“Even though VIP dollars in revenue terms are big, they are much smaller in terms of profit. So, the VIP segment could go away entirely, and the profit story, while lower, would still be among the most enviable in the world. The good news is Singapore doesn’t necessarily depend on Chinese high rollers to survive.”
—Grant Govertsen, Union Gaming Research Macau, speaking at G2E Asia about the growth in Singapore’s mass gaming market
“It was a very good session with very good questions from the Diet members. One of the questions that stand out in my mind was ‘Is Japan too late?’ The answer is a definitive ‘no’.”
—Geoff Freeman, president and CEO, American Gaming Association, on the AGA’s campaign to help push casino legislation in Japan
“Given the controversial history of this project, the decision beggars belief. What exactly are they afraid of?”
—Editorial, Sydney Morning Herald, criticizing the New South Wales government for not holding public hearings on James Packer’s amended Barangaroo proposal
“Macau’s gaming industry is now in an adjustment period, which has a direct impact on workers. There has been a rise in the number of people from the industry seeking help.”
—Jose Pereira Coutinho, Macau lawmaker, on efforts by casino workers to form an official trade union
“The common refrain from slot floor managers is that slot product has become overly commoditized with no true differentiation between the products. Accordingly, this has led slot floor managers to shrink their exposure to the gaming operations segment, given it is the most expensive piece of the gaming floor.”
—Deutsche Bank gaming analyst Carlo Santarelli, commenting in the Las Vegas Review-Journal that slot-maker IGT’s flat quarterly results have more to do with the market than with IGT’s merger with GTECH
“Not only is the casino not earning revenue, but the state is losing money, and so are local governments. It would be detrimental to local and state governments and the revenues they receive from the gaming industry.”
—American Gaming Association spokesman Chris Moyer, on the U.S. federal government proposal to lower the reporting threshold on slot winnings from $1,200 to $600
“With the changes that we have seen recently in Macau, we believe that gives us a greater responsibility to ensure that the products that we are talking about to our customers can really, really work out for them.”
—Vincent Kelly, managing director, Asia Pacific for Aristocrat Leisure Ltd., commenting to GGRAsia that slot manufacturers must step up efforts to supply high-earning products amid the slumping market in Macau
“The government’s table allocation procedure of ‘finish your multi-billion resort and we will decide later’ is one of several locally created market uncertainties.”
—Union Gaming, on a decision by the Macau government to limit table games in the city’s new casino resorts
“We can’t draft a budget with magic money that doesn’t exist. This is insanity. You’re insane. And history will look upon you unkindly.”
—Illinois House Republican leader Jim Durkin on plans the Democrats propose to use money from new casinos to balance the state budget
“We worked very hard on putting together something that will address player demand for an online event as well as living up to the high standards of the WSOP.”
—Bill Rini, WSOP.com’s head of online poker, speaking about how this year, for the first time, a WSOP bracelet even will be held online
“This was our answer to what they were doing in Las Vegas.”
—Glenn Carano, Silver Legacy general manager, explaining the concept behind his resort casino
“We have a choice to make! We can accept the initial ruling and give into the suggestion that the proposed casino is a ‘done deal’ or we can place our faith and support in the compelling legal position that will ultimately stop this project forever!”
—Jamul Action Committee, appealing a federal judge’s decision to allow the Jamul Indian Village to go forward with building its casino in San Diego County
“This has been going on for seven years and we need to get this done—this year, in 2015. We are all tribes with the same goals and objectives and we need to stay together and work this through to get a bill passed.”
—Chairman Lynn Valbuena of the San Manuel Band of Serrano Indians, arguing for California tribes to unite to pass online poker legislation in the Golden State
“It’s not really poker we’re worried about. It’s opening that door and what’s it going to mean for online gaming 10, 15 years from now. Once they get their foot in the door, they’re going to push it and push it.”
—Jeff Grubbe, chairman of the Agua Caliente Band explaining why his tribe opposes letting PokerStars offer online poker in California
“Many of the tribes don’t want the business unless it’s theirs. If it wasn’t the horse tracks, it would be six other things.”
—Roderick Wright, former California state senator, commenting on why some tribes oppose allowing racetracks to participate in online poker if it is legalized
“There is no doubt that some states, local governments, and communities have legitimate concerns over how to manage sharing jurisdiction with Indian tribes. But, there is little evidence to suggest that IGRA has been an impediment to resolving those concerns.
—Bryan Newland, formerly an advisor to the Assistant Secretary Indian Affairs, commenting on a House Subcommittee on Indian Affairs hearing entitled “Inadequate Standards for Trust Land Acquisition in the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934.”
“I think the whole fight for millennials is important. They are coveted not only by the casinos but by every tourist destination, because they are the future of that destination.”
—Jeff Guaracino, executive director of the Atlantic City Alliance, a marketing organization that promotes Atlantic City, to the Press of Atlantic City on the resort’s growing nightclub market
“This could stunt the growth of technology that has been so important to gaming as it exists today in Nevada. That’s why I imagine we will have a number of Nevada companies all over this thing before everything is said and done. The gaming manufacturing and design companies will be interested. They will get involved.”
—Greg Gemignani, Las Vegas gaming attorney to gamingtoday.com on the Sheldon Adelson-backed Restoration of America’s Wire Act bill in Congress
“The biggest problem is Sheldon Adelson. When a billionaire says he’ll spend whatever it costs to stop Internet gambling, that scares the bejeezus out of legislators.”
—Raymond Lesniak, New Jersey state Senator at the East Coast Gaming Conference in Atlantic City on the biggest challenge facing online gambling growth in the U.S.
