A federal appeals court, which included Maryanne Trump Barry (shown with her famous brother, Donald Trump), has denied New Jersey’s attempt to circumvent a federal ban on sports betting and upheld the federal ban saying only an act of Congress can allow sports betting in states not already exempted from the ban. The state still has an option to appeal, though this is the second time its attempt to start sports betting have been struck down by the courts.
The $1.7 billion Wynn Everett Casino has overcome another hurdle when Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Matthew Beaton (l.) approved the traffic and environmental report developed by Wynn Resorts. It followed by days the endorsement of Massachusetts Transportation Secretary Stephanie Pollack, who last week told environmental officials that they should issue a permit for the project.
The Korean government last week identified nine integrated resort sites for an upcoming RFP process. Most of the sites are near the Incheon airport, but does not include the island of Jeju, where Caesars and Lippo plan a foreigners-only casino resort (l.). Jeju will still be considered because it’s a self-governing province.
Fresh off reports of a mega-merger between Ladbrokes and Coral Group, two more online giants from the British Isles are joining forces—Paddy Power and Betfair—bringing together a leading global bookmaker with the world’s largest online betting exchange.
The state of Florida and the Seminoles are in compact negotiations after a long stalemate, said Florida Senate Regulated Industries Chairman Rob Bradley (l.). A provision of the 2010 agreement expired July 31, granting the tribe exclusive rights to offer banked card games in exchange for giving the state $1 billion over five years.
Caesars Entertainment finally has gotten the green light from the major creditors of its largest operating subsidiary to take the subsidiary out of federal bankruptcy protection as a relatively healthy casino management company shorn of $10 billion of debt and its properties spun off into a real estate investment trust. The subsidiary is the operator of Caesars Atlantic City (l.).
Rosewood Hotels and Resorts International has filed a motion to withdraw from the troubled Baha Mar project (l.) in the Bahamas. In a Delaware bankruptcy court, Rosewood said its agreement to develop a hotel at the resort should be voided.
Despite everything that its opponents can throw at it, the Desert Diamond West Valley Resort in Glendale, Arizona is still on schedule to open a temporary casino by the end of 2014. The Tohono O’odham Nation is building the $300 million casino. Tribal Chairman Edward D. Manuel (l.) said the casino is being built to create jobs.
A September grand opening is planned for the first casino resort in Russia’s Primorye region (plans at left). Tigre de Cristal, developed and managed by Lawrence Ho’s Summit Ascent Holdings, is the first in a series of luxury resorts planned for the zone.
The new Everi Holding, formerly GCA and Multimedia Games, led by CEO Ram Chary, rang the bell at the New York Stock Exchange last week. While it was a celebration for the newly renamed company, it was far from an auspicious beginning as the NYSE index plunged 1,000 points right after opening.
This week the GGB Podcast focuses on Aristocrat Leisure in a conversation with CEO Jamie Odell, and Maureen Sweeny, the chief commercial officer, on the remarkable achievements made at their company over the past couple of years.
Vietnamese lawmakers are recommending legalize casino gaming for locals, even as some officials look to increase punishments for gamblers. Foreigners and those with dual citizenship can gamble, but it is considered “a social evil” for the Vietnamese. But Ho Chi Minh City’s Do Van Duong (l.) says gambling will happen even with restrictions.
Macau’s gaming industry has traditionally benefited from its popularity among Mainland Chinese high rollers, who have kept the casinos busy and profitable (VIP room at Galaxy Macau at left). Now the city’s close association with mainland VIPs is adding to its ongoing struggles.
Donaco International will bring Macau junket operator Heng Sheng Group to its Star Vegas Resort & Club in Cambodia. The deal will start in 2015 and run for three years. The company also has signed a sponsorship deal with Manchester United football (l., lifting the cup in 2008).
Malaysia’s First World Hotel is once again the “world’s largest hotel,” according to the Guinness Book of Records. Weighing in at 7,351 rooms, the hotel, operated by Resorts World Genting at the Genting Highlands leisure complex north of Kuala Lumpur, reclaimed the crown following a recent 1,200-room expansion. And the company’s Hong Kong subsidiary is doing quite fine too.
