NEWS & NOTES

Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf has released information on how the 0 million in taxes on slot revenue from the state’s casinos will benefit average citizens. According to Wolf, the state’s cut of slot revenues will finance property tax reductions of about 0 per household this year. Homeowners in Pennsylvania’s 66 counties will see the money subtracted from school property tax bills they receive this summer.  •  Caesars Entertainment may be slapped with a federal civil penalty over anti-money laundering lapses. Forbes magazine quoted unnamed sources in saying the final details of a settlement are being negotiated, and that no Caesars employees are expected to be fired due to the two-year probe by the U.S. Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). FinCEN could also require changes to Caesars’ compliance program as a result of the probe.  •  A Pennsylvania regulation banning guns in casinos has been repealed, but individual properties will still have the discretion to prohibit firearms on their properties. A 2014 study by the state attorney general’s office determined that gaming regulators do not have the authority to regulate firearms at privately owned properties. The decision also follows a 2011 state law specifying that no Pennsylvania agency can regulate firearms.  •  International Game Technology announced that its subsidiary GTECH Corporation has entered into a contract with the Minnesota State Lottery to provide new lottery technology, an IP-communications network, multimedia displays, self-service products and ongoing support services, following a competitive procurement. The 7.5-year integrated services contract with the lottery contains three renewal options of one year each, or up to one renewal of three years, or any variation thereof. The company expects to receive approximately $75 million to $80 million in revenues over the base 7.5-year contract period, which runs through August 9, 2023. GTECH has served the Minnesota lottery since 2003.  •  The Macau government is asking the city’s six casino operators to provide transportation for migrant workers to and from construction sites on the Cotai Strip. Only SJM and Melco Crown have agreed so far, while the government is “still expecting positive responses from the other operators,” according to a news report. ?  Man Weng Ip, Wang Zhen Han and Un Wai Kin won the Sands China 2015 Dealer Skills Championship at the Venetian Macau. They won in the baccarat, blackjack and roulette categories respectively. The competition attracted 120 team members, with the top 10 contestants from each category advancing to the semi-finals. ?  Stratford’s Aspers Casino in London is preparing to welcome its 5 millionth visitor. Some 4,500 daily customers patronize the casino, which operates the largest poker room in the city.  ?  Fifty percent of Australian teens gambled in past year, according to a new survey. The Salisbury Youth Council surveyed 14- to 19-year-olds and learned 40.3 percent bet on pokies, 33.3 percent on scratchies, and 26.3 percent on footy tipping and the lotto.  ?  Tony Fung plans to backlist his Canberra Casino on the Australian Securities Exchange under the name of an obscure mining company, Discovery Resources. Fung bought casino for $6 million in December and will serve as the head of its board. •  The Mashantucket Pequot tribe of Massachusetts was within its rights to not honor a promise to pay a tribal member $400,000 in incentive payments after she was banished from the tribe after she was arrested for larceny. That was the ruling of an appeals court, which upheld an earlier ruling by a tribal court. The woman, Andrina Charles, made her claim in 2013.  •  California’s Rincon Band of Luiseño Indians has agreed to pay San Diego County $9.5 million towards road improvements mandated by the expansion of Harrah’s Resort Southern California. The County will keep most of the money with the rest going to the San Diego County Association of Governments for road improvements. Rincon tribal Chairman Bo Mazzetti said that the tribe had a vested interest in road safety. “Our families have to drive on these roads too,” he told UT San Diego.  •  The Mohegan Sun casino in Connecticut is one of “America’s Best Employers,” according to Forbes Magazine. Twelfth best in the Travel & Leisure category, to be exact. That makes it comparable to Disney and Marriott. Mohegan Gaming Authority Bobby Soper called the designation, “a huge honor for us and a testament to our dedicated team members who work tirelessly to make our resorts the best in the industry.”  • At a United Nations Conference on match-fixing, the sports gambling market was estimated at nearly $3 trillion. Of that, both tennis and cricket account for 12 percent each. 90 percent of the total is estimated to come from illegal sports betting.  •  The National Center for Responsible Gaming will host a series informative and interactive at the 2015 IAGA International Gaming Summit. It will take place June 2 at the Fairmont Pacific Rim hotel.  •  Developers in Carson City, Nevada are looking to obtain a permit, which would feature a 10-story hotel on a 10.5-acre project. Plans call for 150 hotel rooms, two parking garages to handle 1,600 vehicles, 421,200 square feet of office floor space, and 61,200 square feet of retail space.  • The U.S. Department of State has warned Americans about risks involved with travel inside certain areas of Mexico. They have recommended Americans avoid casinos, sports books, or other gambling and adult entertainment establishments.  •  Norwegian Air Shuttle, a budget air carrier, will begin round trips from Las Vegas to Copenhagen, Denmark, and to Stockholm beginning in October. The company has added flights to Puerto Rico, the Caribbean, New York and Los Angeles as well. Base fares between Las Vegas and Stockholm are as low as $438.10.  •  Sky Las Vegas developers have listed 65 remaining units that never sold are packaging the condos for sale in bulk. The 65 residential units, at nearly 100,000 square feet, are 92 percent leased.  •  Betty Willis, known for designing the iconic “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign, has died at 91. In 2009, the sign was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Willis had also designed a neon sign for the Moulin Rouge casino.