New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman (l.) has ruled that daily fantasy sports is illegal gambling and ordered websites DraftKings and FanDuel to stop accepting New York players. The ruling is a major blow to the industry, which continually claims that daily fantasy sports is not gambling, but rather a game of skill. Both DraftKings and FanDuel said they will fight the attorney general’s ruling in one of their most important markets.
The FBI and American Gaming Association have partnered to fight illegal gambling and provide an online site where people can report illegal gambling operations. FBI Assistant Director Chris Warrener (l.) says the new site is primarily aimed at illegal online sports gambling. But the fight isn’t limited to the U.S. for the AGA.
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie (l.) has conditionally vetoed most of a package of bills designed to stabilize Atlantic City casino taxes. A conditional veto sends the bills back to the state legislature with conditions the legislature can adopt to pass the bills. Among the conditions Christie proposed was holding back $30 million in yearly casino taxes for two years until the city adopts a fiscal recovery plan.
Grand Korea Leisure, which already operates three Korean Seven Luck casinos (l.), and NagaCorp will not apply for casino licenses on Yeongjong Island off Incheon, saying the broad crackdown on Chinese VIP gamblers could make the planned integrated resort unsustainable. The partnership was considered by many to be the favorite, so their withdrawal throws the entire process into question.
The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe last week finalized a $34.5 million that transfers 53 acres from private ownership to tribal ownership, land that will become reservation land and the site of the tribe’s $500 million Project First Light casino. But Neil Bluhm (l.), the owner of Rush Street Gaming, which is pitching a competing commercial casino in Brockton, doubts the tribal casino will ever be built.
Macau has seen no bump in traffic on its gaming floors as a result of Studio City’s grand opening on October 27. The new $3.2 billion Melco Crown resort was seen as a bellwether of the city’s recovery, and its lack of impact is troubling.
The U.S. Department of Interior and the National Indian Gaming Commission recently determined the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe in Texas may offer Class II gaming on its reservation. The state closed the tribe's Speaking Rock casino (l.) in 2002 after it operated just nine months--and generated $1 million a month. The tribe's new entertainment center may open next year.
Amaya Inc. has revised its earnings projections after third quarter results were down. The company also reportedly is preparing to launch a sports betting platform after acquiring the BetStar brand.
This week, the GGB Podcast talks to Ram Chary, the CEO of Everi, on how his company has accomplished the merger of two diverse companies, Global Cash Access and Multimedia Games.
Some in the industry say Macau could reverse its 17-month losing streak if it gets into sports betting. Currently, only one gaming operator controls all the sports betting and lotteries in town: Stanley Ho’s SJM Holdings.
Philippines-based Bloomberry Resorts Corp. has been slapped with a one-month suspension of operations at its Jeju Sun property in South Korea. The punishment was meted out over tax problems under the previous owner.
Saipan’s Senate has amended casino legislation for the island and removed confidentiality clauses for information from Best Sunshine, the island’s exclusive licensee. It then adopted a revised bill that now goes to Saipan’s House of Representatives.
Australia-listed Frontier Capital Group Ltd. will buy the Hotel Stotsenberg and Casablanca Casino (l.) in the Clark Freeport Zone, Philippines. The deal must be approved by Frontier shareholders; it should be complete in 2016.
South Koreans who often gamble abroad may be under the scrutiny of government police, who are investigating alleged “share junket houses,” VIP rooms outside the country that cater to big-spending Koreans.
Resorts World Sentosa must pay $46,000 in reparations to a customer who was held for 46 minutes without cause. According to a Singapore High Court ruling, the casino acted beyond its authority in detaining the man.
The Casino Loutraki in Greece has closed temporarily under a ruling by the Hellenic Gaming Commission that it owes nearly $2 million in back taxes going back to July. Casino officials have protested that they must pay 35 percent in taxes while regional companies and the Greek lottery pay less.
Codere SA, a Madrid-based gaming company with no offices in the U.K., wants a London court to let it restructure $1.3 billion in bonds. The case could set a new precedent limiting the reach of English courts, which have helped foreign firms change terms on more than $5 billion in distressed debt.
With the growth of online casinos, card clubs in southwest London are taking on new caché. Many offer lavish décor and high stakes, like the Mint at Genting Casino. Others, like Pollards Hill Poker Club offer micro-stake games and attract local regulars.
The government of the Czech Republic has approved an action plan to more effectively address and treat compulsive gambling, Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka has announced.
