The transactions in the Las Vegas locals market continue to mount up. Last week, Red Rock Resorts (formerly Station Casinos) agreed to buy the Palms Casino Resort (l.) for $312.5 million as the locals market continues to improve amid a local economic revival. The deal helps Red Rock Resorts to stave off growing competition from Boyd Gaming, which is eyeing growth in the North Las Vegas market, buying Aliante and the Cannery properties in the area over the last month.
A Congressional hearing on daily fantasy sports—which also included discussions on legalizing sports betting—left observers feeling that little would come from Congress on regulating the DFS industry. The hearing did not include representatives of FanDuel and Draft Kings nor any of the major sports leagues that have partnered with DFS companies. However New Jersey Congressman Frank Pallone (l.), who called for the hearing said he hopes it will help spur Congressional action to legalize sports betting in general.
The Seminole Tribe dropped an emergency motion to stop Politico from publishing the deposition of Seminole Gaming Chief Executive Officer James Allen (l.) after the website released it. Tribal officials said state attorneys agreed to keep the deposition contents confidential ahead of the October trial that will determine if the tribe must shut down blackjack operations, but Politico obtained the deposition through a public records request. The bombshell number won’t make it easy for the tribe to claim it is harmed in any way.
Robert Lytle, who resigned as director of the Attorney General’s Division of Gambling Control in 2007, last week reached an agreement with the California Attorney General’s office in which he admits his wrongdoing as a card room consultant to San Jose’s Casino M8trix (l.) and surrenders his licenses in two Sacramento card rooms.
A compromise was reached late last week on a plan to rescue the finances of Atlantic City. The plan backed by Senate President Steve Sweeney (l.) was basis of the “compromise,” which only tacked a few more weeks onto the bill that would give Atlantic City 150 days to get its fiscal house in order instead of 130 days. Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto wanted to give the city two years and more protection for municipal union contracts, but Prieto could not garner support for his plan.
Macau’s gaming industry is starting to pick up according to Sanford Bernstein analysts, who predict GGR will improve month-on-month in May and hopefully trend up into the summer. Galaxy Entertainment Chairman Lui Che-woo (l.) says the worst may finally be over after a two-year recession.
A Bahamian judge approved a five-month extension of the ongoing process of finding a buyer for the stalled Baha Mar mega-resort project. With 16 groups expressing interest, one is expected to be Sarkis Izmirlian, the original developer of the project who was forced out.
U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (l.) has included language calling for online gambling to be declared illegal into a Congressional funding bill. Graham is the sponsor of RAWA, which would make online gambling illegal in the U.S. Though the bill is supported by billionaire Sheldon Adelson, it has received little support and Graham’s move is seen as an effort to revive the bill.
This week the GGB Podcast features a discussion with Aron Ezra, the president and CEO of OfferCraft on how his company develops unique methods to mine your existing database and find new customers through gamification.
The Ho Tram Project Company, developer of the $4.2 billion Grand resort in Vietnam, has opened an office in Hanoi. The office will manage sales and leasing at the Grand’s resort, residential and recreational attractions. Phil Falcone (l.) and Harbinger Capital are the majority owner of Ho Tram and says he has faith in the country.
VIP gaming operations at Imperial Pacific's temporary casino in Saipan reached saturation just six months since it opened. Officials now are waiting for the new $500 million Grand Mariana Casino and Hotel Resort to open in 2017, offering 200 table games, 400 slots, 350 hotel rooms, 15 villas, restaurants, beach club and nightclub.
A subsidiary of Lawrence Ho’s Melco International Development Ltd. will consult with the developer of a casino planned for Jeju Island in South Korea. The name of the project was not named in news reports of Melco’s involvement. Melco’s Clarence Chung Yuk Man (l.) says the company brings a “proven track record.”
Goa Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar (l.) has announced his government is close to finalizing a law that would ban locals from entering casinos, according to media reports. Goa has 14 land-based and four off-shore gaming halls.
Crown Resorts Director Helen Coonan says the company is fully committed to Melco Crown Entertainment, though it recently shed $1 billion in shares in the company, which is focused on the Macau gaming jurisdiction.
The president of a Philippines bank implicated in an $81 million cyberheist has quit. Lorenzo Tan (l.), head of the Rizal Commercial Banking Corp., resigned although he was cleared of wrongdoing in the money laundering case.
