Bwin.party has accepted a ₤1.1 billion offer from GVC Holdings over a previously accepted bid from 888 Holdings. The move creates another online gaming giant and ends months of bidding for bwin. The big winners were shareholders and activist investor Jason Ader (l.) who pressured bwin management to get the most for the company.
California’s Governor Jerry Brown (l.) has a much different relationship with gaming tribes than the man who had his job before him, Arnold Schwarzenegger. The difference is almost that of day and night. Brown has recently completed several gaming compacts with little or no controversy.
The chairmen of the Mashantucket Pequot and the Mohegan tribes, Kevin Brown and Rodney Butler (l.), last week signed a formal agreement that says they will work together to set up a satellite Indian casino in a nearly obsolete mall in the Connecticut town of Enfield. The casino is meant to keep Connecticut gamblers from visiting the new MGM Springfield casino in Massachusetts, slated to open in 2018.
The Poarch Band of Creek Indians offered to pay Alabama $250 million in licensing fees for a new casino but Governor Robert Bentley (l.) said that wouldn't solve the state's $200 million budget gap. Meantime, the tribe’s casino operations are safe from being shut down by the state of Alabama, according to a recent ruling by the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The court upheld a lower court's ruling that only the federal government can regulate what occurs on tribal lands.
Massachusetts’ first casino, Plainridge Park Casino (l.), is enjoying better than anticipated profits since it opened in June. It is also causing nearby casinos in Rhode Island some heartburn. And now that Brockton appears to be the victor in the southeastern region, nearby towns are clamoring for a piece of the action.
Miguel Angel Ochoa Sanchez (l.), the president of the Mexican Gaming Association, recently says an online gaming bill could pass sometime during the next Senate session, which began this month and will last until December.
Tinian Dynasty Casino on the Marianas Islands closed “temporarily” last month, purportedly due to a typhoon. Now reports are circulating that the property’s hotel, which remained open, also will close this month.
For a change, Macau’s gaming industry went into September with some positive numbers, according to analysts. Gross gaming revenue for the first week up, and average daily revenue exceeded August ADR by 14 percent. Still, Macau Chief Executive Fernando Chui Sai On (l.) says austerity measures are needed.
Controversial gaming regulator Richard Schuetz has been named executive director of the newly formed Bermuda Gaming Commission to oversee the introduction of casinos to the island nation. But will he be missed on the California Gambling Control Commission?
You can’t watch a sporting event any more without seeing ads touting the latest and greatest fantasy sports site, or hear about the massive amounts of money they’ve raised by recognizable companies. So how is that working out?
This week, the GGB Podcast sits down with Dave Rebuck, the director of New Jersey’s Division of Gaming Enforcement on how his agency has responded to the downsizing of the Atlantic City gaming market over the past year.
VinaCapital, which once planned a $4 billion casino resort in Vietnam in partnership with Malaysia’s Genting Berhad, has a new partner: Hong Kong’s Chow Tai Fook, operators of luxury jewelry stores in Asia (l.).
Legendary defense attorney Alan Dershowitz (l.) has been retained by Sands China Ltd. in its bid to have the Nevada Supreme Court throw out the wrongful termination lawsuit filed by its former CEO.
Gaming in Singapore and Malaysia is stable, according to a new report from Fitch Ratings. The outlook is positive for the markets despite fewer visitors to Singapore and lower win rates for Genting in the VIP segment at both its properties, Resorts World Genting in Malaysia and Resorts World Sentosa (l.) in Singapore.
Kazuo Okada’s Universal Entertainment Corp. has issued $600 million worth of offshore corporate notes to help pay for its Manila casino resort (l.). The bonds have a yield of 12 percent yearly and are due in 2020.
Philippine Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago says City of Dreams Manila’s likely suspension of 100 employees due to sluggish second-quarter results could create a bad precedent. She is asking for an investigation.
The UK Gambling Commission has ordered the Rank Group and other operators to beef up their anti-money laundering measures. A former Rank patron was recently sentenced to prison for money laundering.
Irish gaming regulators have issued 27 remote gaming licenses that will allow operators to offer their games to Irish players. All licenses are valid for two years and will be subject to renewal for €10,000 (US$11,275).
