NEWS & NOTES

• MGM National Harbor celebrated its fourth anniversary on December 8. The $1.4 billion casino includes a two level casino and 308 room hotel, meeting space, live theater, dining, taverns and retail. It is the largest of Maryland’s six casinos. Although its capacity has been cut by 25 percent due to the pandemic, it remains Prince George’s County’s largest employer, with over 2,400 workers. • Casino del Sol, owned by the Pascua Yaqui Tribe of Arizona, has closed for the holidays. It will reopen in early January. It is being joined by the Casino of the Sun, the Resort and Estrella at Casino del Sol, all owned by the tribe. The tribe is taking the action to fight the current spike in Covid-19 cases. CEO Kimberly Van Amburg said, “It just seems like the right thing to do to help the community get this thing under control.” • The Chumash Casino Resort in Santa Barbara County, California, says it plans to stay open despite Governor Gavin Newsom’s stay at home order. The resort says it will follow CDC prevention guidelines and is working closely with the county’s Public Health Department. • Ute Mountain Casino Hotel in Colorado, closed December 7 to fight the spike in Covid cases. It will reopen after the holidays, with an exact date to be determined. General Manager Rick Scheer stated, “We will closely monitor what is happening at a state, regional and national level with regards to Covid-19 and its impact on our region, community and the economy.” ● Wynn Macau has extended agreements with three subsidiaries of parent company Wynn Resorts for services that include international marketing and construction development and design and provide for the continued employment of 15 U.S. staffers. The extensions run through the end of 2023 and will be paid for by Wynn Macau. ● Southern California’s San Manuel Indian Tribe will donate $14 million to Claremont Graduate University to create an on-campus health research center. The tribe based in the San Bernardino County community of Highland, operates San Manuel Casino, located roughly 60 miles from downtown Los Angeles. ● Two Japanese nationals and 11 Taiwanese have been indicted for running an illicit online gambling business in Taiwan. A man and woman identified only as Kinoshita and Matsumura were charged with developing online gambling apps and under three company names, Ganapati Taiwan Co. Ltd., Ganapati PLC and another technology company. From January 2019 to July 2020, (US$48.9 million) was wagered via the sites. ● Thirty-eight parcels containing 75 poker chip sets and other gambling paraphernalia were intercepted in customs at BOC-Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila. The items will be turned over to the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR), the Philippine gaming regulator. ● The Bellagio Conservatory and Botanical Garden has opened “Hopeful Holidays,” a 14,000-square-foot display featuring a 42-foot tree sparkling with thousands of lights and other holiday decorations. Ed Libby, who designed the display, said it is meant to “deliver a sense of joy and beauty to every person who visits, hoping each guest heads home with a beautiful new memory to share with loved ones as we head into a promising new year.”