NEWS & NOTES

SkyCity Entertainment Group will follow the lead of neighbor Crown Resorts by requiring all staff and visitors to its New Zealand casinos and resorts to be fully vaccinated. SkyCity CEO Michael Ahearne noted that as the country nears the 90 percent vaccination rate, it will be able to end lockdowns. Ahearne told shareholders the decision was made “with the health and safety of our staff and customers in mind.” ● The Philippines government’s current Covid Alert Level 3 will be retained in Metro Manila until mid-November, but a further easing of restrictions could come sooner as infections decline. Under Level 3, casinos have resumed at 30 percent capacity, with lottery, betting shops and other gaming establishments also reopening. ● The Macau Government Tourism Office has begun a marketing campaign through Chinese social media channels to promote the SAR as a safe and quality destination. Visitation to Macau has been interrupted by two local Covid outbreaks in recent months, including the Golden Week holiday, a high-volume tourism period that fell flat due to a cluster of infections. ● Crown Melbourne, Crown Resorts’ flagship casino, open some gaming areas at the end of October, after the Australian state of Victoria lifted coronavirus restrictions after 262 days. ● The last Professional Bull Riders (PBR) world finals took place in Las Vegas at T-Mobile Arena last weekend. Next year the finals will relocate to Fort Worth, Texas, where they will serve as the focal point for a week-long championship festival. ● A second hotel tower will open at the Jeju Dream Tower resort in South Korea on November 29. The second tower will add an additional 850 rooms to the resort, for a total of 1,600. Jeju Dream Tower, operated by Lotte Tour Development, opened its casino in June. ● The rock group Kiss has canceled its long-scheduled Las Vegas residency due to “soft ticket sales,” according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. The residency, at the Zappos Theater at Planet Hollywood was scheduled to open December 29 and run through February 5. The group continues a global tour paused by the pandemic. ● And speaking of Vegas residencies, word is going around that crooner Michael Bublé is set for a run at the Theater at Resorts World Las Vegas sometime in 2022. Bublé most recently performed in Vegas in September at T-Mobile Arena. A Bublé booking would help AEG offset the loss of Celine Dion’s dates at Resorts World. Dion was scheduled to open the venue, but bowed out for health reasons. Carrie Underwood is the first headliner, opening on December 1. ● Preah Sihanouk will be the first province in Cambodia to welcome back vaccinated international guests without the need for hotel quarantine, the Ministry of Tourism has announced. Travelers must continue to provide a negative Covid-19 test on arrival. The more relaxed travel rules will take effect November 30. ● The American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association’s Economic Impact of Indigenous Tourism Report says that one quarter of indigenous-owned firms get most of their money from tourism. The report, issued during the 23rd Annual American Indian Tourism Conference at the We-Ko-Pa Casino Resort in Fort McDowell, Arizona, added that Native American tourism is a $14 billion industry. • The Las Vegas Valley Water District board has adopted new rules that new golf courses in the city will not be able to use the Colorado River water for irrigation. The rule change only affects new courses in the city and Clark County, which the district serves. Months ago the federal government declared a water shortage from Lake Mead, which is the source of 90 percent of water for that part of the state. New courses may use groundwater if they have the rights to it. ●   The Missouri Gaming Association is inviting high school seniors to apply for the 26th annual Project 21 scholarships. They can win one $2,500 scholarship and three $1,500 scholarships. Students are chosen from essays about the dangers and consequences of underage gambling. Deadline to enter is March 1, 2022. ● Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman is on a campaign to persuade the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) to widen Interstate 15 where it crosses the state line into Nevada. Weekend traffic is often backed up on I-15 southbound, sometimes as much as 20 miles. Caltrans is working on a high-speed rail connection to Vegas, but Goodman says the project is several years from becoming a reality. ● Illinois’s Bowling Green State University has been awarded the first ever Sports Wagering Research Fund grant by the International Center for Responsible Gaming. The $400,000 grant will study the changing landscape of sports betting in America, including sports-wagering behaviors in the U.S. adult population; risk factors for problem gambling; and how technology influences sports betting.