“That money will go to educate those kids in Pennsylvania. It’ll build those people roads in Pennsylvania, it will help their government in Pennsylvania—that’s our money generated in Alabama that’s going to Pennsylvania. That’s just not right.”—Gerald Dial, former Alabama state senator, who objects to the Poarch Creek Band expanding into Pennsylvania. The tribe acquired Sands Bethlehem in 2018 and recently reopened it as Wind Creek
“You basically accuse me of making up numbers. So maybe grab a coffee, sit down, and actually read the report. … If you’re going to ‘report’ on these industries at least get beyond the talking points of lobbyists and use actual facts so we all don’t have to scream ‘fake news’ at you.”—Shawn Fluharty, Tennessee House of Representative, responding to suggestions that greyhound racing in the state has no essential value in terms of employment and should not continue
“Brazil is too big to be ignored, even though we have taken too long to regulate gaming. When it happens, it will be massive.”—Pedro Trengrouse, Brazilian Bar Association, who says sports betting may not roll out any time soon in the country
“As is well known, online gambling is a most dangerous tumor in modern society detested by people all across the world. It is a shared hope that the problem could be effectively dealt with.”—Chinese Embassy in Manila, in a statement decrying “cross-border gambling activities” targeting Chinese citizens
“Do I think this is going to be a permanent situation? No. The online business in Southeast Asia has gotten so big, they’re going to have to regulate it. Governments are going to have to take a serious stand. They have to establish regulators that are going to do due diligence.”—David Leppo, FootballBet.com, who says Cambodia will end online gaming in December, but “catch its breath” and reintroduce it later
“All the casinos have upped their game in regards to entertainment and amenities. I think all of these things are paying off. We’re trending in the right direction.”—James Plousis, chairman, New Jersey Casino Control Commission, on the likelihood Atlantic City gaming revenue might surpass $3 billion in 2019
“I continue to believe there’s a win-win-win situation in there. None of the parties seem to have moved off their last best positions but I continue to hope that as we moved toward the next session that folks are going to get in a room and work this out.”—Steve Stafstrom, Connecticut state representative, who hopes all parties will agree to allow a commercial casino to be built in Bridgeport
“By not fixing this conflict at the federal level and allowing only one tribe out of three to offer electronic bingo, the state of Texas is picking winners and losers. This is about leveling the playing field and working together to drive economic impact for our communities and for Texas.”—Cecilia Flores, chairwoman, Alabama-Coushatta tribe of Texas, over the state’s refusal to allow Class II gaming to the tribe
“A year and a half after a Supreme Court decision legalized sports betting across the country, California so far stands pat—not yet letting state residents get in on the action and leaving potentially hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenue on the table.”—Michael Cabanatuan, columnist, San Francisco Chronicle, on inaction by the state legislature to bring sports betting to the Golden State
“At the high end of our database, no question that Encore would like to have those customers. Their slot business has not hit what they forecast. They’re spending a lot of money on slot marketing right now.”—Jay Snowden, president, Penn National Gaming, owner of Plainridge Park Casino, on disappointing slots revenues at rival Encore Boston Harbor
