Illinois lawmakers recently heard more testimony on state Rep. Bob Rita's proposed Chicago casino legislation. On measure would allow a mega-casino in Chicago and the other would permit a smaller Chicago casino and four others. Proponents, including Governor Bruce Rauner and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, said a Chicago casino would boost economic development and generate revenue. Opponents said the market is saturated.
Hooters Casino Hotel in Las Vegas has been sold to Trinity Hotel Investments of New York for $53.8 million. The sale comes fresh off the sale of next-door neighbor Tropicana, and will likely result in a re-branding of the property. A New York investment firm was the buyer.
Brockton, Massachusetts’s voters narrowly approved a casino resort (l.) for their town while another bidder for the Southeastern Massachusetts casino license, Somerset’s Crossroads group, withdrew from the contest. The only other bidder left is KB Urban’s proposal for New Bedford, as well as the Mashpee tribe, which is still waiting for approval from the Interior Department to go forward.
A Singapore senior official says the republic will not expand its casino market when the country’s two existing licenses expire in 2017. Instead, the government will focus on the two existing IRs to enhance tourism. The decision is a relief to the Marina Bay Sands (l.) and Resorts World Sentosa, which are gripped in a fierce competition for VIPs. But another Singapore company is eyeing Myanmar for a casino resort.
Casino developer James Packer’s Crown Resorts and rival Echo Entertainment are battling over the billionaire’s $1.5 billion casino resort at Barangaroo. The Sydney Observatory is getting in on the fight, saying the towers will be obstructive to viewing the Southern Hemisphere stars.
Sales of instant-play lottery tickets online and at gas pumps and ATMs will end within four months in Minnesota, since Governor Mark Dayton said he will not veto legislation passed by large legislative majorities. Lawmakers said lottery officials had overstepped their authority by launching the games without their approval in February 2014.
Florida Senate Majority Leader Bill Galvano (l.) said Governor Rick Scott could sign a new Seminole agreement that lawmakers could approve when they return for the next regular session in January. In question is a provision of the 2010 compact, set to expire July 31, granting the tribe exclusive rights to banked card games.
The Navajo Nation has a new president, Russell Begaye, whose term ends months of governmental in-fighting. In his inaugural speech, Begaye called for restoring the Navajo language, urged educated Navajos to return to the reservation and encouraged citizens to end their reliance on the outside world, which has led to disease and other problems.
While undergoing creditor scrutiny on pre-bankruptcy transactions of its largest unit and facing a federal money-laundering probe, Caesars Entertainment reports its best results since 2008. New CEO Mark Frissora (l.) isn’t discouraged.
Retiring Nevada Senator Harry Reid (l.) has again come out in support of an online gambling ban and said he would also consider a ban on online poker. There are few things that Reid and Sheldon Adelson, the biggest promoter of a national iGaming ban, agree upon but this appears to be one.
This week, the GGB Podcast features a long-distance chat with Grant Bowie, the chief executive officer of MGM China, on the downturn in the market there and what it means for the MGM Cotai development.
Revelations from documents that disprove testimony by Las Vegas Sands Chairman Sheldon Adelson in a lawsuit hearing could spell trouble for the casino mogul. And this is only a preliminary hearing to determine the jurisdiction in which a trial would be held.
Some gaming industry analysts predict a rebound in Macau’s casino business, either in the short-term or over a span of years. But the news last week was almost uniformly downbeat, and the SAR will face the absorption of at least six billion-dollar-plus resorts that are slated to open in the Cotai region over the next five years.
Citing delays in a Manila casino development, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. has confiscated a $2.2 million guarantee payment from Kazuo Okada (l.) and his Universal Entertainment Corp.
South Korean nationals are banned from gambling at all but one of the country’s 17 licensed land-based casinos. Kangwon Land (l.) is a very lucrative casino. To meet the demand, the government plans to offer casino cruise ships for locals.
A study from Union Gaming says electronic table games may offer better win-per-table than mass-market games with live dealers. Previously, electronic tables were considered less preferred by players and operators.
Sands China has won a lawsuit filed by Asian American Entertainment claiming the gaming giant illegally severed a 2001 agreement to jointly bid for a casino license in Macau.
Genting Malaysia plans to sell its entire 17.8 percent stake in the group’s Hong Kong-listed subsidiary Genting Hong Kong, calling it a “non-core asset.” Shares will be sold for not less than 33 cents a share in cash.
Bookmakers are usually accurate when setting the odds of any U.K. general election, but this time, they got it all wrong. A narrow win by the Conservative Party was a win for bettors, who predicted David Cameron’s party would prevail.
Despite recent criticism in the U.K. of fixed-odds betting machines, which have repeatedly been called “the crack cocaine of gambling,” a prominent Tory politician, Culture Secretary John Whittingdale (l.), seems to favor more.
The Romanian parliament has approved legislation that would open the country’s gaming market to international operators. The measure still must be weighed by the constitutional court and the Romanian president.
Officials in Ontario are discussing the possible addition of live gaming tables to Woodbine Racetrack (l.) in Etobicoke, Toronto. The track currently houses some 3,000 slot machines.
