Once thought dead, casinos in Japan are back on the table, according to Union Gaming Group. Analyst Grant Govertson says integrated resorts are being reconsidered because, as a result of this month’s elections. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (l.) now has a complete majority in the Diet (the Japanese legislature) and no longer has to rely on support from smaller parties to pass favored legislation. The only question is where gaming stands on Abe’s priority list.
888 Holdings and casino operator Rank Group have come together seeking a merger with British bookmaker William Hill. The move comes quickly after William Hill fired its chief executive due to poor online performance. A possible three-way merger would be a response to other mergers that have happened in the UK market that have decreased William Hill’s dominance. Meanwhile, Hill CEO James Henderson (l.) was sacked for lack of progress.
A ruling by a federal judge upholding a challenge from residents in Taunton could delay or even shut down efforts of the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe to build a casino in the town. The judge ruled that the Department of Interior didn't have the authority to grant reservation land to the tribe. Tribal Chairman Cedric Cromwell (l.) said the tribe will appear.
The Silver Heritage Group is planning an initial public offering to raise AUD$25 million (US$18.75 million), ahead of its proposed listing on the Australian Stock Exchange. CEO Mike Bolsover (l.) says the company’s focus on India gives it opportunities other companies do not have.
For months, casino cruises operating in the waters off the Indian state of Goa have been on order to find a new home. Now that the government has found possible new locations for the boats, the owners refuse to budge. Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar (l.) is non-committal on his position.
The National Indian Gaming Association is partnering with the American Gaming Association and the Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers to promote education to combat problem gambling and responsible gaming.
Alabama Governor Robert Bentley (l.) said he will call a special session starting August 15 to approve a state lottery, which could raise $225 million annually and help ease the state's budget shortfall. Legislators hope voters can consider the constitutional amendment in November. Alabama is one of six states without a lottery.
U.K. bookmakers Ladbrokes and Gala Coral must sell up to 400 high street betting shops to win approval for their proposed merger, Britain's competition regulator said last week. But that’s fewer than they feared.
Preliminary second-quarter earnings results for gaming companies are shaky and seem to have confused some of the analysts. As usual, Sheldon Adelson’s comments drew the most attention and the most reaction.
This week the GGB Podcast features a discussion with Brian Decorah, the president and CEO of Firekeepers Casino Resort, near Battle Creek, Michigan, about his first year on the job.
Did the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. err in its decision to license a casino near the U.S. Embassy in the former Army Navy Club (l.)? Opponents also site the location of a children’s museum in the neighborhood.
Back in April, six firms were in the running to acquire the Savan Vegas resort (l.) in Laos, in a bidding process being handled by U.S. firm San Marco Capital Partners. The process has unraveled, with multiple loose ends.
There’s been much talk about the emerging importance of mass-market gamblers in Macau. But new resorts on the Cotai Strip are still betting on high rollers to sustain operations.
A temporary closure of the Beijing Imperial Palace Hotel (l.) will not force the Greek Mythology Casino to also close, according to reports. The casino, which operates under the SJM license, is located at the hotel.
Las Vegas Sands in June reported its first revenue gain in Macau in two years. The improved revenue situation comes as Las Vegas Sands is scheduled to open its $2.7 billion Parisian resort and casino (l.) in Macau on September 13. That would be about three weeks after Wynn Resorts is scheduled to open its $4.1 billion Wynn Palace development in Macau.
The Indian state of Kerala may redefine poker as a skill-based game and thereby make it legal. The game is currently banned because the government prohibits games of chance.
Any chance that Sri Lanka’s 18-month-old government would soften its opposition to new casinos was laid to rest by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe (l.). Speaking at a recent business forum in Singapore he said “no investor would be provided space” to develop a gaming property in the island nation.
Macau gaming regulators say the city’s Canidrome dog racing track (l.) must relocate within two years or close down altogether. Gross gaming revenue from greyhound racing dropped 13.8 percent year-on-year in 2015.
Miguel Angel Ochoa (l.), the head of the Mexican Gaming Association, believes the country’s casino market is ripe for a major expansion. And that would be a good thing, he says, because the industry attracts investment, pays taxes and provides tens of thousands of jobs.
