NEWS & NOTES

Some two dozen football matches in Lithuania were suspected of fixing in 2019, according to the Lithuanian Football Federation. The figure was announced by the country’s Gambling Supervisory Authority, which reminded operators that it’s illegal—and punishable with up to four years’ imprisonment—for people to bet on events in which they participate. Operators must refuse to take bets from these individuals or pay winnings if the bet has already been placed. • The National Lacrosse League will team up with Roar Digital, a joint venture between MGM Resorts International and GVC Holdings, to let users bet on games. Roar Digital’s platform, BetMGM, lets customers place bets before and during games with more than 100 leagues using phones or computers. The companies described the deal as a first for the sport in the U.S. The league has 13 teams across North America, including New York, Philadelphia and San Diego. • The Akwesasne Mohawk Casino Resort has celebrated the opening of the Sticks Sports Book & Grill, officially opening sports betting to the northern New York area. The ceremony featured former Buffalo Bills Wide Receiver and NFL Hall of Famer Andre Reed, who signed autographs and posed for pictures. Operated by The Stars Group, the 5,000-square-foot space also has a high-definition video wall with lounge seating, 18 55-inch televisions, four betting kiosks, and a manned ticket-writing window. • Australia-listed Silver Heritage Group has secured a loan of US$1 million, to be used for working capital purposes of the company. The loan was first announced on December 27, on news of a record-breaking month at the Millionaire’s Club and Casino Kathmandu, and Tiger Palace Resort, Bhairahawa in Nepal. • The FBI has disclosed that a dealer and player cheated two Maryland casinos out of more than $1 million in 2017. The player was sentenced to 13 months in prison. The dealer was fired, sentenced to 18 months in federal prison, given three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay back the money. • Philippines integrated resort Okada Manila reported record visitation and revenue in December, pushing GGR for FY19 to PHP39.79 billion (US$784 million), a 46.2 percent increase over 2018. More than 6 million people visited the property in 2019, compared with around 4.8 million the year before. • The operator of Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course has been fined $20,000 for holding poker tournaments that were not approved by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. The board said Mountainview Thoroughbred Racing did not get its approval for four poker tournaments held at the casino in Grantville last year. • Gateway Casinos Sarnia is planning to bring 150 slot machines to the Hiawatha Horse Park in Ontario, Canada. The city has budgeted about $400,000 in slot revenue for 2020, based on the 5 percent revenue-sharing agreement with municipalities. • The first hearing on Crown Resorts’ sale of a 19.9 percent stake in the company to Asian casino operator Melco Resorts & Entertainment took place on January 21. Authorities in New South Wales are looking to see if Melco, its chairman and CEO Lawrence Ho, and Ho’s associates are of “good repute.” Ho is the son of Macau casino titan Stanley Ho, linked for decades to Chinese organized crime. • SunCity Group Holdings will pay $200 million to secure the project site for its planned Westside City Resorts World in Manila by the end of March. In October, Suncity acquired a controlling stake in SunTrust Home Developers for the rights to build a five-star hotel with at least 400 rooms and a casino with 400 gaming tables and 1,200 slot machines. • The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas has announced new beneficiaries of its Giving Module program. From January to March, guests can donate to HELP of Southern Nevada, Goodie Two Shoes, the America Heart Association or Veterans Village when they redeem ticket vouchers on the casino floor. The Cosmopolitan matches up to $10,000 of all donations each quarter; it amassed more than $1.7 million in monetary donations in 2019.