NEWS & NOTES

Though IR development in Japan has stalled, the Suncity Group is moving forward with its public relations campaign in Wakayama by sponsoring the local professional basketball team. Suncity has become an official sponsor of the Wakayama Trains, a project the company said “aims to rejuvenate the children, parents, and the elderly who are affected by the coronavirus.” ● Macau’s Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ) says it has not authorized any online lotteries in Macau after rumors emerged that a so-called “Macau Mark Six” was set to launch. The regulator emphasized that all online gaming claiming to operate on behalf of the Macau government are fake and illegal. ● The Navajo Department of Health has extended its 32-hour weekend lockdowns and daily curfews through the month of September. All businesses must close during the lockdowns, which last from Saturdays at 9 p.m. and last until Mondays at 5 a.m. for the four weekends this month, and the daily curfew from 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. The order is to help prevent the spread of Covid-19. ● The Buffet at Wynn Las Vegas closed last week, a casualty of the Covid-19 pandemic. “We found that many guests prefer a more traditional buffet experience over the served all-you-can-eat format,” Wynn said in a statement. A spokesperson left the door open for a possible return of the venue at some point, saying the company will “continue to assess the situation and make a determination on reopening at the appropriate time.” ● Layoff notices may dominate the current headlines, but the soon-to-open Circa Hotel Casino in Las Vegas, set to open October 28, will hire more than 100 people to staff its Stadium Swim venue, including cocktail servers, bartenders, food runners, lifeguards and box-office cashiers. ● Southwest Airlines, McCarran International Airport’s busiest carrier, will add flights to Palm Springs and Miami this year, pending government approval. “Our service to both of these airports will bring new, relevant options for our core customers,” Southwest CEO Gary Kelly said. “Gradually, they’re rediscovering leisure travel across the country as their own situations allow.” ● Mike Greenberg’s new show, Bettor Days, has debuted on ESPN+. The 15-minute show, broadcast out of Caesars Entertainment’s Linq in Las Vegas, tells the stories behind sports betting’s craziest wins and losses. The Vegas studio will host the network’s one-hour weekday sports betting show, Daily Wager, and other related programming. ● The Mazatzal Hotel & Casino in Payson, Arizona completed mandatory Covid-19 testing for 173 active employees, with none testing positive. Safety measures include sanitizing gaming machines multiple times during shifts, as well as sanitizing door handles, doors, courtesy phones, tables, chairs and other high-touch and high-traffic areas. ● A three-day recruitment drive for staff at the new US$5 billion Grand Lisboa Palace in Macau’s Cotai district drew almost 2,000 people, according to casino concessionaire SJM Holdings Ltd. The new complex with 1,900 rooms and suites is expected to open by the end of 2020. ● Starting October 1, MICE venues in Singapore will be permitted to hold events with up to 250 attendees. Marina Bay Sands plans to host the Singapore International Energy Week Conference 2020, October 26-30. MBS recently announced that 100 percent of the gas and electricity consumed at its Sands Expo and Convention Centre is now carbon neutral. ● Bloomberry Resorts Chairman and CEO Enrique K. Razon Jr. has completed construction on a third quarantine facility in the Philippines. The facility provides 600 patient beds and 10 support tents. Razon has also made Bloomberry’s Solaire Resort & Casino available as a Covid-19 testing venue. ● Greektown Casino-Hotel in Detroit will lay off 43 employees due to the Covid-19 pandemic. An announcement from the company said the layoffs “are the unfortunate result of business circumstances that were sudden, dramatic and beyond our control,” adding that “significant drags” on the business will likely continue for the foreseeable future. ● Former Las Vegas tourism official Cathy Tull has cut a deal in a criminal case about the misuse of Southwest Airlines gift cards bought by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. The onetime marketing official pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor and was ordered to pay a $500 fine. Rossi Ralenkotter, the LVCVA’s retired CEO, pleaded no contest to the same misdemeanor last month and agreed to pay a $1,000 fine. Ralenkotter used nearly $17,000 in Southwest cards for personal travel, and Tull used $6,000 in cards. Both reimbursed the convention authority for their personal travels before they left the agency, but one former prosecutor called Ralenkotter plea a “sweetheart deal.” • FireKeepers Casino Hotel, near Battle Creek, Michigan, was named by Forbes’ annual list of America’s Best In-State Employers for 2020. Forbes surveys about 80,000 employees of companies that have at least 500 workers. The study assessed each company by Atmosphere & Development, Company Image, Working Conditions, Salaries & Wages, and Diversity. • The naming rights agreement between Pueblo of Santa Ana, New Mexico and the city of Rio Rancho has not been renewed. The city is removing the Santa Ana Star Center name from the center and replacing it with Rio Rancho Events Center. The Pueblo decided not to renew the agreement because the Covid pandemic forced a redirection of resources, said Tamaya Enterprises Incorporated (TEI) Chairwoman Melanie Martinez. • The Forbes Travel Guide has given three awards to Agua Caliente Resort Casino Spa Rancho Mirage for the second year in a row. The resorts’ Sunstone Spa earned the Five-Star Award. The resort was awarded Four Star Awards for the resort hotel and The Steakhouse. COO Saverio Scheri III declared “Only through passion and commitment can an achievement of this magnitude be possible, and our team members strive every day to create the ultimate guest experience at Agua Caliente.” • The Michigan Gaming Control Board has authorized Gaming Laboratories International (GLI) as the first independent test lab authorized to test and certify iGaming and mobile sports betting in the state. The board has also referenced GLI standards within its regulations. The standards are “GLI-19 Interactive Gaming Systems” and “GLI-33 Event Wagering Systems.” GLI is the only lab working with all regulated jurisdictions on iGaming and sports betting. • Accel Entertainment Inc. has signed a deal to promote DraftKings sports betting to more than 2,300 video gaming locations throughout Illinois. The DraftKings branding and sponsorship will also help drive foot traffic to video gaming locales that should translate to additional coin-in. The partnership will serve as a customer acquisition tool for DraftKings in greater Chicago.