“When you compare mobile games to the casino games, the casino games disappoint. Players are now conditioned to play with a touch screen or with augmented reality or virtual reality. To them, (a slot machine) looks like something that was designed in the Soviet Union in the mid-1980s.”
—Industry consultant Rob Tercek at a conference hosted by the American Gaming Association and PricewaterhouseCoopers, commenting on millennials’ aversion to the traditional slot machine
“We’ll get it open as close to MGM’s opening as possible.”
—Mashantucket Pequot Chairman Rodney Butler on a timetable for opening Connecticut’s third casino to blunt the effects of the MGM Springfield
“It’s hard to predict what their claims will be and then what the defenses will be. But we acknowledge someone is going to sue. We don’t know who or for what reason, but they will.”
—Matt Ritter, House Majority Leader of the Connecticut legislature, on the probability of a court challenge to S.B. 957, which authorizes a third casino to be operated by the state’s gaming tribes
“The computer security at cowboys casino was non-existent and all data was ripe for the taking. We asked cowboys casino to fix the gapping (sic) holes in their system but our request was ignored for over a year.”
—Hackers of the Calgary’s Cowboys Casino announcing a data dump onto the Pastebin website of personal data of thousands of patrons stolen a year ago from the casino
“The bill seeks to strengthen regulation of the participation or engagement of citizens in casino gambling by ensuring that those who enter casinos and similar gaming establishments have the financial resources to engage in gambling. A casino entrance charge will serve as a deterrent to those who lack the resources or can ill afford to engage in gambling from entering a casino.”
—Rodolfo Albano, Philippine House of Representatives, on a bill that would impose a P3,000 entrance fee for casino patrons
“The Philippines is on the verge of becoming one of the world’s entertainment capitals. We will not be able to achieve this if our visitors, investors, and the Filipino people in general do not feel safe.”
—Gus Tambunting, chairman, Philippine House Committee on Games and Amusements, on the Resorts World Manila attack that left dozens dead and many more injured
“Why is the assailant looking for Room 510? What is in that room? You all saw in the video that he is after that room. Who is the owner of that unit? Who is the client of that room where he forced his entry?”
—Pantaleon Alvarez of Davao del Norte, who wants to know why Resorts World Manila gunman Jessie Javier Carlos was seen looking for Room 510 of Maxims Hotel, where he eventually burned and shot himself to death
“Our security measures are quite stringent already. We started beefing up our security measures after the Davao bombing last year. We’re already very tight.”
—Enrique Razon Jr., chairman, Bloomberry Resorts, on a hit to tourism after a June 2 attack on Resorts World Manila that killed three dozen people
“Gambling permeated my life. My fingers just don’t do as they’re told. I can’t count the number of times my family have had to clear up the mess by paying off my debts.”
—Japanese gambler, whose plight has prompted Japan to formulate comprehensive problem-gambling programs for the country’s casino industry
“Operations at Okada Manila are unaffected and ongoing.”
—Okada Manila, in a statement after Universal Entertainment honcho Kazuo Okada was accused of “a serious violation of governance” relating to a 2015 HKD135 million (US$17.3 million) loan
“The unwinding of the partnership really started 12 months ago, in May 2016, when the market was still in a year-on-year decline basis. But even after two years of decline, I said ‘the market is coming back.’”\
—Lawrence Ho, chairman and CEO, Melco Resorts & Entertainment, who says he cut ties with former Macau partner Crown Resorts at just the right time