The health of the economy of the Bahamas appears to hinge on when the long-awaited Baha Mar casino resort opens. However, the resort’s opening is mired in legal wrangling and bankruptcy.
The head of Mexico's National Tourist Business Council, Pablo Azcarraga (l), will meet with the newly appointed secretary of Tourism, Enrique de la Madrid Cordero, to express concerns regarding proposed casino laws. Azcarraga said regional tourism could be affected if the laws are imposed without careful review.
Justin Fung (l.), CEO of the Aquis Group, has extended a number of deeds to land in Queensland as he continued to plan the $8 billion Aquis Great Barrier Reef Resort.
The Bombay High Court has asked the Maharashtra government to put into action a 40-year-old law that legalized casinos in the state. A law student discovered that the statute passed in 1976.
Genting Hong Kong may increase its stake in Australian casino operator Echo Entertainment above 10 percent, says New South Wales’ gaming authority. The new cap is reported to be 23 percent.
SkyCity Casino, New Zealand’s largest hospitality employer, has agreed to dispense with zero-hours contracts and give its part-time employees guaranteed hours.
UK bookmaker William Hill is unfazed by criticism that its new in-play betting app is illegal. The claim comes from anti-gaming corners in Australia who claim the company is acting out of greed.
The Aussie government is targeting foreign online gaming operations that take bets from Australians. Social Services Minister Scott Morrison (l.) says the online market in Australia is worth a total of $1.6 billion.
The proposed merger of Betfair and PaddyPower would create a $1.7 billion exchange mega-giant. But upstart competitors see that as an opportunity, not a threat. They believe that focusing on sportsbooks, not exchanges, offers an opportunity to attract exchange customers looking for something different.
Caesars Interactive Entertainment will offer PayPal as a payment option for WSOP.com in Nevada. PayPal has been reluctant to process online gambling transactions.
The New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement has approved Caesars Interactive’s move to host games for the Delaware lottery from its New Jersey based servers. SG Interactive, a division of Scientific Games, will provide game content from servers located in Caesars’ data center in Atlantic City to the Delaware Lottery’s online gambling platform.
According to GamblingCompliance, the Michigan Gaming Control Board has ruled that playing daily fantasy sports for money is illegal. State Senator Curtis Hertel has introduced a measure making DFS a game of skill, and therefore legal. The state attorney general's office has not targeted DFS sites or players—yet.
Sports network ESPN has introduced expanded coverage of college football gambling lines, which has raised some concerns from College Football officials. USA Today talked to two college football conference heads who have some misgivings about the new coverage.
A continued prohibition on online gaming in the United States is pointless and only endangers players while preventing legitimate, regulated gaming sites from operating and depriving state and federal governments of potential tax revenue, MGM Casino Resorts CEO Jim Murren (l.) recently told Las Vegas media.
New York Senate committee is examining a proposal to legalize online poker in the state and faces stiff opposition from a variety of groups. Poker Players Alliance Executive Director John Pappas encouraged the committee to pursue legalization to protect players and boost tax revenues.
E-gaming grew by 30 percent in financial year 2013-2014, surpassing insurance as the largest business sector in the Isle of Man's economy. E-gaming now has a 16.7 percent sector share, with insurance at 14.6 percent. Chief Minister Allan Bell said this indicates efforts to diversify the economy beyond finance have been successful.
Caesars Interactive Entertainment’s Playtika division has purchased Israeli app developer Big Blue Parrot, makers of the popular Poker Friends app. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but reports put the acquisition at about $10 million.
TradeLogic and BetConstruct announced a partnership that will provide financial betting products via a new Spring platform. The partnership helps BetConstruct to better serve its customers, while TradeLogic continues to grow its number of brands across a wide range of markets.
Scientific Games Corporation has launched Hot Shot Casino on Facebook, the first social casino to combine Williams, Shuffle Master, and Bally content in one game.
In the 10 years since Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans' casino industry has impressively recovered. Its three casinos—Boomtown, Treasure Chest and Harrah's New Orleans—generated $552.5 million last year, the result of recession and competition, after a peak of nearly $700 million in 2007. But new hotels and other amenities are attracting gamblers and visitors.
