Caesars Entertainment officials say top lenders have agreed to an amended restructuring plan to slash more than $10 billion in debt of its top operating unit. But it still faces lawsuits as a result of the bankruptcy that could derail the process. But new CEO Mark Frissora (l.) says better second quarter earnings shows the company is concentrating on operating its business.
Nearly 90 percent of Alabama voters want to vote on gambling and 80 percent favor an education lottery, according to a new Alabama Jobs Foundation poll. State Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh has proposed legislation that would allow casino gambling at four dog racetracks and a state lottery.
House Resolution 807 would let Georgia voters approve a constitutional amendment allowing six casinos in five licensing regions. Before it can go on the 2016 general election ballot, the resolution must pass a two-thirds vote in the House and Senate. The signature of Governor Nathan Deal (l.) would not be required.
Baha Mar Ltd. has issued a statement decrying the Bahamian government’s plan to take over the stalled $3.5 billion project and liquidate the current operating company. The move came after another round of negotiations conducted in Beijing between a government team sent by PM Perry Christie (l.), Baha Mar and the Chinese entities failed to produce any progress.
Melco Crown Entertainment Ltd. is likely to get 150 new live gaming tables from the Macau government for its new casino resort Studio City (l.), according to analysts from Deutsche Bank. It hoped for up to 400.
Although the Seminole compact expired July 31, Florida lawmakers are expected to focus on redistricting rather than renewing the agreement that gave the tribe exclusive card-game rights in exchange for giving the state $1 billion over five years. However, Senate President Bill Galvano (l.) and the governor's office have held meetings in anticipation of compact negotiations.
The AGA will host a panel at G2E featuring Caesars Entertainment CEO Mark Frissora, Scientific Games CEO Gavin Isaacs (l.) and Rush Street Gaming CEO Greg Carlin, moderated by UNLV’s Bo Bernhard.
Two coalitions of gaming tribes are at loggerheads as to how to proceed to legalize online poker in California. Some despair that they will ever meet in the middle while others have hopes of a compromise. Agua Caliente Chairman Jeff Grubbe (l.) doesn't want a bad bill.
This week, the GGB Podcast features a discussion with Ed Several, the senior vice president of Reed Exhibitions responsible for the staging of G2E 2015 about what to expect at this year’s show, September 28-30 and October 1.
Japanese billionaire Kazuo Okada (l.) will put at least $2 billion in Phase I of his integrated Manila Bay Resorts casino and entertainment complex. Okada will invest money from the equities market to help fund the complex.
The decline continues in Macau, where year-on-year gross gaming revenue for July fell 34.5 percent to MOP18.62 billion (US$2.33 billion). It’s the 14th consecutive month of an historic slump in the gaming hub. But some analyst noted improvements.
The Hong Kong division of the Malaysian gaming company has shelved its plan to construct a casino on South Korea’s Jeju Island to concentrate on its casino cruise business, according to reports. Meanwhile, the firm’s Singapore arm recently saw shares drop 8.3 percent to the lowest close since August 2009.
The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, now under construction in Macau, has abandoned a plan to add a casino to the property. The plan launched in 2013 originally called for 53,000 square feet of gaming space.
Macau’s Secretary for Security Wong Sio Chak has denied claims by the United States that women and children in the territory are subjected to human rights abuses including sex trafficking and forced labor.
The UK National Casino Forum, a national trade organization, has launched a self-exclusion and public awareness program aimed at curbing compulsive gamblers. The Self-Enrollment National Self-Exclusion program, or SENSE, will be introduced at the group’s land-based casino partners.
Queensland has approved Chinese-backed ASF Consortium’s plan to develop an integrated resort on state-owned land adjacent to Sea World. A planned cruise ship terminal (l.) has been shelved. The complex likely will not be open in time for the Commonwealth Games in 2018.
Echo Entertainment, which just beat out Crown Resorts to win Brisbane’s second casino license, may install an additional 1,000 poker machines at the planned $2 billion Queen’s Wharf development.
South Africa-based Sun International has opened its $30 million Sun Nao Casino in Cartagena. The city, located on the Caribbean coast of northern Colombia, welcomed almost 3 million tourists in 2104, the company says.
MoheganSunCasino.com has finished its New Jersey test period and is now licensed for online play in the state. The parent company operates Resorts casino in Atlantic City.
Several websites covering online poker are taking heart from Donald Trump’s strong showing in the early days of the presidential election due to the former casino mogul’s past support of online gaming. Trump was involved in the formation of an online gambling company, but it has not moved to enter the market.
Daily Fantasy Sports site DraftKings has increased its partnership with Major League Baseball and is now partnered with 27 teams. Meanwhile, rival FanDuel has signed a sponsorship deal with the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets.
A federal appeals court has rejected the plea of BetOnSports founder Gary Kaplan to avoid paying $36 million in delinquent taxes and penalties. The court dismissed Kaplan’s claim that his plea deal in a related criminal case precluded the government from pursuing the debt.
