During the aptly named Year of the Goat, Macau continues its losing streak. Though hundreds of thousands of Chinese tourists packed the city for last month’s Lunar New Year holiday, apparently many of them did not come to gamble. GGR plunged almost 49 percent from 2014. But it wasn’t as bad as some expected.
For many years the Twin River (l.) and Newport Grand slots parlors in Rhode Island have jousted for supremacy. This week that rivalry ended as Twin River began the procedure to purchase its rival. At the same time, the two gaming tribes in Connecticut began discussions with the state to possibly open a third casino on the state borders.
Manila is just one of global tourism destinations hoping to grow its gaming industry on the back of Macau’s big slump. When fully developed, its massive Entertainment City complex will include four billion-dollar integrated resorts.
A far-reaching gambling bill introduced by Florida state Rep. Dana Young (l.) would allow two destination resort casinos in Broward and Miami-Dade counties with voter approval and a minimum investment of $2 billion each. The measure also would permit slots at Palm Beach and Lee County dog tracks. At the same time, talks with the Seminole tribe over a new compact are ongoing.
The Russian government is hoping to lure gamblers who once patronized Macau with a huge casino settlement near the Russia-China border. Muravyinaya Bay will be located about 70 kilometers (43 miles) from Vladivostok and less than five hours from Macau.
Gaming Laboratories International announced the addition of SLI Global Solutions to its portfolio of companies offering testing services. GLI President James Maida (l.) says the addition will add “significant” value for his clients.
One of the key factors in the latest bill to bring online poker to Pennsylvania is its language allowing for inter-state player sharing. That would allow the state to team with other state’s that have approved online gambling—New Jersey, Delaware and Nevada—to share player pools. The bill also doesn’t include a “bad actor” clause, which could help PokerStars finally enter the U.S. market.
After serving on the board of Wynn Resorts Ltd. for over 12 years, Elaine Wynn (l.) has been removed. She has already nominated herself, and her position will be voted on by shareholders during their annual meeting in April.
Ernie Stevens Jr. (l.), the chairman of the National Indian Gaming Association, says the 30th anniversary of the organization will be celebrated at the upcoming tradeshow in San Diego with a new and dynamic conference and education program.
This week, the GGB Podcast features an interview with Rick Meitzler, the president of Novomatic Americas, on the company’s plans to ramp up its presence in the U.S. and Canada.
As Japan considers a bill that would legalize casino gaming, some lobbyists and lawmakers are concerned that the introduction of integrated resorts with gaming could lead to an increase in crime. MGM Resorts President Bill Hornbuckle (l.) says it won’t. The first casinos could open by 2020, in time for the Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo.
Global gaming markets including South Korea, Australia, Philippines and even Las Vegas are benefiting from the surge of high rollers who have left Macau. Yet Singapore continues to keep VIPs at bay by resisting junket operators.
According to a recent report, at least one Macau casino that banned proxy telephone bets “has recently begun to allow this activity” again. Telephone betting is frowned upon because it could contribute to secrecy in an industry that is cracking down on money laundering.
Scottish Labor Leader Jim Murphy (l.) has a solution for gamblers who spend too much at fixed-odds betting terminals: a limit on stakes of £2 (US$3). Currently, FOBTs let punters stake up to £100 every 20 seconds on roulette, poker and blackjack games.
The West African country of Gambia has announced an official ban on gaming, and ordered lotteries, casinos and other forms of gambling to cease. President Yahya Jammeh (l.) cited religious reasons for the ban; the country is primarily Islamic and Christian.
Opposition to the B.C. Liberal Party continues to make claims suggesting Paragon Gaming was awarded a development license due to ties with the government in place. In addition, conflicting reports have been made as to when exactly the contract was signed. B.C. Transportation Minister Todd Stone (l.) assures that everything is moving forward.
A recent letter from the Dutch Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations said that Curacao would have to investigate ties between the government and illegal gambling.
The British Columbia Lottery Corporation is strategically marketing to Chinese high rollers who routinely play $25,000 and up per hand. Despite the BCLC's stringent rules and regulations, some believe this is the perfect set-up for money laundering and bypassing China's $50,000 annual cash-export limit.
The 20-year ban on gambling could be coming to an end in North Vancouver, British Columbia. The city's policy committee will review a request by Playtime Gaming to end the ban and open a community gaming center, which only offers electronic gaming machines, unlike a traditional casino.
Late last month, Portugal’s Council of Ministers approved a bill to regulate online poker in accordance with EU practices. The government hopes for an annual jackpot of €25 million (more than US$27.9 million) from digital wagering.
To help online gaming operators in Italy be more competitive, the country is weighing a new regulatory structure that may change the way turnover taxes are levied in some categories and a maximum 20 percent across-the-board tax on gross gaming revenue.
