Atlantic City staved off shutting down non-essential services last week, but still faces a financial crisis that could shut the city down by May. Meanwhile, in an atmosphere of harsh and unrelenting rhetoric, a showdown between Governor Chris Christie, New Jersey Assembly Leader Vincent Prieto and city Mayor Don Guardian showed little sign that the state will move to help keep the city afloat. Prieto (l.) floated a new bill that would avoid a state takeover for as much as two years.

Last week the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe of Massachusetts held a groundbreaking for its $1 billion Taunton casino, the First Light Resort & Casino. Five hundred tribal members, city and state officials and construction workers gathered for the celebration.

The American Gaming Association last week said that the Internal Revenue Service is backing away from a plan to lower the slot jackpot reporting threshold from $1,200 to $600. And the AGA is joining with casino operators in Pennsylvania to oppose a free-play tax proposed by Governor Tom Wolf (l.).

Add Alabama to the list of states where an attorney general has ruled that daily fantasy sports are illegal under the state’s laws. DraftKings and FanDuel have been sent cease and desist letters to stop taking entries from state residents. Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slattery (l.) has also said the games are illegal under that state’s laws, but that ruling is non-binding and the state legislature is considering a bill to legalize and regulate the games.

The Beijing government has rejected suggestions that Chinese nationals were involved in the theft of $81 million in funds stolen from the Bangladesh Bank and funneled through casinos in the Philippines. Senator Ralph Recto (l.) said the Chinese recognized a vulnerability in the Philippine banking system and exploited it.

The Chinese culture is nothing like western cultures. For westerners hoping to work with Chinese they must understand the basics of the culture. In this special feature, one of the most respected gaming academics, Desmond Lam (l.) from the University of Macau, offers seven steps to know and to do.

Tony Fung (l.) has announced he will shelve plans to include a casino in his $8 billion Aquis resort in Queensland, Australia. Fung blames the government, which delayed licensing the Hong Kong billionaire for a gaming component. That license is now up for grabs by other operators.

If last week’s iGaming North American conference in Las Vegas had any message to the gaming industry, it would be “Get ready for eSports.” The rise of the new video game competition was contrasted with the downfall of daily fantasy sports in such a way that it could only give casino executives hope for the next generation. At left, conference organizer Sue Schneider hosted the opening keynote with Michael Cohen (middle), chief legal counsel for Caesars Interactive, and Eric Hollreiser, the VP communications for Amaya.

This week, the GGB Podcast sits down with Bobby Soper, the president of the Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority, on the new Sightline Play+ system installed at Mohegan Sun that allows players to move money from a pre-paid account to their favorite slot or table game.

As the government of Israel considers legalizing casinos, its Middle Eastern neighbor, Jordan, is also said to be looking at the industry. Vice Prime Minister Abu al-Ragheb has said officials are looking at the port city of Aqaba as a possible location for the nation’s first resort with gaming. Aqaba is very close to Eliat, where Israel would legalize casinos.

The grand opening of the Wynn Palace resort (l.) on Macau’s Cotai Strip could be delayed yet again, according to the U.S.-based company. In its annual report filed to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, Wynn Macau Ltd. said more construction delays could push the opening date “into the second half of 2016.”

Casino cruise ships based in India’s River Mandovi will not have to relocate for at least a year, according to Goa Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar. The offshore industry has been granted an extension “until a feasible alternate site is found,” he said.

Gaming investor Imperial Pacific is selling its non-gaming subsidiaries to focus on casino interests on Saipan. The Hong Kong-listed firm has agreed to accept US$258,000 for its entire issued share capital in Supreme Wit Ltd. The buyer is Paramount Century Investment Ltd.

Hong Kong-listed Success Dragon International Holdings Ltd. has acquired a 45 percent stake in a luxury hotel in Vietnam. The company has announced it will pay HKD109.65 million (US$14.13 million) for the five-star One Opera Danang Hotel.

