NEWS & NOTES

MGM Resorts International is adding 77,000 square feet of new meeting space as part of its $450 million remodeling of the Monte Carlo on the Las Vegas Strip.  •  Wynn Las Vegas has unveiled its newly renovated race and sports book, featuring a curved video wall 137 feet wide, an additional 35 television monitors and an adjacent bar and grill.  •  The Forum Shops at Caesars Palace has joined a growing list of Las Vegas Strip properties charging customers for parking. The popular retail and dining attraction is charging a $7 daily fee for its valet-only service.  •  Las Vegas Monorail Co. has purchased a 35-unit apartment complex on the Las Vegas Strip for $2.5 million. The company declined to comment on plans for the property. The Clark County Commission last year approved the 3.9-mile people mover to extend its route by 1.14 miles. •  EGT Interactive added three new games to its portfolio—Coral Island, More Like a Diamond and Summer Bliss. Players will have the chance to dive into the deepest oceans with Coral Island and will be surrounded by magnificent wildlife including tropical fishes, seahorses, sea turtles and dolphins. Following the success of Like a Diamond, the five-reel, 40-line video slot More Like a Diamond enriches the casino experience bringing extra 20 paylines and more glamor to the table. Summer Bliss, the second mobile release made by EGT Interactive this month, brings California to life with its surf-themed graphics and rich audio featuring seagulls and splashing ocean waves.  •  Pennsylvania table-game revenues scored another win in the fiscal year just ended. Revenue from table games in the state has increased each year since they became legal in 2010, while slot revenue has dipped. In the 2016-17 fiscal year, table games at Pennsylvania’s 12 casinos earned $866.5 million, the state Gaming Control Board reported. That’s an increase of 3.25 percent from 2015-16. Slot won $2.34 billion in the fiscal year, a decrease of 2.2 percent. Total casino gaming revenue was $33.2 billion, a drop of 0.78 percent, the board reported.  •  Mohegan Sun Pocono casino in Pennsylvania has eliminated seven management jobs, according to several media reports. Casino spokesman Cody Chapman told The Citizen’s Voice the reduction was part of a management reorganization, and the employees—who were not identified—were offered severance packages. He added that “external factors such as new gaming options currently being explored in multiple states” contributed to the decision, an that “no additional separations are planned at this time.”  •  Maryland Live Casino Owner David Cordish held a unique promotion at the casino last week—a  free-throw challenge with NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal. O’Neal was at the Hanover, Maryland casino on Thursday evening for a 7:30 p.m. duel with the former NBA star—who made just 52.7 percent of his career free throws.  •  Phase I of the South Korean casino resort Paradise City saw an average of 3,100 visitors per day in its first 100 days of operation, according to the company. The property, which opened April 20, estimated the resort would welcome about 1.5 million people by the end of 2017.  ?  Melco Resorts will add 50 new gaming tables at the Morpheus hotel, located at Macau’s City of Dreams. Designed by the late Dame Zaha Hadid, Morpheus is due to open in early 2018 as the final phase of construction at the complex, which first opened its doors in 2009.  ?  The main span of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge is now completely paved, according to the Bridge Administration. The bridge has an expected lifespan of 120 years.  ?  Wynn Resorts has donated 80 million patacas (US$9.9 million) to the University of Macau to support its Asia-Pacific Academy of Economics and Management. Wynn Resorts Macau President and Executive Director Linda Chen presented the check to UM Council Chairman Peter Lam Kam Seng, saying the U.S.-based company “has always supported the development of education and the nurturing of local talents.”  ?  Hong Kong-listed Lai Fung Holdings Ltd. and eSun Holdings Ltd. have entered into a licensing agreement with Real Madrid Club de Fútbol to develop and operate an entertainment center in Phase II of the Novotown project in Hengqin, Zhuhai, in Guangdong Province on the border with Macau.The 12,000-square meter (130,000-square-foot) venue will provide “interactive football-related experiences” as well as dining outlets and retail stores.