Attendees last week at a symposium devoted to online gaming in California are no more enlightened about whether online poker will be passed by the legislature than they were before. Assemblyman Adam Gray (l.) will control the iPoker legislation in his house.
Despite a down year, Churchill Downs CEO Bill Carstanjen says the company expects big things from its acquisition of the online game company Big Fish games. But he also said the company is not ready to make projections on the return.
Social gaming company Zynga and bwin.party have closed up shop on their real-money gambling partnership. ZyngaPlus casino and poker products on Facebook will end.
UK bookmaker William Hill saw players hit big for a week impacting its first-quarter revenue. The company announced revenue for the quarter was behind expectations.
A bankruptcy court judge in the case of Revel Atlantic City wants the closed casino’s owners to keep soliciting buyers for property and did not approve an $82 million sale to Florida developer Glenn Straub. The sale was blocked again after it was disclosed Los Angeles developer Izek Shomof (l.) is also interested in the former casino, and another possible bidder was rumored.
Caesars Entertainment Operating Company has filed its formal plan to restructure debt and exit from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The plan calls for the company to split into two units, an operating company and a REIT. Caesars Palace (l.) in Las Vegas would not be part of the REIT.
Isle of Capri Casinos is looking for potential buyers for its co-owned Lady Luck Casino at Nemacolin Woodlands in Pennsylvania. The property has struggled from the start because of restrictive state regulations.
MGM Resorts last week announced a March 24 groundbreaking for its $800 million Springfield casino (l.), with completion set for late 2017. And Steve Wynn concluded yet another purchase that moves his $1.6 billion casino resort in Everett, Massachusetts towards realization. Wynn Resorts Ltd. bought 1.75 acres from the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority for $6 billion.
In a 27-16 vote, Nebraska state senators squashed a bill that would have asked voters to let the legislature expand gambling via a majority vote. State Senator Paul Schumacher, the bill's sponsor, said the measure would keep in the state some of the $300 million-$400 million Nebraskans spend at casinos in neighboring states.
Indiana Governor Mike Pence (l.) supposedly is not happy with a provision in the recently passed House bill allowing live dealers at the state's two racinos. Pence is said to consider that expanded gambling, which he has stated he's against but has yet to clarify. The measure also would allow riverboats to move onto land.
The IRS is proposing to lower the reporting limit on slot jackpots from $1,2000 to $600, creating additional paperwork and putting gaming at a competitive disadvantage, according to the American Gaming Association.
A bill allowing keno, craps and roulette at Deadwood casinos is expected to be signed by South Dakota Governor Dennis Daugaard (l.), with the games becoming available in July. Proponents of the measure said the new games will help Deadwood casinos compete against Colorado and Iowa.
The sixth annual bill to legalize slots at Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (l.) has been introduced in the Maryland Assembly is before new members of the House Ways and Means Committee with a glimmer of hope.
Members of UNITE HERE Local 1 are urging customers to boycott Ameristar in East Chicago until they reach a settlement with owner Pinnacle Entertainment allowing them to keep their current health insurance. The union represents 200 of the casino's 1,200 employees, primarily bartenders, servers and cleaning staff.
The former Jacks or Better SunCruz Casino (l.), which operated out of Jacksonville, Florida, and Little River, South Carolina, was expected to start cruises this month in Texas. However, it's experiencing "hiccups," said a spokesperson, and supposedly more news will be forthcoming.
Atlantic City’s Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa has announced plans for a new entertainment complex, including an outdoor concert venue. The New Jersey Casino Reinvestment Development Authority will help finance the $14 million project.
A recent probe by the state attorney general into the casino bid selection process last year in New York led to a near 800-page report in which the Gaming Facility Location Board laid out every reason the bids were either rejected or accepted.
After a terrible 2011, Reno has gotten back on the track of success. The city has offered tremendous tax breaks to large tech companies who have been quick to ship their business to the city.
A plan to have Atlantic City’s remaining casinos make set payments in lieu of taxes—seen as needed to stabilize the city’s tax base—has become bogged down in the state legislature. Some blame Governor Chris Christie. Others blame the uncertainty surrounding the fate of Atlantic City’s Taj Mahal, which is in bankruptcy. Others simply don’t know why, but the bill is not moving.
Attempts by Montana casinos to appease its smokers by building “smoke shacks” that are physically connected to the casinos violate the state’s Clean Indoor Air Act the state Supreme Court has ruled.
Monarch Casino & Resort, Inc. announced a $295 expansion at its property in Black Hawk, Colorado, including a 500-room hotel, three restaurants and a doubled gaming floor, to be completed in late 2017. Monarch officials added the new $5 billion Tesla Motors factory will benefit its Atlantis Casino Resort Spa in Reno.
