“I was initially incredibly encouraged and excited about having a governor who would understand what it’s like to live as an indigenous person. I feel very disappointed, and more than that, just let down.”
—Sarah Adams-Cornell, citizen of Oklahoma’s Choctaw Nation, on the ongoing dispute between gaming tribes and Governor Kevin Stitt on compact terms
“What happens here is, the big boys come in because we’ve expanded. Then, they’ll either wait it out and force the little guys out, or they’ll buy them and take control.”
—Pat Sweeney, Wyoming lawmaker, on a gaming bill he says will make things easier for out-of-state gaming operators at the expense of home-grown companies
“Rather than maybe go for a whole hog, let’s find places where we think we can get some agreement. I’d like a global agreement. I’d like to solve everything for world peace. But in the meantime, I’m going to take what I can get.”
—Ned Lamont, governor of Connecticut, arguing for a less ambitious gaming expansion bill, as opposed to an omnibus bill being pushed in the legislature
“Consumers are feeling confident and are spending discretionary dollars, and we’re not seeing that slowing down in 2020. It’s difficult to see beyond that, but I feel really good where we stand for the remainder of the calendar year.”
—Jay Snowden, recently named CEO of Penn National Gaming Inc., on growth prospects for the company
“There is not a substance attached to it. There is no drug, there is no bottle. It’s a behavior that can be easily hid.”
—Ronnie Reyes, Army veteran in treatment at a newly opened VA-run gambling addiction center in Las Vegas
“We, as a gambling provider, have a large number of fences to prevent and protect vulnerable players, but unfortunately today there are too many who fall through the protection network. Therefore, we believe it is necessary to tighten the net and regulate the gaming market further.”
—Susanne Mørch Koch, CEO, Danish gaming firm Danske Spil, asking for more regulations that apply to “all gaming providers in Denmark”
“We know that the only social program that works is a job. A good job, on the books with benefits, is a prerequisite for a sustained recovery. When a woman or man can support his or her family with the dignity of employment and a legitimate paycheck, they have a stake in their community, which they do not want to lose.”
—Mark H. Sandson, judge who oversees New Jersey’s “recovery court,” which allows people with drug convictions to eventually find jobs in the casino industry
“Tokyo doesn’t want one, Yokohama maybe, maybe not. Chiba said they wanted one, and now they say they don’t want one. So what is this process anyway? Where’s the clarity?”
—Enrique Razon Jr., chairman and CEO, Bloomberry Resorts Corp., on the ever-fluctuating integrated-resort landscape in Japan
“If someone wants to hack a casino, it’s surprisingly how easily you can get into their networks. If you’re inside their networks and they don’t segregate their networks properly, you’ll be able to interact with all kinds of machines, from the slot machines to even the card shufflers and camera systems.”
—Dylan Wheeler, computer security expert, on the recent shutdown of slot machines and websites at the Four Queens and Binion’s casinos in Las Vegas
“Advertising is the financing basis for private broadcasters, and an instrument that steers legal games in the gaming market, the regulatory goal of our federal states.”
—Matthias Kirschenhofer, chairman, German media group Vauknet, on planned restrictions on gambling advertising
“The commission is simply not up to the job of regulating the gambling industry, particularly the online sector, parts of which seem to operate like the Wild West.”
—Carolyn Harris, U.K. Labour MP, on a scathing report critical of the U.K. Gambling Commission
“Our goal is to become a one-stop shop for all sports and betting content, and livestreaming professional sports like hockey is one of the many ways we are reaching that goal.”
—Niall Connell, general manager and senior vice president, FanDuel Group, on livestreaming NHL games on its app
“I’ve got some legal minds that think this does fit into our code section.”
—Burt Jones, Georgia senator, who doesn’t believe sports betting requires a constitutional amendment
“There really is nothing legitimate about these businesses. They’re there for one purpose, and that is to take money from those individuals who can least afford it.”
—Karen Mayne, Utah state senator, introducing a bill that would ban “fringe gambling” in the state
