NEWS & NOTES

Las Vegas’ Sunset Station has completed a renovation of its 450 rooms and suites. The work includes new wall coverings, carpets, bathroom upgrades, lighting and all new furniture and will see each standard room equipped with 40-inch plasma televisions and high-speed wifi.  •  The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority has voted to increase the size of its contract with W.A. Richardson Builders for preparing the vacant site formerly occupied by the Riviera Hotel and Casino for supporting parking and outdoor exhibits. The increase of $1.6 million is earmarked for removing contaminated soil from the site.  •  Affinity Gaming recently celebrated completion of $3.2 million in hotel upgrades to the company’s Western-themed Whiskey Pete’s casino in the desert outpost of Primm near the California border south of Las Vegas. The casino’s 248 rooms have been refurbished with new décor, fixtures and appliances, new bathrooms, flat-screen TVs and plug-ins for laptops and smartphones. Affinity also owns Primm’s other two casinos, Primm Valley Resort and Buffalo Bill’s.  •  South Korean casino operator Paradise Co. Ltd. has begun hiring for Phase I of Paradise City in Incheon, near the capital city of Seoul. The billion-dollar resort is scheduled to open in April 2017.  ?  The third China International Circus Festival was held at Macau Forum in Zape last week. Some 3,000 free tickets were distributed for the one-day event, which is in keeping with a new approach to entertainment in the MSAR that includes cultural and family-friendly events targeted to locals. The festival was organized by the Zhuhai Municipal People’s Government and Guangdong Chimelong Group Company Limited.  •  The Boston Billiard Club in Nashua, New Hampshire has been converted from a pool hall into the Boston Billiard Club & Casino, with 15 poker tables, five roulette wheels and blackjack. A large part of the revenues is donated to charities such as the Boys and Girls Club of Nashua. There are ten such licensed charitable gaming operations in the Granite State. Betting is limited, although players can keep their winnings.  •  The recently formed Alabama Advisory Council on Gaming, which will be recommending changes to the state’s gaming laws, will have open meetings. This is a change from what was originally announced. The council will report to Governor Robert Bentley on possible changes that the legislature could adopt next year.  •  Jack Cleveland Casino in Cleveland, Ohio, experienced a 10 percent decline in October, but attributes it to high payouts in slot machines and table games. That same phenomenon occurred at Jack’s other casino, in Cincinnati. Casinos in Toledo and Columbus saw increases in revenue. Jack Cleveland’s monthly revenue was $15.3 million compared to $17 million in September. “Once again, Jack Cleveland Casino had the highest payout on slots of any casino in the state, and of any gaming destination in Northeast Ohio,” said Mark Tricano, senior vice president of operations. The casino’s payouts were 92.53 percent.  •  Pechanga Resort & Casino, in Riverside County, California, is offering such games through its phone app: Best Bet Casino. The app has been in development for a year. Its intended for users who don’t visit the casino. It incorporates games from the casino’s floor such as “China Mystery” “Lotus Land” and Secret of the Mermaid, plus games in the bingo, blackjack and video poker variety. The app was developed through Ruby Seven Studios, owned by the hospitality company Delaware North.  •  Pala Casino Spa & Resort in San Diego County has launched a free social casino, MyPalaCasino.Com that is available on the internet, Facebook and on smartphones. Players can play blackjack, roulette, video poker, craps and Texas Hold ‘em for free. Guests can earn rewards that are redeemable at Pala for spa services, food and beverage and hotel rooms.  •  USFantasy Sports (USF), the exclusive provider of legal daily fantasy sports contests in Nevada, has again expanded its daily fantasy platform to include professional boxing. Just like in USFantasy football, basketball and hockey contests, boxers will score points based on their performance in a live boxing match. Contestants can place a $2 Win bet on whether a boxer will win by knockout in rounds one through 12, by decision or by ending in a draw.  •  Sega Sammy Creation Inc. announced the installation in Studio City, Macau, of its first electronic gaming machined, Sicbo Bonus Jackpot. It is a large-scale electronic sic bo table that uses a “Dice Flotation System.” The cabinet features artisan-designed dragons and LED lights. “With its thrilling game play and captivating physical presentation, Sicbo Bonus Jackpot is sure to be an excellent fit on Studio City’s glamorous and breathtaking casino floor,” the company said in a statement.