Melco International Development Ltd., parent company of Melco Crown Entertainment, posted net revenues of $4 billion for 2015 in a March 31 filing to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. On the results, Melco issued a HK$30.9 million in dividends to shareholders, said Chairman Lawrence Ho (l.).

Hong Kong-listed junket investor Neptune Group Ltd. has proposed a plan in which it would consolidate every 10 issued shares into one consolidated share. Approximately 460 million consolidated shares would be in issue if the share consolidation goes forward, the firm said in a filing.

Gross gaming revenue in Macau declined 16.3 percent year-on-year for the month of March, for the 22nd consecutive month of decline in the world’s No. 1 gaming jurisdiction. Bernstein analysts had predicted a drop of 15.5 percent.

A Chinese man accused of operating a $61.8 billion online casino has been arrested. The man, identified only as Zhou, has been on the run for two years. He was picked up last month at a restaurant in Vietnam.

A plan by UK casino operator Aspers to open a gaming hall in Southampton has sparked criticism from some in the community. Aspers has been selected to run a £450 million (US$646 million) casino on the city’s waterfront. It is expected to open in 2021.

Gaming regulations in the Spanish province of Andalucía are in flux. It may take a year for officials to review and overhaul the regulatory framework, which will allow sports betting online and in specially designated areas within casinos, bingo halls and arcades.

Cerbus Capital Management wants to unload its Star City Casino in Birmingham, England, according to reports from local media. The asking price reportedly will be in the £60 million ($US85 million) range. The property includes a Genting casino, movie theater, bowling alley, and retail.

A gambler who wrote a bad check to London’s Ritz Club Casino (l.) could face jail time. The check, in the amount of £2million (US$2.8 million), later bounced. But attorneys for the gambler say the casino was at fault for allowing him to play.

SkyCity Entertainment of New Zealand may be weighing a sales of certain assets, including its underperforming Darwin Casino and a hotel in Auckland. Observers says Star Entertainment would be a natural suitor if it was not committed to big projects now in the pipeline. And SkyCity CEO Nigel Morrison (l.) resigned last week. A search for a replacement is under way.

South African hospitality firm Tsogo Sun has announced it will buy 20 percent stake of two units of a rival company, Sun International, which operates casinos in the Western Cape. A proposed deal last year was undone by regulators, who said it would have given Tsogo Sun too much control in the area.

A new study in Australia found that video slot machines—pokies (l.)—earn twice the revenue when placed in casinos than they earn in the Australian club market.

A groundbreaking ceremony will be held April 27 for the 48,000 square foot Shorelines Casino in Belleville, Ontario, Canada. The casino, which will provide 300 jobs, will be owned by Great Canadian Gaming of British Columbia, managed by Ontario Gaming East Ltd. and regulated by the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation.

New Jersey regulators have extended Amaya Gaming’s temporary online gambling license in the state allowing PokerStars to continue operating for another six months. Interim CEO Rafi Ashkenazi (l.) says the company is pleased with the initial New Jersey results. Meanwhile, Amaya CEO David Baazov, who is facing insider trading charges in Canada, has been connected to the Panama Papers.

NYX Gaming Group has announced it has completed a £270.0 million acquisition of OpenBet, a leading supplier of online and in-venue based sports betting and gaming solutions. The acquisition will be co-funded by betting operators William Hill and Sky Betting and Gaming. Matt Davey (l.), CEO of NYX, says the purchase completes the company’s buy of leading iGaming service companies.

Craig Clark (l.), the general manager of Pittsburgh’s Rivers Casino, has come out in support of legalization of online gaming in Pennsylvania as a way to support the land-based business.

Quebec, Canada legislators are considering a bill to block access to gambling websites not authorized by the government. Supporters said the law would protect residents, but opponents said it would end free and open internet access--plus help boost Loto-Quebec revenues which have been declining due to online competition.

The worst race results for bookmakers in several years during the annual Cheltenham Festival racing meet (l.) triggered several Isle of Man gaming sites to shut down several user accounts and restrict access, pending investigations into unusual betting activities. The sites say several customers abused special promotions and violated terms of use during the racing event.