Mariana Entertainment plans to open a second slot hall on the island of Saipan in the Northern Marianas, according to multiple reports. The company currently operated Club 88 at the island’s Ocean View Hotel.
Now a fixture on the European Poker Tour, Barcelona is solidifying its place as a destination for the best players from around the world. The first city of Spain’s sunny south has hosted 71 tournaments so far this year, attracting 4,000 players from 150 countries.
The UK bookmaker William Hill is kicking off an ad campaign designed to highlight some of the high tech products that it offers players for betting on sports games, such as football.
UK gaming giant Rank Group beat estimates for its latest financial year with a 16 percent surge in operating profit on revenues that exceeded £738 million. The company’s online and remote operations led the stellar performance with increased revenues of 21 percent.
Since the downturn in Macau’s gaming market began last June, other jurisdictions have been clamoring to turn that decline into a bonanza by luring Chinese high rollers. It seems to be working for Australia and New Zealand, where revenues are up 20 percent. Macau VIP operators Jimei is doing business with Crown Casino Perth (l.).
Sun International expected a 27 increase in earnings for the financial year to end in June, but was undermined by poor returns at its new casino in Panama and foreign exchange losses in Nigeria.
The government of Chile will decide September 10 which of two competing proposals will hold a gaming license for the city of Chillan. The winning bidder will have until late 2017 to complete the new resort. One of the bidders is the Boldt casino (l.).
The Cascades Casino Kamloops opened in British Columbia last week, replacing an older casino, the Laker City Casino. The new casino has 500 slots, 18 table games and a three-table poker room and is much larger and brighter than its predecessor.
The government or panchayat of Anjuna-Caisua in Goa, India has voted unanimously to oppose a proposed relocation of offshore casinos to the River Chapora. The members believe casinos would pollute the water, interrupt fishing, and lead to social problems.
The 5,000 square foot, $5 million expansion and renovation has been completed at the Gold Eagle Casino in North Battleford, Saskatchewan. The upgrade includes a self-contained smoking section with its own entrance and improved ventilation system. The rest of the casino is smoke-free. It provides jobs for more than 320 First Nation employees.
Judicial Watch, a conservative legal foundation, is suing the Justice Department for documents related to its reinterpretation of the 1961 Wire Act in favor of state regulation of internet gaming. “The American people have a right to know,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton (l.).
GVC Holdings says it is making “significant progress” with its bid to acquire bwin.party and is readying an official proposal. GVC has put forward a bid of ₤1.1 billion for the online gaming company. Bwin, however, had already favored a ₤900 million bid from 888 Holdings before GVC upped its previous bid. In a later statement, GVC said it is willing to walk away from the deal if the bwin board continues to back the 888 bid.
The Philippine government will investigate illegal online gaming, which it says is associated with other crimes including gun running. The allegedly foreign-run activities are suspected in special economic zones such as Subic and Santa Ana.
Daily fantasy sports site DraftKing’s recent acquisition of a UK gaming license has led to speculation that the site might open a true sportsbook in the UK. DraftKings CEO says that isn’t going to happen.
UK online sportsbook Sportingbet allegedly continued to take Irish bets even after the introduction of new legislation requiring it to be licensed in the Irish Republic, according to reports. The alleged oversight involved fewer than 200 players.
While daily fantasy sports are currently an unregulated form of gambling, that may change before you know it, as the Nevada Gaming Control Board is taking a closer look into it. NVGB Chairman AG Burnett (l.) has announced a “legal analysis” is currently ongoing.
Irish online gambling site Boylesports is planning an expansion into Asian markets in early 2016. The company is also eyeing expansion into Eastern Europe and West Africa.
Leeds United football club has announced a partnership with leading bookmakers Coral to become the club’s official betting and gaming partner. The bookmaker will also sponsor the North East Corner Stand.
Matthew Berry, ESPN senior fantasy sports analyst, was greeted by more than 400 fans at the FireKeepers Casino Fantasy Football Event in Battle Creek, Michigan, who paid $10 each to hear Berry's anecdotes and advice. More than 56.8 million people play fantasy sports in the U.S. and Canada.
