NEWS & NOTES

The Las Vegas Monorail plans to add a station at the MSG Sphere arena under construction at The Venetian-Palazzo resort complex. The station will be located east of the Las Vegas Strip off Sands Avenue and will connect with a planned pedestrian bridge joining the arena to the Sands Convention Center. Construction of the 18,000-seat MSG Sphere, a joint venture of Las Vegas Sands and Madison Square Garden Co., is slated for completion in 2021. •   Charles Degliomini is resigning as head of corporate communications and governmental affairs for Empire Resorts, the publicly traded parent of New York’s Resorts World Catskills. Degliomini, who holds the title of executive vice president, has spent more than two decades in gaming in New York, beginning with Empire’s predecessor company, Catskill Development. His resignation is effective December 7, Empire said. • Construction of a 30-story hotel on the North Korean border with China has been suspended, allegedly because Beijing took issue with Pyongyang’s plans to build a casino there, Radio Free Asia reported last week. A source told RFA that construction was halted “suddenly’” after more than 20 floors had been built. ● Macau authorities have asked the help of international telecom operators to take down 237 illegal gaming websites using Macau casino brands, local media reports. Macau Secretary for Security Wong Sio Chak says a number of gaming websites are “piggybacking” on Macau casino trademarks including Grand Lisboa and Venetian, which have “seriously damaged” the SAR’s image as an international tourism destination. Wong said that 130 websites have been blocked or removed so far, and new legislation is in the works to prohibit these sites from using text messaging as a means of contacting players. ● A bill to legalize sports betting to benefit charities could be introduced in the North Dakota legislature by District 7 Rep. Jason Dockter. He commented “I just feel since people are already spending the money, why not have the money go to some of these local charities in the state of North Dakota.” He added, “Going through the charities is the way to do it.” The congressman doesn’t have an estimate yet on how much his proposal could direct towards charities.   • Police in the Philippines recently arrested 104 people for illegal online gambling in Pasig City. According to a statement from the National Capital Region Police Office, 93 were Chinese nationals. Several desktop, laptops, Android mobile phones, and other devices were seized. ● To mark the 11th anniversary of the annual Michelin Guide Hong Kong Macau, City of Dreams Macau will present a gala dinner on December 11 featuring six acclaimed chefs: Fabrice Vulin, Kelvin Au Yeung Man Yin, Alain Ducasse, Masa Takayama, Chan Yan Tak and David Kinch. The evening will conclude with French pastries by Pierre Hermé. ● MGM Cotai has opened an exhibit, “Explore the Beauty of Chinese Embroidery,” showcasing heritage crafts including Chinese traditional embroidery, Kunqu opera and Ronghua. Art tours, a costume exhibition and an art symposium are open through December 31. ● Sands China is participating in poverty relief efforts in Mainland China by sourcing products from impoverished Congjiang County, Guizhou Province. A recent shipment included mandarin oranges and bottled water. “We hope to contribute to the development of the county and we look forward to continuing our support,” said Sands China President Wilfred Wong. ● The Ardent Group of Belgium will open the Circus Club Paris casino in the second quarter of 2019 and has begun recruiting about 100 employees. The goal is 70,000 patrons a year at the 37-39 Boulevard Murat, in the 16th arrondissement location. Open 24-7 it will organize regular poker tournaments and will have a poker room with 18 tables, plus 12 other gaming tables. • Greece’s Rio Casino shut its doors in the face of a dispute with workers that threatened to escalate into violence after it cut their wages by 25 percent. Management said this was part of a belt-tightening to keep the casino afloat, but the employees claim the company is already more than a year behind in paying them. Union boss Dimitris Karageorgopoulos is demanding an immediate payment of €800,000 towards the complete bill of €5 million. The company fired back that the union threatens the casino’s very existence. •   Montana Department of Revenue Alcohol and Beverage Control Division last week told the city of Billings it has 33 more casino licenses than is allowed by state quota. No new license will be allowed, except for veteran or fraternal organizations. Last year the legislature limited gaming licenses, setting the upper limit for Billings at 113. The city recently conducted a workshop about casinos and concluded that limiting them was part of preserving its image and to keep from impacting parks, churches and schools. Gaming accounts for about $83.3 million annually and pays the city $12.5 million in taxes.