NEWS & NOTES

The Oak View Group, which is looking to build a multibillion-dollar arena complex south of the Las Vegas Strip, has shown interest in attracting an NBA franchise to the venue, which would further enhance Sin City’s reputation as a U.S. sports destination. Vegas is already home to the Golden Knights NHL club and the Raiders NFL team; the Oakland A’s baseball club has been looking at relocating to the city as well. ● Also in Las Vegas, the Venetian’s newly expanded Tao Beach Dayclub reopened the first weekend of April. The Balinese-themed club has doubled in size to 44,000 square feet and can accommodate 3,000 patrons. It offers luxury cabanas, VIP plunge pools and two bars, and attracts name DJs like Afrojack, Lil Jon, Kaskade and Illenium, among others. ● A hearing on Atlantic City’s PILOT dispute has been delayed until April 25. At issue is whether revenue from mobile sportsbooks and iGaming is part of the casinos’ gross gaming revenues, which factors into how much they pay the county. The casinos say state regulators are wrong to include those dollars in calculating payments in lieu of taxes, as most online revenues go to sportsbook operators. The change in definition of revenue could cost the county $3 million to $5 million per year, experts say. ● New Jersey bettor Paul Manganaro is suing FanDuel, challenging its play-through requirement for deposits. Paul Manganaro lost $200 on the Super Bowl and tried to withdraw a $300 balance; FanDuel’s fine print restricts withdrawals to winnings only. Manganaro says FanDuel is violating the New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act by making him wager the money before letting him cash out. He also accuses FanDuel of fraud and civil conspiracy and wants the company to return any requested funds to players plus triple damages. ● The Top of Binion’s Steakhouse on Fremont Street in Las Vegas has reopened. The upscale restaurant, which debuted in 1965 as the “Top of The Mint,” is one of Las Vegas’ most famous dining rooms. It was forced to close for two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic. ● Lawrence Ho, chairman and CEO of Melco Resorts & Entertainment, has been awarded company shares valued at nearly $15.2 million. The shares will be vested to Ho in four tranches, between now and April 2025. Melco Resorts runs casinos in Macau, a property in the Philippine capital of Manila and gaming venues on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus. ● The Philippines gaming regulator PAGCOR has turned over US$115 million in cash dividends to the National Treasury as part of its remit to support the nation. With this contribution, PAGCOR maintains its status as one of the government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs) in the elite “Billionaires’ Club” or agencies that remit cash dividends of at least a billion pesos to the government, PAGCOR said. In total, the regulator has remitted Php48.94 billion to the National Treasury since 2016. ● Macau health officials say there will be no change to the current Covid-19 policy, which requires that people arriving from Guangdong Province and Zhuhai must hold a negative test issued within 24 hours. Macau’s inbound visitor volume has declined recently due to a viral outbreak in Shanghai in Mainland China. ● The government of Wakayama Prefecture in Japan called for an extraordinary session between April 14 and 20 to discuss the local plan for an integrated resort. The prefectural assembly must OK the casino resort plan before it can be sent to national authorities by the April 28 deadline. ● Hong Kong’s longstanding border closure has prompted a locally based gaming executive to resign his position as a non-executive director of Australia’s Aquis Entertainment. Alex Chow’s retirement “comes regrettably as a result of continued Covid-19 lockdowns,” which made it “increasingly difficult for (him) to manage his desired level of involvement with the group via technological means.” Aquis, which owns and operates Casino Canberra, will consider a replacement director. ● The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority is shortening its operating agreement with The Boring Co. to run and maintain the underground Convention Center Loop transit system. Board members voted 11-1 last week to spend up to $4.5 million for a one-year agreement with Boring from July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023. Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman cast the lone vote against approval. Goodman has a history of voting against all measures dealing with the transit system. ● The National Hockey League has announced partnerships with FanDuel and BetMGM in Ontario, Canada. This follows the legalization on April 4 of new forms of sports betting and online gaming in the province. The partnerships will include signage, in-person activations and “custom content” about the sportsbooks on NHL media. • The European Casino Association’s Responsible Gambling Framework has certified casino operators the JOA Group. It’s the first French business to be so certified. Before earning the accreditation it was subject to an independent audit, which found that the 33 casinos operated by the group adhere to the latest standards of responsible gambling. ● The Tulare County, California Board of Supervisors has approved the Teapot Dome access road that will serve the relocated Eagle Mountain Casino currently under construction near Porterville Airport. The project will begin this summer and the casino, to be operated by the Tule River Tribe Gaming Authority, will open in the fall.