Sat, Dec 03, 2011
Boyd Gaming has called off its plan to sell Florida’s Dania Jai-Alai racino after the investor group was unable to close the sale. Analysts believe the consideration of integrated resorts in South Florida prevented the funding of the project.
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.
Sat, Dec 03, 2011
After an October record, gross gaming revenue in Macau increased again, but at the slowest pace for the entire year. Meanwhile, the Chinese government cut the reserve ratio, a move that will loosen credit and benefit the SAR casinos. And the Macau government clarifies its growth strategies for gaming.
Sat, Dec 03, 2011
Newly re-elected Governor Steve Beshear (l.) will once again try to get casino gaming legalized in his state, citing the competition from all the surrounding states and the need to protect the state’s coveted horse industry.
Sat, Dec 03, 2011
The Nevada Gaming Control Board has begun accepting applications to operate and/or supply the online poker market. Five companies have submitted applications, which will be considered after the board issues its regulations next month.
Sat, Dec 03, 2011
Live dealers at table games will be allowed at Harrah's Cherokee Casino in North Carolina, according to a new 30-year compact reached with Governor Bev Perdue. In return, school districts in the state will receive a portion of revenues from the new games.
Sat, Dec 03, 2011
Kerzner International will relinquish control over the Atlantis (l.) in the Bahamas to reduce debt. The deal, which gives Kerzner’s flagship island resort to Brookfield Asset Management of Toronto, includes forgiveness of $175 million in debt.
Sat, Dec 03, 2011
Barney Frank (l.), the Democrat Congressman from Massachusetts, announced his retirement from the House last week. What will it mean to online gaming, which has counted on Frank to be its champion in Congress.
Sat, Dec 03, 2011
Internationally recognized gaming researcher Bo Bernhard has been named executive director of the International Gaming Institute at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas Harrah Hotel College. He has lectured on six continents and delivered more than 200 keynote addresses to international regulatory, government and policy leaders.
Sun, Dec 04, 2011
This week the Global Gaming Business Podcast features a discussion with Rick Santoro, the managing member of Interbrief.Org LLC. A former security director for Steve Wynn and Donald Trump, Santoro discusses his new consulting company and the need for vigilance in the gaming industry.
Sat, Dec 03, 2011
Casino resort development continues in the Philippines, where a joint venture of Genting Hong Kong and Alliance Global Group prepares to build a new resort three times the size of their existing Resorts World Manila (l.). Investment is set at a minimum of $1.1 billion.
Sat, Dec 03, 2011
The effort to create a regulated gaming industry in Japan could not have been helped by the arrest of a paper company chairman, Mototaka Ikawa (l.), for taking $137 million of his firm’s money to the casino. On a positive note, he has promised to pay it all back.
Sat, Dec 03, 2011
The developer of a $1.2 billion integrated resort in the Philippines recently acquired a dormant corporation in which to eventually place the currently separate hotel and casino offerings. Not that there’s anything wrong with that…
Sat, Dec 03, 2011
The German state of Schleswig-Holstein has become known recently for its liberal stance in opposition to the other 15 states in the area of online gaming regulation. Now the state is looking to privatize its five casinos, including the casino in Westerland (l.), either individually or as a group.
Sat, Dec 03, 2011
The U.K. department responsible for overseeing gaming is ready to review stakes and prizes of slot machines for the first time since before the new gambling act came into effect in 2007. The department estimates such a review will take about 18 months.
Sat, Dec 03, 2011
The Serbian legislature has passed new laws in an effort to create a well regulated and fairly taxed gaming industry, both in the land-based and online sectors. The end result was produced by cooperation between the gaming board and gaming trade organization JAKTA.
Sat, Dec 03, 2011
In a highly controversial decision, the Vancouver City Council has allowed Edgewater casino to move from its site at False Creek to a larger hotel complex beside B.C. Place (l.). The action has sparked outrage from anti-gambling group, though council maintains that the rezoning matter does not call for an expansion of tables or slots.
Sat, Dec 03, 2011
Would-be U.S. gaming titans end up empty-handed after investing millions with Mexican ‘casino czar’ Juan Jose Rojas-Cardona.
Sat, Dec 03, 2011
Legislation to allow single-game sports wagering in Canada is working its way through the House of Commons. In the meantime, the Woodbine racino is positioning itself to take advantage of the bill if it should pass.
Sat, Dec 03, 2011
Just as news surfaces of Facebook’s plan to allow a handful of online gaming operators into its world, an Australian senator is receiving complaints from Facebook members about the play-money site DoubleDown Casino. Perhaps the complaints could better be addressed to the education ministry.
