“Ladies and gentlemen, this is a big deal.”
—Mel Franklin, chairman of the Prince George’s County (Maryland) council, after the council approved MGM’s National Harbor casino project by an 8-1 vote, on the project’s expected boon to the region
“This opportunity comes along once in a CEO’s lifetime. The ability to start from scratch and create a company with this strength is all about the perfect timing.”
—International Game Technology CEO Patti Hart, speaking to the Las Vegas Review-Journal about her company’s acquisition by lottery giant GTECH
“Bad weather, gas prices, market saturation, competition, casino debt, the recession that began in 2008 that severely affected all gaming revenues, including Vegas, are the other cards missing from his deck. Smoking bans are not the cause of revenue declines?rather, it’s poor business planning.”
?Stephanie Steinberg, Smoke-Free Gaming of America, disputing an analyst’s claim that a smoking ban alone caused a 20 percent decline in Illinois gaming revenue
“Nothing riles up many seniors more than efforts to ‘protect’ them by limiting casino gambling in their area. Some have reminded me over the past decade that they were savers all their lives, and they have their long-term finances in order?unlike their middle-aged kids, who sometimes are in debt up to their eyeballs.”
?John Brennan, NJ.com, on a Fitch Ratings report that says baby boomers won’t have as much money to gamble as their parents’ generation
“The goal is regulatory harmonization, especially over the platform, which is the center of the operation, controlling the operation of the game. If, instead, more states authorize online gaming without thinking through platform standardization and other achievable areas of harmonization, it will soon be too late and the U.S. will end up looking like Europe, with a patchwork of jurisdictional requirements.”
—Richard Schuetz, head of the California Gambling Control Commission on the need for unified regulations for online gambling in the U.S.
“Autoweek magazine came out this year and said there are three events every car enthusiast should have on their bucket list—Monaco, 24 Hours of Le Mans and Hot August Nights. That was huge for us. It shows that we’re becoming a must-see destination in the industry. It’s the Super Bowl of car auctions.”
?Tony Marini, executive director, Hot August Nights, a massive car show and one of the largest annual events at Lake Tahoe
“The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino brand has music infused in its DNA and is known for celebrating individuality and uniqueness, which makes it a perfect fit for South Lake Tahoe.”
?Jon Park, partner, Neva One LLC, new owners of the Horizon resort in Lake Tahoe, soon to be a Hard Rock property
“We aren’t looking to increase anyone’s taxes.”
?Justin Findlay, Findlay Sports and Entertainment Group, on a planned Major League Soccer stadium in Vegas, which would require public subsidies
“This isn’t realistic to me. I’m just a poor kid dealer trying to live a dream.”
?Billy Pappas, finalist, the World Series of Poker, who could win $10 million in November
“This hallowed ground is our house, and the people who come through the turnstiles are our guests.”
?Chris Kay, president and CEO, New York Racing Association, on $2 million spent to upgrade TVs at Saratoga Race Course. The facility will continue with improvements including improved wifi and a better sound system
“The kids love to watch this. And it’s not promoting them to want to throw away all their money. They just love to watch it. They really do. You see the smiles, and it’s a good family thing. It really is.”
?Bob Feijo, dog racing fan, on the decline of greyhound wagers at the Ebro track in Florida
“We moved back here because we like the natural area. A 1,000-room hotel plunked in the middle of Sterling Forest State Park is not appropriate. It’s just not the kind of thing to put in a community that likes the way it is.”
?Mary Yrizarry of Tuxedo, New York, one of 18 residents suing the town to prevent a casino from being built there
“Despite growing evidence to the contrary, Massachusetts still thinks of casinos as a growth industry. Maybe they were 20 years ago. But today, starting up the casino industry in Massachusetts feels like starting up Wang Laboratories in the age of Google.”
—Joan Vennochi, writing in the Boston Globe, arguing that gaming has reached the saturation point in the New England
“There are 16 states and D.C. that don’t even define what gambling is!” Owens added. “Only nine states even mention the Internet in connection with gambling at all. And most haven’t updated their gambling laws in decades.”
—Martin Owens, attorney for California’s Santa Ysabel tribe, which has begun offering internet poker, arguing that the law doesn’t say whether a tribe can or cannot offer online gaming
“It’s basically just a big battle between corporate interests. This is not an election where passions are going to be high among ordinary voters; this is a corporate fight all the way.”
—Eric Sondermann, a Denver, Colorado political analyst sizing up the election battle brewing between the Arapahoe racetrack, which wants to add slots machines, and the existing casinos that want to stop it
