With the support of North Jersey politicians, the New Jersey state Senate passed a financial aid package for Atlantic City, sending the bills back to Governor Chris Christie with his requested changes. The bills will create a set property tax rate for resort casinos for the next 15 years. Meanwhile, competing proposals for a referendum for building two news casinos outside of Atlantic City is a showdown between Senate President Steve Sweeney and Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto (l. to r.), but without a compromise the bills are unlikely to pass, and the city could dodge a huge bullet courtesy...
Casinos in Thailand could be worth more than US$2.8 billion in annual taxes, according to a new study from Rangsit University’s College of Social Innovation. The study also shows the majority of Thais support legal casinos in the Southeast Asian country, but the government of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha (l.) is still opposed to any casino legalization.
Gaming revenues in Macau were better than expected in December, but still down 21.2 percent for the year, going into the jurisdiction’s 19th month of recession. One analyst called the outcome “the best we could hope for.” Analysts disagree, however, if a rebound is in the cards for Macau in 2016, and say absorbing the increased capacity, such as Melco Crown’s Studio City (l.) will be problematic.
Last week the federal government approved land into trust for the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe in Massachusetts, opening the door for the tribe to build a casino resort in Taunton. Chairman Cedric Cromwell (l.) called it the “rebirth of a nation.” Lawsuits are expected, and commercial casino is still being sought by Rush Street Gaming.
The government of Japan and the Liberal Democratic Party have passed on considering a casino bill during the ordinary parliamentary session that began January 4. According to a member of the Komeito party, the bill is “frozen” until the fall session because of important elections over the summer (At left, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe celebrating victory during the last election cycle.)
The California legislature could consider bills this year on online poker, Sportsbetting and Daily Fantasy Springs. California Nations Indian Gaming Association (CNIGA) Chairman Steve Stallings (l.) asking that lawmakers push online poker to the front of the line.
The Monte Carlo casino in Las Vegas is looking to rebrand with a new concert venue and name change, the Las Vegas Sun reported. The makeover is intended to make the property “hotter and hipper,” so that it can compete directly with the nearby Cosmopolitan and other properties that are popular among younger gamblers and others.
Brian Decorah, chief executive officer at the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi's FireKeepers Casino Hotel in Battle Creek, Michigan, has been named president, succeeding R. Bruce McKee who recently retired. Decorah joined FireKeepers in 2013 as senior vice president and was promoted to chief executive officer in 2015.
This week, the GGB Podcast connects with Gary Goddard, the founder and CEO of the Goddard Group, one of the premier architectural firms in the gaming industry on his latest gem, Studio City Macau.
A year after forming a panel to study illegal gaming, India has taken a giant step toward legal sports betting. The panel was formed in response to a 2013 match-fixing scandal involving the Indian Premier League cricket team.
An increase in tourism to Russia’s Primorye region has been attributed in part to the October debut of Lawrence Ho’s new integrated resort near Vladivostok. Visitation to the area has risen more than 18 percent.
Casino Greek Mythology in the Taipa section of Macau, which abruptly closed without notice December 30, is under renovation and will reopen, according to Ambrose So, executive director and CEO of SJM Holdings.
Imperial Pacific’s temporary casino (l.) on the island of Saipan generated $1.44 billion in December, down 11.7 percent from November, when the temporary casino launched VIP gaming.
The Lithuanian Ministry of Finance has ordered a crackdown on unlicensed online gambling. The Gambling Control Authority announced last week that it has upped its scrutiny of illegal online operators and will take decisive action to shut them down.
The European Union’s member states agreed to preliminary standardized laws to protect data and privacy and stiff penalties of up-to hundreds of millions of dollars for companies that violate the standardized data and privacy protection, even if they are not located within the European Union but still do business there.
Online gambling would be taxed at the same rate as brick-and-mortar casinos under a new legislative proposal in the Netherlands. The proposal would raise online taxes to 29 percent if the country moves to legalize online play.
One of the largest resorts ever built, the Baha Mar in the Bahamas, remains unoccupied. The failure to open is so devastating to the small island nation that it threatens its economic stability. Experts worry that mold and vandalism will decimate the property while it sits vacant.
