“There are valid concerns Japan’s bureaucrats are going overboard with writs to squeeze the vice out of an industry that thrives on it. Earlier this month, a government panel released 130 pages of recommendations to, well, ‘Disneyfy’ the industry.”
—William Pesek, Asia Times, on regulations that could “kill the fun” of casino gaming in Japan
“It’s unbelievable to have no power and water more than 48 hours after. How can the government claim we’re a first-world city? It’s like we’ve gone back to the Stone Age.”
—Macau casino executive, on the devastation caused by Typhoon Hato
“The big challenge I see is that players are used to touching cards. And there’s a certain distrust among old-school players of anything electronic. But that’s countered by what I think is a big plus: with no live dealer, there’s no need to tip after each winning hand.”
—Nick Sortal of the Miami Herald remarking on the development of poker tables with virtual cards and no dealers
“It really fits anywhere in terms of game and operation. You get all the benefits from both a player’s perspective and an operator’s perspective, so we think that’s a good marriage.”
—Jake Kalpakian, chief executive officer of Jackpot Digital, which has introduced a poker table, PokerPro, without dealers and with virtual cards
“The suggestion of the chairs is to hold a public hearing with respect to this whole process and this particular initiative to shed light on what’s been going on. Because, frankly, it smells.”
—Maine Senator Roger Katz, whose Government Oversight Committee will be holding hearings on the campaign of an initiative that hopes to convince voters to approve a casino in York County
