NEWS & NOTES

Churchill Downs Inc. sold 115.7 acres of land near Calder Casino in Florida to Link Logistics for $291 million. The deal, announced November 22, should be settled during the first half of 2022. The company still retains 54 acres of the land, but may sell off another 20 acres for future retail development. Calder launched in 1971 but stopped racing in 2013 after it could not compete with Gulfstream Park. The track was leased by Gulfstream Park where racing continued through 2020. • SJM Holdings’ Karl Lagerfeld Hotel at Macau’s Grand Lisboa Palace will open to guests on December 3. The hotel was designed by the late fashion designer and is one of three hotels at the resort, which opened July 30. The property also plans a hotel designed by Donatella Versace. ● A new hotel will mark its soft opening December 28 at Resorts World Manila in the Philippine capital. The 11-story Hotel Okura Manila, the seventh hotel brand at the casino complex, will offer 190 rooms and suites, and two meeting rooms, as well as other standard five-star hotel amenities. ● Citing increased business, Resorts World Las Vegas has begun charging $21 a day for valet parking at its Las Vegas Hilton, Conrad Las Vegas and South Porte Cochere. Self-parking remain free. ● The Flamingo Las Vegas will celebrate its 75th birthday on December 26. On that date in 1946, Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel opened the first resort-style property on a highway that would became the Las Vegas Strip. It now has more than 3,400 rooms and a 28-story tower. It’s owned by Caesars Entertainment. ● In Downtown Las Vegas, the El Cortez Hotel & Casino is also marking a milestone. It has been 80 years since its opening in November 1941 with 59 rooms. The high-rise, now owned by Kenny Epstein, now has about 300 rooms and a separate hotel has 64 suites. ● New Nevada Gaming Commission Chairwoman Jennifer Togliatti presided over her first meeting November 18, making history as the first woman to serve in that capacity. She succeeded John Moran Jr., who resigned in September as the longest-serving gaming commissioner. ● He’s at it again. Houston businessman Jim McIngvale, aka “Mattress Mack,” has placed two wagers totaling $2 million on the New England Patriots to win the Super Bowl. Both sportsbooks, theScore Bet and Barstool, had the Pats at +2300. If they win, Mack could pocket $46 million. ● The Philippines will open to fully vaccinated travelers from “green list” countries by the end of this month. Countries on the list include Japan, India, Indonesia, Hong Kong and Taiwan. ● Nagasaki Prefecture held a briefing session for local businesses and prospective integrated resort operator Casinos Austria. The session, hosted by the Sasebo Chamber of Commerce and Industry, attracted more than 1,000 attendees from local companies and governments. Nagasaki hopes to win one of Japan’s first three integrated resort licenses next year. ● Hong Kong travelers will be able to cross into Mainland China without quarantine from the first week of December, earlier than initially expected. Sources say the number of people allowed to cross is likely to be limited to a few hundred people a day at first. ● In Japan, Wakayama Prefecture has postponed a public consultation on a proposal by Clairvest Neem Ventures to be its partner on an integrated resort. U.S.-based Caesars Entertainment says it will partner with Clairvest in the venture with “no capital commitment.” ● SkyCity Entertainment Group will reopen its flagship Auckland casino this week under New Zealand’s Covid-19 Protection Framework. Venues will be permitted to open under certain restrictions; SkyCity will require all staff and visitors to its to be fully vaccinated. ● The Philippines will allow visitors from countries deemed at low risk for spreading Covid-19 if they are fully-vaccinated, according to the country’s Department of Tourism. Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Indonesia and Japan are on the “green” list for entry. ● Seneca Gaming now requires masks to be worn at all three of its properties in New York State, regardless of vaccination status. The tribe runs resorts in Niagara Falls, Buffalo and Salamanca. Seneca Gaming President and CEO Kevin Nephew a recent rise in infections in the region “are concerning. Requiring the use of face masks is the right step to ensure that our properties remain safe, enjoyable environments for all.” ● SJM Resorts organized a three-day “Take the Shot, Protect Macau” event last month in collaboration with the Macao Health Bureau. From November 25 to 27, SJM offered a public outreach vaccination center, the first of its kind in Macau, providing vaccination services for eligible persons in the Grand Ballroom of Grand Lisboa Hotel. It included a prize drawing in hopes of attracting more people. ● Former New Orleans Saints QB Drew Brees and Chef John Folse will team up on a branded steakhouse if the proposed Camellia Bay Casino is built in St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana. First, voters must reverse a 1996 ban on local casinos. Then the $325 million resort will be built by Peninsula Pacific Entertainment. ● Sycuan Casino Resort and the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation in San Diego County, California have become inaugural Founding Partners of the new Aztec Stadium at San Diego State University. The stadium is expected to open next fall. When it does the Founders Club will carry the Sycuan name. • RushBet, the Colombian Sportsbook operated by Rush Street Interactive, has partnered with LaLiga, the professional sports league to be a wagering partner in Colombia. RushBet will co-brand with LaLiga Santander and LaLiga Smartbank and be able to use team logos and jerseys. It will also be able to use some LaLiga players in promotions and ads. • Dutch regulator Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), has granted an online gaming license to JOI Gaming, a division of JVH Gaming & Entertainment Group, which is based in the Netherlands. This will enable JOI Gaming to offer online gaming. JOI Gaming owns the Jack’s, Jack’s Casino, Jack’s Casino & Sports and Jack’s Sports brand names. Its sportsbooks are offered through Kambi. JVH operates 85 brick-and-mortar casinos across the Netherlands.