Fri, Oct 14, 2011
As Genting (a rendering of the company’s $3 billion resort planned for Miami, above) and Las Vegas Sands vie to build the first big casino project in Miami, smaller communities weigh in on the risks and benefits of expanded commercial gaming. A court decision last week allows the legislature to determine the shape of a state gaming industry, with no public referendum required. And what will it mean to the existing racinos and tribal gaming operations?
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.
Fri, Oct 14, 2011
The Massachusetts Senate has passed a bill, similar to one passed by the House that would authorize three regional casinos and one slots parlor. After differences are ironed out, a final bill will be presented to Governor Deval Patrick (l.) for his signature. Now that a bill has been passed, expressions of interest from casino companies are expected to emerge.
Fri, Oct 14, 2011
As some California gaming tribes and a Las Vegas casino open free poker sites where people can try out the game without wagering real money, the issue of internet gaming is starting to become a national concern, with a controversial bill circulating in Congress that would legalize it.
Fri, Oct 14, 2011
Macau casinos post record revenues for the long Chinese holiday, “Golden Week.” The success is just the cap on the first nine months of 2011 when casino revenue was up more than 45 percent.
Fri, Oct 14, 2011
New Jersey regulators are looking into the financial stability of the casino formerly known as the Atlantic City Hilton, which could be the first step in yanking the license. Are the owners of Reno's Grand Sierra interested?
Fri, Oct 14, 2011
The owner of the Golden Gate Hotel Casino, Derek Stevens and his brother Greg, have bought a second property in Downtown Vegas, Fitzgeralds, formerly owned by the late Don Barden.
Fri, Oct 14, 2011
The Atlantic City Alliance, charged with developing a marketing strategy for the seaside resort, has named former Aramark chief Elizabeth Cartmell as its CEO.
Sat, Oct 01, 2011
How can you tell whether executives at gaming organizations have faith in the strategies and operations they implement at their companies? Check out who’s buying shares and you might get a very good hint.
Sun, Oct 16, 2011
This week, the Global Gaming Business Podcast features an interview with Walter Bugno, president and CEO of Spielo International, about how his company has consolidated products and operations of three companies under one brand.
Fri, Oct 14, 2011
The Philippines could become an auxiliary destination to Macau for residents of China. That is the hope of Belle Corp., which is building an integrated resort at Manila Bay as part of the PAGCOR Entertainment City project (site at left).
Fri, Oct 14, 2011
Financial experts are anticipating continued strength from Macau’s casino industry. Not even worries of trouble with China’s banks has so far dampened the enthusiasm. Sands China CEO Ed Tracy (l.) says his company can live with the government’s table cap.
Fri, Oct 14, 2011
If Melco Crown Entertainment goes through with its planned Hong Kong listing, the company will not be raising additional cash with the issuance of new shares.
Mon, Oct 17, 2011
As Greece tries to stave off financial and economic disaster, the government appears willing to try anything. However, one measure that would suspend a tax on gaming revenue for the nation’s monopoly betting operator is drawing criticism for being de facto state aid, which is against E.U. treaty provisions.
Fri, Oct 14, 2011
Saipan legislators looking to get local casinos had their hopes dashed when Governor Benigno R. Fitial of the Northern Marianas vetoed the bill on constitutional grounds. A survey in early November could lead to a Commonwealth-wide referendum on the matter.
Fri, Oct 14, 2011
A member of the Canadian Parliament has introduced legislation that would legalize single-event sports betting. The Canadian Gaming Association says sports wagering “is arguably the single most popular form of gambling for Canadians.”
Fri, Oct 14, 2011
The collapse of a betting operator in Australia has sparked a movement among former clients who are calling for an investigation of the local gaming commission.
Fri, Oct 14, 2011
The deadly firebombing of a Monterrey casino in Mexico last summer has led to a broad investigation into corruption. The former mayor of Monterrey is one of the latest figures to be charged in the case, albeit with a minor offense.
Fri, Oct 14, 2011
Since 2008, Google and Facebook have recognized gambling ads as sources of revenue. In fact, in September 27, Google’s Display Network started accepting gambling ads from “trusted advertisers”—but what does that actually mean?
Mon, Oct 17, 2011
The E.U. effort to get a handle on the online gaming industry took a step forward with the passing out of committee of a comprehensive report with recommendations on the subject. The only hurdle remaining is the debate and vote before the European Parliament’s 736 members.
