“Mohegan Sun is located in a very remote and rural area in southeast Connecticut, and has little in the way of local population to draw from. Yet it’s the highest-grossing casino resort in the western hemisphere, currently attracting around 11 million visitors per year. This one property creates one-third of the annual visitation of the entire Macau market.”
—Mario Kontomerkos, CEO, Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority, on one reason the U.S. casino operator is a good fit for Japan
“In a nutshell, there are still many misleading media coverages of the IR bill and that has to be corrected. So many Japanese people have been misled to believe without any concrete evidence that once any IRs with casinos open in Japan that they will become really bad places in terms of security, safety and their influence over children. There is no evidence of that.”
—Kiyohiko Toyama, Komeito lawmaker, who says media reports have fanned the anxiety about the social ills of casino gaming in Japan
“We are not going to be interested in being a consortium partner with 20 or 30 percent of something. I’m not sure if we’ll have a majority stake or not, but we are going to have a very significant equity investment.”
—Jim Murren, chairman and CEO, MGM Resorts International, walking back from his former contention that an MGM IR in Japan would be “Japanese-led”
“We have been very well received. We think the company has an incredibly bright future.”
—Chris Gordon, president, Wynn Resorts Development, who says the firm’s chances in Japan are undimmed, despite Steve Wynn’s recent problems
“We wanted to expand in Asia, and we decided it would be stupid to try and do it alone.”
—Jean-Louis Masurel, managing director, Monte-Carlo SBM International, on a possible partnership with Galaxy Entertainment in Japan
“They are not the goose that lays the golden egg.”
—Fred Gushin, Spectrum Gaming, warning Japanese local governments to be realistic about how casinos can improve local infrastructure
“The focus is not so much on gaming but really about non-gaming.”
—Allan Zeman, non-executive chairman, Wynn Macau, who says the company is looking to boost non-gaming attractions at Wynn Palace’s Phase II
“I gotta admit when we first put this piece of legislation in, it was a bit of a long shot. This just goes as a message to the General Assembly: We’re not going to quit. We’re not giving up.”
—Rep. Christopher Rosario, a Connecticut lawmaker who supports a commercial casino in Bridgeport
“As I have said since January, we need to be creative and take a hard look at potential revenues from new sources, including sports betting, to allow us to make further investments in infrastructure and services.”
— Massachusetts Senate President Harriette Chandler commenting on the possible legalization of sports betting the Bay State
“It is time to bring this multibillion dollar industry out of the shadows. We need to crack down on illegal and unregulated online gaming … All other gaming activities in California are subject to regulations that ensure the safety of consumers. Sports wagering should be treated no differently.”
—Adam Gray, California state representative, arguing for a constitutional amendment to make sports betting legal in the Golden State
“Expansion of gaming is a slippery slope. Tribes feel like they have somewhat an exclusivity to it. When the state or other interests violate that, then tribes are concerned.”
—Steve Stallings, chairman of CNIGA (California Nations Indian Gaming Association)
“I don’t believe this is going to take the place of our slot machines, but it’s another amenity we can enjoy and people can have fun with. And we want to be able to move forward with the overall industry.”
—Ernie Stevens, chairman of the National Indian Gaming Association, which has been preparing tribes for sports betting
“We’re looking forward to being one of the municipalities where you can come in and enjoy the plant.”
—Frank Gilliam, Atlantic City mayor in a speech envisioning an “adult district” in the city where marijuana is bought and enjoyed
“All of us at Century Casino Bath are tremendously excited about welcoming the public to the opening of our casino at 9 p.m. on Friday, May 25. The casino will be a fantastic new addition to the entertainment and nightlife of Bath and will offer facilities and an environment worthy of the already wonderful city.”
—Kartini Sarto, business development manager announcing the opening date for the Century Casino Bath opening in the Bath England City Center
