NEWS & NOTES

A new nightclub opened in Downtown Las Vegas on April 15. We All Scream is a two-story, 10,000-square-foot indoor-outdoor nightlife venue from Corner Bar Management, located on East Fremont Street. “There’s no way you can walk down Fremont Street and not know we’re here,” said Corner Bar founder Ryan Doherty of the $4.5 million endeavor, which includes dance floors, a 3D projections, and a DJ booth in an ice cream truck. ●   Casino Lisboa in Macau has welcomed a total of 24 million visitors since it opened 16 years ago. In a statement, the casino reported an annual influx of around 1.5 million visitors, for a daily average of 4,000, though the Covid-19 pandemic slashed visitation to 140,000 per month in 2019 and 46,000 per month in 2020 and 36,000 per month in 2021. Over 16 years, the auditorium stage hosted 2,812 sessions of 155 shows, attended by 1,330,000 spectators. ● SkyCity Entertainment Group has confirmed that its three New Zealand properties are no longer subject to capacity restrictions or social distancing measures from today after the government lowered the national Covid-19 alert level. The “red” level that has been in place since January has been lowered to “orange,” essentially removing most restrictions for businesses across the country. ● Like other gaming concessionaires in Macau, MGM China has committed to pay the local government $6 million for a six-month extension of its license to December 31. The licenses were originally due to expire June 26. Market peers Wynn Macau, Melco International Development and Sands China have made the same commitment. ● Sands China released more than 3,000 non-local employees since the beginning of the pandemic “to save costs and ensure employment for local residents,” President Wilfred Wong Ying Wai recently told the Macao Daily. At present, about 75 percent of the company’s Macau employees are local residents. The number of non-resident workers employed by all six gaming operators in the SAR by the end of 2021 was 32 percent lower than before the pandemic outbreak, the Labor Affairs Bureau revealed. ● Kangwon Land in South Korea now observes pre-pandemic business hours, from 10 a.m. to 6 a.m. daily. Kangwon Land in Gangwon Province is the only South Korean casino permitted to offer bets to locals. It will maintain its current pandemic-related operating capacity, a maximum of 3,000 customers at a time, which is 50 percent of pre-pandemic level. Players and staff must wear masks. ● The new Yaamava’ Theater at the Yaamava’ Resort & Casino in Highland, California, opened recently with an exclusive private performance by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. The theater can accommodate 3,000 guests and offers state-of-the-art acoustics with three large video walls and a broadcast-quality video room. It’s the final phase of the $760 million Yaamava’ expansion. The resort is run by the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians. ● A lucky guest at Desert Diamond Casino West Valley in Arizona struck it rich, winning a $744,340 multigame progressive jackpot on April 19. He was playing Three Card Poker when he landed a royal flush that won the jackpot. Another recent guest won $500,000 playing Pai Gow Poker. Desert Diamond Casinos & Entertainment, with four locations, is owned and operated by the Tohono O’odham Gaming Enterprise, a unit of the Tohono O’odham Nation. ● Stars Casino in Tracy, California, is relocating to the West Valley Mall and the unoccupied Famous Dave’s. Both casino and city are pleased with the change. Stars COO Emmanuel Macalino commented, “We’re hoping that people come not just for gaming, but for entertainment, to bring their friends over for a drink just to hang out.” The city worked to facilitate the relocation to bring more consumers to the city’s retail hub. • The Capital Region Development Authority of Connecticut plans to add a lounge and restaurant to the downtown Hartford XL Center. The goal is to open a sportsbook in time for the NFL season. CRDA Executive Director Michael Freimuth says proceeds would be split with the CT Lottery. However, the legislature would need to give the Lottery authority to share funds. If that happens, the CRDA would improve the Center’s concourse and build the lounge. ● The Miracle Mile Shops mall in Las Vegas will undertake a major renovation project. The mall will stay open during construction, which is set to finish sometime in mid-2023. Renovations plans include upgraded tech, immersive audio and video installations. ● The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority has voted almost unanimously to shorten its existing contract with the Boring Co. to operate the Convention Center Loop transit line. A new, one-year agreement effective July 1 through June 30, 2023 was put into place, with a budget of up to $4.5 million. The LVCVA also negotiated the right to end the agreement with 120 days’ notice.