Gaming & Leisure Properties Inc. has sent its second bid in four months to purchase Pinnacle Entertainment Inc.’s casinos, this time up 32 percent to $47.50 a share. Pinnacle owns 15 casinos and racetracks, including the M Resort in Las Vegas (l.), in addition to the Heartland Poker tour and 450 acres of development land.
A judge of the Superior Court last week refused to dismiss a lawsuit brought by the city of Boston against the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (l.). The commission asked that the court throw out the suit, which challenges the casino license the panel issued to Wynn Resorts to build in Everett, along the Mystic River. But the judge said the verbosity of the suit makes it difficult to make a decision without further investigation.
Eldorado Resorts has bought MGM Resorts International’s two properties in Reno, the Circus Circus Reno, and MGM’s 50 percent stack in the Silver Legacy (l.). The purchase will cost Eldorado $72.5, which will be paid for with cash by the rapidly growing national gaming company.
A full smoking ban is expected to take yet another bite out of Macau’s struggling casino industry. But more relaxed visa rules will make it easier for players to visit, and allow them to stay longer. But the decline in the Chinese economy is a bigger worry.
The bidding war for bwin.party got a little more heated when reports surfaced that GVC Holding with partner Amaya gaming have bid £900 million for the online betting service. 888 Holdings is the other bidder in the mix. Kenneth Alexander (l.), the GVC chief executive, says there are significant synergies between the companies.
The government of New South Wales has approved a plan by James Packer’s Crown Ltd. to develop a casino at Barangaroo in the city of Sydney, the second casino in the city. The casino will target high rollers from Asia.
As the summer progresses, various stakeholders in the push to legalize iPoker in California seem just as far apart as they were at the beginning of the legislative session. Efforts are being made to bring them together are falling flat, as racetracks rejected a compromise proposed by Pechanga Chairman Mark Macarro (l.).
This week, the GGB Podcast features a discuss with Tristan Sjöberg, the executive chairman of TCSJohnHuxley, on the important issues confronting the industry and his company within the next year.
A subsidiary of the Las Vegas Sands Corp. says it’s interested in running an integrated resort in Thailand if gaming legislation is passed there with the support of Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-ocha (l). A Sands rep made the announcement at a press junket in Singapore.
Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has given his approval to a $1 billion complex planned for Vu Yen Island in Hai Phong. The resort complex may eventually include a casino.
Australia-listed gaming operator Donaco International, which paid $360 million for the Star Vegas in Poipet, Cambodia, has closed the deal. The company has signed a binding agreement for a $20 million capital facility.
The Vietnamese government has been studying legal sports betting since 2010, but officials are still working on a draft decree that would regulate the business.
Leading Cambodian gaming company NagaCorp Ltd. has broken ground on its planned casino resort in the Russian Far East. The property (l.) now under development in the Primorye is expected to be complete in 2018.
Vietnam’s largest casino has changed its name. The former Grand Ho Tram resort is now known as Ho Tram Resort Casino. Investors have reportedly spent $700 million on the resort.
The Connecticut-based Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority, which has submitted a bid for a casino license in South Korea, is talking up its proposed resort location near Incheon International Airport.
No wonder U.K. bookmakers are defending their right to offer fixed-odds betting terminals. According to the country’s Gambling Commission, FOBTs make more money than all other forms of betting combined.
The attorney general of the Bahamas, Allyson Maynard-Gibson (l.), says the resolution of Baha Mar’s troubles should be reached in the Bahamas instead of a U.S. bankruptcy court.
As Toronto approves expanded gaming at the city’s Woodbine Racetrack, officials in Niagara Falls are concerned that the move will siphon off its own business. Toronto Mayor John Tory (l.) says the plan means “jobs, jobs, jobs.”
South African hotel casino company Tsogo Sun Holdings has pulled out of a deal to buy a minority stake in two casinos, including the GrandWest casino (l.), operated by Sun International. The deal between rivals was first announced in May 2014.
Tinian Entertainment has signed a deal with the Tinian Casino Gaming Control Commission and Hong Kong Entertainment Overseas Investments Ltd. to assume operations at the Tinian Dynasty casino complex.
A high roller in Australia is not taking a $17 million loss without a fight. Yu Zhusheng claims he was deceived by the Crown Casino’s Mahogany Room (l.) when a monitor displaying baccarat hands displayed the incorrect winning hand, which affected his playing strategy.
The heads of the All American Poker Network and Poker Players Alliance are urging Pennsylvania lawmakers to keep the revenue tax on internet gaming low enough to encourage profits. Rep. John Payne (l.) has the most reasonable bill at a 14 percent tax rate.