Global luxury hotel company Ritz-Carlton may reenter the Sydney market. RC has been named as the likely operator of a planned US$500 million hotel at the Star casino complex (l.) in Darling Harbour.
The Penticton City Council gave its unanimous support for relocating the Gateway Casino into a larger facility, which would create 150 new jobs and generate an estimated $25 million per year in additional economic activity for the city and its residents. The council approved the plan after holding public hearings and accepting comment.
A new mobile gaming app and website generated about $89 million in revenue for the Ontario government via the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation during 2015, making the app a success. Critics wondered if it could compete against offshore sites, but first-year indications suggest it is and will continue to be successful.
Great Canadian Gaming says building a new casino in Belleville, Ontario, is its top priority and would generate a much greater amount of revenue among regional bettors, while maintaining its base among Canadian gamblers. Meanwhile, Great Canadian allocated $13 million to renovate, but not expand, the Thousand Islands Casino in Gananoque.
New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman (l.) has amended his lawsuit against daily fantasy sports giants DraftKings and FanDuel and is now seeking to have the sites return money made off New York players and pay fines for each account opened in the state. It’s estimated that the two sites took in more than $200 million in entry fees in 2015 from at least 600,000 customers in New York.
Wanting to enter the modern world of electronic gaming, the Massachusetts Lottery is moving aggressively to enter online lottery sales and games. It has issued a request for information (RFI) to several online gaming provides. State Senator Bruce Tarr (l.) plans to introduce an iGaming bill.
In a move believed to be tied to an upcoming merger with Paddy Power, Betfair has announced its withdrawing from the Canadian market. Paddy power exited Canada in 2011.
Taiwan police say they have made the biggest bust of an online gambling operation in history and seized more than $60 million. More than 50 arrests were made.
OneLotto, the international digital lottery brand giving players access to 15 of the world's largest lotteries, has launched OneAffiliate, integrating the award-winning affiliate management software platform of Income Access. OneAffiliate plans to attract new players and affiliates with special limited-time promotions.
A lawsuit filed by second-tier bondholders of Caesars Entertainment Corporation will go to trial, as U.S. District Judge Shira Scheindlin (l.) denied a request for a quick ruling.
With three full casinos licensed and set to open over the next year in upstate New York and a fourth casino awaiting final approval in the Southern Tier, New York continues growing its annual revenues from gaming, which at one time mostly consisted of lotteries, racinos, and race tracks. Governor Andrew Cuomo (l.) wants to see the state add to its about $3 billion in annual gaming revenues, but some caution the potential windfall will be lighter than anticipated.
Wynn Resorts avoided losing millions of dollars worth of land for tax bills in the three digits, as Everett officials admitted a clerical mistake. The company also dodged a lawsuit from Suffolk Downs, which it defeated in a bid to host the casino in the region.
More than 42 million people visited Las Vegas in 2015, setting a new visitation record that improved upon 2014 by nearly one million, but gaming revenues per visitor remain well below their peak in 2007, when nearly 40 million visitors enabled Las Vegas casinos to net nearly $11 billion in gaming revenues.
Nassau Regional and Suffolk Off-Track Betting await final approval of their respective plans to open 1,000-machine slots parlors at Belmont Park and in Medford. Each faces opposition from locals, who argue the operations would increase traffic problems, drinking, and crime, while having only a nominal economic impact on local communities.
The Illinois Supreme Court ruled that Rivers Casino in Des Plaines owes Cook County $3 million in back taxes, and will pay an additional $1 million in annual tax revenue going forward. Casino owner Midwest Gaming sued the county after it approved a tax of $1,000 per gambling machine in 2012.
After months of waiting, Trump Entertainment has filed a brief asking an appeals court to issue a ruling on a labor appeal that has complicated the transfer of Atlantic City’s Taj Mahal casino to billionaire Carl Icahn. The company is in a dispute with the city’s main casino workers union over health benefits.
Who, what, where—those are the questions facing Florida legislators as they consider the proposed Seminole compact plus numerous other gambling-related issues. House Regulatory Affairs Chairman Jose Felix Diaz, said, "I don’t think there’s a single person that, no matter how you craft this bill, is going to be 100 percent happy with it."