Gaming Laboratories International has released a white paper dealing with information security management in the online gaming industry. GLI VP of iGaming Salim Adatia (l.) says the goal is to minimize or eliminate security breaches.

Zynga is launching its Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory social game on several channels worldwide, as part of its effort to launch at least 10 games this year.

DraftDay Gaming Group is partnering with Draftstars to launch what it calls the premier daily fantasy sports site in Australia, with that nation’s biggest prize pools.

A magazine for computer application developers has used recent court decisions to publish a guideline on how to make social games that hold up against anti-gambling laws.

Connective Games has launched a selection of free-play mobile casino games utilizing 3D technologies for use in free-to-play offerings of operator Swiss Casinos.

Catena Media announced a €15 million acquisition of the online gambling review and player services portal AskGamblers.com.

Genesis Gaming has released the online video slot Jason’s Quest, which combines cinematic story-telling and multiple bonus levels.

Italian police have shut down an online gambling operation based in Salerno, which they allege was linked to organized crime and rigged against players. Police say the games were fixed so that it was impossible for players to win significant amounts.

Marnell Gaming cleared one of the final hurdles for its acquisition of the Sparks Nugget Casino in Northern Nevada, after the Nevada Gaming Control Board recommended Marnell receive a gaming license to run the casino. Marnell owns two casino operations in Laughlin. Meanwhile, the federal government fined the former operators of Sparks Nugget $1 million for money laundering violations.

Former Wynn Resorts director and Steve Wynn’s ex-wife, Elaine Wynn (l.), wants a 2010 shareholder agreement nixed, so that she can sell her shares in the company and completely part ways with her husband. If allowed to divest the shares, currently controlled by Steve Wynn, the casino mogul might lose effective control of the company he founded.

What first appeared as good news—a big increase in revenue numbers at the only casino open in Massachusetts, Plainridge Park—turned out to be skewed as reports showed a huge free play promotion to lure more slot play. And in Springfield, MGM wants to run the local arena, the MassMutual Center (l.).

The elimination of a key group of financial advisers due to an extramarital affair between one adviser and a Caesars attorney is the latest blow to Caesars’ restructuring plans.

After a disastrous 2014 that saw four casinos close, Atlantic City’s eight remaining casinos saw a 40 percent increase in gross operating profit. The casinos posted a collective operating profit of over $547 million in 2015.

A group backed by an anonymous corporation is pushing a bill called the “Limited Gaming Initiative” that would legalize small casinos offering poker and card games.

An extra day in February, a later Super Bowl, and improve slots play largely are responsible for Nevada posting a statewide gain of 8 percent and $989.9 million for the month. Baccarat revenues continue their volatility, as Chinese officials discourage gambling trips, but increase slots revenues largely drove the improved numbers.

The Rivers Casino in Pittsburgh is planning to break ground this summer on a hotel to be connected to its gaming facility on the Allegheny River.

A Macau court denied Las Vegas Sands motion to dismiss a $10 billion lawsuit filed by a former partner, which tried to help Las Vegas Sands secure gaming operations in Macau. Asian American says Las Vegas Sands reneged on their deal and wants 70 percent of Las Vegas Sands’ profits over 18 years.

Baltimore County Council, in passing a bill allowing off-track betting at Maryland State Fairgrounds, also passed a ban on any casino gaming at the fairgrounds. Horse racing (l.) is offered at the fair annually.

Although the Alabama Supreme Court unanimously ruled the state can keep electronic bingo machines and cash seized in a 2013 raid at VictoryLand Casino in Macon, owner Milton McGregor said he'll reopen the casino this summer. McGregor vowed to work closely with law enforcement officials to assure the new VictoryLand games are legal.

Las Vegas lacks a suitable stadium venue for large events, but building one might be enough to land a Super Bowl and possibly an NFL franchise, speculators claim. Las Vegas Sands principal owner Sheldon Adelson wants a new stadium, and so does the University of Nevada-Las Vegas. But no funding proposals are in place.