Fri, Oct 14, 2011
With news of a potential acquisition by a French firm two weeks old, the directors of Full Tilt Poker were nowhere to be found for a vote on the possible savior of the site.
Fri, Oct 14, 2011
Ladbrokes’ courtship of Sportingbet has ended with no sale. The announcement came just days before Sportingbet completed a proposal to sell its Turkish-language operations, the existence of which had been considered an obstacle to a Ladbrokes takeover.
Fri, Oct 14, 2011
The new Cordish Companies Arundel Mills, Maryland casino and the Island Resort in Michigan will offer play-for-fun gaming using a new platform by Aristocrat Technologies.
Fri, Oct 14, 2011
As U.S. gaming corporations attempt to influence anticipated online gambling legislation, Seneca Nation President Robert Odawi Porter is making the case to Congress not to exclude the tribes from this potentially lucrative revenue generator.
Fri, Oct 14, 2011
Online gaming operators are preparing for the day when the activity will be regulated and legal in the U.S. In that light, Americas CardRoom has acquired DoylesRoom, one of 10 sites closed down by U.S. authorities last May.
Fri, Oct 14, 2011
Zynga, the leading play-for-fun poker site, is expanding into play-for-fun casino games, threatening the market share of the DoubleDown Casino, the leading casino site on Facebook.
Fri, Oct 14, 2011
A bill that could allow two casinos in New Hampshire, including one at Rockingham Park racetrack (l.), appears headed for a January vote in the House, with looming competition from Massachusetts threatening to short circuit and gaming effort.
Fri, Oct 14, 2011
As front desk clerk apologize even before guests reach the hotel rooms, renovations are planned for MGM Grand. The massive overhaul follows a number of Vegas casinos getting upgrades.
Fri, Oct 14, 2011
After months of silence combined with hints of what he would like to see changed, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn (l.) is about ready to specify what changes he will propose in a gaming bill passed in May by the legislature.
Fri, Oct 14, 2011
City police continue to patrol casino parking garages in the wake of a fatal carjacking, as New Jersey regulators consider allowing armed guards to be stationed inside Atlantic City casinos. Showdown between the city and state averted by county official.
Fri, Oct 14, 2011
Local officials and Penn National Gaming continue to prepare to lobby for slots to be expanded to new counties in Maryland next year. Prince Georges County wants to prohibit slots at Penn’s Rosecroft Raceway (l.).
Fri, Oct 14, 2011
A Toronto company alleges that the Mob Experience exhibit at Tropicana Las Vegas is millions in debt, just adding to the problems at the South Strip property.
Fri, Oct 14, 2011
A new university poll of New Jersey residents shows a majority support a public vote on sports betting in Atlantic City casinos, but oppose a public bailout of American Dream and its Xanadu development (l.) in the Meadowlands.
Fri, Oct 14, 2011
A new report says with tourism dollars down, casino operators along the Mississippi River and Gulf Coast in Mississippi need to offer new gambling products and tourist areas need to beef up non-gaming attractions. The economy also has caused developers to scale back plans in the area, including Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville Casino.
Fri, Oct 14, 2011
Florida state Senator Ellyn Bogdanoff (l.) claims the sweepstakes halls (ne internet cafes) should be legal when operated by veterans.
Fri, Oct 14, 2011
If federal loans for $6 billion are approved, construction could start at the end of next year on the DesertXpress electric passenger train, running between Las Vegas and Victorville, California, near Los Angeles. Reaching speeds of 150 miles per hour, the high-speed train would cover the 185-mile trip in 80 minutes.
Fri, Oct 14, 2011
Goldman Sachs Mortgage Company, which holds the loan on the Las Vegas Hilton, owned by Thomas Barrack (l.) and Colony Capital Resorts LVH Acquisitions LLC, has requested a receiver be named to manage the property. In response, Hilton, which had skipped loan payments totaling $3.5 million, recently filed papers saying there is no need for a receiver—and that Goldman Sachs has questionable motives.
Fri, Oct 14, 2011
The four casinos that Ohio voters approved in 2009 are starting to build and to hire, with two of them projected to open next spring, including Penn National's Hollywood Casino Toledo (l.).
Fri, Oct 14, 2011
Nine banks and three private equity firms will soon be the new owners of Aliante Station in North Las Vegas. The Nevada Gaming Control Board recently recommended that the gaming commission approve the sale. Station Casinos will continue to manage the property, which has 880 employees.
