NEWS & NOTES

Penn National Gaming launched its Barstool Sportsbook app in Indiana on May 18, joining the company’s presence in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Illinois. “Now, Hoosiers will be able to engage with Dave Portnoy, Dan ‘Big Cat’ Katz and all Barstool personalities,” said Jay Snowden, president and CEO of Penn National. He promised additional launches in 2021. • Manila, Philippines has restored indoor and outdoor dining at limited capacity and has allowed outdoor tourist attractions to reopen with some restrictions. But entertainment, recreational, conference and indoor sports venues and amusement parks will remain closed for now, including the capital city’s integrated casino resorts. ● MGM Resorts in Las Vegas will welcome Allegiant Stadium fans for pre-and-post game parties at its newly announced Stadium Walk, located between Mandalay Bay and Luxor. The tailgate area will be open four hours before kickoff and remain open until the conclusion of games at the $2 billion stadium. ● MGM Cotai in Macau has announced it will launch a new resident show called “MGM Awakening Lion” on July 8. It’s the first residency to launch in Macau since the temporary closure of Melco Resorts & Entertainment’s “House of Dancing Water” last year. ● Though Sands China has encouraged employees near retirement age to leave earlier, it hasn’t launched a formal voluntary exit program. Sands has pledged to offer “conveniences” to early retirees so they can “enjoy life earlier,” said President Wilfred Wong. Melco Resorts has launched voluntary leave programs for staff who want to “pursue new objectives and priorities.” And Galaxy Entertainment Group will offer MOP380,000 (US$47,523) to pit supervisors if they resign as part of its “New Life Starter Program.” ● Macau reported its 50th coronavirus case in April but has not recorded a single death since the pandemic started in early 2020. A 31-year-old man who arrived on a charter flight from Kathmandu tested positive for Covid-19 in April. Observers have called Macau an “oasis” in the world’s Covid-19 “desert.” ● The number of problem gamblers caught violating their voluntary bans from Maryland casinos doubled in March, according to a news report. The loosening of casino capacity restrictions led to a sharp increase in violations by gamblers who have voluntarily banned themselves from casinos, according to the report. • Pechanga Resort Casino in Southern California reopened its hotel, spa and 4.5-acre pool complex on May 20. All were closed since March 2020 due to the Covid-19 state closures. Although the casino reopened its gaming floor and some restaurants in June, other amenities remained closed. The move comes as California Governor Gavin Newsom prepares to end the color-coded tier system and mask requirements on June 15. • Entain, an international sports betting and gaming company based in the Isle of Man, has committed £100,000 (US$140,000) for Covid-19 relief in India, which has seen increasing hospitalizations. Entain employees more than 2,500 people in the Indian city of Hyderabad.