Following lawsuits by rejected competitors Castle Rock Casino and Cherokee County, a judge ruled construction can recommence on the $70.2 million state-owned Kansas Crossing Casino in Crawford County after a hiatus of nearly six months. The plaintiffs claimed the Review Board's 5-2 decision recommending the smaller Kansas Crossing was arbitrary.

Gaming revenues for casinos in the U.S. rose again in February, marking the sixth straight month revenues are up for the U.S. gaming market.

Resorts World New York (l.) at Aqueduct raceway in Queens will get 1,000 video lottery terminals initially earmarked for the nearby Belmont race park, thereby eliminating potential gaming competition between the two racetracks, and quelling local opposition.

The city and county of Schenectady each will get $2.5 million, while surrounding counties will get another $5 million to share, from the $50 million fee the Galesi Group paid for the casino gaming license for its $480 million Rivers Casino & Resort on Mohawk Harbor in Schenectady. The state will keep the remaining $40 million.

A 50,000-square-foot expansion of the pool area at the Plaza in Las Vegas will add more than just cabanas and poolside daybeds, as the resort improves is experience for visitors. The Plaza is adding recreational courts for tennis, basketball, and pickle ball, plus foosball and other games, and a performance stage, among its many new improvements.

More than 500 workers at the Trump Las Vegas hotel will have union representation via the Culinary and Bartenders Union. The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) rejected the hotel’s challenge of results from a secret ballot held in December, in which workers voted in favor of union representation. Unless the NLRB reviews the matter, the decision is final.

The site of the former 39 North concert venue recently successfully reopened as the WAV nightclub in Playground Pier at Caesars in Atlantic City. Owner/developer Bart Blatstein also announced he will offer up to 15 spaces in the property for "pop-up" shops for aspiring entrepreneurs involved in the arts and retail businesses.

The Internal Revenue Service is challenging the nonprofit status of Iowa's largest casino, Prairie Meadows Racetrack & Casino in Altoona. The operation took in $2.1 billion in 2013, or $190 million after payouts. A Prairie Meadows attorney said the $650,000 annual salary paid Chief Executive Officer Gary Palmer did not trigger the audit.

In 2005 Hurricane Katrina tossed a Grand Casino barge into a pier being built by Borries Construction in Biloxi. A Circuit Court judge dismissed Borries' $1.5 million lawsuit against the casino. But the Mississippi Supreme Court recently reversed that decision, sending the case back to Circuit Court for a jury trial.

It may be awhile before the Desert Diamond Casino (l.) near Glendale, Arizona is able to have Class III games. In making the decision to sue Arizona’s State Gaming Director David Bergin for refusing to issue Class III certification to the casino, the tribe lost its sovereign immunity to lawsuit.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs isn’t acting fast enough to make good on the Obama administration’s promise to put 500,000 acres into trust by the end of 2016. That’s the view of critics who note that 26 applications to put land into trust are still pending. North Fork Chairwoman Maryann McGovran (l.) has criticized the Picayune Rancheria of the Chukchansi Indians for opposing her tribe’s land-into-trust decision.

Two gaming tribes in New Mexico, the Sandia and San Felipe pueblos, have signed gaming compacts with the state that allow them to open their casinos for longer hours and pay the state less in revenue sharing.

The state of Wyoming is asking the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals to rule that a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that said that a small Nebraska town was part of an Indian reservation should not be used to make a similar finding for a town in Wyoming.

While awaiting Bureau of Indian Affairs approval of its land-trust application, the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians, owners of three Four Winds Casinos in Michigan, signed two agreements with the city of South Bend, Indiana. One provides $400,000 for infrastructure improvements toward a future casino, and the other outlines revenue sharing rules.

Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts recently reiterated his objections to a proposed expanded-gambling ballot measure, including Ho-Chunk's plans to open a casino at the former Atokad Downs dog track. Ho-Chunk has contributed more than $700,000 to the pro-gambling group circulating the petitions, Keep the Money in Nebraska.

