NEWS & NOTES

Pennsylvania’s Valley Forge Casino is installing infrared cameras in its parking areas to detect children left unattended in vehicles while their parents gamble. The casino has vowed to step up enforcement efforts against parents who leave their children in vehicles. Officials of Boyd Gaming, the casino’s parent company told regulators last week that it will spend $776,000 on mitigation efforts including the cameras, upgraded signage and other measures. • Regulators in Pennsylvania have issued two fines against Mountainview Thoroughbred Racing Association for violations at Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course—$57,500 for allowing nine self-excluded patrons to gamble and $25,000 for allowing two underage customers to gamble. A separate fine of $45,000 was levied against Presque Isle Downs in Erie for permitting a patron to consume alcohol on the gaming floor when it was prohibited under state Covid-19 restrictions. ● The Hoiana integrated resort in Quang Nam Province, Vietnam, is one of the first hotels to take part in the country’s vaccine passport program, welcoming some 430 tourists from the U.S. last week. The visitors stayed at Hoiana under quarantine for seven days and then were granted access to selected local tourism sites including the historic city of Hoi An and the My Son Sanctuary, both UNESCO heritage sites. Tourists must be fully vaccinated. ● Macau welcomed more than 30,000 tourists on November 12, the highest number so far in the month and a marked increase over October’s Golden Week, which saw fewer than 2,000 visitors a day due to a Covid-19 spike. The daily numbers are still well down on pre-pandemic performance, and aggregate annual tourism might only return to 2019′s volume by the year 2025, according to the Macau Government Tourism Bureau. ● Las Vegas illusionist Criss Angel and former Cirque du Soleil director Franco Dragone have officially announced the opening of their new show, “Amystika: The Secret Revealed” at Planet Holywood. It’s described as a “mysterious prequel” to Angel’s MindFreak show with one-of-a-kind special effects including tornados and blizzards, plus Angels’ brand of jaw-dropping stunts. “No pre-show gags, no banter, no old-fashioned theatrical ceremonies,” said Dragone. “Here, you will dive into a world that will take you by storm.” ● Caesars Entertainment and Premise Health have opened a new wellness center on the Las Vegas Strip, delivering in-person and digital care to all eligible Caesars employees. The facility is located inside the LINQ, and aims to offer affordable high-quality care for Caesars workers. It includes a 24-hour fitness center. ● Country superstar Blake Shelton is planning a country music club, to be called Ole Red Las Vegas, at the Grand Bazaar Shops near the entrance to Bally’s on the Strip. The four-story, 27,000-square-foot venue is expected to open in 2023. ● Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen lifted all quarantine requirements for fully vaccinated arrivals as of November 15. International travelers can enter freely provided they are fully vaccinated and provide a negative Covid-19 test result upon arrival. ● The Japanese subsidiary of MGM Resorts International has joined the Osaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The membership was approved on October 15. MGM Resorts Japan CEO Ed Bowers said the company wants to :actively build relationships with local companies.” MGM and local partner Orix were named as Osaka’s preferred partner in September to develop an integrated resort on Yumeshima island pending approval from the central government next year. ● On November 10, Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak announced that the state’s unemployment insurance tax—paid by employers—will not increase next year, though the state’s Employment Security Council supported the tax hike. Sisolak said the decision “protects Nevada’s businesses in this critical moment.” ● Former teen idols the Jonas Brothers will open a restaurant called Nellie’s Southern Kitchen at MGM Grand in Las Vegas. The comfort food menu includes classics like fried chicken, chicken and dumplings, fried okra and sweet potatoes. ● Malaysia will reopen its borders to international visitors no later than January 1, 2022, a government advisory body announced last week, as the country seeks to revive its ailing tourism sector. Investment analysts have said foreign customers were a key business component for Malaysia’s only casino complex, Resorts World Genting, prior to the pandemic. ● Starting November 15, travelers to Cambodia were able to enter the country without quarantine, provided they have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 and have had a negative test result for the disease within 72 hours of their inbound journey. Cambodia’s Ministry of Health reports that 82.5 percent of the kingdom’s population have been fully vaccinated against the virus. ● Red Rock Resorts, parent company of Station Casinos, has announced a pair of financial transactions that will return capital to its shareholders. The company agreed to pay a $3-per-share dividend to shareholders of record by the end of December. Gaming analyst Carlo Santarelli said the announcement “returns capital to shareholders, while leaving the company still well positioned to develop the pipeline.” ● The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority has launched a marketing campaign to encourage engaged couples to tie the knot in Las Vegas. The online campaign, “Forever Happens Here,” highlights wedding venues and unique experiences for couples who marry in Las Vegas. Clark County, Nevada expects to issue its 5 millionth wedding license in 2022. ● Singapore continues to open its borders to the outside world, with the Ministry of Health announcing it will extend its vaccinated travel lane to India, Indonesia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. VTLs with Indonesia and India are set to open November 29, with the other nations to follow on December 6. ● SkyCity Entertainment reopened its Hamilton, New Zealand property on November 17 after the Waikato region moved to Covid Alert Level 2. The company’s flagship Auckland property remains closed under Alert Level 3, but could reopen sometime in late November or early December. Its properties in Queenstown and Adelaide, Australia remain open. ● Macau-based casino operators Wynn Macau and SJM Holdings. will be removed from the MSCI Hong Kong Index at the end of the month. No reason for the removal was provided. After the removal, three Macau-based gaming operators will remain on the index: Galaxy Entertainment Group, Sands China and Melco Resorts and Entertainment. MGM China Holdings was removed from the index in November 2019. ● Tachi Palace Casino Resort in Lemoore, California has completed Phase 1 of its hotel room renovation. The Tachi-Yokut Tribe plans to renovate all 255 guest rooms. The first phase opened to the public November 19. The rooms feature an indigenous theme featuring basket-weave designs. It includes innovations like privacy glass that allow guests to see inside the bathroom when it is turned off but switch to a frosted view when turned on. ● Northern California’s Paskenta Band of Nomlaki Indians has opened its Paskenta Brewery and Distillery within the Rolling Hills Casino and Resort. Tribal Chairman Andrew Alejandre called the enterprise, “the first tribal-owned distillery” in the state, where guests can enjoy our carefully crafted beers and liquors.” Although many tribes own breweries, a distillery of spirits is new in the Golden State.