NEWS & NOTES

In Florida, Victory Casino Cruises announced it will operate a gambling ship out of Mayport beginning in June, for two cruises per day, seven days per week. The 229 foot deep catamaran carries 640 passengers but may be expanded to hold 840, said Victory Chief Executive Officer Lester Bullock. The new operation will employ 200 people, he said. Cruises will cost $10, and a buffet will be available for $15 per person. The company currently operates a 1,200-passenger gambling ship out of Port Canaveral with two cruises per day. They offer slots, blackjack, roulette and craps.  •  Twin Arrows Navajo Casino in Flagstaff, Arizona recently celebrated its one-year anniversary with traditional Navajo dancers and a native flute player, plus a fireworks display. In addition, a ribbon-cutting ceremony opened the property’s new 110-room hotel addition, bringing the room total to 200. Officials from the Navajo Nation, Coconino County, Hopi Nation and City of Flagstaff attended the festivities. Navajo Nation President Ben Shelly said the tribe is considering future construction projects at Twin Arrows, including a truck stop, retail center, golf course and airport.  •  Macau’s casino took in MOP31.3 billion patacas (US$3.92 billion) in gaming revenue in April, a 10 percent increase over April 2013 and surpassing the 6-8 percent forecast by analysts expecting a more subdued month ahead of May’s Golden Week holiday.  •  The Nevada Culinary Union is prepared to strike until a number of facilities negotiate contract agreements, but recently signed with the Golden Nugget in Downtown Las Vegas. It was the first time the union had reached an agreement since June 2013 when the previous contracts expired. The local signed the agreement for five years, however, the contract will pick up from June 2013. Additional downtown casinos the Union wants to negotiate with include the Plaza, Fremont, Golden Gate, Binion’s and Main Street Station.   •  Macau’s Social Welfare Bureau said it has received more than 350 applications from residents seeking self-exclusion from casinos since the program came into force in November 2012. The bans last up to two years and can also be sought by family members with the consent of the individual.  •  Telephone betting now is legal at Arizona horse and dog racing tracks, following Governor Jan Brewer’s recent signing of Senate Bill 1282. State Senator Steve Pierce sponsored the bill, which was designed to help racetracks that have been struggling since the rise of casinos and online gambling. Other states already allow telephone betting. Brewer did not sign another part of the bill that would have directed $1.2 million from the state’s unclaimed property fund toward racing at county fairs and a state breeder’s award fund.  •  Official data show 18 hotels were under construction in Macau at the end of March, 10 on the peninsula, five on the Cotai resort strip, two on Taipa and one on Colane. The Land, Public Works and Transport Bureau also is reviewing plans for another 25 hotels. The 43 developments combined will add up to 25,600 hotel rooms to the city’s stock.  • The tribal council of the Picayune Rancheria of the Chukchansi Indians in Coarsegold, California, is now back at full strength of seven members due to the appointment of a new chairman and vice chairman. The 900-plus member tribe, which operates the Chukchansi Gold Resort and Casino, had been acting without a chairman, due to the suspension of Nancy Ayala. The tribal council oversees the day-to-day operation of the casino.  •  The Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians in Southern California have announced the closure of the 229-room Spa Resort hotel, which has operated for more than 50 years in the Coachella Valley. The hotel, in downtown Palm Springs, will close on July 7, putting 150 employees out of a job. The casino connected to the hotel will remain open.  •  River Rock Casino, owned and operated by the Dry Creek Pomo Indians of Northern California in Geyserville, gave another sign of how massively it was affected by the November opening of the Graton Resort and Casino in Rohnert Park when it missed an interest payment on its 12-year old casino. River Rock Casino saw its revenues decline by over 30 percent after the opening of what is considered the largest Indian casino in the state, the tribe’s chairman admitted recently. The tribe plans to use its 30-day grace period to cut costs and is in discussions with bondholders of its estimated $150 million on bond indebtedness.  •  The chairman of Washington’s Cowlitz tribe last week asked a House Government Accountability and Oversight Committee to support the tribal state gaming compact. Chairman William Lyall made the same points to the committee he made to senators a week earlier. The proposed compact would allow the tribe to make money right away by leasing or selling some of its allotment of slot machines to other tribes. That is true no matter whether it the tribe is ultimately allowed to build its own casino in Clark County. Opponents of the casino have filed federal lawsuits to challenge the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ decision to put 152 acres into trust near La Center.  •  Elray Resources Inc. announced that it has entered into a letter of intent to form a joint venture with one of Asia’s most experienced junket operators, Qi Xiaolong and Associates. The JV will result in Elray holding a profit share agreement with VIP rooms in Macau, under which Elray will receive an up to 48 percent share of profits generated by the licensed casino operations. Qi and his team currently participate in the revenue streams of many major luxury VIP gaming facilities in Macau.