NEWS & NOTES

The number of hotel rooms in Macau will increase 39 percent in the coming years, according to government data. Seventeen hotel projects are now under construction with 32 more in the approval phase. Together they would add nearly 14,150 new hotel rooms.  ?  CCCC Fourth Harbor Engineering Co., the company in charge of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge says the Macau checkpoint of the crossing will be completed by the end of this year.  ?   The HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital in Henderson, Nevada, is using video poker as therapy to help patients improve mental and physical acuity and improve their cognitive abilities. “One of the areas (of the brain) we know is stimulated by gambling is the prefrontal cortex,” said Sarah Tempest, an outpatient team leader and speech-language therapist at the hospital. “The things we are really addressing with that are attention, mental flexibility, self-regulation and working memory…. They get to think about if it’s worth placing another bet. Should they see if they can get a full house or is it better to stay with a pair of Kings?” • The Lucky Lady Casino, owned by Hustler founder Larry Flynt, celebrated its grand opening March 18. The card club, which offers such games as Seven-Card Stud and Blackjack, is located in Gardena, 20 minutes from downtown Los Angeles. • The California Lottery has so many winners it can’t keep up with them. That’s its excuse for announcing that winners of more than $600 will wait for 12-14 weeks, which is double what the delay used to be. Scratchers for $599 or less can still be redeemed in stores where winners bought the tickets. A spokesman for the Lottery said the agency is “playing catch up.” Recently the Lottery introduced more price-point Scratchers that have more winners.  The Lottery is working on a plan to speed up payments. • Quinault Beach Resort & Casino, owned by the Quinault Indian Nation near Ocean Shores, Washington, has broken ground on a $25 million expansion that will include more games, a smoke-free area, a new buffet and expanded kitchen. The tribe just finished a 159-room remodel of the resort, which serves Grays Harbor County.  • The Bermuda Casino Gaming Commission has announced that it will host free training to help residents avoid and deal with gambling addiction. The March 27 training is aimed at the “faith-based community.” It will feature Dr. Deborah Haskins, director of counseling programs at Trinity Washington University, and Keith Whyte, executive director of the National Council of Problem Gambling. It will be held at Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute. • The Hannahville Potawatomi Indian Community of Upper Michigan has reached an agreement on a gaming compact with the state of Michigan’s Governor Rick Snyder. The state had previously filed a lawsuit against the tribe for continuing operations past the terms of its current 20-year compact. The agreement will end that lawsuit.  •  Las Vegas Motor Speedway will host two top-tier NASCAR races beginning in 2018 following approval by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority of a $2.5 million sponsorship agreement with the track and parent company Speedway Motorsports. The company said it will move a Truck Series race from New Hampshire and an Xfinity Series race from Kentucky to its Las Vegas schedule.  •  The William F. Harrah Hotel College at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas has been rated the world’s best for hospitality and leisure training by Q2 World University Rankings. The Q2 is compiled by UK-based Quacquarelli Symonds.  •  Stockholm-based Codeta.com is adding NYX content to its portfolio of games. The agreement provides Codeta with access to popular titles from Aristocrat, ELK Studios, Thunderkick and NextGaming on its EveryMatrix platform.  •  Las Vegas’ Mob Museum has gained accreditation from the American Alliance of Museums for meeting national standards and best practices. Collections stewardship, organizational health, education, planning and public service are among the criteria considered for accreditation.