Former Bahamas Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham (l.) complained last week that the government was “dead wrong” in its efforts to force liquidation on the bankrupt Baha Mar resort. Government officials in the administration of Prime Minister Perry Christie meanwhile say the situation was unique and they had no choice.
The ninth casino in Saskatchewan, Canada, has been approved by the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority. The Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority will operate the $20 million, 31,000 square foot casino in Lloydminster. Set to open in 2017, it will provide 140 new jobs, offering 250 gaming machines, eight table games, a 120-room hotel and restaurant.
The government of the republic of Rwanda has temporarily suspended the use of slot machines, saying they have been operating outside regulations and without clear guidelines.
Lost in the coverage of the GOP convention in Cleveland and the ascendency of nominee Donald Trump (l.) was the fact that the party has dropped opposition to online gambling from its official platform. Trump has never supported a ban on iGaming. It’s the first time since 1996 that opposition to online gambling has not been part of the platform. The omission may reflect the difficulty RAWA had gaining traction in Congress.
Verizon’s purchase of Yahoo has led to speculation over whether the telecommunications giant does or does not have interest in Yahoo’s fantasy sports offerings. Unlike DFS sites that generate huge revenue, Yahoo’s fantasy sports sites are more rooted in the traditional fantasy sports model and bring in much less revenue.
Amaya Gaming has cut “dozens” of staff positions to cut out redundancy in its organizations after the company’s Full Tilt brand was absorbed into PokerStars.
According to new figures released by Spanish regulators, online slots play in the country saw a spike in female payers in 2015. While the market is still mostly male, female players at online sites rose more than 50 percent.
Poland’s Council of Ministers has voted in favor of amendments to the country’s gambling laws that restrict online casino games to the national lottery operator Totalizator Sportowy. The amendments create a state monopoly for online slots.
Estoril Sol Digital Online Gaming and Products Services, SA has received the first online casino license issued by Portugal under new gaming regulations in the country. The license is only for slots and online casino games.
Red Tiger Gaming has announced a distribution agreement with gambling operator Paddy Power to provide gaming titles for the bookmaker’s online casino offerings.
Microgaming has gained the exclusive rights to the Tarzan name for online slot games. The company signed a licensing agreement with Edgar Rice Burroughs Inc., brokered by Creative Licensing Corporation.
Steve Wynn may have overcome the final legal hurdles to his beginning work on the Wynn Boston Harbor, the $2.1 billion casino resort that he hopes to build along the Mystic River. Robert DeSalvio (l.), the president of Wynn Boston Harbor, says construction can begin immediately.
The state’s 12 casinos began turning over an additional 2 percent of their table games take under legislation designed to fund the state budget for the next year. Operators aren’t happy about it, but they’re hoping lawmakers will approve online gaming this fall, except possibly for Sands Bethlehem (l.).
For the first time since 2001, Nevada sport books will take action on a limited number of Summer Olympics events. Those events included boxing and sports that are timed and have established scoring, such as basketball, golf, tennis, soccer, and others. UK-based sports book operator William Hill also set a +7500 money line on the new Las Vegas NHL team pulling off the nearly impossible and winning Lord Stanley’s Cup during its inaugural season.
Atlantic City has still not received an about $74 million loan from New Jersey that was part of rescue legislation for the financially strapped resort, leading to predictions that the city could default on loan payments. But resort Mayor Donald Guardian (l.) says the city will make a $3.4 million bond payment due August 1, regardless of the loan status.
An attorney for casino developers Gulfport Gaming Development told the Mississippi Gaming Commission site approval for its proposed $140 million casino still exists under the name of former developers, Rotate Black, and asked for a month to straighten out the situation. Rotate Black had planned a Hemingway-themed casino but could not arrange financing.
The Las Vegas City Council on July 20 passed a motion to keep Cashman Field among final candidates for a potential NFL stadium site. Cashman Field is located near the recently widened and improved section of I-15 north of the infamous “Spaghetti Bowl” interchange with U.S. 95, has 25,000 parking spaces. But the addition of the Bali Hai golf course (l.), just south of Mandalay Bay, is now a favorite location.