Kentucky House Speaker Greg Stumbo (l.) said in the next legislative session he will introduce a constitutional amendment allowing seven casinos and dedicating revenues to education and the horseracing industry. The bill could face voters in November 2016. Stumbo said Kentuckians spend more than $3 billion annually at casinos outside the state.
Despite fighting hard in the general assembly and first special session for a constitutional amendment to legalize a state lottery and four racinos, Alabama Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh said he would not propose the measure in the second special session. State Senator Paul Sanford (l.) announced he will introduce a lottery proposal.
Officials in Black Hawk and Gilpin County in Colorado are appealing a federal court ruling stating gaming tax revenue allocation is constitutional. Gilpin wants more since the biggest casinos are there in Black Hawk. Cripple Creek (l.) and Teller County officials aren't worried, but could lose $2.5 million in tax revenue if Gilpin wins.
New Mexico could get another racino. The state is entitled to another license, according to the New Mexico Racing Commission, although it hasn’t set a timetable for when that might happen. Interest in such a project has been reignited in the town of Clovis.
The New Jersey AFL-CIO has called for a boycott of Carl Icahn-owned casinos in Atlantic City in support of the city’s main casino workers union, which is embroiled in a battle with Icahn at the Trump Taj Mahal. Icahn (l.) is acquiring the casino and also owns the Tropicana casino in the city. The local union has shown signs it is preparing to strike the Taj Mahal.
The Texas Racing Commission recently voted 4-3 with one abstention to uphold historical racing rules. But the vote sets up a battle between the commission and legislators who could withhold the agency's $7.7 million budget, putting an end to both the commission and the tracks it regulates.
Two meetings will be hosted in September by the Georgia Senate Preservation of the HOPE Scholarship Program Study Committee to review legalizing casino and horse racing gambling. MGM Resorts International recently has been looking at Atlanta properties for a potential $1 billion casino destination.
Though Atlantic City’s remaining casinos are seeing increases in profit, overall the resort’s casino market has shrunk by almost 12 percent in the first half of 2015. Four Atlantic City casinos, including Trump Plaza (l.), closed in 2014, but the remaining casinos have seen a slight increase in revenue of 3.5 percent.
Horseshoe Baltimore is looking to play a more dominant role in the economic revitalization of the surrounding neighborhood. City officials have developed a master plan centered on the casino, and Horseshoe management thinks a hotel of its own will fit perfectly into the scheme.
With the entrance of ride-sharing companies looms ahead for taxicab companies in Las Vegas, they have responded with rate hikes for customers. Uber and Lyft are expected to begin operations in Las Vegas sometime in November.
A recent court ruling has suspended the construction of the Lago casino project (l.) in the Finger Lakes region of New York. The court ruled that developers circumvented an environmental law.
Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast on August 29, 2005, destroying or severely damaging Mississippi's 12 casinos, including the President (l.), which was carried several hundred years to come to rest on the main highway in Biloxi (l.). Only two did not reopen. Today the 11 existing casinos all are secured on land with a 12th under construction. Business is back, with gross revenue reaching $1.08 billion in 2014.
Atlantic City’s Resorts Casino has opened a $9.4 million conference center with state-of-the-art audio-visual technology. The center is part of an overall about $80 million investment in the property, which has helped bring Resorts back to profitability.
In South Florida, Gulfstream Park Racing & Casino has introduced a popular new loyalty program plus nightly food and drink specials. At Hialeah Park Racing & Casino, a $60 million renovation has added customer-friendly amenities, with plans for a new luxury hotel and shopping center continue.
Gaming revenue at Harrah's New Orleans (l.) jumped more than 26 percent in July, following a scary drop of 30.7 percent in June following the citywide smoking ban that took effect in April. Casino officials attributed the increase to an exceptionally high hold on table games, although slots revenue dropped 19.5 percent.
