The sports betting ecosystem in the U.S. works best when all of its parts are working together in a collaborative fashion. Unfortunately, that doesn’t always happen, and relationships are often strained as a result. Bet Bash, says Richard Schuetz (l.), is a conference that can help mend some of those sore spots for both players and regulators.
The Detroit Lions have four players serving suspensions of various lengths for betting on sports while located at the team facility, a violation of league rules. Coaches and the NFL struggle to find the right formula to get the point across.
DSWV, the German Sports Betting Association, opposes a ban on gambling advertisements proposed by Federal Drug Commissioner Burkhard Blienert (l.). He declared, “Tobacco, alcohol and sports betting are far too present in public space. Something needs to change, and I will drive that change.”
Those looking to optimize Blackjack revenues may consider experimenting with deeper deck penetration—in this month’s edition of Casino-Ology, table game expert Bill Zender (l.) breaks down the potential pitfalls of shallow penetration and why the risks of card counting are often overblown.
Everyone makes mistakes, but when they start to pile up, things can become very expensive, very quickly. Crown Resorts learned this lesson when it agreed to a gargantuan $294 million settlement—the largest ever for an Australian operator—related to anti-money laundering violations at its Crown Perth and Crown Melbourne (l.) casinos.
A bill that would require New York Governor Kathy Hochul (l.) to begin negotiations for a new gaming compact for the Seneca Nation of Indians puts new pressure on the governor to act.
The hands have shaken, the deals have been signed and the renderings for the A’s new stadium (l.) have been released. The only thing left is the financing and legal details—how fun! A draft of the financing proposal is here, and the gamble sure is big for both the team and the state. Can the lowly last-place A’s handle the Vegas stage?
Caesars Entertainment has unveiled elaborate plans for its proposed casino in Times Square (l.), while the developer of a proposed Wynn-branded casino at Hudson Yards revealed a revised bid.
Investors who hoped to develop an integrated resort in Nagasaki face the dissolution of the plan, per an industry expert. Professor Toru Mihara says the consortium could fall apart due to the plan’s lack of details.
Brazil’s Institute of Responsible Gaming (IBJR) is warning that the country should not further delay implementing a framework for regulation of sports betting. IBJR warned lawmakers and regulators that four years is long enough to wait, and that delays engender insecurity among operators.
Spanish gambling companies are still hotly contesting the Royal Decree 958/2020 on Commercial Communications for Gambling Activities. The pros and cons of restrictions on advertisements was a much discussed topic at the Gaming in Spain Conference in Madrid in May.
The North Carolina Legislature is determined. A sports betting bill has jumped out of the gate thanks to Senators and Representatives. One committee puts in horse racing slots. Another pulls it out.
The Texas House voted 101-42 to pass a sports wagering bill, but it failed in the Senate, largely due to Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick’s (l.) efforts. The legislature meets every other year so lawmakers can’t revisit the issue until 2025.
For many months, the gaming industry’s post-Covid growth has outpaced the uncertainty (and perhaps inevitability) of recession, but the latest round of data indicates that what was once a breakaway lead has surely become tighter.
Susan Hensel and Joseph Grad, Co-Founders and Partners at law firm, Hensel Grad, spoke with GGB Managing Editor, Jess Marquez, on future plans and the regulatory environment of today’s market.
With the opening of the Londoner Macao, Sands China has considerably expanded its presence on Macau’s Cotai Strip. The addition brings 6,000 new hotel rooms to host international travelers.
The Philippine gaming regulator plans to sell off its casinos sometime in 2025, says Chairman Alejandro Tengco. The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. has been criticized for both owning and regulating casinos.
General Benjamin Acorda Jr. (l.), head of the Philippine National Police, says law enforcement officials who look the other way in the face of illegal gambling will face legal repercussions.
Malaysian gaming giant Genting Bhd is unconcerned about the decline of VIP junkets in Macau. CEO Tan Hee Teck said the decline will have no ripple effect in Singapore, where Genting operates Resorts World Sentosa.
Spotlight Sports Group, is telling readers that tighter gambling regulations are coming to the U.K.: “any countries that have legal sports betting and/or igaming regulations in place have begun to introduce stricter rules and regulations for operators and affiliates in the past year-plus,” the group wrote.