Caesars is hoping for $4 billion or more from the sale of its online gaming subsidiary, which is also its most profitable, and thinks it may have found a deep-pocked buyer in Chinese games developer Giant Interactive Group. The proceeds could prove critical to Caesars ability to finally bring its largest casino operator out of bankruptcy.
The state’s leading operator is suing the competitor that will be looking to de-throne it when it opens in August. Maryland Live! claims that when three of its VIP hosts bolted for MGM Resorts’ soon-to-open National Harbor casino they took with them high-roller data belonging to Maryland Live! The suit further alleges that MGM knew all about it.
The Jack Cleveland Casino was not the life of the party last week when the Republican National Convention was in town. The casino lost money during the convention due to security and street barricades that cut down on the number of patrons to the casino.
Work on the Rivers Casino & Resort at Mohawk Harbor in Schenectady is ahead of schedule, and the casino might open in February. The $330 million casino development anchors the $480 million waterfront development that will include a 50-slip boat harbor at the former Alco site in Schenectady. Meanwhile, Nassau County Off Track Betting Corporation is negotiating with state gaming regulators to add 1,000 slots Aqueduct Racetrack.
Porn and casino king Larry Flynt won a game of chicken with the Gardena, California city council over the city’s demands that he pay a guaranteed tax every month, no matter how profitable his two casinos in the city were. To make his point he shut one of them down for two days.
A multitude of casinos in Las Vegas and Reno are looking to lower their costs by embracing cost-effective sustainability measures that reduce waste and help the environment. The Aria Resort and Casino (l.) last year reduced its waste-management bill by 7 million pounds of leftover food it converted into pig feed, and MGM Resorts International in October will be the first casino operator to go off the Nevada power grid.
The Railroad Pass Casino near Las Vegas already welcomes many truckers staying overnight in their rigs, and it plans to add a travel center to service them. The Henderson City Council in July amended its zoning map to allow the 10-acre travel center that will be built on casino property. The zoning change also enables other commercial development, which city officials anticipate needing due to the development of the adjacent Interstate 11.
The Lady Luck Casino boat recently was shipwrecked off the coast of Pompano Beach, Florida. featuring interactive artwork including poker-playing octopuses, the wreck is expected to attract more than 35,000 divers annually and contribute to Florida's artificial reef system. The 324-foot boat was towed from New York earlier this year.
The rise of eSports and its popularity among millennials has Nevada gaming regulators and casino operators looking to enact regulations enabling eSports wagering and poker-style contests in Las Vegas. The idea is to attract more millennials to Las Vegas, especially with most of the nation’s top cities for millennials located a short plane ride away.
Las Vegas Sands Chairman Sheldon Adelson (l.) did not funnel illegal foreign contributions in the U.S. election campaign funds, the Federal Election Commission (FEC) announced. The FEC on July 19 posted information showing a 5-0 ruling in favor of Adelson, following a similar recommendation by the FEC’s general counsel. A complaint filed last year accused Adelson of using money raised through Las Vegas Sands’ Macau gaming operations to impact federal elections.
Jerry Nann Meador, 53, embezzled more than $500,000 from a Las Vegas plumbing business, for whom she was the bookkeeper for many years. She says her gambling addiction caused the theft and wants to enter a state diversion program from problem gamblers, but prosecutors say it’s just an excuse she’s using to get out of jail.
With Station Casinos poised to take over ownership of the Palms Casino in Las Vegas, hundreds of workers on June 21 submitted a petition saying they want to keep their jobs. The workers say they are concerned for their job security, particularly those working for Sodexo, which operates the casino’s coffee shop, buffet, bakery, and its main kitchen.
The Golden Nugget Casino's rent to Biloxi inadvertently was swept into Mississippi's general fund. The city has since received $1.13 million but now wants the balance, $1.18 million, plus interest and attorney fees, according to a motion filed in county court. Vincent Creel, Biloxi public affairs director, suggested the casino pay its rent directly to Biloxi.
Players who put down as much as $250 at Big Hit Bingo in Calhoun County, Alabama wonder how they can retreive their money, following a recent raid by Sheriff Larry Amerson's office. He refers people to Big Hit for answers while the money is being held in the bank as evidence.
