“The unpredictable, unscripted and dramatic nature of sport makes it the most popular form of live entertainment in the world. As a result, certain measures must be taken to help safeguard the integrity of their competitions and protect their product from potential reputational damage.
—Alonso Jibaja, BetGenius head of business development for Latin America, on the long-term potential of the industry in Brazil
“There are legislators in South Florida who sit there and wonder why we’re giving a monopoly to the Indians instead of opening up Florida to everybody. That’s the Las Vegas model where anyone who isn’t a criminal and can pass a background check can run a casino and the state sits back and takes their cut.”
—Bob Jarvis, Florida law professor, who believes the Seminole tribe is within its rights to withhold casino payments to the state. The tribe says the state has violated its exclusivity by allowing pari-mutuels to offer banked card games
“It was just the adrenaline, always chasing for the big win. It got out of control. It wasn’t enjoyable anymore. I wasn’t there to have fun. I was there to win. Sometimes I could not remember how I got there.”
—Jeff Patterson, recovering compulsive gambler, who considered suicide after being arrested on theft charges related to his addiction
“It is the second-highest suicide rate among addictions other than cocaine.”
—Susan Campion, counselor, compulsive gambling program at Fairview Health Services, Minneapolis, who treated Jeff Patterson
“It’s started. We’re hearing others are doing it, too, but no one is going to go on parade that they are leaving. The fear is that the bar is coming right down on Beijing’s ability to get your assets in Hong Kong.”
—Anonymous financial adviser who told Reuters he is quietly moving money from Hong Kong to Singapore because the local government has opened the door to extraditions of suspects to China
“That is why when people speculated Inday to run for president, I told her, ‘Don’t do it. You will not be able to control it. They will disrespect you, those sons of bitches.’”
—Rodrigo Duterte, Philippine president, who advised daughter Sara Inday not to seek his office when his term ends in 2022. Inday is now mayor of Davao City, a position her father once held
“Handing out casino licenses like candy evokes the Wild West. It’s anyone with a lot of cash who needs to launder, so there are no questions asked about where the source of funds comes from. Cash is king.”
—Sophal Ear, professor and Cambodia expert on the rise of casino licenses being granted in coastal communities like Sihanoukville
“Coffees, drink shouts and toasties trying to keep them in. Do whatever you have to do to keep people in the room.”
—Memo to employees of Woolworth’s pokie venues, given to regulators by a whistleblower—Woolworth’s faces big penalties for enticing gamblers with alcohol
“There is plenty of demand out there to support these projects provided they are marketed properly. The bigger risk is not a Chinese downturn but a potential change in political climate that results in Beijing turning off the spigot for tourism to a given country or region.”
—Steve Gallaway, Global Market Advisors, on the risks that could potentially face gaming operators who are developing new properties throughout Asia
“Online casino is no trivial matter. It is banned by the State Treaty on Gambling and offering such products is a criminal offence. In the meantime, however, it remains a billion-euro market.”
—Boris Pistorius, German Minister for Home Affairs and Sports, on a ruling to block illegal online payment providers
“Forbidding people to play is not an option. You should already know that, when walking in your neighborhood, in your city, various places already offer gambling. You must have played some kind of game yourself, something that does not necessarily involve technique, just luck. So there is no way to prohibit this type of economic activity in Brazil.”
—Renato Battista, Free Brazil Movement, challenging fellow liberal Minister Paulo Guedes to come out in support of gaming in the country
“Long term, the hope is that Las Vegas Sands will win one of the gaming licenses in Japan, which could lead to the costliest resort ever built—as much as US$12 billion.”
—Columnist Travis Hoium in The Motley Fool, commenting that the sale of Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem by Las Vegas Sands Corp. was partly driven by the need to preserve cash to bid on an integrated resort in Japan
“At the end of the day, people want to come for an experience. Our team has spanned the globe to find very special touches. All of it creates a bespoke entertainment experience. It’s a place for people to come back to time and time again.”
—Robert DeSalvio, president of the Encore Boston Harbor, praising the unique “look” of the soon-to-open casino
“There really isn’t another city, when you think about it, in the country that has this type of 5-star casino resort in a major city outside of Las Vegas.”
—Joan Esneault, head of hotel sales and catering at Encore Boston Harbor, due to open June 23
“We are digging in, literally as we speak, to build a showcase of a resort that will supercharge the region’s economy and excite the people of Arkansas.”
—John Berrey, chairman of Quapaw Tribe’s Downstream Development Authority, shortly after a vote by Arkansas Racing Commission granting it a license for a casino in Jefferson County
“I’m a business person. I’ve been in various businesses. From my real estate companies to home building business, other businesses like all other members of the General Assembly. This just is another business interest I have, that deals in the area of video poker, entertainment facilities throughout the state.”
—Bill Brady, Illinois state Republican leader, defending his vote for a measure that would deploy more video lottery terminals, manufactured by Midwest Electronics Gaming, in which he has a personal business interest
