NEWS & NOTES

Emperor Entertainment Hotel Ltd., operator of Macau’s Grand Emperor Hotel lost HKD12.9 million (US$1.7 million) over the course of a year due to a senior cashier embezzling chips. The ex-employee has been jailed. ? Macau’s Health Bureau is investigating a claim that a venue named the Horizon VIP Room at Galaxy Macau on Cotai actually served premium-mass customers, not high rollers. Some analysts have suggested that such “table reclassifications” may be attempts to get around stricter smoking rules outside the VIP rooms. ? Melco Resorts Finance Ltd., a unit of Melco Resorts and Entertainment Ltd., will conduct an international offering of 4.875 percent senior notes due in 2025. Net proceeds will go to repay in full a US$350 million revolving credit facility of Melco Crown Macau Ltd., a subsidiary of Melco Resorts Finance. The credit facility was entered into by Melco Crown Macau in 2015. ? Viva Aerobus is commencing daily non-stop flights from Las Vegas to Mexico City starting December 16, joining Interjet and Aeromexico, which also offer daily non-stops between Las Vegas and the Mexican capital. Mexico is the second-largest source of international visitors to Las Vegas, with more than 1.2 million visitors annually, according to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. • The city of Las Vegas has launched a free shuttle service connecting nine stops, including the Arts District, Pawn Plaza, the Mob Museum and the Fremont Street Experience. The Downtown Loop, as it’s called, utilizing two 19-seat busses, was approved by City Council last month for a six-month pilot run with an option to renew for another six months. • Bally’s Las Vegas plans to open a 10,000-square-foot mini-golf, arcade and bowling alley in the fall. The casino also has received a permit for $323,000 worth of refurbishment work to an area in the casino’s lower-level retail shops. • The pedestrian bridge connecting Las Vegas’ Tropicana and MGM Grand casinos has reopened with the completion of renovations launched last June. The work includes upgrades to all four pedestrian bridges at Las Vegas Boulevard and Tropicana Avenue. As part of the project, the bridge connecting MGM Grand and New York-New York will close July 5 and reopen in late September. Stairs, escalators and elevators leading to the bridge connecting New York-New York and Excalibur will shut down July 10. Work on all the spans is slated for completion by December.• The American Indian and Native Alaska population increased by 1.4 percent to 6.7 million between July 1, 2015 and July 1, 2016 according to the U.S. Census. The state with the largest American Indian and Alaska Native population was California, with 1.1 million. Alaska had the highest percentage of this population: 19.9 percent. • The Ohio Lottery and Intralot Inc. have extended their contract whereby Intralot will continue to operate the lottery, with three additional two-year renewal options, until June 30, 2027. Intralot provides a central gaming system that manages, delivers and accounts for state and multistate games, inventory and logistics for all scratch games. • A charitable gaming operation is expected to open soon in Salem, New Hampshire. The Cheers Poker Room and Casino will be the first of its type to open in the Granite State. It will benefit 36 local non-profits. The 12,000-square foot casino will operate in a former gym. It will seat about 300 and employ almost 30.