The $3.5 billion Baha Mar mega-resort project, the largest construction project in the history of the Bahamas, has filed for U.S. bankruptcy protection. CEO Sarkis Izmirlian (l.) and his company filed suit last week against China State Construction and Engineering, owned by the Chinese government, blaming the bankruptcy on their shoddy work, delays and uncooperative attitude.
After more than two years of talking about it, the U.S. Interior Department has officially unveiled its new rules for recognizing Indian tribes. Secretary Sally Jewell (l.) said the new rules “clarify” the process. Most tribes are happy about the rules, that streamline the process and make it more transparent. Three tribes in Connecticut are not, because the rules appear to shut them out from future recognition.
Japan is inching closer to passing an integrated resort bill that would legalize casino gaming in the country. According to analysts at CIMB Securities, Japan has a “70 percent chance” of passing the legislation during an extended parliament session.
The California Supreme Court has effectively shut down sweepstakes games in the state by equating them with slot machines. Since it is illegal for any other than Indian tribes to operate slots in the Golden State, which leaves out so-called sweepstakes cafes. Writing for the majority, Associate Justice Ming Chin (l.) rejected arguments that the games weren’t slots because they didn’t directly accept money.
The Nevada Gaming Control Board has begun workshops with industry operators and suppliers to formulate regulation for newly legalized skill-based games. Chairman A.G. Burnett (l.) says it’s the “most important” regulation the board has worked on in his 17 years.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk (l.) supports the legalization of casinos in the country. Yatsenyuk declared his support at a June 26 meeting of the country’s Culture Minister Board.
As Mark Frissora (l.) officially assumed the position of chief executive officer of Caesars Entertainment, the operator wants a bankruptcy judge to examine its 2008 equity buyout.
In addition to keeping its table games open after the July 31 expiration of a compact permitting those games, Seminole Chief James Billie (l.) has informed state government that the tribe will halt payments to the state if the compact is not renewed.
Although the California legislature is still going through the motions of holding hearings on iPoker legalization, the intractability of several key players has capitol watchers skeptical that any legislation will be forthcoming in the current session. Because of that, Assemblyman Mike Gatto (l.) has pulled his bill and cancelled the first hearing.
This week, the GGB Podcast features a discussion with Roger Snow, the senior vice president with Scientific Games in charge of the company’s table game division.
The bad news from Macau continues as the world’s premier gaming destination enters its second year of decline. Gaming revenue in the Chinese territory reached a near five-year low in June, with no signs of a turnaround. A planned smoking ban won’t help, which would prohibit even the smoking lounges (l.) casinos have added.
The Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority, the Connecticut tribal gaming operator, and Incheon International Airport Corp. have finalized a concept agreement on the Inspire Integrated Resort, to be developed near the airport near Seoul, South Korea.
The Vietnamese province of Thua Thien-Hue has requested that the country’s prime minister add its Chan May-Lang Economic Zone to a list of possible casino locations. Officials of the coastal region say the location makes it an ideal tourist destination.
Last week, Philippine President Benigno Aquino III attended the groundbreaking ceremony for an airport resort complex in Cebu at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (l.) that is expected to more than triple the airport’s annual passenger capacity from 4.5 million to 15 million.
As of last week, international casino operator Melco Crown Entertainment Ltd. officially delisted from the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. The company applied for the voluntary withdrawal in January; shareholders approved the plan in late March.
Macau junket operator Cheung Chi-tai (l.) has been accused of laundering US$232 million through bank accounts in Hong Kong. The operator was once a major shareholder in the Neptune Group, one of the city’s biggest junket operators.
A chain casino in Portsmouth, U.K., will close for good in August. The closure of the Grosvenor Casino in Southsea, owned by the Rank Group, will put about 50 jobs on the block, according to reports.
A so-called “super-casino” is planned for West Yorkshire in the United Kingdom. Global Gaming Ventures of London is behind the plan for a 50,000-square-foot gaming hall that will employ several hundred people.
Frances Moffett-Kouadio, head of British trade and investment in Macau and Hong Kong, says U.K.-based companies are looking into opportunities in the leisure and entertainment sector in Macau.
The Hesse Ministry of Interior and Sports in Germany is under pressure to restructure and reform its online sports betting framework, according to reports. The ministry’s foot-dragging on the issue has caught the attention of the European Court of Justice, which plans to investigate.
The Ritz Club, a London casino, has told a High Court in the U.K. that it was not responsible for £2 million (US$3.1 million) in gambling losses incurred by a high roller who later added himself to a self-exclusion roster. Safa Abdulla Al-Geabury (l.) bounced a check to the casino.
Expanding the Woodbine Racetrack casino from 3,000 to 5,000 slots could add up to 1,400 new jobs and double revenue to the municipality from $15 million to $30 million. Because of those benefits and more, the executive committee of the city of Toronto voted 10-3 to support a report recommending the expansion.