The industry got a glimpse at how Caesars Entertainment’s largest operating subsidiary might perform if financially healthy. Caesars reported results to the federal Bankruptcy Court overseeing the division’s restructuring that show it turned a $29.1 million profit in July. The company also asked for approval to sell its shuttered facility (l.) in Tunica, Mississippi.
In court documents, ACR Energy—which has been embroiled in a fight with Atlantic City Revel owner Glen Straub—said the developer is trying to sell the closed Revel property (l.). Straub denied the charge, but did say he would consider a good offer for the property.
The New Jersey Thoroughbred Horseman’s Association has filed an appeal in New Jersey’s sports betting case asking for a review by the full Appellate Court. An appeals court panel quashed the state’s latest effort to start sports betting.
Atlantic City’s largest casino workers union has joined in a call for a boycott of Carl Icahn’s Atlantic City casinos—The Trump Taj Mahal and the Tropicana (l.). The union is fighting with Icahn over health and pension benefits at the Taj Mahal. The union set up large lighted displays urging the boycott over the Labor Day Weekend.
Smokers who visit Harrah's New Orleans have to go outside to smoke, subjecting them to safety and security concerns. To fix the situation, Harrah's has applied to build two courtyards that also will offer slot machines, with "no adverse sound or lighting impact on Harrah's neighbors," officials stated.
Stockton University has received several proposals to buy the closed Showboat casino In Atlantic City and held a meeting of the school’s Board of Trustees to discuss the offers.
Credit Suisse must pay $211.9 million in damages and restitution for its role in a scheme that used inflated appraisals to convince investors to back a $540 refinancing of the Lake Las Vegas Resort (l.) in 2007, a Texas district judge ordered. A jury in December found Credit Suisse was liable for its role in the scheme.
National labor union UNITE HERE says the proposed sale of 14 casinos owned by Pinnacle Entertainment to Gaming and Leisure Properties would create monopolies in three casino markets and limit competition if the FTC doesn’t stop it. It fails to note that the casinos will still be operated by Pinnacle, and only owned by GLPI.
Ride-hailing service Uber’s September Las Vegas informational meetings for prospective drivers were so popular among that hopeful drivers created traffic several traffic jams on their way to the meetings. Uber asked for an unlimited number of licenses to operate in Nevada, and the Nevada Taxi Authority might issue permits as early as November.
The Hollywood Casino in West Virginia wants its new table games dealers to have personality to improve the gaming experience for players. Because people can be trained to be good dealers, the casino wants to ensure candidates are personable and have the kind of personality that will attract more players.
Wynn Resorts in Las Vegas wants to end its relationship with power provider NV Energy and pursue more affordable energy from natural gas. Nevada law allows large energy consumers that use more than one megawatt per year to provide their own energy instead of buying it from NV Energy, and Wynn Resorts offered to pay the utility a $15 million fee to do so.
An about $30 million project to build a seawall (l.) and repair the Inlet section of Atlantic City’s Boardwalk has begun. The project is being funded by the Army Corp of Engineers and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Kansas Crossing Casino officials received a 90-day extension of the project's commencement date from the Kansas Lottery Commission, due to pending litigation. The Cherokee County Board of Commissioners and competitor Castle Rock Casino Resort both allege Kansas did not follow the law when awarding the state's final gaming license to Kansas Crossing.
The growth of casinos in Maryland over the past five years has been matched by an increase in gambling addicts, but many have few options for treatment.
The Oneida Nation sued the New York State Gaming Commission to force it to release documents regarding the potential granting of licenses for three new casinos in the Finger Lakes area that threaten the viability of its Turning Stone casino (l.). Meanwhile, an environmental review stalled casino construction in Tyre.
Scheduled to open by the end of the year, Scarlet Pearl Casino will receive $7-$10 million in tax-increment financing bonds from the city of D'Iberville, Mississippi. Mayor Randy Quave said a TIF plan is essential because "business just does not come and knock on your door."