Paddy Power and Betfair, subsidiaries of PPB Counterparty Services Ltd., have been fined £490,000 ($604,319). They are accused of sending promotional materials to gamblers who had self-excluded. The incident happened in November 2021.
Norsk Tipping, Norway’s state-owned gambling monopoly, has announced stricter loss limit restrictions for players under 20 years old as of June 1, 2023. Minors placing bets will be allowed a monthly maximum loss of NOK2,000 (£145/€168/$181).
The Media Council of Kenya (MCK) is warning media groups against the rise of gambling advertisements and promotions. It has issued an advisory “to protect investors and to ensure the highest standards of media practice in relation to advertisement of gaming activities.”
SkyCity Adelaide (l.) has been ordered to appoint a third-party expert to review and amend its anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing protocols.
France’s National Assembly is mulling a bill to create a regulated market for online casinos. Currently the only online gaming allowed is sports betting and horse race wagering. Bill 1248, sponsored by Philippe Latombe, would limit the market to “national actors” for the first five years.
The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. has rescinded the provisional license of an offshore gaming hub in the Clark Freeport Zone and also pulled the license of the main service provider.
The Illinois Legislature passed two sports betting bills, but they look far different than when they were introduced. Now they await the signature of Governor J.B. Pritzker (l.)
The 36 states with sports betting in operation tax gross gaming revenue. Tennessee has voted to buck the system and tax handle. The tax rate drops from 20 to 1.85 percent but raises more money.
The Ohio Casino Control Commission has said it is investigating five fantasy sports websites that they allege are offering sports betting not fantasy sports.
One of the controversies in sports betting legislation is whether to tax promotional play. Massachusetts did, and then voted unanimously to retain the tax since it has not been an issue with operators.
To regulators, third-party affiliates are a thorn in the side. The New York State Gaming Commission considered a ban, but chose instead to retain the policy…for now.
Fanatics Sportsbook has begun its beta testing in Massachusetts. The phase is open only to retail customers of Fanatics apparel. Massachusetts becomes the company’s third launch.
The VSiN sports betting network has reached an agreement with Binnie Media to broadcast its sports betting content around the clock on the WFNQ-FM/106.3-FM HD2 station..
The Reno-Sparks Convention and Visitors Authority has had a tough run of controversy at the CEO position. Now that outgoing boss Charles Harris has been granted an early separation, the agency wants to take a step back and regroup its strategy and vision moving forward.
The $105 million Golden Nugget Danville (l.) in Illinois opened on May 27 with 500-plus slots, 14 table games, a sportsbook, fine dining restaurant and sports bar. Future plans include hotels, more restaurants and meeting space.
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (l.) disagreed with those in the state Legislature and vetoed a bill that would have allowed casinos to loan money to customers.
A bill that cleared committee in the New Jersey Senate would give judges the option to mandate treatment for underage offenders caught gambling in casinos.
A team of four fraudsters has been charged with cheating after winning over $225,000 in a scam involving the Azure Roll to Win Electronic Craps table (l.) at the Cosmopolitan Las Vegas late last year.
Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey (l.) was noncommittal when asked if he thought gambling machines proliferating statewide were legal or not. But a St. Louis Post-Dispatch report indicated Missourians want officials to regulate the games.
Atlantic City’s Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa has unveiled the rebranded MGM Tower (l.), after a $55 million refurbishment of the hotel tower originally branded The Water Club.
Table games, a sports bar, a sportsbook and live entertainment area are being added to the temporary casino at Fonner Park in Grand Island, Nebraska. Construction is expected to be complete in August, in time for the football season.
The Formula One Las Vegas Grand Prix was always expected to bring big money to the Las Vegas Strip, but renting out entire world-class restaurants with views of the track? That’s some serious scratch.
The Lake Ozark board of aldermen tabled a resolution supporting the Osage Nation’s proposed casino until the tribe can provide more information, including tax collection and impacts on traffic, city services and the environment.
The board of Gaming Innovation Group announced that CEO Richard Brown (l.) will step down from his position by the end of the year, as the company initiates a search for a new top executive.
MGM China co-chairs Bill Hornbuckle and Pansy Ho (l.) were reelected to the company’s board of directors at a meeting on May 25. Both are executive directors of MGM Resorts International’s Asia unit.