Tinian Mayor Joey Patrick San Nicolas says the long-shuttered Tinian Dynasty Casino in the Northern Marianas, which closed last year after a typhoon, has attracted interest from several potential investors.
Six foreigners were arrested by Singapore authorities for allegedly using electronic devices to cheat slot machines at the Marina Bay Sands and Resorts World Sentosa casinos.
Two of the biggest casino operators in the UK are reportedly cutting their tax burden by shifting income from London to less profitable operations outside the capital. The tactic involves beaming video of live roulette games from the smaller venues to London. Chancellor John McDonnell (l.) tells government, ”Crack down on this”
The UK Gambling Commission has announced three new crime-fighting measures that will be implemented this year by commission licensees. The focus is the fight against money-laundering.
Gambling oversight in Curaçao recently was questioned by Dutch Socialist Party MP Ronald van Raak (l.), who asked Minister of Kingdom Relations Ronald Plasterk how he intended "to eliminate these administrative abuses." Curaçao’s Gaming Control Board responded it had "extensive knowledge and experience with regard to the complex monitoring of the gambling industry.”
New Zealand-listed SkyCity Entertainment has announced plans to raise NZ$263 million of new equity from shareholders to pay down debt and “fund future growth projects” in both Auckland and Adelaide.
A reported weapons fund held by the Chilean military is at the center of a new corruption scandal, according to investigative journalist Mauricio Weibel. Weibel claims corruption is “widespread” in the country.
Saying that he is very competitive and wants to keep Nevada at the leading point of innovation, Governor Brian Sandoval (l.) last week convened the latest meeting of the state’s Gaming Policy Committee to review the case for betting on eSports, the competitive video gaming industry.
The French Senate has approved amendments proposed by ARJEL, the country gambling regulators, including one that would allow partnership agreements with other jurisdictions to share online poker player pools. The partnerships could be with jurisdictions within the European Union and the European Economic Area.
Inspired Gaming has launched its Virtual Sports product in the U.S. for the first time, partnering with Spin Games to offer the virtual games in New Jersey with Golden Nugget.
Lawmakers in the central Russian republic of Tatarstan have drafted a bill that would fine users of online gambling websites as well as parents whose children are found to be gambling. The draft legislation would impose fines of up to $300 on internet players.
Tipbet, in cooperation with Betradar, has added a new eSports betting product for the German and international market. The product allows for live betting on eSports and live action streaming.
PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker, both owned by Amaya Inc., will begin sharing players May 17, the company announced. Full Tilt rewards, accounts and loyalty points will be transferred to PokerStars accounts.
In a lengthy report on controversial online gambling fugitive Calvin Ayre (l.), NBC News says the recently released Panama papers will shed light on Ayre’s financial dealings. U.S. investigators have been looking into Ayre’s dealing since 2003 and in 2012 he was indicted in the U.S. for accepting U.S. gamblers at his Bodog.com.
UK bookmaker William Hill reported a 3 percent decline in net revenues through April. This was traced to poor returns from the Cheltenham racing event and caused the company to revise its projections for the year.
Online payments-processing giant PayPal says it no longer will protect payments made to gambling or crowdfunding sites, saying people making such payments are accepting a risk and have no guarantee of a return of any kind. PayPal last year started processing payments for online poker site WSOP.com, and it processes payments for daily fantasy sports.
Evolution Live Casino originally was housed in a small office in Riga, but since has grown into one of Europe’s largest providers of online gaming. Its unique and award-winning Dual Play Roulette converges online and land-based gaming to create an immersive experience for players, while enabling top casinos to boost their betting handles.
The Nevada Gaming Control Board unanimously supported several requests that would get work going full-scale on Genting’s Resorts World Las Vegas development this year, with a planned 2019 opening. Meanwhile, officials for the Lucky Dragon resort say they secured financial backing and say the Asian-themed casino will open this year.
Philadelphia’s SugarHouse held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to open its $164 million expansion, which adds casino space, a poker room and multiple dining options. Rush Street Gaming Chairman Neil Bluhm (l. to r.), SugarHouse Casino General Manager Wendy Hamilton, SugarHouse Casino CEO Greg Carlin and Councilman Mark Squilla celebrate the ribbon cutting for SugarHouse Casino's $164 million expansion.