A new year means new changes on the Las Vegas Strip, with the opening of the new T-Mobile Arena and demolition of the Riviera Casino leading the way. Two long-time Strip casinos are reworking their hotel towers, and visitors have new interactive attractions to help keep them entertained and even work on their golf game, among many other changes.
The part owner of a casino in San Jose, California is challenging an administrative law judge’s findings that he tried to hide profits of the Casino M8trix. At stake is his gaming license, and says Eric Swallow (l.), his reputation.
Three of the largest casino operators on the Las Vegas Strip await a second ruling by Nevada’s Public Utilities Commission on whether or not they should pay nearly $127 million in combined fees to stop buying energy from the state’s largest utility, NV Energy, and pursue other options on the open market.
Maine could have a third casino. Signature gatherers want to collect more than 61,000 names to qualify a measure for the ballot that would allow a casino to be built in York County. They have until February 1 to get the names.
The state of West Virginia and the venues that operate Limited Video Lottery terminals in that state would make as much as $25 million if they were allowed to increase the number of machines deployed at each location. A proposal that would legalize that is being promoted by the West Virginia Amusement and Limited Video Association.
Although its application to build two outdoor courtyards with slots for smokers has expired, Harrah's Casino New Orleans intends to reapply to recapture some of the revenue it has lost since the city's smoking ban took effect last April. The casino's revenue has dropped 12 percent since then.
Casinos in the Niagara Falls area enjoyed a great summer and even better fall, as the U.S. dollar increased in value and more U.S. tourists came across the border to spend their money at area casinos and other attractions. Niagara Falls takes in about $20 million in shared casino revenues.
The Corpus Christie-based Pride of Texas Casino cruise ship once again postponed its launch date from this month to sometime in the first quarter, said President and Chief Executive Officer Vidal Conde. The maiden voyage has been postponed more than once since originally set for October 2014.
In Georgia, an editorial in the Brunswick News proposed allowing each county to determine if it wants casino gambling, if the state legislature allows it. Noting alcohol is legal in Georgia but each county determines if it wants those products sold, the editorial stated, "It ought to be the same with big gambling outfits."
The owners of the former Atlantic Club casino (l.) in Atlantic City say a planned sale of the property—which was to be turned into a water park—has fallen through. The potential buyers, however, said they still hope to close a deal. At the other end of the Boardwalk, a bill before the state Senate would remove deed restrictions on Showboat, now owned by Stockton University.
Awaiting a state Supreme Court hearing on allowing slots at Gretna Racing without the Florida legislature's approval, the city of Gretna recently filed a brief noting a racino would boost the local economy. Briefs also were filed by parimutuels in Palm Beach, Lee, Brevard and Hamilton counties where voter referendums already approved slots.
Nevada poker rooms (Flamingo room at left) continued a recent downward trend by taking in less money in November, $8.9 million, than it did during November 2014. For the year, poker revenues at Nevada’s 667 poker tables is down 2.02 percent from 2014, as competition increases from other sources, such as online poker and national casino expansion.
Casinos in Tunica, Mississippi weathered the recent floods on the Mississippi River, although the state gaming commission required Bally's Casino in Robinsonville to close for about 24 hours on January 3. No flooding occurred at Bally's and no other casinos were ordered to shut down.
In appealing a pro-VictoryLand circuit court ruling, the state of Alabama filed a brief reiterating the casino's electronic bingo games are illegal. Casino attorneys filed a brief claiming Macon County voters approved the games in 2003 and the state must return machines and cash from a 2013 raid. Meanwhile VictoryLand has yet to reopen.
Joseph Uram and Jeff Roberts, former Argosy Gaming executives, have proposed a 14,000-square-foot casino at the Decatur, Illinois Conference Center & Hotel. The city council may take up the idea at its January 19 meeting. The facility would offer 600 slots, create 200 jobs and generate $3 million in annual tax revenue.
The Indiana Supreme Court will hear arguments on January 28 to determine if Winners Circle, Hoosier Park Racing & Casino's off-track betting parlor in downtown Indianapolis, should regain its exemption from the city's smoking ban. Hoosier Park attorneys said the OTB is closely scrutinized by a state agency, unlike bars and restaurants.
