On Sept. 19, the New Hampshire Bulletin reported that Judge Gregory Albert is in favor of granting an extension for the forced sale deadline of Concord Casino— he just needs to research further to see whether he has the authority to do so. The current deadline is Sept. 30.
The casino’s owner, former politician Andy Sanborn, was ordered to sell the casino last year after he was accused of misappropriating more than $800,000 in Covid relief funds. All year, both Sanborn and the state have accused each other of stalling the process. Multiple prospective buyers have reportedly walked away due to the controversy related to the matter.
Sanborn has said a deal is in place but the buyer has not been cleared by state regulators, hence the need to extend the deadline. If the deadline passes, the casino’s charitable gaming license would be suspended for two years.
Cedar Rapids Casino Proponents Point to New Market Study
On Sept. 16, supporters of a casino proposal in Cedar Rapids, Iowa unveiled a bullish new market feasibility study conducted by Convergence Strategy Group. Per The Gazette, the study predicted that the proposed casino would draw annual visitation of 1.1 million, and generate over $80 million in revenue. There would also be some effects on the performance of nearby casinos—Riverside Casino, Isle Waterloo and Dubuque would see revenue declines of 11.6 percent, 5.8 percent and 3.6 percent, respectively.
Another study, commissioned by the state and conducted by Innovation Group and Marquette, is due by the end of December. Peninsula Pacific Entertainment and the Linn County Gaming Association (LCGA) have proposed a $275 million development known as Cedar Crossing Casino and Entertainment Center. The venue would feature 700 slots, 22 tables and a host of other amenities.
Peninsula and the LCGA will make a formal presentation to state regulators Oct. 3. A final ruling will be made Feb. 6, but there has been much speculation that state lawmakers will attempt to enact another moratorium on casino licenses before that ruling can be made.
NGCB Hit with Racial Discrimination Suit
Jaime Black, a Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB) employee who had overseen the board’s Administration Division since 2017, Sept. 16 filed a racial discrimination suit against the board in U.S. District Court in Las Vegas.
According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Black is alleging that board member Brittnie Watkins pressured her to engage in discriminatory hiring practices, then created a hostile work environment when Black resisted. Watkins allegedly favored minority applicants and “allowed Northern Nevada residents who were non-minority applicants to interview for apparently available positions, after expressly manifesting an intent to refuse to consider hiring them,” according to the suit.
Black was ultimately placed on administrative leave, which she felt was retaliatory for refusing to comply with Watkins’ demands. In the suit, she is requesting a jury trial, and seeks damages and an injunction to force the board to “author, publish and properly enforce a reasonable policy against race-related discrimination, race-related harassment and/or retaliation.”
Alabama Lawmaker Files Bill to Increase Illegal Gambling Penalties
Alabama Rep. Matthew Hammett has introduced a bill that would increase penalties for those who violate state gambling laws. Currently, individuals who profit from illegal gambling operations are charged with a Class A misdemeanor, but under the proposed law, that would move to a Class C felony on first offense and a Class B felony on second offense.
Due to the light punishment, law enforcement officials currently have a hard time controlling illegal gambling in light of other priorities. Hammett reportedly drafted the law in collaboration with Covington County District Attorney Walt Merrell.
“He said, ‘Look, I can’t do anything but just slap them on the wrist.’ And I said, ‘What can we do?’ So, that’s how we came up with it,” Hammett told AL.com.
Sanborn’s Casino Proposal Heads to NH Supreme Court
Andy Sanborn, the former New Hampshire politician who is currently engulfed in a scandal regarding misappropriation of Covid relief funds and is haggling with officials over the forced sale of his Concord Casino, is now facing a state Supreme Court challenge for another casino project in the city.
According to the Concord Monitor, the project is being challenged by Kassey Cameron, a Concord resident who lives nearby the proposed casino. Cameron claims to have standing to dispute the project due to her proximity to it, but Sanborn’s attorneys and the city have argued that her half-mile distance from the site is too far to have standing.
The 43,000-square-foot project was initially approved last year but has been tied up in court since. The Supreme Court agreed to take the case in August, and both parties have now declined to pursue mediation and will enter into proceedings, the Monitor said.
ANR Urges Nevada Regulators to Consider Smoking Ban
On Sept. 19, the nonsmoking advocacy group Americans for Nonsmokers’ Rights (ANR) penned an open letter to the Nevada Gaming Commission (NGC) urging the agency to take up the issue of banning indoor smoking at casinos.
In its letter, the ANR specifically referenced the fact that September is known as Responsible Gaming Education Month—if the industry was so concerned with combating addiction, the organization argued, it would include smoking in those efforts.
“While we applaud (the gaming industry’s) commitment to responsible gaming, a major blind spot remains because too many casinos continue to allow indoor smoking at their properties,” the letter read in part. “Allowing smoking on gaming floors not only poses significant health risks to workers and patrons alike, it also undermines responsible gaming by encouraging addictive behavior as well as prolonged gambling sessions without taking breaks — a fundamental tenet of responsible play.”
According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, NGC Chair Jennifer Togliatti said in response, “As one member of a five-person Commission, I am unable to speak to policy matters on behalf of the Commission, and any conversation I would have with other Commissioners must comply with Nevada’s open meeting laws. Therefore, I cannot comment on this matter.”
Latest NJ Revenue Figures Continue to Cause Concern Among AC Casinos
New Jersey’s gaming revenue report from August was released Sept. 16 by the state’s Division of Gaming Enforcement, and the results have sparked more debate about the trend of cannibalization among retail and online gambling.
Online gross gaming revenue (GGR) was $198.4 million, the highest monthly total ever and a year-over-year increase of nearly 28 percent. Conversely, land-based GGR from Atlantic City casinos was $294 million.
That represents a 4 percent increase from last year, but overall, only three of the city’s nine casinos—Ocean, Borgata and Hard Rock—posted better totals than August 2019, the last pre-pandemic year.
Caesars Names New GM to Lead 3 Las Vegas Properties
Caesars Entertainment has appointed Ken Ostempowski as the new senior vice president and general manager of three Las Vegas properties—Paris Las Vegas, the Horseshoe and Planet Hollywood, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported Sept. 13.
Prior to the recent appointment, Ostempowski served in a similar role, overseeing the three-casino block known as The ROW in Reno. That block includes the Silver Legacy, Circus Circus and the Eldorado. He replaces Jason Gregorec, who left to head up the gaming division of Delaware North.
“Ken’s experience and success in Reno and throughout the country make him the perfect fit to drive Horseshoe, Paris and Planet Hollywood to new heights on the Las Vegas Strip,” Caesars President and COO Anthony Carano said in a statement.
New Ordinance Combating Homelessness Introduced in Las Vegas
On Sept. 18, a new ordinance was introduced to the Las Vegas City Council that would increase penalties for those loitering or camping in public areas. The ordinance, designed to help combat homelessness, is sponsored by Mayor Carolyn Goodman.
According to the Las Vegas Sun, the law would prohibit sitting, camping, cooking or lying down on public streets, highways and alleys. Camping is defined as “sleeping or otherwise being in a temporary shelter outdoors; sleeping outdoors; cooking over an open flame or fire outdoors; or laying down bedding or setting up a tent, shelter or similar structure for purposes of sleeping or temporary living.”
The Las Vegas City Council is slated to vote on the matter Oct. 2.