Some 25,000 new venues seats opening in Las Vegas this year have the city poised to set a new record for seating, and a proposed 65,000-seat domed stadium soon might push the city’s total to more than 300,000. Meanwhile, the city’s nonprofit monorail system (l.) weathered an economic storm and is poised to grow with the local economy.
The Isle Casino Hotel will move from a riverboat to a $60 million land-based facility in Bettendorf, Iowa on June 24. The boat will close for five days as crews move games and equipment to the new 82,000 square foot property, which includes a 35,000 square foot casino with 1,000 slots and 20 table games.
Gaming & Entertainment Management—Illinois LLC recently was acquired for undisclosed terms by Delaware North, operator of regional destination casinos, including Jumer’s Casino Hotel (l.) in Illinois, and a global leader in hospitality and food service. GEM is the state's third-largest terminal route operator with 1,800 VGTs at 438 sites which may offer a maximum of five terminals.
Talk of NHL and NFL franchises moving to Las Vegas are heating up after the recent opening of the 20,000-seat T-Mobile Arena and talk progressing on a proposed $1.4 billion, 65,000-seat domed stadium on the UNLV campus. Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman says the owner of the NFL Oakland Raiders is serious about moving to Las Vegas. Winemaker Bill Foley II (l.) is close to landing an NHL expansion team for Vegas.
A groundbreaking ceremony was held at the $80 million Kansas Crossing Casino and Hotel in Pittsburg, set to open in March 2017. Construction originally began on Kansas' fourth state-run casino last July but a lawsuit by the unsuccessful bidder, Castle Rock, led to a 10-month delay.
Delta Downs Racetrack Casino Hotel in Vinton, Louisiana recently held a topping-out ceremony for its $45 million expansion project, including a nine-story, 167-room hotel tower, fitness center, pool and restaurant. The existing hotel's 203 rooms and suites also will be renovated. The project will be completed in December.
In the 1990s, Arlington International Racecourse in Arlington Heights, Illinois was one of the top four tracks in terms of purse size. Today it's number 35. General Manager Tony Petrillo said video games at restaurants and bars are hurting business and allowing slots at the track is the key to survival.
The proliferation of mobile wagering apps, among many other factors, has spurred legal sports betting in Nevada to record levels and has the state’s sports books on the cusp of topping the $5 billion for the first time. Gaming analysts also say federal efforts to prevent offshore wagering and rising participation in fantasy sports is boosting betting handles.
Despite the uncertainty about Atlantic City’s municipal finances, its eight casinos saw another rise in revenue for April. The city’s casinos seem to have stabilized after four properties shut down in 2014.
Maryland's five casinos posted total combined monthly revenues of $103.9 million in April, an increase of $14.9 million or 16.8 percent over April 2015—beating the July 2015 record of $98.95 million. Horseshoe Casino Baltimore had the highest percentage increase at 31.9 percent, and Maryland Live Casino had the highest dollar amount at $57.8 million.
Efforts by some to save the Riviera casino (l.), which they contend is historically significant, could be very costly to the Las Vegas economy. The LVCVA has estimated it will cost $42 million to demolish the hotel, but will mean a $16 billion shortfall in the city’s economy over 30 years.
Las Vegas Sands is in hot water again with Nevada regulators after it improperly transferred funds to a Chinese business interest, along with several other violations. It will cost the company $2 million, but LVS admits no wrongdoing.
Several hundred union supporters picketed Tropicana Atlantic City after a reportedly slow start to negotiations with the Carl Icahn owned casino over a new casino union contract. The negotiations were one of the first to start as the city’s main casino union seeks new contracts with most of the city’s casinos this year.
The annual extreme racing day recently was held at Remington Park in Oklahoma City, featuring camels, zebras and ostriches running between quarter horse races. Oklahoma Quarter Horse Association Executive Director Debbie Schauf developed the idea seven years ago. The recent event attracted 23,703 visitors and $136,500 in wagers, $6,000 more than in 2015.
Golden Entertainment, the company formed through last year’s merger of Lakes Entertainment and Golden Gaming, reported a first-quarter rise in revenue.
