Wynn Resorts Ltd. says its new Wynn Palace resort (l.), set to open later this month on Macau’s Cotai Strip, may receive only 100 new-to-market live gaming tables from the local government. It expects more post-opening, but will shift many tables from Wynn Macau to open the Cotai property.

Scientific Games announced last week it had hired Kevin Sheehan, the former CEO at Norwegian Cruise Lines, and president and chief executive officer. Gavin Isaacs (l.), who had been CEO, moved to the board as vice chairman. The change was effective immediately.

Incheon International Airport Corp. in South Korea has signed an agreement with Inspire Integrated Resorts to develop a casino complex on Yeongjong Island. Inspire is a partnership of the Mohegan tribe and KCC.

In the wake of its $4.4 billion mega-deal for Playtika and its popular Slotomania game (l.), Caesars Entertainment may finally be getting junior creditors to support a restructuring of debt-laden Caesars Entertainment Operating Co. The good news even overshadowed a $2 billion second-quarter loss.

Gross gaming revenue fell 4.5 percent in Macau in July. Because the drop is not as steep as predicted, it’s almost considered a rally. All this is unfolding against a backdrop of multiple resort openings on the Cotai Strip. Everyone seems to be reaching for bottom and it’s never there. Legislator Jose Coutinho (l.) believes the end is in sight, however.

Following the recent release of an Environmental Impact Statement by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians' proposed South Bend, Indiana casino entered a 30-day comment period. The planned 423,000 square foot Four Winds Casino also would offer an 18-story, 500-room hotel and 4,000-vehicle garage, according to Pokagon Chairman John Warren (l.).

Three gaming companies are in line to be part of the BCN World resort project in Catalonia, Spain. Melco International, Hard Rock, which already operates a Hard Rock Café in Barcelona (l.),and Peralada all have deposited US$2.5 million to demonstrate their “commitment.”

The Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma's free-play site, www.PokerTribe.com, is available to U.S. residents except in Oklahoma, and to international markets. The tribe had to delay the launch of its real-money platform while it works with foreign governments to finalize gaming licenses and international merchant processing banking.

This week GGB Podcast has a discussion with Charlie Barksdale, the president of a startup gaming vendor that recently debuted a unique hybrid of an electronic and a live table game, ShaqJack.

Though Japan has been called the greatest untapped gaming market in the world, government opponents have kept legislation on the back burner—until now, with the ruling party’s recent “plus-one” voting majority, led by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (l.).

Newly-elected Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte (l.) is making good on his promise to crack down on the country’s online gaming industry. In the five weeks since he took office, PAGCOR has revoked 124 online licenses.

The Best Sunshine Live casino on the Pacific island of Saipan continues to rake in the big bucks thanks to high rollers CEO Mark Brown (l.) refers to as “VVIPs.” And the permanent casino hasn’t even opened yet.

Michael Kelly of Asian Coastal Development Ltd. and the Ho Tram Project Company says Vietnam could benefit from an educational gaming pilot program led by established global operators.

Macau Legend Development Ltd., which has offered US$42 million to operate the Savan Vegas hotel and entertainment complex (l.) in Laos, has until August 31 to close the deal, and may get an extension into September.

Bombay-listed Delta Corp Ltd. announced late last month that it has been licensed by the Sikkim government to operate a casino in the Indian state. It will develop the gaming hall at the Denzong Regency Hotel (l.) in Gangtok.

Singapore, which entered the gaming industry by granting the first casino license to the Genting Group in 2007, last week asked for international cooperation to more closely regulate gaming. Lee Tzu Yang, head of the city-state’s gaming regulatory authority, says gaming is a refuge for international crime and terrorism fundraising.

British bookmaker William Hill has signed a two-year sponsorship deal with the English Premier League football club Everton. The deal makes William Hill the official betting partner of the club.

The Dragonara Casino (l.) on Malta is reopening after undergoing a €10 million improvement and aims to be the top casino in southern Europe. Among improvements are a new dedicated poker area, a VIP lounge with private gaming, a sports betting lounge, and restaurant. Abbiati Casino Equipment is providing custom products and furnishings that help to establish the casino’s identity and brand.

Estoril Sol SGPS SA has launched an online gaming site in Portugal. The business is majority controlled by business interests connected to Macau casino entrepreneur Stanley Ho (l.). It’s the first licensed website to offer legal online casino gambling in Portugal.

Cyprus is readying plans to allow regulated online gambling in the Greek controlled areas of the island nation. Applications for licensing will begin being accepted October 3.

The plan of James Packer (l.) to demerge Crown Resorts into three separate entities could be a winning move for the Aussie billionaire, adding as much as $1.1 billion to his already substantial pile.

