NEWS & NOTES

Caesars Entertainment’s Las Vegas Strip resort The Linq has debuted a new bar, Re: Match, featuring 27 touchscreens offering virtual reality games. Future plans for the property include gesture-controlled holographic gaming, life-sized hologram dancers, an interactive art installation and a set of VR bays that will allow guests to see themselves in roles as action heroes, athletes and boxers. Also in development is a 24-station e-sports venue for daily play and tournaments. • Pittsburgh’s Rivers Casino was fined $90,000 by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board Wednesday for seven instances in which individuals younger than 21 gained access in order to gamble and consume alcohol. The fine was imposed on Holdings Acquisitions Co., the operator of the Rivers, after individuals ranging in age from 17 to 20 used slot machines and/or played table games. Six of the seven also drank, according to the gaming board. “We take these matters seriously, and the incidents were self-reported,” casino spokesman Jack Horner said in statement to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “We’ve reviewed and modified internal procedures to help prevent recurrence. We respect the decision of the gaming board.” • Playtika, the Israeli company that is a major supplier of social casino games, announced that it is launching an independent division dedicated to the development of casual games. The Playtika Casual Games Lab plans to launch several new games every year. The company recently bought casual game makers Wooga and Supertreat, and it said the new lab is based on its acquisition of Jelly Button two years ago. The lab brings together 150 developers in Tel Aviv and London. • Caesars Entertainment put the focus on responsible gambling at the First Japan IR Expo, which began May 15 in Osaka. Caesars said it has invested JPY25 million (US$228,000) in responsible gaming programs in Japan so far.