The Gun Lake Tribe in Michigan, owners of the Gun Lake Casino (l.), recently withheld its $7 million revenue sharing payment, as required by its state compact. The tribe said online lottery sales, which began last summer, broke the compact's non-compete provision. More of the state's 12 casino-operating tribes are said to be "deeply concerned" about online lottery sales.
A booklet put out to influence tribal members of the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) to vote for a Class II casino on Martha’s Vineyard reveals some details about the proposed facility. The tribe voted two weeks ago in a referendum on the casino—and the casino won.
A Washington state tribe, the Port Gamble S’Klallam, plans to build a 94-room hotel (l.) adjacent to its existing Point Casino. The casino opened about 20 years ago.
The Ak-Chin Indian Community plans to expand its Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino in Maricopa, Arizona, with a $100 million expansion that will include 200 more hotel rooms and several restaurants. The expansion will break ground early next year.
A California casino closed since October of 2014 could reopen in September. However, the Picayune Rancheria of Chukchansi Indians still face several hurdles before that happens. CEO Christian Goode (l.) says the exact date of opening is still up in the air.
A tribe that operates a Class II casino a few miles from San Francisco is looking to put more than 1,000 acres into trust near the town of Windsor in Sonoma County. The proposal is generating considerable controversy among townspeople who fear the development and fear that, despite its protestations, the tribe wants to build a casino.
Two Oklahoma tribes seek permission from the federal government to put land into trust so they can build a $25 million casino in the town of Guymon. The Shawnee and Chickasaw Nation want to build the Golden Mesa Casino (l.), which would be managed by Global Gaming Solutions.
The Oklahoma-based Muscogee (Creek) Nation's population has risen, and so have expenses, said Principal Chief George Tiger (l.). The result is an $18.7 million gaming revenue gap in the tribe's $85.1 million fiscal 2016 budget. But National Council members told Tiger, who survived a recall earlier this year, he could have vetoed several appropriations.
The Eastern Band of the Cherokee Nation's $110 million Harrah's Cherokee Valley River Casino & Hotel (l.) will open September 28 in Murphy, North Carolina. The property will create 900 jobs and offer a 50,000 square foot casino floor with 1,050 slots and 70 table games, a 300-room hotel and five-restaurant food court.
The 20-year old Grand Portage Lodge and Casino in Minnesota is undergoing a three-phase expansion to be completed in spring 2017. The project will double the casino floor, and include 90 renovated rooms, a new grand entrance with a three-story atrium lobby, remodeled restaurant, new pool and fitness area, expanded meeting facilities and additional parking.
Rather than refurbish an existing building, the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community now is considering building a new casino at the site of its Ojibwa Casino and Hotel in Baraga, Michigan, as recommended by a Global Market Advisors report. The tribe also may extensively renovate its Ojibwa Casino Marquette.
Legislators in North Carolina recently asked state lottery officials for ideas about generating more lottery revenue, which primarily funds education. Some suggestions included increase advertising spending, offer Club Keno, allow video lottery terminals and offer "E-instant games" online.
The Wyoming Lottery is a year old. Generally considered successful, it is also drawing fire for not paying money to local government as the state law that created it mandated it to do.
Pinky Kravitz (l.), longtime South Jersey radio personality is retiring after more than 50 years covering Atlantic City due to health reasons. Kravitz covered the gaming industry for most of his career.
The government of New Zealand has announced the reappointments of Graeme Reeves (l.) as chief gambling commissioner and Wendie Harvey and Russell Bell as fellow commissioners.
Jokers Gold, the latest game developed by leading bookmaker Gala Coral’s in-house studio, CR Games, was launched on mobile and desktop to further strengthen the company’s omnichannel gaming offer.
G2E will provide North America with its first look at AlfaStreet’s very first slot machines. The Slovenia manufacturer, known as a global leader in electronic table games, says the new slots are generating “huge interest” internationally.
In the light of some high profile match fixing and corruption scandals, the discussion panel titled “Sport and Betting: Working as One Team to Safeguard Mutual Survival” has been scheduled for the upcoming Malta iGaming Seminar is aimed at developing solutions to restore consumer confidence.