Because of 25 violations that occurred between 2010 and 2014 under Greektown Superholdings, the former owners of Greektown Casino-Hotel (l.) in Detroit, current owners Rock Gaming must pay $530,000 in fines. The offenses included land swap, minors in the casino, liquor, board orders and licensing requirement violations, among others.
The recent Super Smash Bros. gaming event at the E-Sports Lounge in Blacksburg, Virginia attracted more than 100 gamers. E-Sports owner Greg Fulton wants to turn the lounge into a hot spot for competitive gaming and ultimately wants to build club gaming to a level where the NCAA would consider sanctioning e-sports.
Video gambling remains off-limits in St. Charles, Illinois as the city council's government operations committee voted 6-3 to uphold a ban on the machines. Members of the local Fraternal Order of Moose lodge and owners of several local restaurants had requested that video gambling be allowed.
The Texas Racing Commission will be funded for three months in a deal negotiated by Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, state Rep. John Otto and state Senator Jane Nelson, who wanted to defund the commission for approving historical racing without legislature's consent. Racetracks statewide had been forced to shut down for a day.
Because of improper procedures in hiring security and maintenance vendor United Maintenance, plus issues with several promotions, Illinois' largest casino, Rivers Casino in Des Plaines (l.), must pay a $2 million fine. In addition, the casino's General Manager Michael St. Pierre and Vice President of Marketing Daniel Brockdorf were suspended without pay.
Two weeks after its July 17 maiden voyage, the Blue Horizon casino boat was struck by lightning, damaging its communication system. Expected to resume day trips by Labor Day, the 160-foot, 600-passenger vessel remains in dry dock as the radio gear is repaired and new engines are installed.
Escambia County, Alabama Tax Assessor Jim Hildreth wants the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to reverse an earlier decision that prevents his office from collecting $23 million in back taxes from the Poarch Band of Creek Indians' Wind Creek Casino. The tribe earlier sued Hildreth for unlawfully assessing taxes on tribal land.
The U.S. Supreme Court may decide to rule on a case between Oklahoma and the Kialagee Tribal Town, which wants to build the Red Clay casino near Tulsa. The land is not tribal land, but the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that the state may not sue the tribe due to sovereign immunity. The state has appealed.
A casino in Northern California closed eleven months ago due to an armed incursion by a faction of the Picayune Rancheria of Chukchansi Indians, is set to reopen sometime this month. Although it missed its planned opening of Labor Day weekend, COO Christian Goode (l.) insists the opening is imminent.
Florida and the Seminoles are working on a new compact ahead of the October 1 deadline. Currently the Seminoles can exclusively offer banked card games in exchange for $1 billion. Observers said the tribe wants to offer the card games (l.) in more venues plus roulette and craps, and the state wants a larger cut.
Mayor Richard J. Berry chose a bowling alley over a casino hotel to help revitalize Albuquerque’s downtown. Four Pueblos presented a plan for a casino, 400-room hotel and 12,000-seat arena, but Berry said the proposal was not family friendly. The upscale bowling lounge project also will feature office space, apartments and a parking garage.
The governor of Washington, Jay Islee (l.), will decide whether the Spokane Tribe may build a casino near Spokane. The tribe is requesting an off-reservation casino, so the governor has a veto.
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians' second North Carolina casino, Harrah's Cherokee Valley River Casino, will open September 28 in Murphy. About one-third the size of Harrah's Cherokee, it will feature a gaming floor with 1,000 slots and 70 table games, a 300-room hotel, food court and lounge, and will create 900 jobs.
One of the largest casino resorts in California, Graton Resort and Casino, in Northern California, has decided to build a new six-story hotel, something that its tribal chairman calls “icing on the cake.”
During its September monthly meeting, the Osage Congress is scheduled to discuss adding a six-story hotel and nearly doubling gaming space at the Osage Casino in Tulsa, Oklahoma, to boost tribal revenues and continue recent improvements to the tribe’s casinos.
The Arizona Gaming Department’s interpretation of gaming compacts threatens to end millions of dollars in annual funding for the state’s nonprofits and charities. State gaming officials say tribal casinos only should share revenues directly with local units of government and not local charities, per gaming compacts.