A hacker shut down four New Jersey online gambling sites for 30 minutes and then demanded a ransom—to be paid in Bitcoins—to prevent future attacks. No ransom was paid and officials “mitigated” the threat, according to DGE Director Dave Rebuck (l.).
Portugal's controversial new online gambling tax went into effect at the end of June and immediately several online gaming providers exited the country’s market. They include William Hill, PKR Poker and PokerStars.
NYX Gaming Group has signed an online gaming platform and content agreement with Golden Nugget Atlantic City to feed the casino’s New Jersey iGaming site.
Legalized online betting could be in place in Singapore by next June in time for the Euro football championships. Lottery operators Singapore Pools and Singapore Turf Club are seeking exemptions under Singapore’s Remote Gambling Act to offer online gambling.
The city of Chicago has introduced a 9 percent tax on digital services/amusement for internet services including online gaming. The sales tax is expected to generate around $12 million in revenue.
A recently reported five percent spike in gambling revenue at Alberta’s video terminals has led to more calls to block online gambling in the province. Alberta officials are considering legalizing the online games, which opponents say will lead to more problem gambling.
Ladbrokes will likely maintain control of its Irish subsidiary after its rescue plan is reportedly being favored by UK courts over a rival bid from Boylesports.
By the end of the year, the award-winning Bede Gaming will integrate into its award-winning platform the far-ranging portfolio of High 5 Games, including premium and innovative slots games such as Da Vinci Diamonds, Golden Goddess and Cats.
Cherry AB announced that it has acquired 71 percent of the shares of the Malta-based company Almor Holding Limited, an online casino business that specializes in German-speaking markets.
Evolution Gaming has launched its new Live Casino inside Belgium’s historic Casino de Spa. The company’s live-streaming operators include bwin, Unibet, 777, Circus, Starcasino and Napoleon Games.
Danske Licens Spil, the online gaming subsidiary of Danish state-owned gaming operator Danske Spil, has acquired a majority stake in fantasy sports platform provider Swush.com.
When New York re-opened up its bidding process for a potential additional casino license, people thought a few bidders would step forward. Instead, only Jeff Gural and his Tioga Downs (l.) project were tabled.
VictoryLand Casino in Macon County, Alabama filed a motion in circuit court requesting the state give back 1,615 electronic bingo machines and $263,000 in cash seized in a 2013 raid. Owner Milton McGregor (l.) wants to reopen his casino, but the state attorney general's office appealed Judge William Shashy's decision to the Alabama Supreme Court.
Within hours of the Kansas Racing and Gaming Commission's vote, construction began on the Kansas Crossing Casino in Pittsburg. The $70 million state-owned development in the southeast gaming zone will offer slots, table games, a 100-room hotel, dining and a 600-seat entertainment center, and create 300 jobs.
More New Jersey politicians are conceding that there is almost no chance that referendum to allow casino outside of Atlantic City will be put before voters in 2015. That means any plan will have to wait until November 2016 for approval.
Nevada Gaming Board approval will be the final step in the merger of Golden Gaming and Lakes Entertainment. The new Golden Entertainment will operate Rocky Gap Casino Resort in Cumberland, Maryland, along with Golden's three casinos in Pahrump, Nevada, plus dozens of taverns under various brands and Nevada's largest slot route.
In response to customers' requests and to compete with casinos in West Virginia and Pennsylvania, two of Maryland's five casinos--Horseshoe Casino in Baltimore (l.) and soon Rocky Gap Casino in Cumberland—offer smoking terraces, where patrons can smoke and play slots. The concept may spread to other casinos in Maryland, which bans indoor smoking.
MGM Resorts International reportedly is researching developing a $1 billion casino resort in downtown Atlanta, one of the few major metro areas in the U.S. without Las Vegas-style gambling. Last March, state Rep. Ron Stephens introduced a constitutional amendment allowing local votes on gambling, too late for the 2015 legislative session.
A New Jersey Appeals Court has affirmed a ruling that will net the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City about $63 million in overpaid taxes and interest. The ruling affirms a $48 million tax refund, and about $15 million in interest for the tax years 2009 and 2010.
The local tavern gaming chain Dotty’s (l.) was denied a permanent gaming license at a new facility, but instead received a four-month temporary license. City Council has debated about what changes, if any, need to be made to the tavern gaming industry.
The World Series of Poker has drawn 6,420 for its Main Event with a $60 million prize pool. Due to a changed payout schedule, the $7.6 million first prize is the lowest since 2005.
Wells Fargo Gaming Capital has agreed to provide a $30 million load to the legendary Florida racetrack, Hialeah Park (l.). The quarterhorse racetrack is adding a casino after years of negotiations.
