited.

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Casino Could Phase In Smoking Ban

by Staff

Fri, Jul 29, 2011

Officials at the Wheeling-Ohio County Health Department in West Virginia are reviewing possible changes to its county-wide smoking policy. The health department originally proposed extending a smoking ban to all indoor public areas, including Wheeling Island Hotel, Casino & Racetrack plus area bars and slot parlors, which have been exempt for six years.

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Florida Casino Ship Takes Maiden Voyage

by Staff

Fri, Jul 29, 2011

The 1,200-passenger Victory 1 casino ship recently took its maiden voyage from Port Canaveral, Florida. It’s the first time a gambling ship set sail from the port since December 2009.

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Interior’s Off-Reservation Policy: How Big a Change?

by Staff

Fri, Jul 29, 2011

The recent action by the Bureau of Indian Affairs director Larry Echo Hawk (l.) dropping a Bush era rule that made it harder for tribes to put land into trust may not have that much of an practical effect on the process.

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California Casino, Union in War of Words

by Staff

Fri, Jul 29, 2011

A labor dispute between a casino near San Francisco and its food service and housekeeping workers union is getting hotter with the accusation that a worker was fired because of union activity.

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St. Regis vs. St. Regis

by Staff

Fri, Jul 29, 2011

The opening of a St. Regis Mohawk casino in upstate New York has raised the ire of the St. Regis Mohawk tribe of upstate New York. Confused yet?

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Mystic No More

by Staff

Fri, Jul 29, 2011

A locals casino in Henderson, Nevada, must its change name after losing a trademark lawsuit. A U.S. judge ruled in favor of a tribal casino with a similar name in Minnesota, Mystic Lake (l.).

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FBI, Choctaws Mum On Recent Raid

by Staff

Fri, Jul 29, 2011

Neither federal officials nor officials of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians are saying much about the recent FBI raid on the tribe’s casino complex near Philadelphia. The raid happened shortly after the recent runoff election for tribal chief.

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Gregory Heads Mississippi Casino Group

by Staff

Fri, Jul 29, 2011

Larry Gregory, who recently retired as the executive director of the Mississippi Gaming Commission, has been named director of the Mississippi Casino Operators Association. Allen Godfrey has been appointed to replace Gregory as executive director at the Mississippi Gaming Commission.

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Casino Technology to Launch ‘Penthouse’ Slots

by Staff

Fri, Jul 29, 2011

Slot-maker Casino Technology and the publisher of Penthouse magazine will launch Penthouse-branded slot machines early next year. VP Rossi McKee (l.) calls the product unique.

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Cantor, Shuffle Master Announce Licensing Deal

by Staff

Fri, Jul 29, 2011

Cantor Gaming will place Shuffle Master’s proprietary table games, including Three Card Poker, Let It Ride and others, on its mobile gaming platform. SM CEO Gavin Isaacs (l.) says the strategy leverages the company’s intellectual property.

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FutureLogic PromoNet Field Trial Approved

by Staff

Fri, Jul 29, 2011

Regulators in Nevada have approved a field trial at a Las Vegas casino of the PromoNet promotional couponing solution by FutureLogic.

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Diamond Jo Launches IGT’s sbX Gaming System

by Staff

Fri, Jul 29, 2011

The Diamond Jo Casino has become the first in Iowa to launch IGT’s sbX server-assisted gaming system, with a plan to introduce 50 new slot games every month.

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MGM Rolls Out GroupMAX booking

by Staff

Fri, Jul 29, 2011

All nine Las Vegas properties now have the advanced Passkey booking technology, which manages group reservations from a single database.

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Triple Attack Blackjack Debuts at ACH Casino in Atlantic City

by Staff

Fri, Jul 29, 2011

Triple Attack Blackjack, a variation on traditional blackjack that offers players three additional wagering opportunities, has debuted at ACH Resort & Casino. Formerly known as the Atlantic City Hilton, the casino is introducing the game as an enticement for new and repeat customers. The game is currently going through a 270-day regulatory trial.

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Air Time for Epic Poker League

by Staff

Fri, Jul 29, 2011

The Epic Poker League has partnered with CBS to bring 20 hours of programming to television. Four No Limit Hold 'em Main Events are planned at the Palms in Las Vegas, where the nation’s top professional players will gather to compete for prize money and a shot at being profiled on TV.

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888 Signs Warner Licensing Deal

by Staff

Fri, Jul 29, 2011

Online game supplier 888 Holdings has singed a licensing deal with Warner Bros. to create slots based on two separate Warner films.

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Hiding Out In Vegas

by Staff

Fri, Jul 29, 2011

Man presumed dead for 30 years turns up in Las Vegas, working in a race and sports book.

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NEWS & NOTES

by Staff

Fri, Jul 29, 2011

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QUOTABLE QUOTES

by Staff

Fri, Jul 29, 2011

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