Betting shops in Scotland will see their doors open without extraneous restrictions on July 22, after an agreement was reached by the government to revoke orders previously established by the Scottish Nationalist Party (SNP). Although Scottish betting shops were legally allowed to reopen on June 29, last-minute orders by the SNP forced shops to remove in-store seating, as well as turn off machines and all live sports broadcasts. • The government of Guam has announced it will no longer grant licenses for the operation of electronic gaming machines and will revoke all licenses that existed prior to July 1, 2020, according to a report from Post Guam. The change in policy is a result of a recent court judgment that determined that rules and regulations that the Department of Revenue and Taxation (the department that issues licenses) that date back to prior gubernatorial administrations are void. Notices of “revocation/nonrenewal” have been sent to companies with machines registered under these rules. • Vietnam’s Hoiana casino resort has gotten a fresh infusion of US$60 million from subsidiaries of Suncity Group, the Macau junket operator that is partnering on the destination-scale project with Hong Kong conglomerate Chow Tai Fook and VinaCapital Group, an investment firm based in Ho Chi Minh City. Pegged at US$4 billion at full build-out, Hoiana is slated to commence opening in phases next year in the central province of Quang Nam on the South China Sea coast. Plans call for four hotels, a golf course and other attractions. The casino will feature 140 table games and 300 machine games. • Tropicana Las Vegas will reopen September 1. The casino floor will be limited to 50 percent of capacity in accordance with state guidelines, a statement from the property said, and other safety measures will also be in place. “While the amenities our customers have come to know and love may be somewhat limited for the time being, the ability to safely welcome back our team members and guests remains our top priority,” said Mike Thoma, the Strip resort’s assistant general manager. • Hong Kong-based Century Entertainment International said it is relocating its casino in the Cambodian gaming hub of Sihanoukville. The casino is moving from Sunshine Bay Hotel to the newly constructed Ming Guan Hotel. Century said the move was made to secure more favorable lease terms in the wake of Covid-19.
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