The Cherokee Nation recently broke ground on its tenth casino, a $23 million, 39,000 square foot complex in Grove, Oklahoma. The facility will create 175 new jobs and offer 400 electronic games, table games and a high-limit poker room, plus a restaurant and bar, live music venue, dance floor, event areas and outdoor patio.

Arbitrator Daniel J. Boudreau recently determined the Citizen Potawatomi Nation does not have to pay sales tax to the Oklahoma Tax Commission. The tribe sought arbitration after the OTC claimed the gaming compact required the tribe to pay state sales taxes on sales at its Grand Casino Hotel in Shawnee and other enterprises.

Zaha Hadid (shown with Lawrence Ho), award-winning architect behind the fifth hotel tower at Melco Crown’s City of Dreams in Macau, has died of a heart attack in Miami. The international casino operator expressed its sympathies at her passing, and added that construction of the tower will not be affected.

Veteran casino executive Alex Cordova was added to Wynn Las Vegas last week and put in charge of running its nightclubs.

Jodi DiLascio has been added to the National Indian Gaming Association’s executive board as an associate member. Associate members give voice to organizations that due business with NIGA.

California Nations Indian Gaming Association, CNIGA, has named Carlos Valdez, formerly a public policy director for the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, deputy director of public affairs.

Three gaming commissioners of the Eastern Cherokee of North Carolina have been removed. The tribe’s Principal Chief Patrick Lambert alleges malfeasance.

Peter Maheu, recently died in Las Vegas. He was chairman and chief executive officer of the mystery shopping firm QSI Specialists, as well as a renowned private investigator, author and lecturer on a wide range of gaming issues. His father, Robert Maheu, managed Howard Hughes' gaming properties and Nevada real estate and mining interests.

Core Gaming recently released on SkyVegas.com its second Evel Knievel slot, Road to Vegas, honoring the famed motorcycling showman. The 25-line, five-bonus game lets players can review Knievel's career and experience his legendary jumps at Wembley Stadium and the Grand Canyon, offering a top payout of $352,000.

Atlantis, Paradise Island has partnered with Caesars Entertainment to offer the Total Rewards loyalty program members exclusive benefits to their customers. The deal comes more than 10 years after Caesars had originally agreed to be partners at the now-stalled Baha Mar project on Cable Beach.

Station Casinos will use the IGT Advantage casino management system to allow on-device marketing, bonusing and guest communication solutions. IGT’s Nick Khin (l.) calls the deal a “significant milestone” for his company.

The wife and family members of Ainsworth Game Technology founder Len Ainsworth (l.) will vote as minority shareholders on the proposed takeover by Novomatic Group.

The Tropicana in Atlantic City has become the first Eastern casino to launch Royal Derby by Alfastreet, an electronic, 10-player horse-racing game.

Euro Games Technology has increased its sales in France, as the supplier reports installations in many of the nation’s top casinos.

Intralot Group will acquire a 49 percent stake in Eurobet, which produces scratch tickets and number lottery games in the Bulgarian market.

GameCo, Inc. announced that it is partnering with Entropy International to bring its video game content to casino floors in a new style of video gambling machine.

The Malta Gaming Authority and Microsoft Malta have made a deal to bring Microsoft’s newest Customer Relationship Management system to its gaming and licensee management processes “via a dedicated and secure web portal,” according to a statement from MGA.

Harrah's Cherokee Casino Resort in Cherokee, North Carolina will host the final events of the 2016 World Series of Poker Global Casino Championship, August 9-11. Up to 200 players will compete for a prize pool of $1-$2 million. Also, Harrah's Cherokee will host the first event of the 2016-2017 season, August 4-16.

The former Egghart LLC | CPAs in Reno, Nevada has rebranded as BlueBird, CPAs, to better present the firm as a leading full-service accounting and auditing business serving Indian Country. The Mountain Bluebird, the Nevada state bird, was chosen for the name and logo, symbolizing new beginnings and happiness, said Partner, Ryan Burns.

Small Nuggets of News

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