NEWS & NOTES

About 85 percent of available retail space at the Parisian, Sands China Ltd.’s new casino on the Cotai Strip in Macau, has been leased, according to the company. The US$2.7 billion (MOP21.6 billion) development, which will include 3,000 hotel rooms, a shopping mall and a replica of the Eiffel Tower, is due to open later this year.  ?  More than 6,000 workers were reportedly evacuated when fire broke out January 8 at a building under construction at the Galaxy Macau. Developer Galaxy Entertainment Group Ltd. says the fire is unlikely to cause any delay to the opening of Galaxy Macau Phase 2 in mid-2015.  ?  Fewer international visitors are going to Singapore, according to the Singapore Tourism Board. The numbers are down from 1.18 million in 2013 to 1.14 million in 2014. Visitors from Mainland China rose by 9.9 percent during the same period.  •  Arkansas lawmakers approved extending the state lottery’s contract with its vendor for draw games through the fall of 2019, but a member of panel questions whether the vote was valid. The Arkansas Lottery Commission Legislative Oversight Committee completed its review of the games’ contract with Greece-based Intralot, Inc., extending its agreement through August 14, 2019. The new contract lowers the amount the games pay to the vendor from 2.45 percent of net ticket sales to 2.165 percent, a move Lottery Director Bishop Woosley says will save nearly $5 million.  •  Online bookmaker Unibet International Ltd., based in Malta, has been ordered by industry watchdogs to pull an advertisement for bets on a Sunderland Premier League game they say is misleading. The Advertising Standards Authority upheld complaints about the Black Cats v. Manchester United match at the Stadium of Light in August. The watchdog said Facebook ads for a “risk-free bet” broke its rules because punters were not told of major conditions. Unibet was ordered to never use the ad again.  •  Problem gamblers in the Russian Federation may be driven to distraction, but they will have to take the taxi since Vladimir Putin’s government has ruled that it will no longer grant driver’s permits to those who are afflicted with a number of “mental disorders,” including being homosexual, and being diagnosed with a gambling addiction. The Russian government severely frowns on gaming and limits it to four zones that include Sochi and the Crimea.  •  The Melia Jamaica Braco Resort in Jamaica is looking at a June 2015 opening, according to Dimitris Kosvogiannis, who will manage the casino resort on the island’s North Coast. Although the opening is months away, it already has a 90 percent occupancy rate. The casino resort is owned by Melia Hotels International, which operates 400 hotels worldwide. Kosvogiannis previously managed the Palladium, which had a $300,000 million project in Western Jamaica.  •  Several of Arizona’s congressional delegation last week reintroduced legislation to block the Tohono O’odham Indian Nation from operating a casino in Glendale. This is the third time opponents have attempted a legislative stop to the casino. Last year the House passed a bill, but despite efforts by Senator John McCain of Arizona, it languished in the Senate. However, with the enhanced representation of Republicans in both chambers this year, it could face a more optimistic chance. The tribe held a groundbreaking last summer. McCain declared last week, “We share the objections of many fellow Arizonans when we see attempts to bring Indian gaming to metropolitan areas that are on lands not connected to an extant reservation.”  •  Gerald Katz, who helped found the Connecticut Council on Problem Gambling ten years ago is fighting his removal from the board without a hearing. The action occurred in November of last year after he had left the meeting. Katz claims the agenda didn’t include the item, or else he would have stayed to fight the action. “I’m not going to take it lying down,” declared Katz, adding, “It is a shame that no one thought of asking for my resignation instead of such an underhanded move after the great number of years that I served on the board.” Katz has hired an attorney to fight for reinstatement.  •  Virgin America and Horizon Air will experiment with non-stop Vegas flights until April 28 and April 6, respectively. Virgin air will offer the flights out of Boston on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Horizon air will fly their route out of Mammoth Lakes, California on Thursdays at 4:05pm with a return flight of 5:50pm.  •  JetBlue Airways will offer non-stop flights linking Reno to New York City beginning May 28. The city hopes their ski resorts will see a spike with New York being the most lucrative ski market in the U.S.  •  Te-Moak Tribe will add slot machines in their Nevada smoke shops. The process took the tribe 10-15 years, which resulted in them obtaining a Class III Gaming license. The tribe will be hiring people in anticipation of increased business, including a chairperson and two commissioners for a four-year term.  •  Mohegan Sun to offer helicopter flights from Manhattan starting at $625 a seat. Player’s club members will be able to use points to pay for the flights. Round trip packages centered around concerts, events, and other promotions will also be seen.  •  Z Capital Partners increased their ownership even more with Affinity Gaming, up to 39.5 percent. Z Capital first acquired an equity stake in the company in 2010, and became the largest shareholder just one year later. Former Caesars Entertainment executive Michael Silberling serves as the company’s CEO.  •  A high-speed railwayis in talks, which would connect Burbank to Las Vegas. The massive project will more than likely need federal loans to get up and running.  •  The U.S. Bowling Congress extended a contract set to keep eight bowling tournaments in Reno through 2026. The per-bowler fee, paid by the Reno-Sparks Convention and Visitors Authority, will increase from $20 to $30.  •  Michigan lightens requirements on licenses for non-gaming suppliers. Suppliers will only have to obtain a license if they provide over $400,000 to a Detroit casino, which was previously $300,000. Services include snow removal, lawn maintenance, linen services and goods such as produce.  •  Niagara Falls, Ontario Mayor Jim Diodati wants free drinks to be offered in city’s casinos. The casinos are down $101 million over the past four years. The Seneca Niagara Casino on the New York side of the border offers free drinks to their customers.  • Sands Bethlehem poker player Ken Kasisck was informed in a December letter that his
information may have been exposed from a cyber-attack in February. Many feel 10 months is an unacceptable time frame, and a national law needs to be in place for specific time frames, as opposed to vague ones currently in place in several states.