NEWS & NOTES

Some restaurants at three Station Casinos properties in the Las Vegas Valley have started to reopen, some for sit-down service, and some for takeout service only. The eateries at Green Valley Ranch Resort, Red Rock Resort and Santa Fe Station are operating. The Nevada Gaming Control Board recently informed casino operators they would be allowed to reopen restaurants, though gaming remains closed until June 4. In a related development, Wynn Las Vegas reopened five of its restaurants on Friday, May 29. “The reopening of these restaurants is a positive and crucial step towards the complete reopening of our resort,” Wynn Las Vegas President Marilyn Spiegel said in a press statement. The remainder of Wynn and Encore Las Vegas will remain closed, except for the golf course. ● The U.K. Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has revealed that under-18’s exposure to gambling advertising is now at the lowest level since 2008. A report found that the number of TV ads that children saw in 2019 dropped to 115.9 ads per week, from a peak of 229.3 per week in 2013. Adverts for bingo, lottery and scratch cards make up the majority of adverts that children see on TV, followed by ads for casinos and then advertisements for sports betting. ● The Malta Gaming Authority has established new sports betting integrity measures. Licensees must report all suspicious activity to the regulator through a website portal. In August 2019, the MGA launched its Sports Integrity Unit to serve as liaison between local and foreign regulatory authorities, law enforcement agencies, betting monitoring systems, sporting bodies and gaming operators in the fight against illicit bets. ● Okada Manila President Takashi Oya announced last week that more than 1,000 employees would be laid off as part of a retrenchment program to remain “a viable business” in the Covid-19 era. Layoffs will begin June 15, and those affected will receive a separation payment. ● Marquee Singapore, a nightclub at the Marina Bay Sands casino resort in Singapore, is running “virtual clubbing events” to mark its first anniversary. DJs including Nicky Romero, Steve Aoki and Andrew Rayel have appeared in the events, which were livestreamed on Zoom and Twitch. Marquee Singapore opened in mid-April last year. ● At least 200 workers at the TAB, New Zealand’s off-track betting agency, will lose their jobs due to a sharp downturn in racing and betting. ● A vast theme park at Genting Highlands that was scheduled for a soft opening in the third quarter could be delayed for another year. Covid-19 is being cited as the main factor creating the latest delay. Phase I of the park will offer 20 rides, including four rollercoasters. ● Non-management employees of City of Dreams Manila, operated by a Philippine unit of Melco Resorts and Entertainment Ltd., have been granted a “month’s basic pay” in full. It will count as “paid leave” as many of those workers have already used up their annual leave allowance during the Covid-19 crisis. ● Genting Malaysia will reportedly cut jobs and reduce wages after reporting a loss for Q1 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Management has volunteered to take a salary reduction of up to 20 percent, and Genting will reportedly lay off between 10 percent and 20 percent of its 20,000 global work force. ● Colombian gambling regulator Coljuegos has published regulations governing the launch of live dealer online casino games in the country, which were approved in April. There has been some opposition to the launch of live dealer games from the land-based sector, but the regulator says they will drive visitation to physical properties. • Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe last week ended the country’s state of emergency. As of Monday, May 25 the country had reported more than 16,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus, with 851 deaths. • Asia Pioneer Entertainment is cancelling lease agreements for casinos in Cambodia and the Philippines due to non-payment of rent. APE said it will write off about HK$26 million (US$3.4 million) in the first half as a result. The group reported a Q1 loss of $4.1 million due to impact of the Covid-19 crisis. Revenues in the period plunged 70 percent to $2.4 million. • The Nevada Gaming Commission has approved new ownership for the Rainbow Club and Casino in the Las Vegas suburb of Henderson. The new entity is Water Street Gaming, owners of the Emerald Island Casino across the street. Water Street, which is taking over from Peppermill Resorts, said it plans to reopen the Rainbow in late August or early September. • The Port Canaveral, Florida -based Victory 1 gambling ship was scheduled to begin sailing again Thursday, after being idled since March 15 because of the coronavirus pandemic. Passengers will be required to wear face masks and to undergo temperature checks when boarding. “We are so looking forward to sailing again,” Victory Casino Cruises Marketing Manager Shirley Buchanan said. • The Nevada Gaming Commission has given two shuttered Las Vegas casinos 30 more days to keep their gaming licenses. The Western Hotel and the Moulin Rouge got the extensions because the coronavirus shutdown prevented them from complying with the legal minimum requirement to keeping their licenses, operating at least 15 machine games for at least six hours. Western owner Fifth Street Gaming plans to launch a temporary operation on June 4 to comply. The Moulin Rouge plans to run its 15 machines in a trailer onsite with the help of Century Gaming Technologies.