Tropicana Entertainment Inc. has launched “TropWorld Casino," a free-to-play social casino app for mobile phones and tablets featuring slots, video poker, and bingo games. The launch was made with social casino app developer and publisher Ruby Seven Studios.
Speaking to Vegas Inc. in an interview, Real Gaming co-founder Lawrence Vaughan (l.) said he is still bullish on the potential for online poker and gambling despite a slow start in Nevada. The industry, however, will need time to evolve, he said.
PokerStars has launched a new advertising campaign on Facebook starring global sports giants Cristiano Ronaldo (l.) and Neymar Jr. The players' Facebook fans were given an exclusive preview of commercials featuring the stars on their Facebook pages.
A study by the Australian government found that social media promotions and playing casino-style games can lead young people to real-money gambling. The study’s results are being pointed to by opponents of online gaming in the country.
Nektan has announced that it has been licensed for online gambling in Ireland making it one the first operators to be granted a remote betting intermediary license for the Irish market under the country’s new online gambling regulations.
Dutch gambling regulators have raised the fines for unauthorized online gambling sites taking bets from Dutch gamblers. The minimum fine for unauthorized online gambling activity will rise by €50k to €150k.
Casino Gran Madrid closed its online poker room effective July 31. The regulated online operation was part of an iPoker network closed to players outside Spain.
Even though virtual currencies such as Bitcoin were ruled a commodity in Australia, an Australian legislative committee recently suggested that they be treated as currencies. The distinction would exempt virtual currencies form goods and services taxes.
While the city of Boston continues to batter its head against the Wynn Everett casino resort, MGM Springfield has filed suit against Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy (l.) and others to try to stop a rival casino from opening in the state. Wynn has offered to help fund expansion of a subway stop near the proposed Everett casino.
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie (l.) has been sitting on a package of bills designed to help stabilize casino taxes in Atlantic City for more than a month. Now, the Casino Association of New Jersey is warning that more resort casinos could fail if the bills aren’t signed.
In an all-cash deal for an undisclosed sum, Penn National Gaming will buy slot route operators Prairie State Gaming,, gaining more than 1,100 VLTs in 270 Illinois locations. In the latest fiscal year, Prairie State Gaming posted nearly $10 million in EBITDA, ranking it among the top five route operators in the state.
The second quarter earnings call for MGM Resorts produced a new plan under which the company would undergo a “transformation,” said CEO Jim Murren. He explained how changing simple purchasing methods could result in higher profits. He also gave a preview of MGM Park (l.) on the Las Vegas Strip.
A move to allow casinos outside of Atlantic City will not go before New Jersey voters this year, but supporters of the plan now say they will use the extra time to create and an ad campaign in support of the idea. Polls have shown that a majority of New Jersey residents are against expanding casinos, but Meadowlands owner Jeff Gural (l.) says they can change the public’s mind.
District Court Judge Larry Hendricks recently denied the request of Cherokee County, Kansas to block construction of the $70 million Kansas Crossing Hotel & Casino in Crawford County. Cherokee County officials said the $145 million Castle Rock proposal (l.) would "have the highest revenue, most amenities and most jobs and attract 1 million visitors annually."
In Kansas, the only state that owns its casinos, strict regulations and game-change approval delays are costing the state and casinos much-needed revenue, according to a recent audit. But Kansas Racing and Gaming Commissioners said state law requires they approve changes to slots and table games, even banners and web sites.
The Sheraton Old San Juan Hotel in Puerto Rico becomes the latest to announce that it will be closing its casino. The announcement come weeks after the Condado Plaza Hilton suffered the same fate, and joins at least half a dozen other casinos that have closed in the last few months.
Before he determines if electronic bingo machines are legal, Judge William Shashy said he wants to see the outcome of other cases pending against Alabama casinos and if the legislature passes a constitutional amendment allowing a lottery and casinos. Meanwhile VictoryLand owner Milton McGregor (l.) said he may reopen the casino.
If tax laws change in Kansas, Wichita native Phil Ruffin (l.), the billionaire owner of Treasure Island in Las Vegas, said he would reopen as racinos the three shuttered dog racetracks he owns in the state. Under proposed legislation, he'd keep 64.5 percent of income the first year, versus paying 60 percent.
Due to the budget standoff in Illinois, communities with video gambling will not receive their share of video gambling profits, Governor Bruce Rauner's office announced. Additionally, cutbacks have led county fair boards plus the Illinois State Fair and Du Quoin State Fair to decrease the number of harness racing days.
Embankment slides due to heavy rains and flooding recently caused problems on Indiana roads leading to Horseshoe Southern Indiana riverboat casino and Belterra Casino Resort. Ed Feigenbaum, publisher of Indiana Gaming Insight, noted casinos face challenges keeping patrons informed who "are not prone to check casino websites, Twitter feeds or Facebook pages.”
