NEWS & NOTES

According to newly released figures from the Maryland State Lottery and Gaming Control Agency, Maryland Live!, the state’s largest casino, accounted for 76 percent of the state’s total casino business last year, but through the 10 months since the opening of Horseshoe Baltimore, that share has dropped to 60 percent. While still a hefty share, the dominance of Maryland Live! stands to shrink more next year with the opening of MGM National Harbor in Prince George’s County. The $1.25 billion MGM facility has been predicted to be the nation’s most successful casino, mainly because of the dense market in which it will reside.  •  A South African consortium led by ITHUBA Holdings has commenced operations of the country’s National Lottery using various systems and solutions provided by International Game Technology. As licensee, ITHUBA will operate the National Lottery for a period of eight years, with IGT serving as the main technology supplier for lottery systems and support services, supplying 1,000 Ticket-Scan Plus ticket-checking devices, which IGT said allows players to quickly and securely check the win status of their tickets. In addition, IGT will provide a number of ongoing services such as software enhancements and maintenance, software licensing, marketing consultancy, data center operations and the provision and management of terminal spare parts.   •  Project Neon, the $1.5 billion Spaghetti Bowl interchange upgrade, saw its plans finally unveiled. While all four phases could take 20 years to complete, the majority will be done in four to five. Both a high-occupancy vehicle connector and interchange will be part of the project.  •  Idaho’s Attorney General Lawrence Wasden last week filed a response to the Coeur d’Alene Tribe’s petition that asks the Idaho Supreme Court to require that the Secretary of State certify a bill as law that Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter vetoed. The bill would ban instant horse racing terminals at the state’s racetracks. The tribe contends that the veto came too late and that the Secretary of State should certify it. Wasden’s response is that the Secretary doesn’t have the authority to do so. The state’s three racetracks currently operate a total of 250 of the historical betting terminals—which the tribe claims are too much like slot machines, and therefore violate state law.  •  The Madera County, California Board of Supervisors has declined to endorse a settlement agreement that would make it easier for the Chukchansi tribe to reopen its Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino near Coarsegold, closed since October. Board Chairman David Rogers sent a letter to the tribe saying that his board won’t sign the agreement until the tribe solves its issues of tribal governance. Several factions have claimed legal authority, and one group led an armed incursion on the casino in October, leading to its closure. The tribe is currently in talks with the state and federal governments to get the go-ahead to reopen.  •  Football superstar David Beckham was in Macau to open the first H&M store in the city at the Shoppes at the Venetian. Beckham is a brand ambassador and business partner of the Las Vegas Sands, which operates the Macau resort.  • The government of Macau has renewed the lottery license of the Sociedade de Lotarias e Apostas Mútuas de Macau Lda until 2016. The company, aka Macauslot, holds a monopoly on sports betting in Macau with the exception of horseracing and dog racing.  •  The grand opening of DreamPlay by DreamWorks, an interactive play center at City of Dreams Manila, was attended by Melco Crown CEO Lawrence Ho and DreamWorks Animation COO Jeffrey Katzenberg. DreamWorks was the creative force behind films such as Shrek, Madagascar and How to Train Your Dragon.