NEWS & NOTES

Las Vegas’ Culinary Union has concluded a new labor contract with Treasure Island covering 1,500 employees of the resort, the last on the Strip to come to terms with the union. Details of the five-year agreement were not disclosed, but the union has described the latest round of contracts reached with the industry as “the strongest economic package ever negotiated with the highest wage increases and health care and pension benefits for workers”. The contracts are reported to also include protections regarding job security, sexual harassment, technology and immigration. • The Gold Strike Hotel & Gambling Hall in Jean, Nevada, will be rechristened a Terrible’s property on November 1. The Herbst family, creators and owners of the Terrible Herbst brand, best known for a chain of convenience stores and gas stations in the Las Vegas Valley, purchased the Gold Strike in 2015. • Station Casinos has donated $110,000 to the Clark County School District for distribution among 11 high-risk elementary schools in the Las Vegas Valley as part of the district’s Smart Start program. Station has donated more than $2.8 million to the program since its inception in 2000. •  Sands China led a delegation of 100 employees on a tour called the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Visit. The staff training initiative was organized with the National Conditions Education Association of Macau to deepen employees’ understanding of national development and the Greater Bay Area. ● The Ladies Professional Golf Association has announced that Paradise City in Incheon, South Korea will be featured in television broadcasts of LPGA Tour events. Park Pyung-Yong, CEO of Paradise Sega Sammy, said the destination will “contribute to the prosperity of the global golf industry” and engage in “ceaseless sports marketing activities.” ● Melco Resorts & Entertainment has launched a new virtual reality entertainment facility at City of Dreams Manila called the Garage. The facility opened October 14 and allow guests to “delve into an immersive experience of virtual reality entertainment.” The VR Zone—with features such as a hospital of horror and a ski rodeo—is operated by Japan’s Bandai Namco Amusement, a leading video digital entertainment company. ● Tribal casino operator Mohegan Gaming and Entertainment has announced a “multi-year partnership” with concert promoter Live Nation Entertainment for its casino resort at Incheon International Airport in South Korea. Live Nation will acquire talent for the $5 billion IR, Inspire, which will open in 2021 with a 15,000-seat performance space. ● SJM Holdings has reached an agreement with China Duty Free Group Co., Ltd. to open a flagship store at its Grand Lisboa Palace resort in Macau’s Cotai district. As CDFG’s first store outside Macau International Airport, it will specialize in watches, jewelry, apparel and travel-related products targeting Chinese tourists. ● The Tokyo government has chosen business services firm Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu LLC to develop an integrated resort impact study. The company will research and analyze the pros and cons of an IR in the city, often cited as a premier spot for one of Japan’s first three gaming resorts. ● MGM Resorts was the only IR operator to participate in this year’s Dotombori River Festival in Osaka, Japan. It was the global gaming operator’s second consecutive year of sponsorship, and was meant to demonstrate MGM’s commitment to the arts in Japan, where it will vie for an integrated resort license. This year, MGM sponsored a special stage for music and dance performances by local artists. • Gun Lake Casino in Michigan has announced it will be the first tribal casino in the state to remove all plastic straws from its three bars, two restaurants and beverage service and replace them with compostable straws. It joins companies such as American Airlines and Starbucks in reducing plastic waste. Jeremy Palmer, director of beverage for the casino, said, “While these straws are biodegradable, they will still look and perform similar to other straws.” • Last week Diné Development Corporation, an enterprise of the Navajo Nation, presented a $350,000 dividend check to the Nation. The money will be distributed between the nation’s General Fund and Business and Industrial Development Fund. This is the third dividend payment issued by Diné Development Corporation since October 2017. All Navajo Nation enterprises are asked to make dividend payments to help provide direct services and other benefits to Nation members. • The $49 million Shorelines Peterborough Casino in Peterborough, Ontario has opened. It is the second casino to open in Ontario since 2009. It opened 13 months after breaking ground. It has 500 slots, 22 gaming tables and a 230 seat buffet. The project, by Great Canadian Gaming Corporation, created an estimated 188 new jobs and is expected to pay the city $6 million a year.