British Columbia’s New Democratic Party leader John Horgan says Michael Graydon, the former head of the public lottery, changed the revenue splits at casinos before he resigned―and the new splits benefit the house.
The Great Canadian Gaming Corp. has announced it will purchase the assets of Casino New Brunswick from Sonco Gaming New Brunswick Ltd. Partnership for about $95 million.
The Australian Communication Agency has announced plans to investigate bookmakers William Hill and Ladbrokes. At issue are the companies’ Australian online betting operations.
Lawmakers in the Mariana Islands have passed legislation that will encourage casino development on the islands of Tinian and Rota. The bill OK’d by the Senate now goes to the House of Representatives.
The iPoker bill that was the first in California over the years to make it out of committee still has a long way to go. Some tribes refuse to consider adding racetracks to the bill, even though that’s a stipulation laid down by Governor Jerry Brown (l.).
Casino and racetrack operator Penn National Gaming will partner with gaming solutions provider Scientific Games to expand into the social gaming market. The company plans to launch a “Mobile Concierge” and “Play4Fun Network.”
The Romanian legislature has sent a new online gambling bill to the country’s president for his approval and could be regulating online gaming in the next few weeks. Meanwhile, Denmark has received approval from the European Commission to modify its online gaming legislation, including full legalization of daily fantasy sports.
CG Technology (formerly Cantor Gaming) has signed a deal with Meadowlands Racing and Entertainment in New Jersey to provide a free-to-play, real time baseball contest.
The UK Gambling Commission says 666Bet has returned money to a “significant number” of customers who had been unable to draw off their accounts for more than a month. The company had its license suspended by the Gambling Commission in March.
The Kansas legislature has approved a bill declaring fantasy sports a game of skill and making playing fantasy sites legal in the state. State gaming regulators had ruled that fantasy sports was a game of chance, which would mean fantasy sports could only be administered as part of the state-run lottery.
An Alabama Senate committee voted 5-3 to approve Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh's proposal to allow a lottery and four casinos and to pursue a gambling agreement with the Poarch Creek tribe, which operates three casinos in the state, including Wind Creek (l.) in Atmore. The measure could help fill the state's $265 million budget deficit, Marsh said. Alabama voters defeated a lottery proposal in 1999.
Wynn Resorts' largest shareholder, T. Rowe Price, recently cut its stake in the company by nearly 40 percent due a downturn in Macau. T. Rowe now holds 10.4 million shares of Wynn Resorts, down from 17.1 million last December. Wynn Resorts' $4.1 billion Wynn Palace, its second Macau resort, will open next year.
Owners of a piece of land in the heart of the Las Vegas Strip have began listening to offers for the prime real estate, nestled next to MGM Grand (l.).
Riverboat casinos in Northwest Indiana, led by Boyd Gaming’s Blue Chip (l.), posted revenue numbers indicating they're stabilizing after taking a hit from legalized video gambling in Illinois bars and restaurants. April 2015 revenues were $83.6 million, down "only" 2.1 percent compared to April 2014, a recent report showed.
Many thought that total revenue from the Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather (l.) fight had no chance of reaching expected numbers. They were correct, the final numbers crushed expectations.
The state of New Jersey has stepped in to the ongoing battle over electrical power at the closed Revel casino in Atlantic City and ordered ACR Energy to supply enough power to maintain the building’s fire suppression systems. The order from the state Department of Community Affairs basically extends a temporary agreement to supply power to the property, which had expired last week.
With live poker declining ever since the infamous “Black Friday” some four years ago, the World Series of Poker has some tricks up its sleeve to bring in numbers like never before.
The three casinos in Detroit posted a 7.4 percent revenue increase in April 2015 compared to April 2014, and year-to-date revenue rose 5.9 percent through April. MGM Grand Detroit led the trio with $51.8 million in revenue in April 2015, a 10.4 percent revenue increase compared to April 2014.
With the highly anticipated opening of the Park (l.) and the MGM-AEG arena next spring, MGM Resorts International may give the Monte Carlo a facelift to match the current feel of the company.
Colorado voters said no to a casino at Arapahoe Park racetrack in Aurora last November. The track is owned by Rhode Island-based Twin River Worldwide Holdings, which operates a casino there. But Director of Racing Bill Powers said, "From a horseman's perspective and our perspective and management's perspective, we're doing great."
Expecting to lose revenue due to a citywide smoking ban that took effect April 22, Harrah's New Orleans asked Louisiana lawmakers to allow it to lose 400 jobs through attrition. But the state Senate Judiciary Committee voted 4-3 against the measure and the bill was suspended indefinitely.
A referendum to allow casinos to be built in Northern New Jersey was expected to go before voters this year, but now there’s a move led by Senate President Steve Sweeney (l.) to wait until 2016 when the presidential election will bring out more voters. Some state politicians, however, don’t want to wait.
A travel plaza is set to break ground just south of Gardnerville, Nevada, on Washoe land. There are plans for an $8 million gaming expansion on the property eventually, which will be operated by the Poarch Band of Creek Indians of Alabama.