Sat, Dec 03, 2011
The Assembly of Treaty Chiefs in Alberta, Canada, want to take a look at how gaming funds—particularly slot revenues—from five reserve casinos are distributed. One researcher called the current system "a very neo-colonial approach during a time when the Canadian government has been promoting reconciliation with First Nations.”
Sat, Dec 03, 2011
Of the remaining candidates for the Republican nomination for president, only one—Ron Paul—has specifically said he would support online gaming should he be victorious. But Paul is not a frontrunner now so many are wondering what they actually support. Mitt Romney (l.) pledges to reveal his position soon.
Sat, Dec 03, 2011
The question of collecting revenue from offshore operators is a problem for jurisdictions like the U.K. On one hand is the given of lost revenue if nothing is done. On the other, creating a system to tax operators could leave players at the mercy of untested sites.
Sat, Dec 03, 2011
Rep. G.K. Butterfield (l.), a member of the committee hearing testimony on the online poker bill sponsored by Texas Congressman Joe Barton, wants feedback from federal agencies at the next hearing.
Sat, Dec 03, 2011
Authorities in the Philippines and Malaysia have intensified crackdowns on illegal internet gambling, arresting more that 800 people and confiscated over 4,000 computers since the beginning of 2011.
Sat, Dec 03, 2011
The Massachusetts state treasurer, who oversees the state lottery, is launching a study of how best to pursue online gaming should it be legalized.
Sat, Dec 03, 2011
The world’s largest social games company, Zynga, will soon go public, but employee unrest and a stifling, data-driven corporate environment could put the start-up at risk. Will Zynga’s high profits be enough for investors, or will the company’s tainted reputation shake investor confidence?
Sun, Dec 04, 2011
The Massachusetts state treasurer, who oversees the state lottery, is launching a study of how best to pursue online gaming should it be legalized.
Sat, Dec 03, 2011
When the same law that created your gaming commission also authorizes four new casinos, regulatory challenges are inevitable, as Ohio’s Casino Control Commission is discovering. The Horseshoe Casino Cleveland (l.) is slated to open next spring, but regulatory problems may delay that.
Sat, Dec 03, 2011
Few are neutral about mega-casinos in South Florida; observers, split into two armed camps, paint gaming as both savior and sinner. But the interest in big gaming ideas continues, with casino sponsor, Senator Ellyn Bogdanoff (l.), defending her bill.
Sat, Dec 03, 2011
It’s been rumored for weeks, but a visit by Steve Wynn to a New England Patriots game last Sunday (and a tour of a possible casino site) has confirmed his relationship with Robert Kraft (l.), owner of the team. One problem could be a negative vote from the town council on a casino.
Sat, Dec 03, 2011
Now that the Massachusetts legislature and governor have passed a gaming expansion bill, the work passes to the commission that will oversee its implementation—and the casino developers who will now vie for the privilege to build. But not without legal challenges.
Sat, Dec 03, 2011
Dozens of business people and residents took the opportunity to give suggestions to the New Jersey Casino Reinvestment Development Authority on a new master plan for Atlantic City. CRDA Executive Director John Palmieri (l.) addresses an audience of more than 200.
Sat, Dec 03, 2011
The Hooters hotel-casino in Las Vegas filed for Chapter 11 in August; lender says reorganization is futile due to an overwhelming level of debt—more than $180 million—and an unreceptive market.
Sat, Dec 03, 2011
Illinois lawmakers ended a one-day special legislative session last week without addressing expanded gaming, meaning the issue will be put off until next year.
Sat, Dec 03, 2011
Another example of bad timing in Sin City: an Israeli company bought the New Frontier (l.) in 2007 and imploded it just before the recession killed many development plans.
Sat, Dec 03, 2011
Plans have been drawn up for a major renovation of Steel Pier, Atlantic City’s historical showplace. The new designs will take up to three years to complete, and may include an enclosed restaurant and entertainment space, a ballroom and several new attractions.
Sat, Dec 03, 2011
Z Capital Partners of Lake Forest, Illinois has become the majority shareholder of Affinity Gaming, operators 15 casinos in Missouri, Iowa and Nevada, with 4 million shares or 19.8 percent of Affinity's outstanding shares. Z Capital will be a passive investor in Affinity.
Sat, Dec 03, 2011
Following voter approval, Hollywood Slots will add 14 new table games in the New Year and change its name to Hollywood Casino Bangor. It will be only one of two casinos in Maine to offer table games. 89 new employees are expected to be hired.
Sat, Dec 03, 2011
For the first time, the Minnesota Vikings have put out some real numbers regarding how to pay for a new stadium for the team. In a newspaper ad, they proposed contributing $407 million, plus $650 million from a 33-year bond that would be paid in tax revenues from the Vikings, visiting players, employees and fan purchases, with the state paying the remainder through revenues from electronic pull tabs, racinos, a Minneapolis casino or increased sales taxes.