In Mississippi, corporations may not give more than $1,000 to any political candidate in a calendar year. But Magnolia Bluffs Casino was able to donate $10,000 to Ernest "Tony" Fields' campaign for mayor, since the casino officially is Natchez Casino Opco LLC. An LLC, said casino attorney Tommy Shepherd, is a different business entity.
The Milwaukee Bucks' new arena (l.) will open for the 2018-2019 NBA season, but the owners want to announce naming rights by November—and the Potawatomi Hotel & Casino is among those seeking those rights. BMO Harris Bank of Chicago, which owns the rights to the team's current stadium, is also in discussions.
In downtown Rochester, New York, the Seneca Nation of Indians has its eye on developing a multi-story venue with a performing arts center on the top two floors and a video-terminal casino on the lower floors, at a cost of $70-$100 million. The tribe has not yet made a formal proposal to the city.
In 2011, the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs approved the Michigan-based Keweenaw Bay Indian Community's application for an off-reservation casino at the former Marquette County Airport. But now Governor Rick Snyder (l.)—who rejected the proposal in 2013—told the tribe to submit an application to the BIA again.
The Chinese General Administration of Sport has announced it will “actively study promoting a soccer lottery in which Chinese domestic soccer leagues will be the object of guessing.” This despite a decline in China’s sports lottery business of 5.7 percent year-on-year in 2015.
Scientific Games announced the first-ever credit card purchase of lottery games through integration of its electronic commerce technology in Pennsylvania.
Caesars Entertainment has hired former federal bankruptcy judge Robert Gerber as chief restructuring officer, charged with taking over negotiations with creditors in its bankruptcy case.
Marnell Gaming named Mark Sterbens Jr. senior vice president and general manager of the recently acquired Nugget Casino Resort. Ryan Walker has been named senior vice president and general manager at the Colorado Belle Casino Resort and Edgewater Casino Resort, and Jeff Pfeiffer has been named Marnell Gaming chief operating officer.
Kelli D. Weaver has been promoted to vice president of business development at global background screening company AmericaChecked Inc. Previously Weaver served as director of tribal services. She also has served as communications manager at RWI Benefits and owned and was a forensic interviewer for Allied Resolutions LLC.
As Genting UK's new home markets managing director, Mark Sergeant will oversee the company's UK casinos as well as develop a "compelling multichannel experience" across its casinos and online and digital platforms. Previously Sergeant was managing director at Gala Casinos.
Scientific Games’ Macau division has withdrawn its claim against the patent rights in Macau of Paradise Entertainment, Ltd., ending the long patent litigation between the companies, which peaked at G2E Asia 2012 when a Macau court forced the then-Shuffle Master to cover games in question with sheets.
IGT announced contracts to install casino management system solutions at Montana’s Gray Wolf Peak and KwaTaqNuk casinos, and at Kickapoo Lucky Eagle Casino in Texas.
William Hill agreed to renovate and operate the race and sports books at all three Eldorado Resorts casinos in Downtown Reno. William Hill already operates the race and sports book at the Eldorado and will run the same operations at the Silver Legacy and Circus Circus Reno properties for Eldorado Resorts.
At the request of the Seminole Tribe, the state of Florida told card rooms to stop offering 3-Card Poker. Isle Casino in Pompano Beach and Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach pulled the games, but 15 card rooms still offer it. A hearing on the issue is set for July 2016.
Players in the World Series of Poker, May 31-July 18 at Rio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, may register online using credit cards via the Bravo Poker website. Also WSOP Fast Track Kiosks will be set up throughout the venue, allowing players to print seat cards and receipts.
Ladbrokes extended its broadcasting agreement with SIS Greyhound Service for its tracks at Crayford and Monmore through 2020. The agreement continues a mutually beneficial 28-year relationship that will span at least three decades.
Storm Gaming Technology recently formed a licensing partnership with the UK's leading commercial television corporation, ITV, to develop gaming content for "The Chase" television show, which was named Best Daytime Show at the National Television Awards. The agreement covers all aspects of retail and offline pay-to-play gaming.
Tropicana Atlantic City has announced a new restaurant development deal with Philadelphia based Chef Jose Garces. The casino also announced the opening of a new nightclub scheduled for June, including Kiss Kiss A Go-Go by Ivan Kane.
iSoftBet has announced a strategic partnership with Merkur Interactive Services under which MIS will offer the entire iSoftBet suite of HTML5 and Flash slot and table games.
