NEWS & NOTES

Loto Quebec, the Canadian government agency that oversees the province’s casinos, is under criticism for its latest selection of a head chef for its latest selection of a chef for Casino de Montreal. The city of Montreal is known as a dining hub—tourism officials boast that the city has the largest number of restaurants per resident in all of North America. However, when the government agency that owns Montreal’s casino was charged with choosing a new restaurant and chef, it chose Joël Robuchon, one of France’s most celebrated chefs, to open a branch of his L’Atelier at the casino. The decision is being slammed on social media as an insult to the scores of world-class chefs in Montreal.  •  Irish bookmaker Paddy Power is advertising for a “head of Trump betting” to oversee the numerous continuous wagers related to the U.S. president, ranging from who in the Trump administration is likely to resign next (Attorney General Jeff Sessions is a 2-to-1 favorite) to whether Trump will seek to have his likeness added to Mount Rushmore (100-to-1 odds). “With more than 100 special bets online, the successful candidate will monitor and manage existing Trump markets while devising new specials to launch,” the company said in its online advertisement. “They will also need to build a wall around the hub to ensure foreign bets don’t get in.”  •  SJM Holdings expects to hire 10,000 people in the next 15 months, according to Angela Leong, managing director and chief administrative officer. Openings will be available at SJM’s upcoming Hotel Jai Alai and Grand Lisboa Palace in Macau. The latter property in the Cotai district will open in the first half of 2018.  ?  MGM China’s new resort in Macau’s Cotai district, set to open later this year, will feature a permanent collection of more than 300 pieces of art. The resort, to be known as Mei Si Mei Gou Mui or “Beautiful Lion, Beautiful MGM” will include 4 million square feet with 1,400 rooms.  ?  Melco Crown Entertainment Ltd. will give a salary increase to eligible non-management employees effective April 1. The raises will add up to MOP500 (US$62) to staff paychecks per month for an increase of between 3 percent and 7 percent.  ?  The Japanese government has opened a cabinet office branch that will be responsible for Part II of the country’s casino legislation. The bill is expected to be approved by December.  ?   The government of Macau has announced that new regulations to monitor cash coming across the borders will take effect November 1. According to local broadcaster TDM, the penalty for failing to declare the cash will mean a fine between MOP 1,000 and MOP 500,000. The rule was first proposed in December to comply with standards of the Financial Action Task Force, which fights money laundering.  •  National Indian Gaming Association will honor Native American Film and TV Casting Director Tricia Wood with the Chairman’s Leadership Award at the Indian Gaming Tradeshow and Convention April 10-13 in San Diego, California. Wood has been casting director for films such as “La La Land,” “My Week with Marilyn” and “Twilight.” Wood is a member of the Seneca-Cayuga Nation and Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma. The Chairman’s Leadership Award is presented to a Native American individual who has shown “an exceptional representation of Native America.” •  PT Entertainment Group’s (PTEG) mobile app has been given an honorable mention by the DMN Editorial’s national awards in New York City. DMN is a digital industry trade group. The app allows Golden Rewards and Beer & Bites guests to redeem special offers and access free play gaming opportunities. DMN praised the PTEG mobile app for “strong performance metrics among guests who engaged with the in-app contesting, including increases in visits, slot revenue, and bar-top gaming volume.” PTEG operates 54 bars in Nevada.  •  Mount Airy Casino Resort in Pennsylvania has partnered with Greentube to create a social casino platform using Greentube Pro. They plan to create a customized digital gaming platform to mimic the look and feel of a physical casino. “The partnership with Mount Airy Casino Resort and Greentube will enable players anywhere in the United States to enjoy the gaming experience we offer at Mount Airy,” declared John Culetsu, the casino’s general manager.  •  Greentube has partnered with bet365 so  customers can enjoy a variety of online premium content casino games such as Book of Ra, Lucky Lady’s Charm and Sizzling Hot available from Greentube’s subsidiaries and third-party providers. The games use Novamatic’s state-of-the-art technology.  •  Isle of Man-based Microgaming Software Systems Ltd., a leading supplier of software to the online gaming industry, has joined GSA Europe as a Platinum member. Microgaming has the largest digital portfolio in the industry. GSA Europe offers members European legal jurisdiction, and membership and dues identical to that of GSA US. Microgaming CEO Roger Raatgever said, “The benefits of joining GSA Europe are considerable. As a Platinum member, Microgaming has reinforced its position as the industry leader in developing, implementing and promoting new technical gaming standards.”  •  New York’s Turning Stone Resort Casino has launched a new free online application for desktop and mobile fitted with 50 slot games, table games, keno and other games of chance.  •  Golden Entertainment’s Blake L. Sartini II has been named one of Las Vegas’ “40 Under 40” business leaders by news outlet VEGAS INC. Sartini, 31, who oversees the company’s sizable slot machine route operations in Nevada and Montana and its wholly owned tavern business, is the son of Golden Entertainment founder, Chairman and CEO Blake L. Sartini.