NEWS & NOTES

Macau gaming operators SJM Resorts and Wynn Macau will provide bonuses to eligible employees amounting to 1.5 to two months’ of salary (SJM) and one month’s salary (Wynn). Wynn officials said the payment aims to “show the company’s appreciation to all team members for their collective efforts during the past challenging year.” Sands China, MGM China and Galaxy Entertainment have announced similar packages for their staffs. ● Cirque du Soleil’s “Love” show at the Mirage in Las Vegas has canceled a number of shows due to “market conditions” caused by the pandemic. Though “Love” has struggled to find an audience, no other Cirque show has cut its schedule from previously planned dark dates entering 2022. ● Sands China and MGM China have each announced their own initiatives at promoting responsible gaming in the world’s No. 1 gaming city. The RG programs are in line with the Macau government’s “Lose Control, Lose Family” campaign to inform the public about the harms associated with problem gambling. ● Okada Manila’s listing on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange through a merger with 26 Capital will be completed by the end of June, while a separate plan for a listing in the Philippines will also proceed, according to Asiabest Group. Okada Manila’s parent, Universal Entertainment, says the U.S. listing does not affect its plans to commercially operate the company. ● Singer David Lee Roth has canceled his Las Vegas residency, reportedly due to Covid-19 concerns. The former Van Halen front man called off the series and also canceled his New Year’s shows, “due to unforeseen circumstances related to Covid” and “out of an abundance of caution for those working and attending the shows.” • Police recently arrested 15 workers at integrated resort NagaWorld in Phnom Penh, Cambodia for what they described as an illegal protest against layoffs conducted by the company last April. Another nine people arrested on New Year’s Day have been charged with “incitement to cause serious chaos to social security.” • 888 Holdings will finalize the acquisition of William Hill’s non-U.S. assets sometime in the second quarter, later than expected, according to Gambling Insider. The company will publish its prospectus and raise the capital in Q2 followed by a shareholder vote for final approval. 888 hopes to raise £500 million (US$675.5 million) of gross proceeds by issuing new equity, leaving very few obstacles. The overall purchase price comes to £2.2 billion. • Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer has signed into law a measure allowing gamblers who itemize deductions to claim gambling losses on their state income tax returns−the same deductions claimed on their federal returns, beginning with 2021. Analysts said the state stands to lose annual tax revenue of $12 million to $17 million. •. The Natrona County Commission in Wyoming has approved parimutuel betting at Casper’s C85 Pump Room. This allows it to become an OTB site if the Wyoming Gaming Commission agrees. A feasibility study concluded that it could generate as much as $10 million in wagers annually in Natrona County, creating about $1 million in taxes for the county and city of Casper.