NEWS & NOTES

The Nevada Gaming Commission is considering an expansion of money laundering rules governing the state’s race and sports books to include operations smaller than $1 million in annual gross revenues. If approved, these books will have to adhere to the reporting requirements of the larger books and report winning bets greater than $10,000 to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service.  •  New York’s new Rivers Casino & Resort is hosting its largest gaming event to date, the Capital Region Classic Poker Tournament, running May 24-28, with a prize pool starting at $100,000.    •  The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas has become the 23rd Strip resort to charge customers to park. Customers using valet are now paying $13 to $18 a day. The charge for self-parking ranges from $7 to $10. Rates could go up for concerts, special events and during some holidays, management said. Parking is free for top-tier members of the property’s loyalty club.  •  Bellagio will be the site of TV and movie star Sarah Jessica Parker’s second women’s clothing boutique. The Las Vegas Strip resort’s sister casino in Maryland, MGM National Harbor, hosted the first SJP opening in December. SJP sells shoes, handbags and accessories. •  Macau’s Meteorological and Geophysical Bureau recently posted “very bad” air quality indices at monitoring stations in Taipa and Coloane. Officials said when the air quality is bad, those who suffer from respiratory or cardiovascular diseases should stay indoors.  ?  Starting August 9, low-cost airline AirAsia will launch flight connections between Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, and the Cambodian coastal city of Sihanoukville, home of 12 casinos. The Cambodian government plans to transform it the “Macau of Southeast Asia,” according to reports.  ?  Casino operators in Macau are not permitted to support any candidates in the September legislative elections, according to Legislative Assembly Electoral Affairs Committee President Tong Hio Fong. Casino employees also are not allowed to display campaign signs or participate in related activities on duty. Anyone who violates the regulation will be fined and even faces imprisonment of up to three years.  ?  The former Giesecke & Devrient Banknote business unit made its debut as the Giesecke+Devrient Currency Technology independent subgroup at this year’s Currency Conference, where it focused on new banknote security features and Industry 4.0 solutions. The Currency Conference is the largest industry event in the banknote sector. Giesecke+Devrient Currency Technology demonstrated two new security features: the three-dimensional Galaxy high-security thread and the varifeye ColourChange foil window. Dr. Wolfram Seidemann, chairman of the Currency Technology Management Board, described these as “beautifully bringing together outstanding security with exceptional aesthetics” at the Currency Conference, which took place in Kuala Lumpur from May 15-18.  •  The four poker rooms in Maryland casinos collectively raked more than $3.7 million for the month of April, nearly a 24 percent increase compared to April 2016.  Monthly revenue reports released by regulators confirm that Maryland is a current poker hot spot. Strong numbers suggest that the December opening of MGM National Harbor, located about 11 miles south of Washington, D.C., has helped energize the area poker scene. National Harbor took over the position of top poker casino in the state from the nearby Maryland Live! casino.  •  Maryland Governor Gov. Larry Hogan said last week he wants to keep the Preakness Stakes in Baltimore, and could invest state money to keep the second jewel of racing’s Triple Crown at the historic Pimlico Race Course. The governor’s office issued a statement after the owner of Pimlico said the 147-year-old track likely would have to be rebuilt, at a cost of $300 million to $500 million, to keep the race there rather than move it to Laurel. Tim Ritvo, chief operating officer of the racing division of T\the Stronach Group, told the Baltimore Sun a “huge” commitment of public money would be necessary.