Australian casino operator Echo Entertainment Group is experiencing “an abnormally low win rate” against international high rollers at its Star Casino in Sydney (l.) and Jupiters Gold Coast, says CEO Matt Bekier. Revenue from the VIPs was down almost 34 percent year-on-year.
Punters in Victoria, Australia lost almost AU$6 billion in the past financial year to casinos in the state. Of that, the government collected some AU$1.6 billion in taxes. Gambling opponents say it’s all a trap.
A $45 million renovation and rebranding at the Palace Casino (l.) at West Edmonton Mall in Edmonton, British Columbia will transform the property into the 115,000 square foot Starlight Casino Edmonton, with 850 slots and 34 table games, said Gateway Casinos and Entertainment Chief Executive Officer Tony Santo.
Canberra Casino in Australia’s Bush Capital has recorded an 80 percent increase in profits since October 2014, just before it was acquired by Aquis Entertainment, the company informed the Australian Securities Exchange.
Starting in March 2016, the government of New South Wales will ban advertisements for live-odds betting during sports broadcasts. Officials cite a rise in online sports betting as a risk for more compulsive behaviors.
James Packer (l.), the largest shareholder in Aussie casino operator Crown Resorts Ltd., has increased his stake in the company by 3 percent. With millions in new shares, his voting rights will exceed 53 percent.
Nevada lacks online poker players and online poker providers to make studying and report on it, state gaming officials say. To boost participation, state officials say more states need to legalize online poker, and the federal government needs to get involved in regulating it to make it more viable and profitable. Currently, only Nevada and two other states allow online poker.
The SLS Las Vegas casino ended its partnership with Hilton Worldwide and inked a new deal that gives control of one of the casino’s hotel towers to Starwood Resorts Worldwide, which plans to open the W Hotel at the SLS Casino. The deal gives Starwood a property in Las Vegas, while SLS hopes it will help the SLS to turn its first profit.
Plaintiffs in a lawsuit against Caesars Entertainment Corporation are seeking details about the operator’s cancellation of debt guarantees ahead of bankruptcy. Meanwhile, casinos owned by the bankrupt company, including Harrah’s Reno (l.), posted a profit of nearly $30 million in September.
VictoryLand Casino in Alabama will not get back its electronic bingo machines, as ordered by Circuit Judge William Shashy. The state Supreme Court stayed the order to let state Attorney General Luther Strange's lawsuit work through the courts. Meanwhile Governor Robert Bentley issued an executive order that local officials—not Strange's office—should enforce gambling laws.
Eldorado Resorts won unanimous approval for its proposed $72.5 million purchase of the Circus Circus Reno (l.) from MGM Resorts International, along with MGM’s remaining ownership in the nearby Silver Legacy casino. The move gives Eldorado control of nearly a third of the hotel rooms in Reno, which Eldorado Resorts CEO Gary Carano says is booming. And in Henderson, Nevada Gold got preliminary approval to by Club Fortune Casino.
MGM Resorts International intends to create a real estate investment (REIT) that includes most of its Las Vegas properties, but critics question if it’s the right move for the gaming company that has nearly $13 billion in debt. Proponents say it will create additional value for MGM investors and attract new investors. Treasure Island owner Phil Ruffin says the company turned down his $1.3 billion offer for the Mirage (l.).
TJM Properties of Clearwater Florida will pay Caesars Entertainment $3 million for most of the property at Harrah's Tunica in Mississippi. Company officials said they are considering reopening the property or selling off parcels. Caesars closed the facility in 2014. It opened in 1996 as the Grand Casino Tunica.
The $300 million Scarlet Pearl Casino Resort in D'Iberville, Mississippi is accepting reservations at its new 14-story, 300-room hotel for Wednesday, December 9, the resort's opening day. The property also will feature a 68,000 square foot gaming floor, swimming pool, fitness center, retail, restaurants and a world-class 36-hole miniature golf course with an exploding volcano.
Detroit's three casinos have warned their 6,000 union workers money won't be available for salaries or bonuses if health care costs aren't reduced. But labor unions have opposed any changes to the current health care plan. State and federal mediators are trying to break the impasse before a strike is called.
Rhode Island’s two casinos, Twin River and the Newport Grand, are facing increasing competition from Massachusetts. Twin River isn’t sitting still, and has unveiled a detailed proposal for a relocated casino that would move from Newport to the border town of Tiverton. Residents of that town of 8,000 got a look at the plans last week.
