NEWS & NOTES

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte last week lifted a ban on lotto games run by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, five days after imposing it. On July 30, an aide to the president informed local media that an investigation into the PCSO found no irregularities. A ban will remain on “small-town lottery” systems, which are not uniformly run and could be more vulnerable to manipulation. • The Oneida Indian Nation opened its first sports book on August 1. The Lounge, as it’s called, operated in partnership with Caesars Sports, debuted at the tribe’s flagship Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York. The tribe plans to open books at its Point Place Casino in Bridgeport and Yellow Brick Road Casino in Chittenango in time for the start of the National Football League season. • The Venetian Las Vegas has completed a revamp of its luxury pool deck with an Italian Riviera theme. Amenities include new poolside daybeds and lounges, 10 new air-conditioned cabanas (attended by personal hosts and equipped with private plunge pools, restrooms, TVs, wet bars and Polaroid cameras) and a new cocktail menu. • Scoreboard, the new sports betting game to be unveiled by the Oregon Lottery, will not allow betting on college sports. The state left the sports betting market a decade ago and is not “easing” back into it, said Oregon Lottery spokesman Matthew Shelby. “Professional sports is an easier sell to the broader audience. We may revisit wagering on collegiate events later on. It’s a business decision for it right now,” he said. Scoreboard will be offered in time for the new NFL season and will include parlay betting. The games will first be offered via kiosks that will begin appearing soon.