“We have a Chinese saying, ‘It takes 10 years for trees to grow and 100 years for people to grow.’ From our perspective, it means today we have 10 years’ experience—just long enough for the tree to grow—but for people and society we need to continue our efforts to promote responsible gambling.”—Paulo Martins Chan, director, Macau Gaming and Inspection Bureau, on the 10th anniversary of responsible gaming initiatives in the MSAR
“With the casinos, we will redefine tourism in our state, bringing tourists, taxes and income to our cities during such a deep crisis.”
—Michelle Naili, Partido Novo candidate for federal deputy in Brazil, speaking in support of legal casinos in the country
“Before I liked Sihanoukville, but now I don’t like it anymore. My mother and father rent a home there too. Once the contract finishes, they will be kicked out and the home will be rented out to Chinese.”
—Som Annie, former Sihanoukville resident who moved to Kampot to get away from the casino gold rush
“We are convinced that it will contribute to Yokohama’s economic revitalization and the sustainable development.”
—Morihiko Kawamoto, vice-president, Yokohama Chamber of Commerce & Industry, speaking for the pro-IR faction in the Japanese prefecture
“We didn’t think it would be so serious. We are a little disappointed. We can’t even find an open restaurant.”
—Macau tourist, complaining because “super-typhoon” Mangkhut closed down casinos in the MSAR
“We’re 100 percent interested in Hokkaido and that’s it. We’ve been invited to many other places and we’re very courteous in how we respond, but this is where we want to be.”
—Ed Tracy, CEO, Hard Rock Japan, on the U.S. company’s choice of locations for a Japan IR
“Billions of dollars will be invested in the country if this model is adopted.”
—Games Magazine Brasil, on interest in Brazil by Vegas operators including Sheldon Adelson of LVS and Jim Murren of Caesars
“This is a face to the name that spoke to you on the phone Friday. I got very little notice as a tribal leader that this call was coming. The plaintiffs that said that they didn’t mind Indian gaming, they just didn’t want Indians in their neighborhood.”
—Jessie Little Doe Baird, vice chairman of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe of Massachusetts, singling out the Department of the Interior official who ruled that her tribe can put land into trust for a casino
“This is a tremendous blow to our Tribe without whom America’s earliest settlers would not have survived and it should also alarm Tribal Nations all across Indian Country. We implore Congress to act now.”
—Cedric Cromwell, chairman of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe of Massachusetts, asking for Congress to reverse a decision by the Department of the Interior removing his tribe’s land from trust
“Passing a law that gives the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe a pathway to reservation status for land in Mashpee and Taunton should be a top priority for the entire Massachusetts congressional delegation.”
—Editorial, the Boston Globe, supporting legislation in Congress to put land for the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe into trust
“Gambling on college campuses has been a problem or potential problem in the past. Wide-open sports gambling would only make it worse. I don’t see it working for the common good any more than Bill Lee did, and he issued scores of dire warnings on the subject.”
—Columnist Owen Canfield, warning against the possible threat to sports integrity of legalizing sports betting
“I think the tribes are going to stand on the principle that only we operate full casino-style gaming in the state.”
—Steve Stallings, chairman of California Nations Indian Gaming Association, arguing for sports book being the exclusive provenience of gaming tribes
