NEWS & NOTES

A new study shows that the anticipation surrounding the new James Bond film “No Time to Die,” marking the return of Daniel Craig to the 007 role, has led to a 910 percent global spike in interest to the real-life Casino de Monte Carlo, featured in this and other Bond films as a favorite haunt of the main character. The Monaco casino has appeared in several Bond films, featuring Bond at the luxurious location’s chemin de fer tables. • Spanish gaming trade group Cejuego has published survey results that found Spain had the lowest rate of problem gaming in Europe and online gaming did not significantly increase during the pandemic. The survey found 0.25 percent of residents classed as problem gamblers according to the problem gambling severity index. • Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino in Maricopa, Arizona, has added roulette to its offering of table games. The Arizona legislature earlier this year approved amending the tribal state gaming compact—allowing for live table games. Since then the casino has added craps and baccarat—and now roulette. • LeoVegas AB’s license to operate its online casino and sportsbook brands has been extended five years by Danish gaming authority Spillemyndigheden. Denmark’s regulated online market went live in 2018. LeoVegas has operated in the market since 2016 and is one of the country’s most well-known brands. It also operates in Sweden, the U.K. Italy, Spain, Germany, Ireland and Malta. ● DraftKings will open an office in Las Vegas and eventually hire more than 1,000 employees. The 90,000-square-foot technology hub will be part of UnCommons, a contemporary work space coming to Southwest Las Vegas in early 2022. The company’s recent purchase of Golden Nugget Online Gaming (GNOG) will allow it to begin operating in Nevada. ● ASX 100-listed Star Entertainment Group has unveiled a new tourism business, managing short- and long-stay apartment rentals in readiness on the Gold Coast. General Manager Mark Hodge said the move is part of Star’s long-term plan to thrive in the post-pandemic tourism business. ● Nearly all victims of the worst mass shooting in U.S. history have received their portion of an $800 million settlement. On October 1, 2017, a gunman on the 34th floor of Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas fired on crowds at the Route 91 Harvest festival, killing 60 people and injuring hundreds more. MGM Resorts acknowledged no liability and paid $49 million of the settlement, while the remainder came from insurance coverage. ● All subsidiaries of South Shore Holdings, operator of Macau’s 13 Hotel, have ceased operations and are insolvent. The 13 was envisioned as an ultra-luxury hotel casinos for VIPs on the Cotai Strip. But due to funding and construction delays, it opened in 2018 with no gaming and with a number of rooms unfinished, all at a cost of US$1.6 billion. Last year, South Shore sold off a fleet of 24 customized red Rolls Royces in an effort to pay down the group’s outstanding bank loans. ● Philippine authorities say Metro Manila will reach a vaccination rate of 92 percent by the start of December. Manila is now under the second strictest Alert Level 4, meaning casinos, horse racing and other entertainment venues are prohibited from opening. ● The Tesuque Casino in Santa Fe, Mexico reopened October 5, 10 days after a cyberattack forced it to shut down. “As for customer data, nothing was compromised, nothing was breached,” casino interim general manager Floyd Samuel said. The casino lost no money, Samuel added. ● Bally’s Atlantic City raised more than $15,000 for the Helen David Relief Fund, a program that supports bar industry workers battling cancer, during a charity bike ride. More than 40 riders rode 25 miles through several New Jersey shore towns and ended at Bally’s Beach Bar. ● FireKeepers Casino Hotel in Battle Creek, Michigan has again been named one of the Best Employers in Michigan on Forbes’ annual list of Best Employers by State. Survey respondents rated their employers on work environment, compensation, advancement and telecommuting, among other categories.