The trend continues for Ohio’s seven racinos, which only offer slot machines, to beat its four casino resorts, which offer slots and table games. Hard Rock Rocksino Northfield Park (l.) surged the most during the month.
A towering statue of Pegasus battling a dragon greets visitors to Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida—one of the many changes that have taken place there since its 1939 opening as "just" a racetrack. Today the destination also offers a casino, dining options, shopping, live entertainment and much more.
Atlantic City’s eight casinos saw a decline in revenue of 3 percent for April. Overall, the city’s casino revenue was down 16 percent counting the revenue from three casinos that closed in 2014. Online casino revenue, however, was up 11 percent.
The popular sweepstakes cafes in North Carolina, will cease gambling activities after US Attorney Thomas Walker reached a deal with software developers.
Despite a rain delay, the Aransas Queen Casino is now offering gambling cruises out of Aransas Pass, Texas. The vessel holds 300 passengers and offers more than 200 slots and 14 table games, plus a bar and buffet. Tickets are $27 for a mid-day or evening cruise.
Off the heels of a successful 2014 summer ad campaign, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority has released its 2015 summer campaign, hitting several forms of media, to reach out towards all demographics.
New Jersey’s Stockton University attempted to purchase the closed Atlantic Club casino (l.) in Atlantic City, before it made an offer for the closed Showboat casino. The university wants a site for an Atlantic City campus. Though the Showboat purchase appeared to be a better deal, that sale has become bogged down in legal wrangling.
Station Casinos continue to do well in the local Las Vegas market, as the quarter showed an increase in gaming, food and beverage and hotel revenue across the board.
After two successful free beach concerts last summer, Atlantic City will fund two more concerts for August as part of a $1.3 million summer entertainment line-up. While last summer’s concerts featured country stars Blake Shelton and Lady Antebellum, the city is shooting for a more diverse line-up this year.
The U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs recently voted to move forward a bill that would have the effect of preventing the Tohono O’odham Nation from opening a casino next to Glendale, Arizona, in the Phoenix Valley. A similar bill is moving through the House, sponsored by Arizona Congressman Trent Franks (l.).
John Warren (l.), chairman of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians, said Indiana's new law violates the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act by spelling out compact requirements and preventing Governor Mike Pence from negotiating in good faith. As a result, Warren said, the tribe can open a proposed South Bend casino without a compact.
Writing on behalf of Pulaski County, Arkansas, County Judge Barry Hyde told the Bureau of Indian Affairs the county did not support the Quapaw Tribe of Oklahoma's land-trust application. The tribe said it does not plan to build a casino on the 160 acres that holds tribal artifacts and graves.
The city of Duluth lost another round in its battle to collect up to $13 million from the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians under a past revenue-sharing agreement. A district court had ruled for the city but the appeals court said tribes are the "primary beneficiaries" of their casinos.
Special guests recently had a sneak peak of the Cherokee Nation's new $80 million Cherokee Casino & Hotel in Roland, Oklahoma. A soft opening is planned for May 19, with the grand opening in early July. The former bingo hall was the first Cherokee Nation casino and the last to be replaced.
Indian casinos that once had the New England playing field to themselves are learning how to compete in a greatly changed landscape. Foxwoods CEO Felix Rappaport (l.) told a regional audience last week that the key word is “entertainment.”
A Washington state gaming tribe has fired the three-person board that ran its Yakama Nation Legends Casino and the tribe’s executive committee has taken over that function.
Since taking over as chairman of the Chemehuevi Tribal Council on May 2, Charles Wood has let it be known what he hopes to accomplish for the tribe, most notably a new casino, which would prove the tribe several new jobs.
Following the Hard Rock Las Vegas' recent announcement that it had been hacked, FireKeepers Casino Hotel in Michigan also said it was investigating a "possible data security incident" concerning point of sale systems at its casino, hotel, shops and restaurants. Casino officials said they hired independent IT forensic experts and replaced POS systems.
Nambé Pueblo broke ground on Nambé Falls Casino at its travel center north of Santa Fe. The facility will open in November and offer only 180 slots with the focus on convenience. In 2008 the pueblo planned a 50,000 square foot casino but the economy put an end to those plans.
Casino Rama appointed John Drake as the company's new President & CEO. Drake started with the company in 1996, and has risen through the ranks with several properties through his two decades of experience.
Konami Gaming has named Scott Richards, director of system sales, to lead the division focused on sales of the popular Synkros casino management system.
Poker pro Johnny Chan has been appointed director and chairman of Frontier Capital Group, to head the proposed acquisition of the Mongolian National Lottery.
Konami Corporation cited a focus on the North American market as the reason net gaming-related revenue was up by 7 percent for the year. Officials credit the Podium video slots (l.) for much of the increase.
Scientific Games reported year-on-year revenues nearly doubled for its first full quarter since acquiring Bally Technologies, but purchase costs led to a net loss.
Interblock has completed installation of its Mini Star 5 automated roulette game in the Larj Casino, marking the product’s first installation in Bulgaria.