A handicapped woman, Hope Elly, is suing Hard Rock Casino Biloxi in federal court because she claims the venue violated the Americans with Disabilities Act and denied her the "rock star experience" able-bodied guests enjoy. Elly has filed five suits in less than four months against a restaurant or entertainment venue.
Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall has once again been recognized as a ‘Top Stop’ by two entertainment industry publications. Both VenuesToday Magazine and Pollstar Magazine have ranked the historic venue highly among the top 200 in the world.
Indian gaming brought in more money last year than at any time in history. At the same time profits rose by 5 percent in 2015, the highest rate in a decade. NIGC Chairman Jonodev O. Chaudhuri (l.) credits strong regulation as a key to growth.
Responding to a federal judge's ruling that Texas law banning casino gambling overrides federal Indian law allowing Class II gaming, the Tigua Tribe is replacing sweepstakes games with traditional bingo. Eyes also are on the Alabama-Coushatta's Naskila Entertainment Center (l.), which offers electronic bingo. The state filed a motion to have the facility shut down.
Connecticut’s two gaming tribes held a breakfast for the state’s delegation to the Democratic National Convention last week. Its purpose was to bend their ears about legislation the tribe would like to see passed by the legislature allowing the tribes to build a third casino near Hartford to mollify the impact of MGM’s casino in Springfield, Massachusetts. Ironically U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (l.), often an opponent of tribal gaming, was lobbied.
The results of the Bureau of Indian Affairs' environmental impact study indicate the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians' proposed $400 million casino and tribal village in South Bend, Indiana now may move forward. The project will create more than 1,400 construction jobs and 2,000 permanent jobs.
Recent rulings declared the state of Oklahoma may not collect sales tax from non-tribal members of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation at the tribe's retail businesses. The state had billed the tribe $27 million in unremitted sales tax from non-tribal members. Now the state said it may appeal the decision.
A ruling by a federal judge means that the Mechoopda Indian Tribe Of Chico Rancheria can go forward with its casino with 500 slots and 10 table games in Northern California. The judge ruled that the Bureau of Indian Affairs action put the land into trust was a correct one.
The Wilton Rancheria is encountering anonymous critics trying to stop the tribe from building a $400 million casino at Elk Grove, California in an unfinished outlet mall. The critics are trying to influence the city government, in particular the mayor who is running for reelection
Washington and South Dakota tribes recently have announced casino expansions. The Spokane Tribe in Washington will break ground on a $400 million casino (l.) in Airway Heights. The Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe, the Yankton Sioux Tribe and the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate Tribe will expand their operations in South Dakota.
In California’s northernmost city, Yreka, the Karuk Tribe this week planned to ground break for its $30 million Rain Rock Casino. Meanwhile, the Estom Yumeka Maidu tribe of Enterprise Rancheria of California has halted construction of its $186 million Fire Mountain Resort and Casino three months after it broke ground. It is waiting to allow a spate of court cases to be decided before it moves forward.
The Gun Lake Tribe will resume sharing revenue from its Gun Lake Casino near Grand Rapids with the state of Michigan. The tribe withheld $21.7 million starting in June 2015, claiming the state violated the gaming compact when it introduced online Michigan Lottery games and established video lottery terminals at social clubs.
Court documents of minutes of an Arizona tribe’s internal deliberations in 2002 found their way to a freelance reporter through a labyrinthine process that began when the records were subpoenaed. The minutes support contentions that the Tohono O’odham Nation deceived the public about its intentions to build a casino in the Phoenix Valley 14 years ago.
Nine former council members of the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska recently were charged by a grand jury in an 11-count indictment for conspiracy, theft, wire fraud and misuse of Indian casino funds. Their actions resulted in a total loss of $325,000 for the tribe's WinnaVegas Casino in Sloan, Iowa.
A Southern California man is on trial for allegedly setting wildfires near two San Diego county casinos because he “hated Indian casinos.” The accused, Jonathan Cohen, told a jail mate that he set the fires, according to the prosecution.
On July 19, online gaming launched in the Brazilian state of Piaui with the introduction of a regional lottery. Governor Wellington Dias (l.) said the goal is to generate 20 million Brazilian reals (US$6.074 million) per year.
