The Macau government may finally be hearing the concerns of casino operators in the SAR. After 13 straight months of decline in the gaming industry, lawmakers have eased up on visa restrictions, and may even reconsider a planned full smoking ban after opposition from SJM director and legislator Angela Leong (l.), the wife of Stanley Ho. Analysts are hopeful that these moves represent a turning of the gaming tide in Macau.
The second-largest shareholder of Caesars Entertainment is reportedly in talks to salvage the bankruptcy restructuring plan of the company’s largest operating unit. A company controlled by billionaire John Paulson (l.) is leading the effort the save the company from Chapter 7.
Even with a lower offer than rival GVC Holdings, 888 Holdings last week achieved the agreement of the board of director of bwin.party entertainment to buy the once-dominant iGaming company for $1.4 billion. The difference was apparently more certainty.
In a court fight that’s turned downright nasty, new materials released by the city of Boston in its bid to block Wynn Resorts from opening a casino in the suburb of Everett allege the company knew a mob associate would profit from a land deal to secure the site. Steve Wynn vehemently denies that allegation and has threated to sue Boston Mayor Martin Walsh (l.).
It’s Crown versus Echo for a gaming license in the Queen’s Wharf section of Brisbane (Echo’s design at left). The license could be awarded any time now that the state has released its budget to the public.
Packer “going the extra mile.”
The Cyprus parliament has passed legislation approving the Mediterranean island’s first casino resort. Lawmakers voted 29-22 in favor of the law, which they hope will stoke the regional economy. Some of the world’s largest casino companies are reportedly eyeing the development.
Another legislative session and another disappointment for backers of online poker in California after Assemblyman Reggie Jones-Sawyer (l.) threw in the towel. There is still no bill everyone can agree on, and only two months remain before lawmakers adjourn for the year.
Is the yearlong nightmare that has engulfed Macau over? The share value of gaming companies located there have jumped in the past couple of weeks and good news is finally coming from the government. And how about DFS? What impact will it have on gaming?
This week, the GGB Podcast sits down with Bob Griffin, the CEO of Trump Taj Mahal on the state of his property, its sale to Carl Icahn, and the future of Atlantic City.
The government of Macau says it will not approve new casinos in the Coloane section of the territory. A hotel project in the vicinity has created interest in a possible gaming element. But with the city in the 13th month of an historic decline, new gaming seems redundant at best.
Philippine gaming regulator Cristino Naguiat (l.) says gross gaming revenue in the country could rise by as much as 20 percent this year. But some analysts say the Macau slump could prove contagious.
A leading real estate firm in Vietnam has announced plans to develop an $870 million resort off the coast of Hai Phong. The project will reportedly include a casino, golf course, and eventually a casino.
Macau casino operator Galaxy Entertainment Group Ltd. has debuted a new premium mass table games area at its flagship Galaxy Macau resort on the Cotai Strip.
A proposed law that would reduce the stakes on fixed-odds betting terminals (l.) may not be considered by the UK parliament any time soon, according to reports. FOBTs have been compared to crack cocaine, and are the biggest moneymakers among all betting types in the UK.
The UK Supreme Court has tossed out a claim by gaming operator the Rank Group that it overpaid millions of pounds in value added taxes to the government between October 2002 and December 2005.
The legality of the UK’s point of consumption tax has been called into question and will be referred to the European Court of Justice. The tax is imposed on foreign gaming operators.
South African gaming operator Sun International has finished Phase I of its plan to relocate the Morula Sun Hotel and Casino to Menlyn Maine, despite a legal challenge to its plan to transfer the accompanying gaming license.
Toronto's Woodbine Racetrack will undergo a major expansion, doubling slots and table games and adding a hotel, dining and retail. The plan, approved 25-19 by Toronto city councillors, also will direct casino revenue to a fund helping low-income neighborhoods. Officials in Niagara and Fort Erie protested the Woodbine plan.
The grand opening of Kamloops’ newest casino, the Cascades, has been pushed back to mid-August due to construction delays. The project of Gateway Casinos and Entertainment will replace the Lake City Casino.
The Tanzanian national lottery, set to launch in November, will add thousands of direct and indirect jobs in the country, which now derives 3 percent of its GDP from gaming.
