“You can put lipstick on them all you want. These are slot machines that never should have showed up in the state without a vote of the people.”
—Dwight Cook, North Dakota state Senator, on the rise in the use of electronic pulltabs for gambling in the state
“Customers couldn’t wait to get their hands on the betting sheets for next week. This is just the start of the mountain we’re climbing.”
—Hugh Aufill, sportsbook manager, Hollywood Casino in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, where legal sports betting began September 1
“One person said September 5th felt like New Year’s Eve in here. There were long lines to place bets, already starting at 8 a.m. The seating area was at capacity.”
—Dan Nita, Caesars Entertainment regional president, on the launch of legal sports betting at Horseshoe Hammond in Indiana
“The goal is not to give a date. The goal is to have a product that functions exactly how it’s supposed to when it’s rolled out to the public.”
—Kerry Hemphill, sports betting program manager, Oregon Lottery, on why the roll-out date for the introduction of the Oregon Lottery Scoreboard keeps slipping
“I don’t see why you can’t vote that you have the authority to reconsider, and then for a period of time see what interest there is for others to potentially bid on this. And then if you have no interest, then you can go back and make your decision.”
—Neil Bluhm, billionaire businessman, chiding the Massachusetts Gaming Commission for not reconsidering his casino proposal at Brockton Fairgrounds
We’re trying to compete against private corporations who are doing this for their benefit, when we’re trying to do this to support our government.”
—Chief Clarissa Sabattis, Maine’s Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, arguing for the state’s tribes being able to offer gaming on their reservations
“It is especially meaningful for me, as a lifelong Marylander, to lead a national industry that has not only delivered economic growth across the country, but right here in our great state. In fact, Maryland’s gaming properties employ more than 15,000 people, resulting in $713 million in wages that support individuals and families.”
—Bill Miller, president and CEO of the American Gaming Association, in an op-ed for the Baltimore Sun
“It’s not a nine-casino market, and I don’t understand why nobody realizes that.”
—Tilman Fertitta, owner, Golden Nugget Atlantic City, on the negative consequences of adding to more casinos to the mix in AC last year
“I’ve always kind of looked at horse racing as you know, you can go out there and bet, but why can’t we bet on auto racing? I think it’s just a difference of where the world is going and what’s kind of happening, so I think it’s fine.”
—Kyle Busch, NASCAR Cup Series champ, on plans to add in-race wagering to auto races
“Our market share in Atlantic City sports betting was in line with our share of the casino market before the NBA season. It halved during the season and has been trending back up since July.”
—Thomas Winter, senior vice president and general manager, Golden Nugget, on the impact of the former ban on NBA wagering at the Atlantic City casino
“The anonymity the internet affords has Chinese bettors flocking to digital gaming halls. They’re fueling growth in Asia’s online gambling sector, which is expected to reach $24 billion in sales this year.”
—Bloomberg, in a report on efforts by Beijing to shut down illegal offshore gambling
”Our goal is to take your property through civil or criminal forfeiture. And if you or anyone else you know happens to get a cut of the proceeds of illegal gambling, we’ll be trying to seize that, too.”
—Kenji Price, U.S. attorney, warning illegal gaming operators in Hawaii that they are being targeted by local and federal law enforcement agencies
“It comes as no surprise that various regulators and other agencies have launched inquiries given recent media reports and the sensationalist nature of the allegations raised. We view these regulatory inquiries as a forum to provide our perspective and look forward to cooperating through the process, as we have always done.”
—John Alexander, executive chairman, Crown Resorts, who says the Australian company will use inquiries into its alleged ties to Chinese organized crime as a “forum to provide our perspective,” with a “zero tolerance for criminal elements.”
“The basic problem is that SkyCity needs most of its workers at weekends and nights and makes most of its income during that time, but prefers to use the ‘stick’ rather than the ‘carrot’ to get staff at these times. Not all hours are equal.”
—Gerard Hehir, union secretary representing workers at SkyCity Auckland who want higher wages for “unsociable hours,” meaning nights and weekends
”Why don’t we start closing them down so they will answer these assessments?”
—Carlos Dominguez, Philippines Finance Secretary, who wants to shut down online gaming operators that haven’t paid their taxes
“Maybe there could be thinking about legalizing gambling so that all this illegal business which goes on can be controlled. The amount of money which is bet on sports is mindboggling.”
—Ajit Singh Shekhawat, Board of Control for Cricket in India, who says the legalization of sports bets in the country “should be considered”
“Clearly, POGOs represent both a boon and a bane. Downsides include the presence of several illegal POGO operators, the relatively paltry number of Filipinos that POGOs employ, the spike in prices of real estate, and even the Chinese Embassy’s warning about illegally smuggled Chinese workers and cross-border money laundering.”
—Roberto F. De Ocampo, former Philippines finance secretary, on the pluses and minuses of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs), which largely serve overseas Chinese customers
“’Yokohama First’ means that the incredible team of experts and talents we have assembled will focus on bringing to Yokohama the best IR the world has ever seen.”
—Lawrence Ho, chairman and CEO, Melco Resorts & Entertainment, whose company has shifted its focus in Japan’s emerging IR industry away from Osaka and to Yokohama
“There are several casinos and clandestine bingos moving billions and no penny is collected by the government. In addition, the people who work in these places, as well as those who play, are in total illegality, without any guaranteed labor rights. Legalizing the activity will make it all official, with rules, taxes, and a huge generation of money for our country.”
—Herculano Passos, deputy, Parliamentary Front of Tourism of Brazil, an outspoken advocate of legal gaming in the country
