NEWS & NOTES

Hong Kong could end mandatory hotel quarantines for international arrivals. The government reportedly is planning a “0+7” scheme in which arrivals would self-monitor for a week rather than the “3+4” model of three days of hotel quarantine and four days of home surveillance. Health chief Lo Chung-mau said the government is “actively considering” scrapping hotel quarantine due to declining case numbers across the city. ● In a ceremony on September 19, Wynn Macau donated MOP80 million (US$9.88 million) to the University of Macau’s scientific research and academic development. The funds will support academic and research initiatives at the Asia-Pacific Academy of Economics and Management, and help develop local talent in the field. ● The Beijing government will launch a series of policies to support Macau’s tourism industry at the request of local officials, accelerating construction of the Guangdong-Macau In-depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin. According to Huang Liuquan, of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, the Covid-19 pandemic has brought “some difficulties and challenges,” but Macau’s overall economic outlook “remains positive.” ● Las Vegas’ MGM Grand is remodeling 700 rooms in its Studio Tower, with new designs that will “reflect a retro desert feel with mid-century modern design,” according to the company. California-based Avenue Interior Design is spearheading the project, which is scheduled to be completed by the end of the year. MGM Grand President and COO Michael Neubecker said in a statement that the company wanted to make a statement by “creating a relaxing atmosphere that appeals to not only leisure travelers here on vacation, but also our business travelers looking for a refreshing reprieve after a long day of meetings.”● The Las Vegas Planning Commission has approved plans for a new resort from Station Casinos—the 705,000 square-foot development will be located in the northwest corner of the Las Vegas Valley, near Route 215 and Losee Road. The resort, called the Losee Station, is slated to feature 600 rooms and other amenities such as shopping and dining options. Station is also currently developing its $750 million Durango Station project near Durango Drive, which is slated to open near the end of next year. ● Aria Resort & Casino on the Las Vegas Strip has announced plans to reopen its shuttered buffet as Proper Eats, a food court with various mini restaurants from around the world. The 24,000 square-foot venue is expected to open in December, with about a dozen options ranging from Korean fried chicken to Jewish deli staples and Mediterranean cuisine. All of the eateries will be operated by Vegas-based firm Clique Hospitality, which has an extensive network of restaurants around the Strip. ● The Blue Lake Rancheria tribe has reached an agreement with UNITE HERE Local 49 to unionize hospitality workers from the Blue Lake Hotel and Casino as well as surrounding restaurants and gas stations, becoming the first tribe in Northern California to do so. Union representatives said the new deal features “multiple benefits” for workers, including wage increases and additional paid time off. Once staff members voiced their desire to unionize, the tribe “negotiated in good faith to achieve a mutually beneficial contract,” according to Tribal Administrator Jason Ramos. ● The chairman of the National Indian Gaming Commission announced that successful cyberattacks on tribal casinos have dropped dramatically in the past year, and credits efforts to boost awareness by his agency and others for thwarting the hacks that have shuttered properties, reduced revenue, and prompted ransomware payouts. “Tribes have taken to heart the importance of having a plan in place in anticipation that an attack could occur,” said NIGC Chairman Sequoyah Simermeyer. “That has helped in the minimization of what we’re seeing regarding cyberattacks.” • Prospects are fading for a historic bill in the U.S. House of Representatives that would allow Maine Indian tribes to benefit from any future federal Indian laws. The bill, introduced and championed by Rep. Jared Golden, passed the House on July 14 as an amendment to the annual defense spending authorization bill. Golden’s bill seeks to amend the federal law that governs the historic 1980 land claims settlement between Maine and the Penobscot, Passamaquoddy and Maliseet tribes to remove one of several restrictions on their sovereignty. But the bill—which only affects Maine’s tribes—lacks a champion in the Senate. • BetMGM has agreed to pay NJ Transit $3 million for the naming rights of the Secaucus Junction Train Station for three years. The station is the main avenue to MetLife Stadium, home of the New York Giants and Jets franchises. Commercial revenue, including advertising, accounts for around 4 percent of NJ Transit’s annual revenue, but it expects to exceed budget predictions. It’s worth exploring as the agency faces a budget gap come 2026 when Covid relief funding runs out. On September 18, 15,171 people took the train to and from MetLife, up from 13,105 during last year’s first home Jets game.