It seems you can’t go very far without hearing about the Daily Fantasy Sports craze sweeping North America. Two massive internet companies; Yahoo and Amaya Inc., which owns PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker, have decided to start up their own DFS services.
Daily Fantasy sports operator FanDuel has secured about $275 million in new investments and now has a total of $363 million. Major investors include KKR & Co, Time Warner Investments, Turner Sports and Google Capital.
Former Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott (l.) has joined the Sheldon Adelson-backed Coalition to Stop Internet Gambling as a lobbyist. Former Sen. John Breaux (D-La.) and a host of other former congressional staffers have also joined the group.
Canada’s AMF seized computers and records during its investigation of Amaya gaming, according to recently released court details. The regulators launched the investigation into trading of Amaya Inc. stock ahead of its takeover last summer of PokerStars.
Add the European Commission to the list of critics of Germany’s stalled proposed online gambling regulations. The Commission has formerly rebuked the country’s federal interstate gambling treaty.
A suit by Gibraltar-based online gambling site’s challenging new gambling regulations in the UK has been referred to European Union courts. The Gibraltar Betting and Gaming Association has challenged the UK’s new “point of consumption” tax.
32Red has announced its purchase of Roxy Place for ₤8.4 million. 32Red said it has purchased the customer database, intellectual property rights and other assets of the online site.
The UK Gambling Commission has confirmed that 666Bet will stop its operations in the UK market after it was reported that parent company Metro Play will fold. The site has been suspended in Britain since March while under investigation by UK regulators.
Unibet Group plc will buy the online gambling business of Stan James Group plc together with full rights and ownership of the brand for a reported ₤19 million.
OpenBet has signed a seven-year contract with Singapore Pools to provide sports betting products and services. The company hopes to get an exemption in Singapore to allow online sports betting.
Greentube announced a content agreement with Genesis Software International Ltd., under which Genesis content will be included in Greentube’s online offerings.
Pariplay, in partnership with C3 Entertainment, owner of the rights to the Three Stooges brand, has developed a new online slot game based on the legendary comedy team.
New Jersey Senate President Steven Sweeney (l.) has confirmed that a referendum to allow casinos to expand beyond Atlantic City in the state will not go before New Jersey voters this November. Several competing proposals have clouded a chance at a consensus plan, leaving lawmakers to now shoot for a 2016 referendum.
Moody’s Investment Service has raised its rating of the gaming industry from negative to stable, citing rising revenue, cost-cutting and fewer new casinos.
The three casinos in Detroit have all experienced a great first half of 2015, showing overall growth of 4.8 percent in revenue over 2014. The largest increase was seen by MotorCity Casino Hotel, which showed a growth of 5.4 percent.
A ruling has been handed down by the Fourth Judicial Department of the Appellate Division of the New York State Supreme Court in Rochester, which will delay the construction of the Lago casino (l.). It was found that the developers circumvented proper procedures to ensure the property would have no negative environmental impacts.
The free volcano show seen outside the Mirage will cut the shows from every half hour between dusk and midnight to just two shows a night between Sunday and Thursday, with three on Friday and Saturday. The company will look at how much money and energy will be saved, in addition to consumer reaction.
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has yet to act on a package of bills that would set a fixed payment in lieu of taxes for Atlantic City casinos. The delay comes as reports say an emergency financial manger appointed by Christie to oversee Atlantic City’s finances wants changes to the bill.
Alabama Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh said citizens are "ready" to vote on gambling. He introduced in the current special session a constitutional amendment to let voters approve a lottery and casinos. Governor Robert Bentley called the session early to avoid giving gambling proponents time to mobilize public opinion.
MGM Resorts International continues to make moves, this time by investing $100 million in upgrades for its 3,211 rooms at Mandalay Bay (l.), and the addition of a 5,000-seat theater at the Monte Carlo. MGM Resorts did not disclose how much the theater will cost.
Atlantic City’s surviving eight casinos saw a revenue bump of 5. 5 percent in June over 2014. But, counting three casinos that closed since June 2014, the city’s overall revenue was down 8.2 percent. Still, the numbers continue to indicate that the downsizing of the market has helped the remaining casinos.
The former largest shareholder of Wynn Resorts Ltd. Stock, T. Rowe Price Group, has sold off more than 12 million shares of stock since April, leaving the company with just a 4.6 percent stake in the company, down from a peak of 16.8 percent.
