NEWS & NOTES

The Las Vegas Hard Rock Hotel & Casino experienced a compromise of sensitive data April 30. The breach was limited to credit and debit card transactions occurring between September 3, 2014 and April 2, and only at restaurant, bar, and retail locations inside the property. The exact nature of the breach and responsible party were not disclosed.  •  Penn National Gaming is planning a two-phase redevelopment of the Tropicana, according to word on Wall Street. The first phase will consist of $20 million in facility improvements. The second phase will add retail space, restaurants, bars and lounges, and possibly additional hotel rooms.  •  Elaine Wynn only captured 17.1 percent of the 155.8 million voting shares from Wynn Resorts proxy vote in late April. Of the 26,617,589 votes received, 19,605,100 were from her ex-husband, Steve Wynn.  •  Caesars Entertainment announced it will not allow cash to play at any poker tables the company runs. The move follows the same one made by MGM Resorts, Station Casinos, Wynn and the Venetian.  •  The Siena Hotel Spa Casino in downtown Reno will change hands for the second time in its 14 year history. Truckee River purchased the property at an undisclosed price. A multimillion-dollar renovation is expected.   •  The Pennsylvania horse racing industry received more than $242 million from slot machine revenue in 2014, according to numbers released last week by the state Gaming Control Board. Last year, 11 percent of the $2.3 billion generated by slot machines went to the Pennsylvania Horse Development Fund, which establishes racing prizes, in-state breeding incentives, as well as health and pension benefits for horsemen and their families. “This participation has been very beneficial for the commonwealth as all these individuals invest directly into the economy, and it supports over 10,000 jobs here in Pennsylvania,” said the gaming board’s Director of Racetrack Gaming Kevin Kile. •  Canadian gaming company Innova Gaming Group Inc. said its initial public offering priced below its targeted range, and that it will raise C$49.08 million ($40.9 million). Last month, Amaya Inc., the owner of online gambling sites PokerStars and Full Tilt, announced plans to spin out and list its Diamond Game subsidiary into a new entity dubbed Innova Gaming. Diamond Game designs, develops and markets games mainly for the North American lottery industry. The offering priced at C$4 a share, below the targeted range of C$4.50 to C$5. Innova will get gross proceeds of C$15 million from the offering. Amaya, which is selling some of its stake in a parallel secondary offering, will take home C$34.08 million.  •  Maltese iGaming developer World Match has struck an agreement that will extend its reach into Italy. World Match has obtained the rights to develop online versions of popular slot machines created by Baldazzi Styl Art, a specialist in the area. World Match will have the right to distribute leading Baldazzi Styl Art slots in the form of Angeli e Demoni, Golden Game, Il Pollaio, and Night Vampire Evolution B. Those games will essentially function as normal, but World Match will be allowed to enhance the visual graphics to reach an HD standard to excel on modern screens with high-resolution rates.  •  Maryland’s five casinos generated $88.9 million in revenue in Maryland, with revenue down at Horseshoe Casino Baltimore, which was forced to close early the last four days of April as part of a citywide curfew in response to rioting in the city following the death in police custody of an African American suspect. Horseshoe generated $22.9 million in April, down from $24.7 million in March. Horseshoe plans to pay all employees to make up for the hours lost to the curfew.  •  Online bingo company Stride Gaming announced its intention to raise at least US $15. million and to float on London’s AIM. Founded by former Sportingbet boss Nigel Payne, Stride Gaming operates a multi-brand strategy that includes online bingo brands “Kitty Bingo” and “Lucky Pants Bingo” as well as online casino brands such as “Spin and Win.” Payne, who serves as non-executive chairman, said the company is will build on its success and take advantage of growing consolidation in the sector due to regulatory changes.  •  Gaming parts manufacturer Suzo Happ announced the opening of a new manufacturing facility in Toronto, Canada. The facility measures over 22,000 square feet, and is set up to cater to the increasing demand of the Bill-to-Bill recyclers and MFL bill validators. A team of 75-plud employees within sales, marketing, engineering and operations will work at the facility.  •  Las Vegas Sands Corp. Chairman Sheldon Adelson reportedly threatened to lay off his employees in Macau if gaming revenues continue to decrease.  Adelson’s Macau unit, Sands China Ltd., operates Sands Macao, the Venetian Macao, the Plaza Macao and Sands Cotai Central.  ?  SkyCity is finalizing the preliminary design of its New Zealand International Convention Centre.  The estimated cost of the convention center has soared from AUS$402 million (US $300 million) to as high as $395 million.  ?  Macau Resources, which is developing plans for two casino resorts in the Philippines, will bring Fizz champagne bars to the properties. Like the Fizz location at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, the attraction is a joint venture between David Furnish, Elton John’s husband, and Stephen Kennedy of Macro Management.  ?  City of Dreams Manila now has a full gaming license, operator Melco Crown Resorts has announced. Under the terms of a deal with the country’s casino regulator, the Philippines Amusement and Gaming Corp., the property initially opened on a provisional license.