Former Kickapoo Tribe Chief Financial Officer Bobbi Darnell has been added to the tribe's lawsuit filed August 12 in tribal court against former Chairman Clifford "Steve" Cadue. The lawsuit alleges both failed to notify the tribal council of financial irregularities dating back to 2013.
In Superior Court in Thurston County, Washington, Judge Gary R. Tabor recently ruled the 2011 agreement between the city of La Center and the Cowlitz Indian Tribe to provide sewer services to the tribe's reservation and proposed casino complex violates Clark County planning policies. Tribal Chairman Billy Iyall said the tribe is considering building its own sewer facilities.
A San Diego tribe, the Jamul Indian Village, hopes to open its $360 million Hollywood Casino in about a year. Penn National Gaming will operate the casino.
In a ruling that will almost certainly be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that states may not tax non-Indian businesses that the tribe allows to operate on tribal land
A Northern California tribe, the Enterprise Rancheria of Oroville, has obtained funding to allow it to build a permanent Class II casino in Yuba County. It has so far failed to obtain a gaming compact for a Class III casino.
New Mexico Secretary of State Dianna Duran recently was charged with fraud, embezzlement, conspiracy, money laundering and other crimes. She spent most if not all of the embezzled funds on gambling. She also withdrew nearly a quarter of a million dollars at Sandia Casino in two years.
Despite the opening of the state’s first racino, predictions of lower sales for the lottery have not come to pass. In fact, sales are up in the area of the new Plainridge Park Casino.
The European Gaming and Betting Association is challenging the Dutch government’s issuing of lottery licenses in 2014 as “non-transparent and discriminatory” in a formal complaint to Kansspelautoriteit, the Dutch gaming regulator.
Florida Lottery Secretary Cynthia O'Connell resigned August 28, following reports she took nine weeks of vacation last year, charged $30,000 in subsidized travel and used her Lottery credit card at stores, hair salons and car washes and the dentist. Governor Rick Scott said O'Connell “has done a tremendous job serving Florida families.”
Because of Illinois' budget stalemate, lottery winners of jackpots of $25,000 or more must wait for their payouts. Larger payouts are handled by the comptroller, who currently lacks the legal authority to issue lottery payments. The Illinois Lottery recently issued a statement noting winners will be paid as soon as the comptroller can do so.
Michael Mecca has left his post as chief operating officer of Galaxy Entertainment Group to become a director of SBM. He will retain his position as president of GEG.
Ken Bossingham will rejoin some of his former associates from Spielo when he comes on board at IGT as senior vice president, casino core product. Bossingham most recently worked for American Gaming Systems.
Steve Wolstenholme was named chief operating officer at Tiger Resort Leisure and Entertainment's new casino resort property, scheduled to open December 2016. Most recently he served as president and chief operating officer at Grand Sierra Resort and Casino in Reno, Nevada, and also has held key positions at Ontario and Macau casino properties.
The Fremont Street Experience in Las Vegas is losing President and General Manager Jeff Victor, who is stepping down at the end of the month to pursue new challenges. Victor has lead the Fremont Street Experience since 2006 and intends to stay active in Downtown Las Vegas.
In July, Marcus Glover became president and general manager at Beau Rivage in Biloxi, which recently was named the #1 MGM Resorts International property for service. Glover also has served as vice president of operations at Grand Casino Biloxi, assistant general manager of operations at Harrah's St. Louis and general manager at Horseshoe Cleveland.
Thirty-seven-year gaming industry veteran Tim Tretton is the new general manager of the MontBleu Resort Casino & Spa in Lake Tahoe, Tropicana Entertainment announced.
A major management change has happened at the Greektown Casino in Detroit, Michigan. CEO Brian Eby is heading upstairs and twenty-year gaming veteran Jason Gregorec will take his place.
Following four years as director of marketing at Cypress Bayou Casino Hotel in Charenton, Louisiana, Nancy Herrington has returned to Paragon Casino Resort in Marksville, Louisiana, as vice president of marketing. She served as director of Marketing Programs at Paragon for eight years prior to working at Cypress Bayou.