An Atlantic County Superior Court Judge will allow Stockton University to look for another buyer for the former Showboat casino in Atlantic City. The judge, however, also gave time to developer Glenn Straub—who had previously agreed to buy the property—to show cause why the school should be held to its agreement to sell the property to him.
Twin River has completed its purchase of rival Newport Grand and plans to move its license to a larger venue proposed for a town not far away. For now, Newport Grand and its jobs are safe, Twin River says. But the fate of the new casino rests with the state’s voters.
Atlantic City’s convention business is up through the first six months of the year with hotel bookings related to conventions up 37 percent. The city is trying to increase convention business in the wake of falling casino revenue.
On July 1, craps, roulette and keno officially came to casinos in Deadwood, South Dakota. Craps are stirring up the most excitement, said David Schneiter, general manager at Cadillac Jack's Gaming Resort. And the four roulette wheels in town are among the first in the U.S. with a unique new design.
The Prince George’s County Council in Maryland has voted to reserve half of all gaming revenue tax generated by the new MGM National Harbor to public schools.
Northwest Indiana's five casinos posted revenue declines of 3 percent, from $78.5 million in June 2014 to $76.2 million in June 2015. January through June, revenue increased 0.3 percent to $493.8 million. Horseshoe Hammond General Manager Dan Nita (l.) blamed the "general softness" on the proliferation of non-casino slots in Illinois.
With thousands of recently laid off casino workers in the area, New Jersey has used economic development tax breaks to lure a call center business to Atlantic City creating 300 jobs. Officials for the company said the availability of the former workers was a factor in their decision to locate in the resort.
U.S. senators will be weighing in on the state of tribal gaming in a hearing scheduled for later this month. The occasion is the release of a GAO report critical of regulatory oversight of the industry, and it’s expected the National Indian Gaming Commission will be in for a rough time in the first hearing chaired by Wyoming Republican John Barrasso (l.).
Federal District Court Judge David Campbell will hear arguments September 4 in the Tohono O'odham Nation's lawsuit against the state of Arizona, Governor Doug Ducey, Attorney General Mark Brnovich (l.) and state Gaming Department Director Daniel Bergin. The tribe wants the court to tell Bergin to “quit playing politics" with its $400 million casino under construction in Glendale.
An Oklahoma branch of the Apaches, removed in the 19th century from ancestral lands in New Mexico, wants to return with a casino. The state and the federal government are saying no. The tribe has gone to court.
Thirteen Indian tribes have agreed to a 2 percent increase in New Mexico’s share of their gaming revenues. But the tiny Pueblo of Pojoaque have not. The state says their casino is illegal and wants it closed. The tribal council (at left, led by President Joseph Talachy) refuses and has vowed to fight.
Wyoming’s Northern Arapaho Indians object to new federal rules that apply certain coverage obligations to tribes under the Affordable Care Act. But their attempt to overturn them in the courts has not met with success.
All eyes are on the Pamunkey Indian tribe of Virginia, which recently received federal recognition. Will the 208-member tribe open a casino? Acting Chief Bob Gray said, "We haven’t put anything on or off the table." Virginia is one of just 10 states without a casino.
With the banked-cards provision of the Seminole compact ending this month, Florida economists are unable to prepare revenue forecasts. The tribe gave the state $1 billion over five years in exchange for exclusive rights to banked card games. Now the state faces mediation or a lawsuit if the situation goes unresolved.
The Lloyd D. Levenson Institute of Gaming, Hospitality and Tourism (LIGHT) at Stockton University in New Jersey has named Rummy Pandit as executive director.
Founder and CEO of Gamesys Noel Hayden will step down as CEO and become executive chairman of Gamesys Group. The company’s COO Lee Fenton will take over as CEO.
Charles Hiten has been named managing director of Merkur Gaming Americas, replacing the late Jens Halle as the company seeks to enter the North American market.
Interblock will install its 24-station Diamond Roulette game at the new Elexus Hotel Resort Casino in Cyprus, in the game’s first installation on the island.
Innovative Technology was recognized as one of Britain’s top 200 private companies in terms of international sales growth, making the Sunday Times Track 200 list.
The company known for creating the mobile app “Game of War: Fire Age,” will open an office in Southern Nevada. It will also make $50 million in investments in the state, primarily through the purchase of 4,000 servers.