Sat, Dec 03, 2011
The Golden Nugget Atlantic City is in the midst of a $150 million renovation that will touch every section of the casino, from rooms to the floor to the exterior. Thought the property is having a lean winter, Tilman Fertitta, the properties billionaire owner, remains optimistic that he can control expenses and attract new customers.
Sat, Dec 03, 2011
Voters will not have a say on a smoking ban in St. Charles County, Missouri, next year since the County Council rejected a measure that would have put the issue on the ballot. Instead, an anti-smoking coalition may have to launch a petition drive.
Sat, Dec 03, 2011
As Penn National Gaming triples the earnings expected at the reopened Rosecroft Raceway, the operator continues to lobby for slot machines.
Sat, Dec 03, 2011
With two Ohio casinos about to open, officials in Nitro, West Virginia are looking for ways to hold on to Ohio gamblers, who frequent the Mardi Gras Casino and greyhound racetrack. One idea under consideration is to annex two hotels near the casino and use the subsequent taxes to help promote the area.
Sat, Dec 03, 2011
Pennsylvania’s 11th casino, set to open in the spring, is facing a shortage of qualified dealers to fill between 250 and 300 new positions.
Sat, Dec 03, 2011
G Investments LLC will purchase the Colorado Grande Casino in Cripple Creek, Colorado from Houston-based Nevada Gold & Casinos, Inc. for $3.2 million. Nevada Gold owns 10 other gaming properties, all in Washington state.
Sat, Dec 03, 2011
One of the most conservative states, Georgia is taking a look at expanded gambling to raise revenues. Video lottery terminals, casinos and pari-mutuel betting on horseracing all are being considered.
Sat, Dec 03, 2011
Experts say the handling of a September shooting at John Ascuaga’s Nugget by casino PR officials was sufficient and standard, as a poll shows the public feels the casino is safe.
Sat, Dec 03, 2011
A district court judge said the Fond Du Lac Band does not have to make its yearly payment the city of Duluth for the right to operate the downtown Fond-du-Luth Casino. The city is considering appealing the ruling, which will cause it to lose about $6 million annually.
Sat, Dec 03, 2011
Both Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun casinos are in talks to restructure their debt. While Foxwoods is looking to write off $500 million in loans to keep from defaulting, Mohegan Sun (l.) is pursuing an aggressive strategy of expansion.
Sat, Dec 03, 2011
The state's 18 tribes fight gaming expansion although they have expanded from zero to 18 casinos in 22 years. Racinos would net the state about $125 million in annual revenues and create thousands of jobs—and 70 percent of Minnesotans approve them.
Sat, Dec 03, 2011
Foxwoods Resort Casino has named Rebecca G. Carr, a former marketing executive from Verizon Business, as its new chief marketing officer.
Sat, Dec 03, 2011
Security veteran Douglas Florence’s goal: to lead casinos into the present with modern digital surveillance. Most casinos still use analog, expert says.
Sat, Dec 03, 2011
Rymax Marketing Services has named Paul Gordon to the position of vice president of sales, where he will focus on expanding the company’s reach.
Sat, Dec 03, 2011
BMM Compliance, one of the leading gaming testing organizations, marked 30 years in business in November.
Sat, Dec 03, 2011
The race for Austria’s casino licenses could be delayed if one of the principal contenders, Novomatic, decides to question the legality of the bidding process. At issue is the bundling of licenses into specific packages, the first of which has an application deadline of January 13.
Sat, Dec 03, 2011
The Illinois Gaming Board will re-award the central systems contract for thousands of video gaming devices to Scientific Games, as authorized by the Illinois Video Gaming Act. The contract was held up over a year ago for technical reasons, but a Supreme Court decision has allowed the Act's provisions to proceed.
Sat, Dec 03, 2011
Cantor Gaming has signed a long-term agreement to operate the sports book at the Palms casino in Las Vegas, including mobile wagering options.
Sat, Dec 03, 2011
TransAct Technologies has agreed to a partnership under which its Epicentral Print System will be added to Walker Digital networked table games.
Sat, Dec 03, 2011
Mobile applications of Aristocrat slot games in “play-for-fun” format have reached the 100,000-download milestone, according to the company.
Sat, Dec 03, 2011
NEWave will make the first installation of its software suite that aids in handling compliance issues at a casino it already serves in the state of Washington.
Sat, Dec 03, 2011
Former Sin City mayor will staff his upcoming “speakeasy” at the Plaza with “ambassador broads” who will “ensure guest satisfaction.”
Sat, Dec 03, 2011
The legendary Cavern, where the Beatles got their start, will wage a long and winding court battle to keep dibs on the trademark, also being used by Hard Rock International.
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