“Galaxy made an enormous mistake. The other companies will make big mistakes. They’re already making big mistakes. Now don’t ask me what they are doing. I can tell you the mistakes that have been made but I don’t want to make it public because I don’t want to stop them from making mistakes in the future; after all, we are competitors.”
—Sheldon Adelson, razzing his rivals in Macau, in part for failing to develop their MICE business
“Don’t hold your head high; don’t offend others by words; be big-hearted. Holding his head high to other operators in the same industry and offending others by words should not be the acts of a high-status person. Being big-hearted is a blessing for a human being.”
—Lui Che-woo, Galaxy Entertainment chairman, rebuking Adelson for his public criticism
“Poker machine venues become for people a place of hope, which is false hope. It’s a place where they go and don’t have to speak the language. They find themselves in an exciting environment. It’s set up to attract all your senses.”
—Gabriela Byrne, who operates a problem gambling program in Victoria, Australia
“It’s a stupid time to raise casino legalization with the country facing many more important social and economic issues.”
—Unnamed source, who told Forbes that Thai National Reform Council members are wrong to promote casinos as a solution for the country’s economy
“There are 120 million gambling-mad Chinese, Japanese and Koreans living within two hours’ flying time of this place.”
—Craig Ballantyne, chief operating officer, the new Tigre de Cristal complex near Vladivostok, Russia
“’Most people need a map to locate the capital city of the Russian Far East, never mind consider it as the next Asia casino opportunity after Macau. Visitors might also do a double take after arriving to find a European city looking out to the Sea of Japan.”
—Craig Stephen, MarketWatch columnist, on Lawrence Ho’s new Tigre de Cristal casino resort, set to open near Vladivostok at the end of August
“I thought for some reason that I wanted to be an actuary … I heard that they made good money. Then I started chatting to lads who had travelled the world working in casinos in Las Vegas, the Middle East, South America and on cruise ships. I immediately thought: ‘I’m only 20 years of age, that’s a hell of a lifestyle. I want that.’”
—Ciaran Carruthers, senior VP, Sands China, on why he ditched his initial career plans in 1989
“We could have a Mars Attacks! 2 with Jack Nicholson.”
—Clark County (Nevada) Commissioner Tom Collins referring to the use of footage from the 1995 implosion of the Landmark in the original Mars Attacks! with Nicholson as a hotel owner, in suggesting ways the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority can implode the Riviera, which it bought in February
“The rules in Macau are that Beijing makes the rules, and Galaxy fits exactly in with what Beijing wants Macau to become.
—Investor Stephen Monticelli, founder and president of Mosaic Investments, noting that Galaxy Entertainment Group is a relatively safe Macau investment as Beijing clamps down on junkets
“A failing casino would be a huge headache for the Commonwealth. Rush Street deserves a fair shot at making its case, but it shouldn’t automatically get the license unless the commission is satisfied it can succeed.
—Editorial, Boston Globe, commenting on the casino situation in Southeastern Massachusetts now that KG Urban has dropped its New Bedford proposal
“As someone who comes out of a competitive business, when you see your competition approaching you, you don’t wait until it impacts you, you proactively own the marketplace.”
—Deborah Goldberg, Massachusetts State Treasurer, arguing for a larger advertising appropriation for the state lottery to be able to compete effectively against the state’s casino resorts
“Train like you are an athlete. Develop strategies. Know your weaknesses. Don’t rush into a high-stakes game. That’s like a rookie skipping the minor leagues and going straight to the majors. You need to develop your skills first.”
—Daniel Negreanu, two-time winner of the World Series of Poker, advising aspiring players to practice their skills online
“Indians have been playing Teen Patti for generations now. We simply presented the game on a mobile platform. Our approach is simple. We have been releasing games that people play often. We have never tried to bring out anything which was a new concept for the users. Therefore, our games click well in the Indian market.”
—Saurabh Aggarwal, CEO of Octra to Indianexpress.com on the growing success of its social game Teen Patti and the communication company’s venture into social gaming
“We are thrilled that Boardwalk Hall has secured the top spot in Venues Today’s mid-year rankings in the category of top performing mid-sized arenas for 2015. It’s been one of the busiest years here at Boardwalk Hall in a long time and we are looking to continue to bring in a diverse mix of entertainment. This recognition would not be possible without the support from Live Nation and our other partners and event promoters that we have worked with for continuing to bring shows and productions to Boardwalk Hall and the Jersey Shore.”
—Fran Rodowicz, general manager of Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall after Venues Today magazine ranked the hall No. 1 for arena’s with a capacity of 10,000 to 15,000 in the U.S.
“In New York, we are considering bills to allow online poker; similar discussions are taking place among policymakers across the country. These proposals are responsible and reflect the very core of what we should be doing: leveraging business opportunities to help our state. In addition to the economic benefits, we should be identifying the best possible way to protect online consumers. Simply banning online gaming will protect no one other than the criminals currently running a thriving online black market.”
—J. Gary Pretlow, chairman of the New York state assembly racing and wagering committee in a blog post for Roll Call