Nearly 100 sweepstakes operations in five North Carolina counties have received cease-and-desist letters from District Attorney Seth Edwards. They face a January 11 deadline or criminal charges. The state legislature banned sweepstakes cafés in 2010 and the state Supreme Court upheld the law in 2012.
Horseshoe Casino Baltimore is being sued by a consortium of minority vendors and clergy groups fore allegedly failing to meet requirements for minority participation in construction.
Despite getting virtually no support from other lawmakers, one New Jersey politician’s plan to legalize marijuana for recreational use in Atlantic City continues to make headlines.
The question of indigenous Indian rights versus the U.S. Constitution’s rights guaranteed to all its citizens will be the subject of three cases that the U.S. Supreme Court will take up this year.
Connecticut Attorney General George Jepsen (l.) has filed papers with a federal court asking it to dismiss a lawsuit filed by MGM Resorts that seeks to overturn a law authorizing the state’s two gaming tribes to identify a site for a future third casino.
A public meeting will be held January 26 for input on an environmental impact study for the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation of Kansas' proposed casino to be built on historic reservation land in Malta, Illinois—500 miles from the tribe's present-day reservation in Mayetta, Kansas.
The second Mohegan Sun Casino’s hotel, the 400-room Earth Tower, is starting to stab into the skyline, heralding an October 2016 opening. Steel girders are being lifted to create the skeleton for the hotel, now easily visible for miles around.
A 16,000-square-foot gaming-floor expansion recently opened at the Chehalis Tribe's Lucky Eagle Casino in Rochester, Washington. Part of an ongoing expansion project that started in February 2015, the new area also will include the Craft House Sports Bar, featuring a live entertainment venue.
The federal Bureau of Indian Affairs recently approved the Class III gaming compact between New Mexico and the Nambe Pueblo. It's the state's 13th approved agreement, ranking New Mexico number one among states with tribal gaming compacts.
Northern Edge Navajo Casino near Farmington, New Mexico will celebrate its fourth anniversary with cash and prize giveaways, including a $40,000 Anniversary Celebration with 20 winners daily. The property features award-winning architecture and art blending traditional Navajo symbolism with contemporary design, and employs 300 people, of whom
nearly 86 percent are Navajo.
One of Yuma County, Arizona's top employers, the Cocopah Indian Tribe provides 700 jobs at its Cocopah Resort and Casino, in tribal government and other enterprises, according to an Arizona Indian Gaming Association study. Originally started as a bingo hall in 1993, the present-day 83,125 square foot casino opened in 2003.
The private operator of the New Jersey Lottery has signed a new contract that adjusts income expectations in consideration of state refusal to place video lottery terminals in bars.
Although the Florida Lottery has contributed a total of $29 billion to the education since 1988, state Rep. Frank Artiles and state Senator Tom Lee want to reduce scratch-off lottery games from 75 to 20 and cap ticket prices at $5. The Revenue Estimating Conference estimated first-year revenue losses would be $197.1 million - $285.8 million.
North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory recently named Durham real estate executive Kim Griffin chairman of the Education Lottery Commission, replacing Keith Ballentine who remains on the board. McCrory tapped Griffin to the commission after A. J. Daoud stepped down to run for secretary of state.
Attorney António Lobo Vilela has been named senior legal adviser for Macau’s Cabinet of the Secretary for Economy and Finance. The Portuguese lawyer is a former member of the Macau Gaming Commission and a onetime legal adviser to the Legal Affairs Bureau.
Checking into a room at Caesars Palace (l.), the Flamingo Las Vegas, or the LINQ is as easy as confirming visitor identification at a Caesars Entertainment kiosk, which will dispense room keys, and enable visitors to bypass the often long check-in lines that visitors cite among their top complaints when visiting Las Vegas.
IGT sold its 610,000-square-foot office building and 38 acres of attached property for $75 million to Panattoni Development on December 30. IGT will continue leasing office space at the building, while streamlining its customer service and providing new product offerings via a recent $64 billion merger with lottery firm GTECH Holdings.
Advantech-Innocore will display its range of industrial computing platforms for gaming machines at ICE Totally Gaming in a display themed “Gaming Intelligence.”