New Jersey’s Stockton University will delay the sale of the closed Showboat casino in Atlantic City until 2016 citing financial and tax benefits in waiting for the new calendar year. The school said it will recover its holding costs on the property for the two month delay. The buyer, Philadelphia developer Bart Blatstein (l.) will pay an extra $1 million for the property and about $1 million in carrying costs.
Las Vegas City Council members considered several motions regarding an application for a gaming license at a Dotty’s location, but ultimately tabled the matter until the council’s November 18 meeting. Dotty’s operates more than 100 gaming operations in Nevada, but critics say Dotty’s is circumventing Nevada law, which requires gaming to be incidental income and not primary income bars and restaurants.
Billionaire investor Carl Icahn said he is selling the empty Fontainebleau development on the north end of the Las Vegas Strip. Originally intended to be a $3 billion casino and resort, work on the Fontainebleau ceased during the Great Recession, and Icahn bought it for $150 million, but he hopes to sell it for $650 million.
Sands China lost its bid for another judge and to remove sanctions against it when the Nevada Supreme Court on November 4 ruled Sands China must continue defending itself in Clark County District Court, which has scheduled hearings to determine whether Nevada is the proper venue for a wrongful termination suit filed by former Sands China CEO Steven Jacobs (l.).
An improved economy in Southern Nevada helped Station Casinos to post 18 straight months of revenue growth, with a 4.5 percent rise to $323.5 million during the third quarter of 2015, company officials told investors during a conference call. Station Casinos CFO Marc Falcone said the upward trend should continue.
Three proposed casinos in rural New York still await final licensing approval from the New York Gaming Commission, which is taking its time to ensure all is well at the three proposed casinos in the Catskills, Schenectady, and Tyre. A fourth casino proposal in the Southern Tier is further behind in the process and could take another year to approve.
NHL officials said they won’t discuss potential league expansion and a proposed franchise in Las Vegas during the professional hockey league’s December 7-8 meetings. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said the league must determine expansion will be good for the league and its current teams before approving any new teams.
Desert Rock Enterprises owners and brothers Derek (l.) and Greg Stevens have agreed to buy a remaining 35 percent interest in the Golden Gate casino on Fremont Street in Las Vegas, giving the Stevens full ownership of the oldest casino in Las Vegas, which opened in 1906 and has 122 hotel rooms.
Wynn Las Vegas closed its popular Tryst nightclub (l.) after a decade in business and announced plans to open the Intrigue nightclub in the same location but with a different musical format. Wynn Las Vegas intends to open the Intrigue on April 28, which is the 11 anniversary of the Wynn Lass Vegas casino’s opening.
More affordable lease arrangements and making the most of smaller spaces is leading to a resurgence of the restaurant industry in Las Vegas, an industry expert says. More restaurants are using patio space and commons areas to serve diners, while reducing their lease liabilities and boosting their profitability in Sin City.
A federal judge has ruled against a move by the owners of Atlantic City’s closed Revel casino to dismiss a suit from the site’s former energy supplier, which they are trying to evict from the site. The judge ruled that the ongoing dispute between Revel owner Glenn Straub and ACR Energy can only be sorted out in federal court.
Largely boosted by improved business in Nevada, Affinity Gaming reported a $5.5 million turnaround from the third quarter of 2014 to the third quarter of 2015, which realized a nearly $2 million profit. While Affinity’s Nevada operations are growing, its revenues in other states dropped slightly, but the company maintained an overall profit.
A new TV ad asks the public to tell Florida Governor Rick Scott (l.) and state legislators to "Get It Done" and renew the expired Seminole compact, which allowed the tribe to offer banked card games in return for $1 billion over five years. The state has sued the tribe, which still offers the games.
The troubled Chukchansi tribe of northern California October 26 swore in a new tribal council that hopes to reopen the Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino. Many things must happen before that happens, including satisfying the National Indian Gaming Commission, California Attorney General Kamala Harris (l.) and a federal judge that the casino’s customers will be safe.
The Tohono O'Odham tribe of Arizona says it is ready to open its Desert Diamond Casino West Valley on December 20. It survived an 18th court challenge last week when the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in its favor in a case brought by the state.
Four cities in Connecticut, East Windsor, East Hartford, Hartford and Windsor have submitted a total of five proposals to the state’s gaming tribes to win the right to host the state’s third tribal casino.
