“Gaming is not a solution to poverty. It’s a means of leisure. Although the problem in our society currently is mass unemployment, you cannot make money where money is not.”
—Manzi Tumubweine, chairman for the National Lotteries Board of Uganda, warning that gambling, which is steadily growing in this African nation, should be seen as a way of enjoying free time and not as a path out of poverty
“If this gets done, and it’s a big if, it’s going to be a year-long process. It’s not a bill that’s just going to be amended a little bit. It will be amended at every committee stop, and it would probably appear in six committees before it passed.”
— Assemblyman Mike Gatto, author of a bill that would legalize online poker in California
“In a competitive environment, there’s only a certain amount of money to spend on gambling and entertainment. We want to own the market, and the best way to do that is through advertising and innovation.”
— Massachusetts State Treasurer Deborah Goldberg asking the legislature for an additional $2 million for the advertising budget for the state lottery
“I am growing increasingly concerned by the prevalence of betting advertising during televised sporting events that are watched by children. It has now become almost impossible to watch any kind of sports event without being bombarded by highly solicitous advertising.”
?Danny Alexander, British MP and cabinet minister, who is skeptical about a gaming industry pledge to warn against problem gambling in its advertising
“The first benefit of this project is we don’t lose money—not letting the money out of the country, because if we let the Vietnamese go to casinos in Cambodia, Macau or Malaysia or other places, we let the money flow out.”
?Bui Long Quan, Vietnamese tourism expert, on a plan to allow the Vietnamese to gamble in their own country
“Many studies have proved that second-hand smoking is severely harmful to human health. Except in a complete non-smoking environment, passive smoking can’t be prevented by setting any types of smoking zone, thereby a full smoking ban in casinos is the public’s expectation and also a general trend.”
?Choi Kam Fu, Macau Gaming Enterprises Staffs Association, on efforts to bring a full ban on smoking to Macau’s casinos
“Macau’s weakness creates opportunities for Korea and the Philippines. Weakness in big markets means opportunities for mid-sized markets as Chinese gamblers travel farther to try new destinations.”
?Deutsche Bank, in a note about shifting player loyalties. VIPs who once patronized Macau are now traveling farther afield to avoid government scrutiny
“If you talk to legal bookmakers, they’re willing to do just about anything to spot and prevent match fixing. It’s in their best interest to ensure games are honest. From a regulator’s perspective, if you legalize sports gambling, you enlist an army of private businesspeople that want to help you police a sport.”
—Stefan Szymanski, an economist at the University of Michigan, to the New York Times in a feature on sports betting and game-fixing scandals
“Although several smaller merger and acquisition opportunities remain in the marketplace today, we believe the majority of landscape-altering (sales) has ended.”
—Gaming analyst Steven Wieczynski of Stifel Nicolaus Capital Markets, commenting to the Las Vegas Review-Journal that the major consolidation of the slot supply sector has likely ended
“It would have been better if the judge had recused himself before. On the temporary restraining order that the NFL requested, his opinion sounded like talking points from the NFL. That’s over now, and there’s nothing we can do about it. We’re taking our chances with the 3rd Circuit.
—New Jersey state Senator Raymond Lesniak, on the state’s appeal of the order issued by U.S. District Judge Marcel Shipp preventing implementation of a new sports-betting law, noting that the judge’s brother is a coach for the New York Jets of the NFL, which initiated the lawsuit challenging the law
“I think that the overall deal was a great strategic bit for both parties, what we bring is a seasoned and experienced management team, assets that are market leaders.”
—Blake Sartini, Golden Gaming CEO, on the recent merger announcement with Lakes Entertainment
“It has been a secret, something I’ve never told anybody in my life before about how the Black Book decision was wrongfully influenced by authorities.”
—Oscar Goodman, Former Mayor of Las Vegas, speaking about Nevada’s famous Black Book, containing the names of people completely excluding from casino
“It’s going to be a challenge to address the way technology companies come into the state with the way they view themselves because this isn’t the traditional type of transportation.”
— Nevada Senator Scott Hammond, speaking on the complexities involved with incorporating ride-sharing companies like Uber into Las Vegas
“We’re in such desperate need for taxes, how about some voluntary taxes?”
—Ronald Hubert, Vermont representative who is pleading with the state to allow for a casino license to be offered
“It’s going to be a cannibalization facility.”
—Chris Riegle,president and general manager of Finger Lakes Gaming, speaking about the potential effect from the building of Lago Casino and Resort
