“By accepting the yearly payment, the horse racing industry will likely be the only group with a vested interest in online poker to turn a profit in the first year.”
—Steve Ruddock, columnist for GGB and USPoker.com, arguing that California’s racetrack industry should accept the $60 million annually be proffered by an online poker bill’s supporters, rather than hold out for its demands that racetracks be allowed to operate such sites
“Assuming we prevail in the case, as we expect, the tribe’s going to have to go and take down the casino and restore the site back to its agricultural use, which is the subject of the existing Comprehensive Land Use Plan for Clark county.”
— Don Baur, an attorney for the card rooms in La Center, Washington, who oppose a casino being built by the Cowlitz tribe, whose fee to trust transfer of 152 acres by the federal government the card rooms and other opponents have appealed
“The new design, together with our extended schedule, increases our investment by more than $100 million, making MGM Springfield and our commitment stronger than ever. Buoyed by recent praise from the city’s independent architect and others who have called the redesign ‘brilliant,’ we are moving full steam ahead in 2016.”
— Michael Mathis, president and chief operating officer of MGM Springfield, writing about the revamped designs for the casino that will be built in the Bay State’s third largest city
“The casinos are the biggest ant casino force in the state, by far. They clobber the opposition because they’ve got the money to do it.”
—Dennis Bailey, a public relations specialist who has run several anti-casino campaigns in Maine, remarking on the fact that existing casinos in the state form the most effective weapon against new casinos
“Not only do the citizens of New Jersey overwhelmingly support legalized sports betting and the revenue that would come to the state with it, but existing federal law picks winners and losers, and is unconstitutional and arbitrary.”
—Statement from New Jersey Congressmen Frank Pallone, Jr. and Frank LoBiondo after the Third Circuit Court of Appeals ruled to reconsider the state’s challenge to the federal law banning sports betting
“We recommend investors maintain patience until there are further policy announcements from the Macau government in addition to post-Chinese New Year trends.”
—Macquarie Securities gaming analyst Chad Beynon, advising caution on Macau gaming stocks, after a spike in prices following casino mogul Steve Wynn’s assessment that the market is on the rebound