Fri, Oct 14, 2011
Rumor has it the Sault Ste. Marie Chippewa Tribe is negotiating with Lansing officials about building a tribal casino in the city. However, that’s unlikely to happen because, legal experts say, “the hurdles are too great.”
Fri, Oct 14, 2011
Next month, Maine voters will decide whether a casino will be built in Lewiston and a racino in Biddeford and Washington County. Supporters cite thousands of new jobs and millions of dollars for the state. Opponents say expanding gambling will hurt Hollywood Slots in Bangor and the Oxford casino that’s under construction.
Fri, Oct 14, 2011
Legislators in Washington state will consider a bill that would allow 7,875 slot machines in mini-casinos. Supporters say the move would help close the state’s $2 billion budget gap. Currently video lottery terminals are legal in tribal casinos that do not pay state taxes on revenues.
Fri, Oct 14, 2011
Guests recently were invited to tour the $411 million phase one of the Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway, west of Kansas City, Missouri. Set to open in February, the 95,000 square foot first phase will feature 2,000 slots, 40 table games and a 12-table poker room.
Fri, Oct 14, 2011
Since the Golden Nugget invested more than $300 million in renovations starting in 2005, upgrades and expansions at numerous other historic properties along Fremont Street are changing the face of downtown Las Vegas. As one hotel owner said, “It's about more than shrimp cocktail."
Fri, Oct 14, 2011
The owners of the Bonnie Castle Recreation Center in Alexandria Bay, New York, recently released plans for a proposed $140 million harness racing facility. Marc Fernandez and Donald Cole hope to receive New York State's coveted eighth and final harness racing.
Fri, Oct 14, 2011
Las Vegas Sands Corp. has run afoul of the Nevada Supreme Court in its latest attempt to get ex-president and CEO Steven Jacobs to return documents it believes are sensitive and privileged.
Sat, Oct 15, 2011
The former Empress Casino in Joliet, Illinois, is now the Hollywood Casino, complete with a 120,000 pavilion and a 1,200-car parking structure. The Penn National Gaming property is located 35 minutes from Chicago.
Fri, Oct 14, 2011
The rise of mobile devices and an internet-savvy population is pushing gaming towards a “tectonic shift."
Sat, Oct 15, 2011
A recent study provides a comprehensive overview of gambling in Iowa, with 91 percent of participants saying they gamble in one form or another, and 70 percent indicating they have gambled in the past 12 months. The study also noted Iowans prefer slot machines and lottery games.
Fri, Oct 14, 2011
Minnesota has 22 gambling compacts with 11 Native American tribes, including Mystic Lake, owned by the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community. Unfortunately, not one of them has provisions for sharing revenues. Nor do they have clauses for revisiting the arrangement in the future.
Fri, Oct 14, 2011
A measure on the May ballot in Jackson County, North Carolina could make alcohol sales legal. Next door in Cherokee County, it’s dry, except for in-house sales at Cherokee Casino. Could the availability of alcohol turn the area into another Pigeon Forge?
Fri, Oct 14, 2011
Bob Barrett, the mayor of Peoria, Arizona, recently testified before a Congressional committee against Representative Trent Franks’ proposed bill that would block the Tohono O’odham Nation from building a casino in Glendale. Barrett called the bill “job-killing special interest legislation designed to protect existing Indian gaming operations and those who benefit from those operations.”
Fri, Oct 14, 2011
A county in California and the Rincon Band of Mission Indians have approved an agreement for disbursing mitigation funds from Indian gaming directly to the county after a court ruling that said that such funds could not be given to the state’s general fund.
Fri, Oct 14, 2011
Jeromy Sullivan, chairman of the Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe in Kingston, Washington, has met with community groups to explain expansion plans for the Point Casino. The proposed new facility will be three times larger than the current building and will include an 850-seat events center.
Fri, Oct 14, 2011
After nearly two years at Tropicana Las Vegas, Tom McCartney (l.) recently announced his resignation. His last day as president will be October 31. A replacement has not been named. Also Richard Wilk, a well-connected club official and celebrity contact, was named vice president of strategic marketing and operations.
Fri, Oct 14, 2011
The former COO of MTR Gaming Group was named president and GM of Cordish Companies’ new Maryland Live! casino in Arundel Mills, Maryland.
Fri, Oct 14, 2011
Two longtime employees have received promotions to new leadership positions. Keli Elkins and Holly Wetzel are now vice presidents of the organization.
