“One of the areas where we are blocked is modernization. We are not allowed to offer an electronic random number generator and are not allowed to offer online gaming inside a casino. In terms of millennials, I’m actually quite skeptical about skill-based gaming. I grew up playing Space Invaders, but that doesn’t mean that I now want to play a Space Invader version of roulette. Millennials want a really good night out and want to play James Bond—watch a cabaret, eat steak, have a drink and gamble at the tables if they want to.”
—Simon Thomas, CEO, Hippodrome Casino CEO, explaining how UK casinos can attract younger players
“The welfare of racing greyhounds shouldn’t be at the whim of bookmakers who can simply choose to contribute or not. The government should consider introducing a statutory levy or an alternative betting rights model to protect animal welfare.”
—Neil Parish, MP, on the obligation of UK bookies to help subsidize greyhound racing in the country; those contributions are now voluntary
“The investment is on time. We will open our first phase … at the end of this year. It will be something that is quite spectacular and the most significant investment that is happening in the Philippines. We will change the face in the way how tourism is perceived here but also will change how the face of entertainment is perceived here. We are also extremely bullish about the prospects of the country moving forward.”
—Steve Wolstenholme, president, Tiger Resorts, on the expected December opening of Kazuo Okada’s $2.7 billion Manila Bay Resorts in Entertainment City
“But Proposition 1A never would have been approved by California voters in 2000 if they thought it would create a Nevada-style atmosphere of ubiquitous casinos.”
—Editorial San Diego Union-Tribune endorsing a bill in Congress that would prevent off-reservation casinos from being approved by the federal government if they are opposed by the California legislature or an initiative of the voters
“This latest decision, the 20th by courts and federal agencies in favor of the Nation’s project, demonstrates the complete lack of merit in the opposition’s arguments. It also further demonstrates that the Nation has complied with all relevant laws throughout this process.”
— The Tohono O’odham Nation reacting to the decision last week by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals once again upholding the tribe’s right to operate its Desert Diamond Casino near Glendale, Arizona
“Had the Massachusetts casinos been erected in a timely fashion, it could have been a crushing blow for Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun. The respite caused by construction delays could give them enough time to implement contingency plans.”
—Steve Ruddock, writing for USPoker, commenting on how various developments have prevented Massachusetts from bringing its casinos online as fast as lawmakers originally intended when they legalized casino gaming in 2011
“We’re running an operation that is cash dependent and also has no online presence. And I think businesses in the private sector that have followed that particular model have quickly ended up in the scrap heap of history.”
—Massachusetts State Lottery Executive Director Michael Sweeney arguing that the Lottery should be allowed to expand into the internet
“We now have the same inspectors carrying out all inspections for poker machines, all licensed venues and the casino as well. We’re talking in the casino about a major risk of organized crime. It’s unreasonable to expect that an inspector watching minors drinking in the local pub is also going to have the expertise to identify organized criminal activity in the casino.”
—Chris Sidoti, former chairman, New South Wales Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority, on the risk of organized crime at NSW casinos since specialist casino inspectors were reduced to doing spot checks
“What you can do in spot checks is different to what you can do when you’re based there 24-hours a day and you’re seeing the intricacies of these very technical games being played by people who may potentially look to laundering money, may look to avoiding taxation. These are all the things that are currently being dealt with by specialist casino inspectors.”
—Anne Gardiner, general secretary, the Public Sector, on the loss of specialist casino inspectors in New South Wales
“Of course, if fewer people are visiting us, you would expect to make less. But if we can maintain our margin, which is fairly attractive, I think the company should be OK. If it’s a cash cow, it’s OK to be stagnant.”
—Lim Kok Thay, executive chairman, Genting Singapore, which saw net profit down 83 percent year-on-year to S$10.8 million (US$7.9 million)
“It’s not just the gambling that goes on inside the sports lounge, it’s the actual watching of the event—it keeps the interest of the client and of the visitor for an average of two and a half to three hours per event. If you have a posh room with 15 to 20 televisions streaming live sporting events all over the world, you already have a captive audience.”
—David Leppo, chairman, FootballBet.com, who thinks sports lounges in Macau are a no-brainer; the jurisdiction currently has none
“We must have the courage to face in a serious, professional and republican way the legalization of gambling. Currently, people play clandestinely, without generating any revenue for the country.”
—Henrique Eduardo Alves, Brazil tourism minister, speaking out in support of legal casinos in the country. A bill is now circulating that would bring 35 casinos to Brazil
“I would like nothing better than to have an agreement with New Jersey, and it seems like there’s been a reluctance on the behalf of New Jersey to do that.”
—Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval, on the prospect for an interstate online poker agreement with New Jersey to increase the size of the player pool for both states