The slots and systems giant is hitting it big with lottery versions of its popular Jackpot Party and Gold Fish slots. Jackpot Party has found a strong following as an instant game in New York. In Ohio, SciGames says Gold Fish is outperforming every $2 instant game in the state.
About half of Americans said they bought a state lottery ticket within the last year, according to a Gallup survey. That's down from the 57 percent who said they played the lottery in 1996 and 1999. Gallup suggested one reason is people have more gambling options, including online poker and online fantasy sports.
Ainsworth--North America has hired Kelcey Allison as senior vice president of sales. Previously he was chief executive officer at Aruze Gaming and held several key sales positions, including vice president of sales, at Progressive Gaming International.
Matt Hurst, former executive vice president casino operations and marketing at Kazuo Okada’s upcoming Manila casino, has left the project along with two other high-ranking executives.
Damian Quayle, a 20-year gaming and hospitality veteran, has been named chief operating officer of gaming at the Star Sydney. Quayle joined the Star Sydney in 2011 as general manager of table games. Previously he was director of gaming administration at City of Dreams Macau and table games operations manager at Wynn Macau.
The president of the North American subsidiary of Sportech, Rich Roberts, has announced that he is leaving the board of the company, effective immediately.
Communications between different systems and interfaces will be easier, faster and more efficient thanks to the Gaming Standards Association’s updated S2S protocol. It’s one of 11 new GSA standards now available and includes a new access tool called Simple System Interface.
Central California’s Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino is the latest gaming venue to deploy Scientific Games’ Promotional Kiosk and SG Universe mobile solutions. Both are designed to enhance relationship marketing through a variety of advanced tools that extend from the casino floor to players’ phones
Agilysys is deploying a range of advanced property management and security tools to the Rancheria Miwuk Tribe of California’s Jackson Casino Resort. They include a big-picture solution called Visual One PMS, Insight Mobile Manager, a remote app for improving hotel management, and a secure customer payment platform called rGuest Pay.
Players at more than 200 casinos in the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean will be competing over the next month for a trip to Las Vegas and a seat at the final table of Scientific Games’ second annual Shuffle Master Three Card Poker National Championship. Top prize: $100,000.
Pariplay and Atari recently released Atari Asteroids, an immersive, instant-win game inspired by the Atari video-arcade classic, and the latest under the companies' 2014 partnership to develop real-money titles inspired by Atari's popular games. Atari Black Widow Spider debuted earlier this year. Next up: Atari Star Raiders video slots.
The Australian slot giant is lending game content to a platform developed by iSoftBet that provides online operators with a host of third-party games. The agreement is a win for Ainsworth, too, which is looking to expand its presence in the European iGaming market.
Inspired Gaming and Britain’s Betfred are hoping for some punch from a series of machine games themed around the former boxing champ. Inspired has the exclusive rights and Betfred has released the first title, Mike Tyson Knockout Slot, to its online, mobile and bricks-and-mortar players.
The UK betting giant and the country’s Trinity Mirror media conglomerate are expanding their fantasy football partnership with a head-to-head mobile phone mini-league. The app is free to players, who will compete for more than £10,000 in cash prizes.
Inspired and 49’s Limited, a UK fixed-odds gaming firm, signed a deal to deliver virtual race content to 49’s customers. The long-term contract provides Inspired’s graphical improvements at 49’s Steepledowns, Portman Park, Spring Valley, Millersfield, and Brushwood tracks. Inspired and 49’s have worked together since 2001, when Inspired began providing its virtual sports content for 49’s customers.
The American Gaming Association (AGA) is launching a Snapchat channel to provide a behind-the-scenes look at key gaming events. Those events are the Global Gaming Expo (G2E), scheduled September 27-29, and two Get to Know Gaming events in August. During G2E, the AGA with use Snapchat to provide exclusive content about AGA members, from the show floor, education sessions, the main stage, and the pressroom.
Interblock has selected its popular Diamond ETGs and a new e-table series called MiniStar 6 to headline its exhibit at next month’s Australasian Gaming Expo. Both platforms support a variety of multi-game and virtual dealer offerings, including roulette, sic bo, baccarat and blackjack.