Australian Senator Nick Xenophon (l.) says first-person shooter games like Counter Strike are a form of online gambling that target kids and groom them to become punters. He’s calling for a legal redefinition of the games.

A Hong Kong conglomerate has approval from the government of the Caribbean island to develop a $2.6 billion resort, the Pearl of the Caribbean (l.). The developer is a major promoter of horseracing in China and the sport is expected to figure prominently at the site.

The city of Surrey in British Columbia turned down an offer to host a small casino. The British Columbia Lottery Corporation suggested building a small casino with slots and table games in Surrey, but city officials said they only want a destination-style casino built, if any. Meanwhile, a challenge to a casino in Peterborough, Ontario, is slated for a public hearing.

Kenyan MPs have formed a committee to probe the East African country’s gaming industry and regulations. The inquiry will look at tax compliance, claims of financial impropriety and social impacts of the industry.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo (l.) on August 3 signed into law a measure legalizing paid daily fantasy sports (DFS) in the state. The new law defines DFS as a game of skill, which negates the New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman’s central argument against it when he banned DFS based upon it being a game of chance. Massachusetts has also passed a DFS law now waiting the governor’s signature.

Delaware has seen record highs for its online gambling revenue for four straight months. The state’s online sites took in $304,000 for June.

After ads for daily fantasy sports sites seemingly took over the TV airwaves at the start of the 2015 NFL season, the top DFS sites are saying that won’t happen again in 2016. Last year’s blitz brought the attention of regulators to the industry, which has been fighting legislative battle for legitimacy ever since.

A move by video game company Valve to shut down skins betting sites centered on its game Counter Strike: Global Offensive doesn’t seem to be working as bets continue at several eSports betting sites centered on the game. The amount bet on the games has dropped about 25 percent since the company’s move, however, according to gambling monitor Genius Sports.

The government of Quebec is being sued by the Canadian Wireless Telecoms Association over its order to block unlicensed gambling sites in the province. The association wants the ISP blocking plan to be declared unconstitutional.

Australian gaming operator Tatts Group Ltd. has announced it is in talks to buy the Australian-New Zealand business division of Greek gaming technology provider Intralot.

XIN Gaming has acquired the merged Swedish companies Tain and Betting Promotion for a reported $10 million. Tain is a software and solutions provider and Betting Promotion is a sportsbook supplier. XIN said it sees potential for Tain to become an independent online gaming platform.

Microgaming will launch three new online slots games in August covering a variety of themes. Karaoke Party, Monkey Keno and Frozen Diamonds are available to Microgaming and Quickfire operators, on desktop and mobile.

The computer hackers group Anonymous hacked company websites of billionaire Czech Finance Minister Andrej Babis's in protest to a law allowing the Czech government to shut down illegal online gambling sites. Babis said the law is not designed to censor the internet, but only block illegal sites that don’t pay taxes.

Sportsbet has come out against a South Australian place of consumption tax, saying it will make gamblers there pay the most for online gambling. Several betting agencies have launched a media campaign against the tax.

The European Commission has proposed a directive to help prevent the use of digital currencies to finance criminal activities and terrorism. The proposal would create a central database holding records of the identities and wallet addresses for users of all crypto-currencies including Bitcoin.

Wynn Boston Harbor last week welcomed construction workers to the site to begin building the $2.1 billion project. The start comes even as Joseph Curtatone (l.), the mayor of nearby Somerville, said his town is likely to appeal a state environmental ruling that allows the project to proceed.

MGM resorts international has completed its acquisition of Boyd Gaming’s half of Atlantic City’s Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa, giving it full ownership of the property. New Jersey regulators have approved the purchase. MGM now controls the resort’s must successful casino, as well as the ability to use its database to market new casinos in Maryland and Massachusetts.

A consortium led by racing and gaming giant Churchill Downs is buying Maryland’s Ocean Downs harness track and racino (l.) for an undisclosed sum. The state’s other harness course, Rosecroft Raceway, which has no gaming, is also changing hands, moving from Penn National Gaming to the Stronach Group.

The group behind a petition drive to allow three casinos in Arkansas received an extension to gather enough signatures to place the issue on the November ballot. But since Arkansas Wins in 2017 collected at least 75 percent of the needed signatures, the state secretary of state's office gave them until August 26 to complete the job.

In a ruling that could affect Florida cardrooms, Administrative Law Judge Suzanne Van Wyk recently determined designated-player card games at bestbet Jacksonville (l.) are illegal. She said bestbet failed to prove the games it offered ever were authorized, but she agreed state regulators were negligent for not stopping the games sooner. Bestbet attorneys probably will appeal.

