NEWS & NOTES

Businessman David LeVan announced that he is canceling his plan to apply for Pennsylvania’s last casino and horse-racing permits to create a Gettysburg-area casino. LeVan, who made his announcement hours before his application was due, cited uncertainty surrounding Pennsylvania’s gaming expansion legislation as the reason for dropping his third attempt to bring a casino to the area. “I continue to believe that a gaming project would be tremendous for the local Adams County economy, create thousands of jobs, and provide desperately needed funding for countless municipal and community projects,” LeVan said in a press release.  •  Schenectady’s Rivers Casino hosted a “Slots Showcase” over four days last week. Players were invited to test new slot machines from several manufacturers without losing any money. The goal was to familiarize players with new game styles and get their feedback on new games before they reach the floor. Rivers owner Rush Street Gaming has run similar slot showcases at its Rivers Casino in Pittsburgh.  •  Gaming news site Yogonet has launched Yogonet.biz, offering comprehensive consultancy services for gambling stakeholders across Latin America. The Yogonet.Biz team is made up of the most experienced experts in the Latin American gambling industry. Each of the professionals has a well-rounded background of skills and knowledge that not only complement each other but also benefit clients. Consulting services cover key areas such as: Casino Management Systems, Gaming Law Advice, Logistics and Foreign Trade, Marketing and Event Planning.  •  Green Valley Ranch Resort in the Las Vegas suburb of Henderson has completed the renovation of 50 luxury suites. The refurbishment includes an eight-acre pool area, a spa and salon and an upgraded hotel lobby featuring a new bar and amenities including a VIP lounge and business center.  •  The Showcase Mall on the Las Vegas Strip is demolishing 22,000 square feet of space on the second floor to make way for an unnamed future tenant.  •  Two recent guests at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino Las Vegas, contracted Legionnaires ’ disease, the Southern Nevada Health District reported. The guests stayed separately at the resort, located on Flamingo Road west of the Strip.  One visited in March, the other in April, the report said. Under the direction of the Health District, the hotel has been working to disinfect its rooms and water system.  • The Jamestown S’Kallam tribe of Washington, operators of the 7 Cedars Casino, have reached a tentative agreement on a new state tribal gaming compact, to replace the one they signed in 1993. Changes include allowing for a Class III gaming license, allowing for more games and the ability to add a second casino if the tribe so chooses. The new compact will be sent to the two houses of the legislature for approval. If it is approved there it will be forwarded to the Department of the Interior for its approval.  •  City of Dreams Macau hosted a responsible gaming forum with guest speaker Paulo Martins Chan, director of the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau. Chan and Melco head Lawrence Ho affirmed their commitment to self-exclusion and third-party exclusion programs and problem gambling awareness programs.  ?  Sands China’s Local Supplier Support held back-of-house roadshows for Macau SME suppliers in May at Sands Macao, the Venetian Macao, Sands Cotai Central and the Parisian Macao. The events, held regularly at the resorts, offer discounted products to Sands China’s 30,000 team members.  ?  Macau consumers are satisfied with shopping and restaurants in the city according to the Macao Consumer Satisfaction Index 2017, conducted by the Institute for Sustainable Development of the Macau University of Science and Technology. The survey recorded a satisfaction rate of 74.3 percent for shopping by locals, up 4.5 points year-on-year, and 70.9 percent satisfaction with restaurants, up 1.6 points.  ?  New World of Sports Club Ltd. has secured permission to run a licensed poker room in the Indian city of Mumbai. The members-only club conducts daily games and tournaments for its patrons. The poker room is managed by Poker Stuff India CEO Chetan Jain.