NEWS & NOTES

A Bermuda Court has ordered Genting Hong Kong and subsidiary Dream Cruises to wind up the liquidation of the cruise ship line. Genting Hong Kong defaulted on debts totaling around US$2.8 billion, and originally hoped to restructure. But Genting patriarch Lim Kok Thay has since launched a new cruise ship brand in Singapore, Resorts World Cruises, suggesting the former cruise brand will be dissolved. ● Scientific Games has partnered with a Montreal nonprofit to create an urban agricultural farm at the company’s Canadian lottery production facility. La Cuisine Collective Hochelaga-Maisonneuve will build a community-inclusive sustainable farm on Scientific Games’ land. In addition to helping feed the local community, the project aligns with a broader effort by the city to create greener industrial areas. ● OpenBet, a provider of sports betting technology, content and services, has extended its long-term partnership with Danish lottery operator Danske Spil. The existing contract has been extended through 2025, with the option of an additional year included. ● The website for Las Vegas’ Palms Casino experienced a security breach on the morning of October 18, with users receiving a Google warning that proceeding to the site “may harm your computer!” In an email to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Palms officials gave the following statement: “We are aware of the disruptions to the Palms Casino website and are working as quickly as possible to determine the cause. We’ve engaged outside experts to help us investigate the cause and restore availability to all users as soon as possible.” Officials gave no indication as to whether or not any personal information was obtained in the breach. ● Las Vegas tourism officials are still hopeful that some form of the underground Vegas Loop transit system currently being built by Elon Musk’s Boring Co. will be operational by the time Super Bowl LVIII rolls around on February 11, 2024, according to a recent report from the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Steve Hill, president and CEO of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, told the Review-Journal that all parties involved are “working to try and make that happen.” Upon completion, the system is expected to include 34 miles of tunnels and over 50 stations—Boring President Steve Davis has said previously that he is hopeful construction will begin sometime next year, with about 15 stations coming online per year after that. ● Twitch, the popular livestreaming platform, has implemented and expanded its ban on streams involving iGaming websites—-originally, the company said that beginning October 18, the ban would apply only to unlicensed sites with no consumer protections. However, in a recent statement, Twitch clarified that all unlicensed sites will be banned, regardless of any protections they may provide. The platform also reiterated that any referrals or promo codes involving such sites are strictly prohibited, including those for “social gaming” sites, in which players play for site credits and not real money. ● The European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) promoted the European Safer Gambling Week from October 17-October 23. The industry united to raise awareness of safer gaming, and highlight tools that can help. EGBA established the cross-border initiative last year. This year, 13 European gaming associations took part in planning, and held a series of events and activities. U.K. Gambling Commission Andrew Rhodes observed, “Any opportunity to shine a national spotlight on the importance of gambling safely and securely is important.”● Companies that wanted to offer sports betting in Massachusetts had until October 17 to turn in their paperwork. There were 42 companies that expressed interest but the number of actual applications is not known. Sports wagering is expected to launch in the state in January. ● Melco Resorts & Entertainment is looking for more than 1,000 positions for its yet-to-open City of Dreams Mediterranean in Cyprus. On the gambling side, they are looking for gaming machines attendants and trainee dealers. The opening date is set for some time in the second quarter of 2023. ● Entain Chief Executive Officer Jette Nygaard-Andersen said during an earnings call last week that high interest rates will not prevent Entain from remaining open to new acquisition opportunities. Speaking after an earnings update showing a 2 percent revenue increase year-on-year, Nygaard-Andersen responded to a question on whether the interest rates will hamper the company’s hunt for M&A opportunities. “We of course remain vigilant and very prudent,” she said, according to iGaming Business. “But the health of the business remains good. We still have a strong pipeline on M&A and we have opportunities that we will continue to pursue.” ● Investors are preparing to submit a bid for a casino in New York’s Coney Island amusement district, according to a report from Elite Sports New York. ESNY quoted a confidential source as confirming that real estate developer Thor Equities will be submitting a “robust” bid to the New York casino siting board early next year, and that Thor Equities will list portions of its Coney Island amusement district properties as potential casino locations. The proposal will join other potential sites, including the region’s two racinos, in vying for one of three licenses designated for the New York metropolitan region—the five boroughs, Long Island, and the Lower Hudson Valley.