Governor Brian Sandoval has included a new slot machine tax which is seen as a detriment to slot route operators who do not own the locations their machines are in.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver (l.) is getting a lot of support from NBA owners for his comments on legalizing and regulating sports betting in the U.S. That support became evident at the NBA’s recent all-star weekend.
As part of its new summer service to Atlantic City, Air Canada has announced it will launch service between Toronto and the resort. It’s the first international service for the airport in five years.
A dispute between Caesars Atlantic City and Philadelphia developer Bart Blatstein (l.) may be moved to federal bankruptcy court after a motion by Blatstein’s attorneys. Caesars disputes Blatstein’s contention that he purchased the leases for the ocean-front mall The Pier Shops at Caesars. Blatstein’s attorneys asked for the move since Caesars Entertainment is in bankruptcy.
The numbers are in for January, and on the whole, have followed the trend of up, up, up. Daily room rate was up in all markets, as was the overall number of tourists.
A tax which was introduced currently sees 0.0025 percent of all money wagered on sports go towards a federal fund to investigate illegal gambling. Congresswoman Dina Titus (l.) claims the money should stay within the state of Nevada, and that the funds are not being used for any investigations.
Locals favorite Dotty's Gaming & Spirits has been in the spotlight for the last few years, and not for a reason they'd prefer. Legislators have changed regulations, calling for the chain to rely more on food and beverage revenue, and while Dotty's claims they are willing to make the changes, they have stood pat.
Monmouth Park Racetrack in New Jersey has been counting on the state winning its court challenge to begin sports betting perhaps more than any other site. In fact, plans to build a 7,500-seat amphitheater at the site now hinge on the track being able to take sports wagers. Financing for the project depends on the track receiving the extra revenue.
A controversial compact between five of New Mexico’s gaming tribes and the state has moved into the Senate. It also needs approval of the House. Governor Susana Martinez (l.) negotiated the compact.
The primary federal regulatory agency for Indian gaming last week published its annual fee rates for tribes with gaming under National Indian Gaming Commission oversight. For the second straight year, the rates have been reduced.
The first phase of the controversial Tohono O'odham tribe’s casino in Glendale is near to opening. The tribe wants to open an interim casino although there are very active plans in Congress to prevent that from happening.
Two officials of the California Gambling Control Commission—including its chairman Richard Lopez and executive director—last week chose to recuse themselves from regulatory proceedings in which a former associate who once ran the state’s Bureau of Gambling Control is accused of violating gambling regulations.
One legal question has been settled in the federal lawsuit to decide whether the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) may build a casino on Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts. A federal judge ruled that the tribe is bound by an agreement it signed in the 1980s. The next legal question to be settled is whether that matters.
The Seminole Tribe is pursuing regulatory permission to build a 1.2 million square foot, 16-floor, 537-room hotel at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Tampa. Tribal spokesman Gary Bitner said the area is benefiting from increased tourism, growing hotel profits and an improved real estate market.
In Nebraska, the Winnebago Tribe for the People is circulating petitions to force seven of eight tribal council members to resign or risk a recall. A tribe-commissioned report showed the seven made hundreds of thousands of unauthorized payments to themselves on prepaid debit cards and gave themselves raises and bonuses among other misdeeds.
Declaring their sovereign rights, an argument used to open casinos decades ago, about two dozen Native American tribes now offer high-interest payday and installment loans online. For the Lac Vieux Desert Band in Michigan, which operates a small casino, the operation makes the difference between poverty and prosperity.
Opposition is decreasing regarding the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians' proposed $180 million casino development (l.) in Fruitport Township, Muskegon County, Michigan, said Ogema Larry Romanelli. He noted the tribe heard similar crime-wave predictions that never happened in 1999 when it built its Manistee casino, now the area's largest employer.
A lawmaker in West Virginia wants to make his state’s lottery more profitable by leveraging the fact that neighboring Virginia has no legalized gaming. Senator Herb Snyder wants to build small casinos along the border separating the two states.
Bobby Soper, president and CEO of Connecticut’s Mohegan Sun casino, has been promoted to the position of president of the casino’s parent Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority.
Casino industry veteran David Sisk has been named chief operating officer of Genting Singapore Plc’s Resorts World Sentosa, the company has announced. Goh Chye Boon, executive vice president of operations at the same property, had left “to pursue other opportunities.”
Geoff Andres, presently the senior vice president and general manager of Sands Macau, has been appointed chief executive officer of Aquis Entertainment. Andres will oversee the expansion of Casino Canberra.
Chad McReynolds has been named general manager at the Cherokee Casino & Hotel in Roland, Oklahoma. McReynolds will oversee the transition to the property's new $80 million facility at the same location. A Cherokee Nation citizen, McReynolds has worked at the Roland casino since 2011, starting as a card dealer.
Suzo-Happ InteractivePro tables, which include web browsers, television monitors and possible future gaming offerings, are being launched by Bellagio in Las Vegas.
