“Metropolitan cities such as Hong Kong, Jakarta, Bangkok, Los Angeles, New York and Chicago have nightlife more than three nights a week. Since we plan to be open seven nights a week, hopefully we can bring some energy to those other nights—I think Singapore is definitely ready.”
—Noah Tepperberg, Tao Group co-founder and co-owner on the new Lavo Singapore nightclub at Marina Bay Sands
“Usually, there is a lull between Christmas and New Year, but this year even that was not seen. In fact, a lot of tourists are still coming in. A 40 percent growth is quite a reasonable figure which we see ourselves achieving.”
—Srinivas Nayak, director, Casino Pride Goa, a floating casino off the Indian state that enjoyed robust business over the holidays
“We’re targeting the millennials. We will emphasize K-Style, Korean drama, Korean fashion, Korean food. K-Style and art are the two elements that will differentiate us from Vegas and Macau.”
—Philip Chun, chairman, Paradise City on elements that separate the South Korean resort from its global counterparts
“Few Macau casino companies seem able to appeal to both high rollers and the mass market. In other words, they still can’t walk and chew gum at the same time.”
—Muhammed Cohen, Forbes gaming columnist, noting the challenge Macau casinos face serving multiple player groups
“There has never been a dialogue with Sudbury about whether or not we want a casino. There was no consultation. This is a multi-decade project and there was no consultation.”
—Cathy Orlando, a resident of Sudbury, Ontario, who says no one ever asked the residents if they want a casino that is scheduled to start construction this year
“The mini-casino initiative is certainly worth consideration, but state legislative leaders erred in demanding that municipalities make such a hasty decision at a time of the year when most of them were knee-deep with their own 2018 budget decisions.”
—Editorial in Pennsylvania’s Williamsport Sun Gazette criticizing the short timetable given municipalities to “opt out” of the new gaming law’s satellite-casino program
“Use of the internet, computers, smartphones and other electronic devices has dramatically increased over recent decades.”
—Gregory Hartl, a spokesman for WHO, commenting on the organization’s plans to add “gaming addiction” to its list of addictive behavior disorders
“If the court makes clean work of it, and simply leaves sports-betting laws to the states, we can expect states like New Jersey and Pennsylvania to jump in quickly.”
—Anthony Broadman, an attorney specializing in Indian gaming, speculating on whether the U.S. Supreme Court will lift the national ban on sports betting this year
“There are a lot of states that are going to jump on this.”
—Nelson Rose, expert on gaming law, on the possibility that the Supreme Court will overturn the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA)
“If Americans want to bet on sports, the wise course for the government is to let them. Prohibitionists think gamblers squander precious time and money on a foolish fantasy they will never achieve. Well, look who’s talking.”
—Editorial in the Chicago Tribune calling for legalized sports betting