A draft agreement has been reached between the Quapaw Tribe of Oklahoma and the Little Rock Port Authority in Arkansas. The tribe owns land near the port which many fear will be used for a casino. However, Quapaw Chairman John Berrey said the main concern is protecting tribal grave sites and artifacts.
The Little River Band of Ottawa Indians has until January 20 to finalize its $500,000 purchase of 120 acres in Fruitport Township, Michigan. It has not announced its intended use for the land, located four miles from the tribe's proposed casino at the former Great Lakes Downs site.
The White Earth Nation tribe in northern Minnesota announced plans to build a casino and hotel on the western shore of Star Lake in Otter Tail County. The tribe says the casino and hotel will help to fund tribal educational, healthcare, and other initiatives, while boosting the area’s economy, but opponents say it won’t be good for the local community.
The Oneida Indian Nation recently added 50,000 square feet to its plans for a $100 million luxury retail shopping center at Turning Stone Casino in Verona, New York. Construction of the 300,000 square foot center, which will feature 60 upscale retailers, will start next spring.
Owners of the Grand Casino Mille Lacs and Grand Casino Hinckley in Minnesota, Mille Lacs Corporate Ventures recently purchased its fourth hotel, the DoubleTree by Hilton Minneapolis Park Place Hotel (l.) in St. Louis Park. The 297-room hotel is located near the Minneapolis Convention Center, Target Center, Target Field and U.S. Bank Stadium.
The Seminole Tribe of Florida will open a 220-room hotel in downtown Atlanta, across from Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the future home of the Atlanta Falcons, in spring 2018. The tribe opened the first two Hard Rock Hotels and Casinos in Florida in 2004 and bought Hard Rock International for $965 million in March 2007.
In a 115-1 vote, the Illinois House passed a bill to use $1.9 billion in already collected gas tax revenue to pay lottery winners and local governments. Governor Bruce Rauner (l.) supported the measure. But Democratic state Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie filed a motion that will prevent the bill from moving to the Senate.
The British Columbia Lottery Corp. is struggling to deal with a changing gaming landscape that includes customers that it knows little about, other than that they buy lottery tickets. It wants to do something about that lack of knowledge and is seeking technical help.
Colley Billie was booted out as chairman of the Florida-based Miccosukee Tribe because, in attempting to repay more than $1 billion owed to the IRS, he withheld taxes from the tribe's 600 members' casino gambling distributions—typically $120,000 to $160,000. The tribe owns the Miccosukee Resort & Gaming in Miami.
Timothy Burke has been promoted to senior vice president of operations and Tracy Bradford has been promoted to senior vice president of purchasing at Seminole Gaming, operators of the Seminole Tribe of Florida's seven casinos. Both previously worked for Trump Properties in Atlantic City.
Kevin Sim, chief operating officer of Melco Crown Philippines, has resigned for “personal reasons,” according to reports. The unit of Asian casino developer Melco Crown operates City of Dreams Manila.
Jonodev Chaudhuri, chairman of the National Indian Gaming Commission has appointed Susan Waukon of the Ho-Chunk to fill a newly created rural outreach coordinator. The NIGC plans to help rural tribes deal with the often-complicated regulations involved in participating in gaming.
e-Business veteran Jonathan Mills has been named director of e-Business for the Isle of Man. Mills has started a successful e-Business and held numerous chief executive positions in the industry. The Isle of Man, a recognized e-Gaming global center, employs 1,600 people in e-Business which represents 25 percent of the island's national income.
Casino Cash Trac, the Tulsa-based software provider, named Danny Roe as vice president of services. Roe's focus will be on all client services, major accounts and customer support. Roe comes to CCT from OpenLink where he served as vice president, customer operations and support, and director of product management.
Italian gaming operator SNAI will partner with Inspired Gaming to offer the vendor’s suite of gaming product featuring former World Heavyweight Champion Mike Tyson.
ICE Conferences has announced the program lineup for its 2016 event, February 1-4 in London. The International Casino Conference will kick off the schedule at the Hippodrome. Topics to be covered will include lotteries, cross-platform and multichannel gaming, game design, betmarkets and cybercrime.
The National Council of Legislators from Gaming States will meet January 8-10, 2016 at Rosen Shingle Creek Resort in Orlando. Legislators, regulators, gaming operators, equipment manufacturers, analysts, public officials and investors will meet to discuss responsible gaming, parimutuels, lotteries, casinos, internet and tribal gaming and the daily fantasy sports debate.