The opening of a new entertainment complex across from Caesars Atlantic City prompted a predictable response from the casino. Caesars raised parking fees at its parking garage to $30. An Atlantic City lawmakers has called for an investigation or price gouging.
A committee has been formed by Governor Brian Sandoval (l.) to oversee projects related to tourism in Southern Nevada. The committee consists of eleven members and will submit a file by July 2016 with recommendations.
A survey by Atlantic City’s largest casino workers union found that hundreds of workers at the Taj Mahal casino are without health insurance. A bankruptcy judge allowed Trump Entertainment to cancel employee health insurance last year.
Recently re-elected Mississippi Choctaw Chief Phyllis Anderson (l.) has big plans for the tribe's casino operations, including bringing table games to the Bok Homa Casino in Heidelberg, opening a bingo room at the Pearl River Resort in Philadelphia, starting a dealer training program and raising the minimum wage for non-tipped employees.
The Pamunkey Indian Tribe, which greeted the first English settlers 400 years ago and claims Pocahontas (l.) as an ancestor, recently received federal recognition. Assistant Chief Bob Gray said, “We’re looking at all economic opportunities, but we have nothing on the table right now” regarding opening a casino.
Florida Governor Rick Scott (l.) has yet to respond to a June 24 letter from the Seminole Tribe of Florida. The tribe wants Scott to reopen gaming compact negotiations granting the tribe exclusive rights to offer banked card games in exchange for giving the state $1 billion over five years.
In New Mexico, the pueblos Taos, Isleta, Zuni and Ohkay Owningeh recently signed gambling compacts allowing them to operate casinos for 20 more years. The Navajo Nation, Mescalero and Jicarilla Apache nations and Acoma and Jemez pueblos already agreed to the new compact. The U.S. Interior Department approved those agreements last month.
Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville casino complex won't fully be open until late 2016, but its famous 5 O'Clock Somewhere Bar recently debuted at the RiverSpirit Casino in Tulsa, Oklahoma, owned by the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. The two casinos will operate under one roof.
An investigation into a data-security incident at FireKeepers Casino Hotel in Battle Creek, Michigan revealed about 85,000 credit and debit cards were hacked between September and April. The incident was discovered April 16. Stolen information could include the card number, cardholder's name, verification code and/or expiration date.
Tex McDonald, former chairman of the Picayune Rancheria of the Chukchansi Indians in Northern California, was sentenced and released for time served after pleading guilty last week to a number of charges associated with a raid that he led at the tribe’s Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino last October.
Although members of the Duwarmish tribe greeted settlers to Washington, and its chief, Seattle, gave his name to the largest city in the state, the federal government last week rejected the tribe’s bid for federal recognition.
Two panels of the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals have approached the question of whether the National Labor Relations Act applies to tribal operations somewhat differently. An “en banc” meeting of the full court may be required to settle the issue.
The Soboba Casino in San Jacinto, southern California, will soon begin a major upgrade, including a 300-room hotel, country club and golf course. Officials of the Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians say it will make the casino more competitive with other Southern California casino resorts.
The Soboba Casino in San Jacinto, southern California, will soon begin a major upgrade, including a 300-room hotel, country club and golf course. Officials of the Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians say it will make the casino more competitive with other Southern California casino resorts.
A hotel with an exterior and interior reflecting the cultural heritage of one of Washington’s earliest recognized tribes will be built by the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe. The new facility will be adjacent to Point Casino, with a planned opening of the fall of 2016.
Changes to the multi-state Powerball lottery will greatly reduce the chances for hitting to main jackpot, but increase to amount of overall winners in the long run, lottery officials have announced. The change also means that Powerball could see a $1 billion jackpot in the future.
Sebastian Salat, who was responsible for the explosive international growth of WMS Gaming, left the company that bought WMS, Scientific Games last week. His tenure was praised by Sci Games CEO Gavin Isaacs.
Aquis has added Aaron Gomes, former CEO of Gold Coast’s Jupiters Casino, to its consultant team as it bids to develop a casino resort at Yorkeys Knob in Queensland, Australia.
Gary McGann is the new chairman at Irish bookmakers Paddy Power, replacing Nigel Northridge. McGann joined the company as a non-executive director last November. Northridge also joined Paddy Power as a non-executive director, in 2003, and served as chairman since January2009.
Slovenia-based Interblock, manufacturers of luxury gaming products, recently named Danilo Reher chief operating officer. Most recently Reher was assistant director and plant manager at the country's largest home appliances manufacturer, and also held numerous operations positions at a major thermostat manufacturer.
Affinity Gaming and Carnival Cruise Line have formed a partnership which will allow VIP player’s club members an opportunity to earn complimentary cruises. Mid-tier players can earn discounts on cruises through their play.