A veteran federal investigator of money laundering and fraud has been appointed to the gaming commission of the San Manuel Indian Reservation in Highland, California. Adam Torres will be executive director of the oversight agency.
Dan Ingster recently was named vice president of slot operations at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel Casino Tampa. Previously he was vice president of sales at Rocket Gaming Systems in Las Vegas. Ingster brings 15 years of slots experience to his new position.
Aristocrat Technologies has appointed Bill Stefanakis senior sales manager for Europe. He will report to EMEA Sales Director Erik-Jan van den Berg, the company has announced.
Bernard-Jon "BJ" Bouschor recently was promoted from director of information technology to vice president of information technology at FireKeepers Casino Hotel in Battle Creek, Michigan. David Chubb was named director of food and beverage. Most recently he worked at Presque Isle Downs and Casino in Pennsylvania.
NYX Gaming has hired industry veteran Leon Thomas as managing director of its U.S. division. Thomas, who most recently served as a consultant to Caesars Interactive, is charged with growing the e-gaming provider’s stateside B2B operations.
Bryan Coy, who has held executive finance positions with Aruze Gaming, Shuffle Master and Fontainebleau, is the new chief accounting officer for Interblock. CEO John Connelly hailed the appointment as a positive as the global e-tables developer enters an “aggressive growth period”.
Slot manufacturer Konami Gaming has more than doubled the size of its U.S. headquarters in Las Vegas, with 200,000 square feet of new construction and 160,000 of renovated space. Last week, Konami executives held a celebration to official dedicate the property.
Germany’s Gauselmann Group changed the name of Spain-based subsidiary Dosniha Gaming to Merkur Dosniha to better unify its group of companies, Gauselmann said. The company intends to eventually integrate Merkur Dosniha into its core brand.
GameAccount Network recently opened a new North American world headquarters in the Las Vegas area that is three times larger than its predecessor and includes a showroom for demonstrating the company’s products. GameAccount intends to use the new facility to court the increasing number of third-party vendors located in Las Vegas. It also announced that it would now be known as “GAN” is a rebranding effort.
Sands Bethlehem plans to install a new platform on its casino floor that combines live table action with the convenience and lower bet sizes of electronic tables, now that the state has approved them. The resort believes the installation, which will feature a cluster of 150 individual terminals, will broaden its appeal with younger players.
Genesis Gaming is leveraging its considerable experience as a white label provider of social casino games to craft a new series of video slots tailored to appeal to U.S. players. The Vegas Line, as it’s called, will feature 50 new titles optimized for mobile use. The company also released Machine Gun Unicorn video slot machine in which players win money by killing zombies to reveal credit bonuses and special awards.
Casino and AWP operators will find a lot to like with Advantech-Innocore’s new DPX-E135 hardware platform. Innovations include a “Cabinet-ready I/O” that eliminates the need for additional connector boards or backplanes and comes with a variety of enclosure covers.
Century Casinos will operate casinos on two 2,500-passenger luxury vessels currently under construction and owned by TUI Cruises, a TUI AG and Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. joint venture. Currently Century Casinos operates casinos on four TUI cruise ships.
Historic Churchill Downs Racetrack will start an extensive $18 million modernization after the Fall Meet, which runs November 1-29. The project will be completed by April 30, and will include renovations to the Stakes Room, Turf Club, dining room, balconies, Director's Room and Clubhouse.
Britain’s Clarion Events, the company behind London’s ICE Totally Gaming show, is expanding its U.S. presence by joining forces with Urban Expositions, producer of the largest trade show in tribal gaming. Urban will remain a separate company under the deal with Clarion as its largest investor.
Noted digital gaming expert and founder of the card-counting MIT blackjack team, Jeffrey Ma (l.), is scheduled to deliver the keynote during the September 29 opening of Global Gaming Expo 2015 in Las Vegas. Ma will speak on the how counting cards and using gaming analytics relates to business analytics and data.
Gaming Laboratory International is looking forward to the opportunity provided by G2E to explain the benefits of its innovative GLiCloud. The system, which has been a focus of the testing giant’s considerable R&D resources, is currently used by more than 50 clients in locations worldwide.