Pinnacle Entertainment will hold a job fair August 19 to fill 200 jobs at its two St. Louis-area properties, Ameristar Casino Resort Spa St. Charles and River City Casino & Hotel. Full- and part-time jobs are available in casino and hotel operations, food and beverage, security, finance and more.
Full House Resorts purchased Ohio River riverfront acreage in Rabbit Hash, Kentucky to run a ferry to its Rising Star Casino in Rising Sun, Indiana. Chief Executive Officer Dan Lee said the move will make Rising Star "the closest casino to something like 60,000 people, whereas today, we’re probably the closest casino to about 6,000 people.”
Soon after the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation published changes to proposed rules for parimutuels, three challenges were filed. The North Florida Horsemen's Association, Second Chance Jai Alai and West Flagler Associates all accused regulators of overstepping their authority.
While owners of the New York racino Vernon Downs knew that the nearby Yellow Brick Road casino would cause some issues with losing revenue, they were not expecting it to be nearly $47,000 per week.
Arizona Department of Gaming Director Daniel Bergin claimed the Tohono O'odham Nation "engaged in deceptive behavior," so he did not have to grant a license for their Glendale casino (l.). The tribe sued Bergin, the governor and the attorney general. But earlier a federal judge ruled although tribal officials did not reveal their plans, the casino is okay.
The chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, John Barrasso (l.), has introduced a bill that many feel has a good chance to “fix” the 2009 U.S. Supreme Court Carcieri v. Salazar ruling.
Leaders of the Catawba Indian Nation are close to a deal with Hard Rock International to operate the tribe's proposed $600 million casino in Kings Mountain, North Carolina. The South Carolina-based tribe applied for land-trust status in 2013 and said the project would create 5,000 jobs.
The lean times for the Mohegan Sun may be over. Third quarter earnings reports show a significant trend upwards in profits. A new hotel that will open next year can only add to that positive movement says the tribe.
The Kalispel Tribe in Washington wants to purchase the bankrupt Spokane Country Club and add its golf course and amenities to its Northern Quest Resort and Casino. The tribe bid $3 million for the club, the lowest of four offers. Pro golfer Phil Mickelson's M Club Holdings offered the lowest bid at $2.8 million.
The Los Coyotes Band of Cahuilla and Cupeño Indians in San Diego County and the city of Barstow, in the middle of the desert, are awaiting a decision from the federal government on whether it will put land into trust for the tribe, so that it can build a casino.
NIGA (National Indian Gaming Association) Chairman Ernie Stevens Jr. (l.) last week issued a statement clarifying his role as an unpaid adviser to the Blue Stone Strategy Group, which is being sued by a former employee.
Nearly half of the recently announced $557 million budget of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in North Carolina comes from its gaming enterprise. The money supports tribal housing and health care services, plus direct per capita payments to tribal members.
Illinois could have its first tribal gaming facility if the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation is successful in having 129 acres it owns in DeKalb County taken into federal trust. The county and the tribe signed an intergovernmental agreement to develop a casino in 2008.
Although it has been over three years in the making, the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians in Michigan are confident plans for a $245 million casino in Lansing (l.) will see fruition. Opposing tribes do not share the same sentiment.
In an effort to boost flat sales of certain lottery games, Florida Lottery officials are said to be reviewing selling tickets online and at ATMs and gas pumps. Bid documents released earlier this year asked companies vying for the potential $300 million contract to prove they could operate internet ticket sales.
North Carolina will become the fourth state to offer lottery tickets to customers at gas station pumps. The “Play at the Pump” program will allow customers to purchase lottery tickets via debit card.
Chris Downy, president of the New South Wales Liberal Party since 2012, has resigned his post to become a senior executive for the Star Casino in Sydney. Downy is a longtime lobbyist for the gaming industry in Australia.
A 30-year veteran of the hospitality industry and ten-year veteran of the casino industry, Keith Sensabaugh, has joined Snoqualmie Casino in Washington State as chief operating officer.
Dr. Ashley Brown Burns has joined TMG Consulting. Burns brings with her eight years of experience in public policy, and has worked for a variety of causes such as fighting inequality and poverty, while working on affordable housing and community development.
Comtrade Gaming announced that Igor Rus has been named Head of Business Development and Marketing. Rus will be responsible for the creation of fresh opportunities, opening new markets for Comtrade's products and formation of new strategic partnerships within the industry, the company said.
SFC contracted Aristocrat for games to stock a renovation of the gaming floor at its Casino Châtel-Guyon, bringing Aristocrat’s share to over half of the floor.
Win Systems has received a certificate of compliance for Chile and Colombia from Gaming Laboratories International for its WIGOS casino management system.
Gaming Laboratories International hosted a training seminar for tribal regulators in concert with the OIGA trade show, and announced plans for a Latin American regulator roundtable.