Sat, Oct 15, 2011
The Isle of Man government has a new, pro-online gaming leader. Chief Minister Alan Bell has overseen the rise of the online gaming industry on the British Crown dependency over the last 10 years.
Fri, Oct 14, 2011
GamblingCompliance, one of the gaming industry’s leading independent provider of information and market analysis, has named Christopher Krafcik research director, North America. Krafcik is the lead author of the upcoming report on the evolution of United States Internet poker.
Fri, Oct 14, 2011
Gaming Laboratories International and its affiliate TST have hired two i-gaming experts to expand the organization’s European i-gaming development team. Aurora Merino Salas (l.) has been hired as business development manager.
Fri, Oct 14, 2011
Bally Technologies has named former Aristocrat sales executive David Durst as the company’s Western Region sales director.
Fri, Oct 14, 2011
Paul Simmons recently joined the casino management services division of Gaming Concepts. Simmons previously served as senior vice president of operations at NagaWorld.
Sat, Oct 15, 2011
Scott Eldredge, former chief operating officer of Inn of the Mountain Gods in Ruidoso, New Mexico, recently was named by Full House Resorts, Inc. to serve as general manager at Buffalo Thunder Resort & Casinos, Cities of Gold Casino and the Sports Bar Casino. The properties are located at the Pueblo of Pojoaque in northern New Mexico.
Sat, Oct 15, 2011
Ray Bertschy has been named executive director of food and beverage at Tropicana Casino & Resort, Atlantic City. Previously he headed food and beverage operations at the Hollywood Casino riverboat in Lawrenceburg, Indiana.
Sat, Oct 15, 2011
Anthony Spizale recently was named executive chef of Manning’s Restaurant, a joint venture between Harrah’s New Orleans and former New Orleans Saints quarterback Archie Manning. The restaurant will open in early 2012. Spizale recently was named one of the best chefs in New Orleans by the American Culinary Federation.
Sat, Oct 15, 2011
Heather Sibbison, Suzanne Schaeffer, George Skibine and Joshua Clause have joined the law firm of SNR Denton in Washington, D.C. They all will practice in the firm’s Indian Law and Tribal Representation and Public Policy and Regulations practices.
Sun, Oct 16, 2011
Revel Entertainment has enlisted entertainment venue manager and promoter Angel Management to help create new experiences for Revel’s new Atlantic City Boardwalk resort.
Sun, Oct 16, 2011
A research center that will emphasize culture, competence, government relations and industry intelligence launches at San Diego State University.
Sun, Oct 16, 2011
JCM Global announced a contract to supply bill validators for all the slots in Cordish Companies’ new Maryland Live! casino in Anne Arundel County, Maryland.
Sun, Oct 16, 2011
International Game Technology has signed a letter of intent with Holland Casino to modernize its casino management systems across all Holland properties.
Sun, Oct 16, 2011
NEWave has unveiled a web-based service for its popular Title 31 software, along with upgrades to several other components of its popular software suites.
Sun, Oct 16, 2011
Golden Nugget’s combination casino management and marketing system from Bally Technologies is the first contract awarded under the “New Jersey First” program.
Sun, Oct 16, 2011
Table system supplier Table Trac and Tipping Point Gaming, LLC will partner to use Tipping Point’s “PlayItVision” picture-in-picture system for marketing on player terminal screens.
Sun, Oct 16, 2011
Table game supplier Galaxy Gaming will acquire British rival Prime Table Games for $23 million, giving Galaxy control of more than 20 table game titles, giving the table game company "recurring revenue," according to CEO Robert Saucier (l.).
Sun, Oct 16, 2011
At their Access All Areas event in Las Vegas during G2E week, TCS John Huxley launched Double Action Roulette on the Novomatic Novo Unity II multiplayer platform. The game offers players a jackpot bet that can pay up to 1,200 to 1.
Sun, Oct 16, 2011
South Point Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas is conducting a Nevada field trial for the PromoNet promotional couponing solution from FutureLogic.
Sun, Oct 16, 2011
American Gaming Systems has signed a licensing agreement with Ripley Entertainment to develop a series of “Ripley’s Believe It Or Not!” slot machines.
Sun, Oct 16, 2011
The new Cordish Companies Arundel Mills, Maryland casino and the Island Resort in Michigan will offer play-for-fun gaming using a new platform by Aristocrat Technologies.
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