U.S. IN FOCUS

New iGaming bills drop, Maryland governor wants tax hikes, Iowa lawmakers race to block Cedar Rapids casino and more.

U.S. IN FOCUS

Online Gaming Bills Filed in Wyoming, Indiana

Legislative season is in full swing, and that means renewed hope for iGaming expansion. Two bills have already been filed in Wyoming and Indiana.

In Wyoming, HB 162 is being sponsored by Rep. Bob Davis. The bill would place iGaming under the purview of the Wyoming Gaming Commission and create a minimum of five licenses. Initial five-year licenses would go for $100,000 and renewals would be $50,000. Notably, the tax rate would be 16 percent, and the first $300,000 in revenue would go towards problem gambling services.

Indiana Rep. Ethan Manning is championing HB 1432, which would legalize iLottery and pull tabs in addition to iGaming. Online gaming licenses would be made available to licensed riverboat and racetrack owners. Licenses would cost $500,000 with $50,000 renewals.

The first-year tax rate would be 26 percent, followed by a tiered framework ranging from 22 percent to 30 percent in year two onwards. The bill would also impose a $250,000 annual fee for problem gambling services for each riverboat casino.

 

Tax Hikes Coming to Maryland?

While introducing his FY26 budget Jan. 15, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore indicated his endorsement for a pair of gaming tax hikes that would see the rate for sports betting double from 15 percent to 30 percent and the rate for casino table games jump from 20 percent to 25 percent.

Moore said that the increases “bring Maryland tax rates in line with its neighbors or better align the State with the principles of sound tax policy.”

Taxes have become a sore spot for operators as multiple markets have moved to increase their rates. Ohio doubled its original rate of 10 percent to 20 percent and Illinois introduced a new tiered scheme that increases alongside revenue and caps out at 40 percent.

 

New Moratorium Could Kill Cedar Rapids Casino Hopes

For many years, stakeholders in Iowa have attempted to bring a casino to Cedar Rapids. The Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission (IRGC) has twice rejected those plans, first in 2014 and then again in 2017. Then a moratorium on gaming licenses was enacted, but all that hasn’t stopped efforts from renewing again this year.

Peninsula Pacific Entertainment is proposing a $275 million Cedar Rapids casino and has already made its pitch before the IRGC. The commission is currently slated to make its final ruling Feb. 6.

But as has been speculated for months, state lawmakers are ramping up efforts to enact a new moratorium before that decision can be made. According to the Gazette, Rep. Bobby Kaufmann intends to file legislation that would enact a new five-year moratorium through June 30, 2030 and spell out new criteria for the commission to consider when analyzing future casino projects.

Kaufmann told the Gazette that potential cannibalization from a Cedar Rapids casino is “unacceptable to me, particularly given the proximity that many of our members have to existing casinos, where people have really good paying jobs and careers they’ve been banking on that would go away if this were to not pass.”

 

Surovell to Champion Tysons Casino Bill

In Virginia, state Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell is sponsoring legislation that would allow for a referendum for a casino in Fairfax County, per FFXnow. Similar bills were introduced in 2023 and 2024–last year’s version was deferred and ultimately killed in committee. The language of this year’s version is similar to last year’s in that it limits the location of a potential casino to an area near the Silver Line in Tysons.

“I’ve been an advocate for increased casino gaming in Virginia ever since MGM opened their National Harbor casino in 2016,” Surovell told FFXnow. “… If Virginians are going to gamble, I’d prefer they do it in Virginia, so that Virginia and Fairfax County’s public schools can benefit from it, instead of Maryland and Prince George’s County.”

If approved, the casino license would be made available to bidders, but Comstock Companies has long proposed a sprawling 6- to 8-million-square-foot mixed-use development that includes a casino among other amenities.

 

Belle of Baton Rouge Sails Off in Anticipation of Move Ashore

On Jan. 14, the Belle of Baton Rouge riverboat was pulled by tugboats off to the scrapyard as owners Queen Casino & Entertainment move ahead with a $141 million renovation to move the casino ashore, according to the Advocate. The riverboat will be 97 percent recycled by Louisiana Scrap Metal Recycling.