A new gaming tax will require Northern Territory casinos in Australia to turn over one-tenth of their poker profits to the government. The tax is supposed to increase the government’s take from $1.2 million to $8 million.
Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio defended his co-sponsorship of a Sheldon Adelson-backed bill to ban online gambling. Rubio, speaking in New Hampshire denied he was catering to Adelson—a major Republican donor—and said he has a long history of opposing the expansion of gambling in Florida.
Dallas Mavericks owner and TV personality Mark Cuban (l.) has invested part of $7 million raised by Unikrn, an online sports betting platform for professional video games. The platform allows bets on professionally played video games.
Net Entertainment has entered into a content distribution agreement with Caesars Interactive Entertainment. The deal initially covers online content offered by Caesars in New Jersey.
The UK Gambling Commission has sent written warning to operators of Bitcoin-only online gambling sites that the digital currency is still covered under UK gaming regulations.
Playtech has been awarded a contract to supply Norwegian gaming operator Norsk Tipping with locally adapted content for more than 4,300 interactive gaming terminals.
United Kingdom-based New Look Bingo and Microgaming Network recently formed a new alliance. As a result, New Look Bingo players will have access to Microgaming’s popular games, including Game of Thrones and Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, with the possibility of winning large progressive jackpots 24/7.
The Plainridge Park Casino (l.), the first casino to open in Massachusetts, attracted 10,000 visitors for its first night. Due to the delays faced by another casino, the MGM Springfield, the Plainville casino could have the Bay State market to itself for its first year in business.
A possible referendum to expand gaming in New Jersey is dead for this year, according to Atlantic City state Senator James Whelan (l.). Northern New Jersey politicians want to expand gaming to that part of the state but no one can agree on the formula, so the bill will not go forward.
Cherokee County, Kansas officials want the Kansas Lottery Gaming Facility Review Board to re-start the southeast gaming zone casino selection process. The officials said the board did not follow state law when it picked the $70.2 million Kansas Crossing Casino & Hotel over the proposed $145 million Castle Rock development (l.) in Cherokee County.
A bill that would authorize a casino in the southern part of Maine may be revived, after being killed by the Senate last week with a slim margin. It faces stiff opposition, including that of Governor Paul LePage, who says that two casinos in the state are enough.
A bill introduced in the Pennsylvania legislature would allow the addition of slot machines to secure terminal locations in all of the state’s six airports.
Lawmakers in Binghamton, New York, had a special meeting to support a proposal for a casino application filed by an Albany-based developer, spearheaded by Jeffrey Hyman. And Tioga Downs came forward with its expected application for a $145 million expansion of its racetrack casino, according to owner Jeff Gural (l.).
Developer Glenn Straub has filed a lawsuit over his planned purchase of the former Showboat casino in Atlantic City from Stockton University. The school has responded that it no longer feels Straub is serious about making the $26 million purchase and will seek a new buyer. Meanwhile, use of the property is still hampered by contradictory restrictions on its use as a casino.
Construction on a $45 million expansion at Delta Downs Racetrack Casino Hotel, just west of Lake Charles, Louisiana, will begin in September, owner Boyd Gaming recently announced. The property will gain a new 167-room hotel tower, new food and beverage facilities and an expanded special events center.
Gaming revenue numbers for the month of May have come in, and they were phenomenal for the state of Nevada. Tourism numbers in Las Vegas hit record highs, attributed to a few big events for the month.
Illinois-based Z Capital has submitted its third offer to purchase gaming operator Affinity Gaming. Z Capital is currently the largest shareholder of the company, at 40.5 percent.
Even though a version of it is already in place, Atlantic City’s established casinos—through the Casino Association of New Jersey—are objecting to a law that allows small casinos to be built in the resort.
Kevin Lavin, the emergency manager for Atlantic City appointed by New Jersey Governor Chris Christie did not release a promised update on the city’s finances in June. However, a newly appointed spokesman for Lavin said negotiations with the city’s creditors are continuing.
Design plans for Alon (l.), the new Las Vegas project by James Packer and Crown Resorts, were leaked over the weekend to media. The project, according to Deutsche Bank, could cost as much as $4 billion.
In a move designed to keep it from having to pay casino-style property taxes on the closed Trump Plaza in Atlantic City under a new state plan, Trump Entertainment is attaching a deed restriction to the property blocking it from being used as a casino for at least 10 years. The property could be used for a non-gaming attraction.
As the poker boom is some 10 years behind us, what was once seen as a steady source of revenue has become a liability for many rooms. Thus was the case of the Westgate, who become the latest casino to shutter its poker room.
Under the terms of an agreement with the Lake County, Indiana assessor's office, five years of litigation will come to an end as the Majestic Star Casino receives a $5.2 million refund in taxes and interest, in return for dismissing all tax appeals for years prior to 2015.
A federal judge has ruled that the tenants of the closed Revel casino in Atlantic City have the right to access their leased businesses and attempt to resume operations. Tenants include several successful restaurants and the popular HQ Nightclub (l.). However, in another court it was disclosed that the energy provider for the closed casino is on the verge of bankruptcy itself. Meanwhile, the original owners of the property, Revel Inc., will close out their bankruptcy plan.