As Nebraska’s third temporary casino is about to open, the Racing and Gaming Commission has added commissioners and staff. But NRGC Executive Director Tom Sage said the agency still struggles to find qualified employees to regulate the fast-growing industry.
The first-ever Asian IR Expo will take place July 11-13 at Venetian Macau, in conjunction with the Greater Bay Area Hotel And Cultural & Creative Industry Expo.
The website printed on 798,000 Maryland license plates from 2012 to 2016 used to lead to the website of a nonprofit raising funds for the War of 1812 Bicentennial Commission. Now it leads to a gambling site in the Philippines.
June 13-15, 2023: Canadian Gaming Summit, offers multiple and creative ways to connect with your staff, peers, suppliers and clients. Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Produced by the Canadian Gaming Association and SBC For more information visithttps://www.canadiangamingsummit.com.
June 14-18, 2023: SIGMA Americas, Sao Paulo, Brazil. SiGMA America’s first event for the market is perfectly timed to connect its wide-reaching network in the West with Latin America’s leading suppliers, operators, and affiliates. For more information visit sigma.world/americas.
June 20-23, 2023: International Gaming Summit, (IAGA) Culloden Estate and Spa, Belfast, Northern Ireland. A premier event that brings together leaders from all global gaming sectors, the Summit will provide operators, suppliers, attorneys, investors, bankers, regulators and other advisor delegates with an unparalleled opportunity to meet and discuss the most important issues facing gaming. For more information visit https://www.theiaga.org/2023-summit-preview.
July 17-19, 2023: AML Bootcamp + Cage Operations Conference, Sycuan Casino Resort, San Diego, CA. Join us at Sycuan Casino Resort in beautiful San Diego, CA for our single day AML Bootcamp and Cage Operations Conference. Our theme is “Learn, Connect and Belong” to this Gaming Community that is focused on best practices and education around tools and automation that enhance the gaming experience in uncertain times. For more information visit https://skiild.com.
July 19-22, 2023: SIGMA Asia, Manila, Philippines. With an eye towards new horizons, the SiGMA Group heads to Manila, connecting the sharpest minds in the sector, and bringing a vast network in the West closer to Asian suppliers, operators and affiliates. For more information visit sigma.world/asia.
August 14-16, 2023: OIGA Conference & Tradeshow, Cox Business Convention Center, Tulsa, OK. Lively, fun, informative, high-energy assembly of some of the biggest names in the gaming and hospitality industries. https://oiga.org/tradeshow.
September 4-7, 2023: SIGMA Balkins & CIS, Limassol, Cyprus. With the New Gambling Act of 2020 creating a more responsible, accountable, and well-regulated Land-based and iGaming sector in Serbia, the nation has the potential to host an even more robust, flourishing economic industry, attracting firms and talent from far beyond its shores as its local market swells. For more information visit sigma.world/cis.
October 9-12, 2023: Global Gaming Expo, G2E is the one place to see the people, products, and ideas to drive your business forward and define the future of gaming. Venetian Expo, Las Vegas, NV. www.globalgamingexpo.com/en-us.html
November 13-17, 2023: SIGMA Europe (Malta Week), Malta, MFCC (North Gate). Returning to its roots, SiGMA Europe attracts an international and diverse lineup of industry leaders to its annual Malta Week event, bringing a convergence of expo, conference, and networking. For more information visit sigma.world/europe.
November 22-23, 2023: BEGE, IEC, Sofia, Bulgaria. BEGE is one of the leading gaming and entertainment exhibitions in Europe. The show gathers 85+ exhibitors and over 6000 visitors from over 60 countries. Over the years, the event has gained the attention of leading companies and established itself as a preferred business venue and became meeting point for the gaming society. For more information visit www.balkangamingexpo.com.
November 22-23, 2023: EEGS IEC, Sofia, Bulgaria. The Eastern European Gaming Summit (EEGS) is an annual gaming conference which brings together more than 50 speakers and 300+ delegates from all over world. With hundreds of leaders and thriving companies from the land-based and online gaming industry in attendance, EEGS covers groundbreaking subjects and discussions based on the latest trends, developments, and insights.For more information visit eegamingsummit.com/.