In addition to moving the casino to land, Queen is also renovating and reopening the adjacent 242-room hotel that has been closed since the pandemic. The hotel will open first, in the spring, with the casino expected to open in the fall under a new name. Plans for the casino include 775 slots, 24 tables, a sportsbook and dining options.

“This sendoff shows that things are changing, and it’s a clear sign that the transformation of this area into a vibrant, thriving entertainment destination is well underway,” Richard Cannon, general manager of the Belle, told the Advocate.

 

Bill Filed to Move Full House Casino to New Haven

Full House Resorts has long explored plans to relocate its Rising Star Casino in Rising Sun, Ind. to New Haven. On Jan. 13, local outlet WANE reported that state Sen. Andy Zay introduced Senate Bill 293 to help make that happen. The state’s General Assembly would need to approve the move.

According to the outlet, one supporter is New Haven Mayor Steve McMichael, who was approached by Full House about the move last spring. Rising Star opened in 1996, but increased competition in recent years has impacted revenue and the operator feels that the new location would help boost performance.

 

Watkins to Depart NGCB at Month’s End

Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB) member Brittnie Watkins will step down from the board at the expiration of her four-year term at the end of January, she announced at the most recent board meeting Jan. 15.

“This will be my final Board meeting, and I want to provide that I am honored to have served in this position,” she said, per CDC Gaming. “I have learned so much and grown so much personally and professionally. The friendships that I have gathered here are going to last a lifetime.”

Watkins was appointed to the board in 2021 by former Gov. Steve Sisolak. Toward the end of last year, she was the subject of a discrimination lawsuit filed by a NGCB staffer who alleged that Watkins pressured her to engage in discriminatory hiring practices. The Nevada Independent reported via anonymous sources that current Gov. Joe Lombardo informed Watkins she would not be reappointed, but that was not confirmed.

 

Station to Open Second Tavern Under Seventy Six Brand

Station Casinos will open the second location under its new tavern brand, Seventy Six, on Jan. 23. The new location is on Aliante Parkway in North Las Vegas, and comes a few months after the opening of the first location last October. The 24/7 taverns feature 15 IGT bartop machines.

“Following the success of our first location, we’re bringing our concept to the Aliante community, where we believe it will quickly become another favorite spot for enjoying drinks and meals with friends or family and engaging in top-notch gaming and sports viewing,” said Bobbie Rihel, vice president of small properties at Station Casinos, per CDC Gaming.

 

Kalshi Hires Trump Jr. as Advisor

Kalshi, the New York-based prediction market that overcame court challenges from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to list its yes-no event futures contracts, Jan. 13 announced that it is enlisting Donald Trump Jr. as a strategic advisor. The platform became linked to the elder Trump after it correctly predicted his November election victory when traditional polls said otherwise.

“Don has always been at the forefront at these types of spaces and new technologies. He’s always been very in tune with what the American people feel and want,” Kalshi CEO Tarek Mansour said on CNBC.

“On Election night at Mar-a-Lago, while biased outlets called the race a coin toss, my family and close friends used the prediction market Kalshi to know we won hours ahead of the fake news media. I immediately knew I had to contribute to their mission,” Trump Jr. wrote in a post on X.

 

MGCB Announces Sentencing for Pair Linked to Illegal Casino

The Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) announced Jan. 13 that two individuals—52-year-old Linos Antonio Kas-Mikha and 55-year-old Robert Jamerson—were both sentenced to 12 months of probation in 7th Circuit Court in Genesee County for conducting an illegal gambling operation. The pair had been involved with Cellular Bank, a storefront casino in Flint.

“The Michigan Gaming Control Board is dedicated to upholding the integrity of gaming in our state,” MGCB Executive Director Henry Williams said in a statement. “The sentencing of these two defendants for their involvement in running an illegal gambling operation at Cellular Bank sends a clear message that unlicensed gambling enterprises will not be tolerated. We also want to extend our sincere thanks to the Attorney General’s office, whose support and collaboration were instrumental in this investigation and prosecution, ensuring a successful outcome.”

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