NEWS & NOTES

Penn National Gaming’s acquisition of Pinnacle Entertainment has been approved by the Illinois Gaming Board, the third state agency to sign off on the $2.8 billion merger. Regulators in Pennsylvania and West Virginia have also given their OK. Penn operates three casinos in Illinois and video gaming terminals in licensed establishments through Prairie State Gaming.  •  Caesars Entertainment’s CEOC subsidiary has successfully re-priced an approximately $1.50 billion senior secured term loan facility. The new interest rate is LIBOR plus 200 basis points, representing a reduction of 50 basis points.  •  The 300-room Silverton hotel and casino complex in the Blue Diamond section of Las Vegas has launched construction of Silverton Village, a $60 million addition comprising a 150-room Hyatt Place hotel and four cafes and eateries, with possibly more features in subsequent phases. Completion is expected by summer 2019.  •  Genting Hong Kong has announced plans to sell its remaining 1.4 percent stake in Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings. The stake is valued currently at around US$168 million. Since last summer, Genting has divested approximately 22.2 million NCLH shares representing around 10 percent of its holding. The company said proceeds from the latest sale are earmarked for “purchase of property, plant and equipment such as construction of ships and funding new investments of the group should suitable opportunities arise.”  •  MGM Cotai has been awarded a three-star certification under the China Green Building Design Label by the China Green Building and Energy Saving Association. This makes the newly opened resort the largest in Macau to get the top ranking.  ●  Tokyo Metropolitan Police recently busted two illegal gaming halls believed to have ties to criminal yakuza. On April 12, police raided slot parlor Sooki Soba and casino Pair in the Kabukicho red-light district.  ●  Some 6,000 workers in 60 departments are celebrating their 10-year anniversaries at Sands China this month. More than 75 percent are Macau locals. The workers will receive “Perfect 10” commemorative pins and MOP 500 (US$61.90) in food and beverage vouchers to use in Sands China’s restaurants.  ●  Macau marketing agency HOGO has launched the Japan-Macau Executive Connection, a program to bring together Macau casino operators and Japanese business leaders to discuss how integrated resorts can operate in Japan. A pilot of the program, which began in March, brought executives from telecommunications company Suncrest Japan and “other influencers from Osaka to Macau,” according to a news report.  ●  Melco Resorts & Entertainment Ltd. has purchased 20 electric buses to serve its Macau properties. The zero-emission shuttles will start running in May to and from the Gongbei Border Gate and the Macau ferry terminal.  ●   New York’s Resorts World Catskills has unveiled a new high-limit gaming area on the third floor featuring 38 table games and six luxury salons with private decks. The property also has expanded its high-limit slot area on the main casino floor to include 64 machines and an array of VIP services.  •  Owners of Iowa’s defunct Argosy Sioux City riverboat casino have agreed to pay $1.5 million to settle a lawsuit filed by a local non-profit that receives funds from Missouri River Historical Development, which shared a portion of revenue from the casino in accordance with Iowa gaming regulations and distributed it to various charities and civic groups. The non-profit, Community Action Agency of Siouxland, plans to distribute the settlement with up to 55 other local organizations.  •  Downtown Las Vegas’ landmark Plaza Hotel & Casino will host a production show titled “A Mob Story,” a combination musical and special effects extravaganza telling the “tale of how the Mob made Las Vegas, and how Vegas took down the Mob”. Created and directed by Emmy and Golden Globe winner Jeff Kutash of “Splash” fame, the show is scheduled to open in July.  •  Archeologists have unearthed a medieval die that was evidently loaded. The wooden die found in Bergen, Norway, believed to be around 600 years old, has two fours and two fives on its faces, to cause big rolls every times. Experts believe it was crafted solely for cheating in dice games.  •  The Rain Rock Casino in Yreka, the northernmost city in California, opened just off Interstate 5.  It has about 300 slots and eight gaming tables, a restaurant, bar and café. It has 200 employees. A ribbon cutting will be held April 19.