Craps, roulette and keno debuted at 8 a.m., July 1 at casinos in Deadwood, South Dakota. Voters approved the games in the November 2014 election. Mike Rodman, executive director of the Deadwood Gaming Association, said the new games could increase annual revenues by about $2 million.
Atlantic City welcomed the opening of the Playground, a $52 million remake of the former Pier Shops at Caesars mall that has transformed the retail space into an entertainment venue. The remake is the brainchild of Philadelphia developer Bart Blatstein.
In mid-July, patrons at Cripple Creek casinos will be able to enjoy alcoholic beverages round-the-clock. Currently cocktails are not allowed to be served between 2-7 a.m. But new legislation will let cities override that ban. Cripple Creek will be the first Colorado city to do that.
The compact between the state of New Mexico and the Pojoaque Pueblo expired June 30, but the tribe's two casinos, including Buffalo Thunder (l.), are open. U.S. Attorney Damon Martinez said preserving the status quo best serves the public interest now and could move the tribe and Governor Susana Martinez' office to make a deal.
The state of Arizona is refusing to certify the casino being built by the Tohono O’odham Nation near Glendale (l.), prompting the tribe to sue in federal court. It is just the latest of many court battles the tribe has waged against its opponents.
A federal court has upheld the sovereign immunity of a Michigan tribe in a bankruptcy hearing. Since other federal courts have ruled that sovereign immunity doesn’t apply in bankruptcy cases, the legal landscape as regards to tribal immunity has become very confusing.
If players in a tribal casino are mistreated, do they have any recourse outside of a tribal court, where many doubt they will receive impartial justice? Several cases involving “advantage players,” are pushing the envelope and challenging the notion that tribal casinos should always have sovereign immunity from lawsuits.
The gaming compact between the state of Wyoming and the Eastern Shoshone Tribe recently was extended through 2046. Governor Matt Mead told tribal officials he hopes the renewed compact will help them “figure out your investments and projects.” The tribe owns and operates the Shoshone Rose Casino (l.) near Lander.
Although legal challenges are slowing down development of the Cowlitz Indian Tribe's casino, hotel and cultural center in La Center, Washington, tribal officials have met with landscape architects to discuss the overall design of the property as well as roundabouts that will handle increased traffic.
Soboba Casino (l.), which started off as a modest bingo hall, and now prospers near San Jacinto, California by appealing to the locals market, is celebrating its 20th anniversary.
A sold-out crowd of 3,000 recently watched the rock band Aerosmith inaugurate the new Grand Theater at the Choctaw Casino Resort in Durant, Oklahoma. The theater is part of the first phase of a multi-million dollar expansion that also included a new 14-story hotel tower and created 400 new jobs.
Members of the board of commissioners in Jackson County, Oregon will have input as an environmental impact statement is prepared regarding the Coquille Indian Tribe's proposed casino in Medford. The tribe wants to convert a former restaurant and a bowling alley into a casino, creating 200 local jobs, officials said.
The readers of USA Today, voting in an online poll, have picked Pechanga Resort & Casino in Southern California as the best casino in the U.S. Nine other casinos are named as tops, but only two of them are in Las Vegas.
Despite revenue decreases, the West Virginia Lottery generated more than $1 billion in revenue for the first 11 months of the fiscal year, according to Lottery Commission figures. However, that's about $48 million less than last year's results. And Lottery Director John Musgrave (l.) wants to end charitable “casino nights” in the state because they are illegal.
Bruce McKee, since 2009 the first and only top manager at FireKeepers Casino Hotel in Battle Creek, Michigan, will retire at the end of the year. Also, Brian Decorah, who recently was named chief operating officer, will succeed McKee. At left, Homer A. Mandoka, chairman, Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi, R. Bruce McKee, Brian Decorah
The Cordish Companies last week announced that Robert J. Norton (l.) has been elevated to president of Cordish Global Gaming Group, and that Douglas Shipley has been named executive vice president and general manager of Maryland Live! Casino
The Cosmopolitan has tagged finance veteran Chelle Adams as the new Chief Financial Officer for the property. Adams joined the Cosmopolitan in 2012 as vice president and chief internal auditor.
Cherokee Nation Chief Bill John Baker won a second term, defeating former Chief Chad Smith with 53 percent versus 28 percent of the votes counted. Smith charged Baker with favoritism and mismanagement at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa, but his criticisms never caught on.
Brian Meacher is the new managing director for Merkur Gaming in South Africa, where he will be responsible for consolidating the Gauselmann Group's market position and develop new sales prospects. Previously Meacher was business manager at Africa's largest tourism and gaming group and most recently worked for a South African casino chain.
Rainbow Casino in the U.K. has installed its Operator Wide Area Progressive Systems to add progressive jackpots to table games in all of its U.K. casinos.
