NEWS & NOTES

Penn National Gaming says it has reopened more than 70 percent of its properties nationwide following the coronavirus shutdown. After reopening four casinos in Ohio and its Pennsylvania racino, Penn said 30 of its 41 properties are now open. Missing from that list is Tropicana Las Vegas, which remains shuttered on the Las Vegas Strip despite Nevada’s reopening of gamin on June 4. Penn’s real-estate investment trust, Gaming and Leisure Properties, is planning to sell the property. • The 12-race Belmont Stakes card on June 20 generated total handle of $67.7 million, with the Belmont itself accounting for $34 million. Compare that to last year’s Belmont race day, which drew $102 million in wagers. As expected, favorite Tiz the Law won the race in front of empty grandstands. The 3-year-old can now set his sights on the Kentucky Derby, to be held September 5, and the Preakness, on October 3. All three legs of this year’s Triple Crown schedule were postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Belmont, usually the final race, was initially scheduled for June 6. • Caesars Entertainment properties in Las Vegas recently gave $20 in free play to some of their guests, to thank them for wearing face coverings while at slot machines. Caesars Palace and Paris Las Vegas surprised Caesars Rewards members with the freebies, followed by Flamingo Las Vegas. Nevada saw an uptick in new daily coronavirus cases earlier this month, which coincided with the reopening of casinos, though health officials said the increase is partly due to increased testing capacity. • For the seventh year, the LPGA Race to the Card is returning to FireKeepers Casino Hotel in Battle Creek, Michigan. The Symetra Tour is expected to resume play on July 24, after a three-month break due to the coronavirus. The FireCreek Championship is part of the tour. • Macau casino operator Melco Resorts and Entertainment has suspended the House of Dancing Water show at the City of Dreams Macau until January. An earlier press release said the show would be revamped by its creative director Franco Dragone and “return in January 2021 in time for Chinese New Year.” • Kangwon Land in South Korea, which recently delayed its reopening plans, now has set a tentative date of June 29 to resume business. Operations at Kangwon Land were originally suspended on February 23, and in recent months many reopening dates have been announced, only to be cancelled. Kangwon Land is the only casino in South Korea that allows Korean nationals to gamble. • Tote Superpools saw significant growth in the first three days of the Royal Ascot races in the U.K., taking in bets worth US$99 million, up 60 percent over the prior year. Punters from 20 nations including Hong Kong are betting into a single World Pool at the event, which is being held behind closed doors due to Covid-19. The Ascot World Pool was launched in 2019 and formed a key part of the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s commingling strategy. • U.K. bookies raised £250,000 for cancer and Covid-19 charities at the Britannia Stakes race at the Ascot. Participating bookmakers included Paddy Power Betfair, bet365, Ladbrokes Coral, William Hill, Sky Bet, Betway, BetVictor, Kindred Group, Grosvenor Sport, Virgin Bet, Fitzdares, Genting Bet and JenningsBet. • Singapore Pools have resumed online and retail lottery operations in the country. Draws were suspended April 6 due to Covid-19. The lottery provider urged customers to opt for online products if they can, for safety reasons. •   The BC Lottery Corp. says it hasn’t had to lay off any staff during the pandemic. In fact, interim CEO Greg Moore said staff are busier than ever, with more than 90 percent working remotely. • New Zealand has launched a mobile app called Manaaki aimed at curbing problem gambling. The interactive mobile program is a cognitive behavioral therapy app based on the Deakin University GamblingLess online tool. A study will be conducted to evaluate how effective the app is, recruiting New Zealanders over 18 who believe they may have a gambling problem. •   For the second consecutive year, Caesars Entertainment has been named to 3BL Media’s 100 Best Corporate Citizens ranking for 2020. Caesars ranked number 17 overall, as well as No. 1 in the Consumer Services Industry for its environmental, social and governance transparency and performance among public companies in the U.S. Additionally, Caesars was recently named a 2020 honoree of the Civic 50 by Points of Light, the world’s largest organization dedicated to volunteer service. • The Hamburg Ministry of the Interior and Sport has filed complaints against three online gambling operators which it claims have violated the prohibition on iGaming in the country. Local media have reported that GVC’s bwin, Tipico and Bet3000 are the operators in question. •