A $74 million loan to Atlantic City by the state of New Jersey is being backed by every asset the city has under terms negotiated through Governor Chris Christie’s influence. The city’s Municipal Utilities Authority—which the state has long wanted the city to sell—is being dissolved under the agreement as part of the loan’s collateral. City officials, however, say they will use other funds coming to the city from an Atlantic City rescue package passed by Trenton to repay the loan.

Largely boosted by increased slots revenues, Nevada casinos won $11.1 billion for the 2016 fiscal year, which ended June 30, the Nevada Gaming Control Board reported. The year’s win total was up by 0.66 percent from 2015, with slots accounting for $7.1 billion, up 3.2 percent this year. Table games proved less profitable this year, with Nevada casinos taking in 3.5 percent less in 2016 with a game and table win total of $4 billion.

Pittsburgh’s Rivers Casino has dropped a lawsuit to overturn a tax Pennsylvania’s casinos are required to pay to their host locales. No reason was given for the decision. The casino had claimed the tax was discriminatory and therefore illegal.

Another group has formed to oppose a ballot referendum to expand gambling in New Jersey by allowing casinos to be built outside of Atlantic City. This group, however, is based in Northern New Jersey, where two new casino are proposed. They join southern New Jersey groups that oppose the plan saying it would devastate Atlantic City’s remaining casino market.

The longtime tradition of giving away free drinks to gamblers on the Las Vegas Strip is slowly winding down as gaming operators begin more closely tracking whom they choose to receive free drinks while gambling. Some casinos now leave it up to bartenders to choose, while others are using a more objective method. A casino bar in Wynn Encore at left, which began limiting comped drinks more than a year ago.

Looking ahead to serious competition later this year from MGM’s National Harbor, Maryland Live! is taking the offensive. The state’s gaming revenue leader is investing $200 million to transform itself with a 310-room hotel, new events and conference facilities and other attractions.

New York gaming regulators recently toured the Rivers Casino site in Schenectady and said they are happy with the progress at all four state-approved casinos, three of which are to be located in Upstate New York, while another is planned in the Southern Tier. The Rivers Casino has a planned opening early next year, and gaming regulators said the Montreign casino (l.) in Monticello and the del Lago also are advancing at a rapid pace.

In the first few days since the old Normandie Casino reopened under the watchful eyes of porn and casino entrepreneur Larry Flynt, it has seen its profits increase 20 percent. At least that’s what Flynt, who has rebranded it the Lucky Lady Casino, claims.

Two casinos that were instrumental in making Nevada gaming what it is today are celebrating milestone anniversaries this month. The Riverside Resort founded by the town’s namesake, Don Laughlin (l.), turns 50 this month and put Laughlin on the map. Meanwhile, the oldest continually operated casino in Nevada, the Railroad Pass near Boulder City, turns 85 with a new travel plaza in the works.

Although gaming in Macau in general has been on the decline the past couple years, Wynn Resorts managed to improve its second quarter results in Macau. Wynn Resorts earned $1.06 billion in revenues during the second quarter, while adjuster earnings rose almost 6 percent to $312.7 million. Its profits rose to $70.4 million, a nearly 25 percent increase.

With the about to host its sixth casino, lawmakers believe it’s time to assess the nature and extent of problem gambling. This was studied before, back in 2010, but the reasoning is that the industry has grown dramatically since then, and it’s possible the negative impacts have too.

Intratribal rivalries continue at the Picayune Rancheria of the Chukchansi Indians in California, where political conflicts caused their tribal casino to close for 14 months. Now the tribal faction on top is trying to cement its position by removing its rivals from membership rolls, including Nancy Ayala (l.), who led a rival faction at one time.

The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, which has begun a $1 billion casino in Taunton, Massachusetts, (Tribal Chairman Cedric Cromwell and Taunton Mayor Thomas Hoye, l. to r.) was struck a mighty blow when a federal judge ruled that the BIA shouldn’t have put the tribe’s land into federal trust. But conflicting opinions and a solid backing from the town haven’t halted the construction.

The Department of the Interior has approved of the tribal state gaming compact of the North Fork Rancheria of Mono Indians in Central California. Partnered with Station Casinos, the tribe hopes to build a casino with 2,000 slots near the city of Madera.

The Washington state-based Cowlitz Tribe has won a victory in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. The court ruled that the tribe, first recognized by the federal government in 2002, may proceed with its $510 million casino resort. Tribal Chairman Bill Iyall (l.) said the decision affirms the tribe’s right to a reservation.

A group representing businesses in the Sacramento area has endorsed a proposed casino resort by the Wilton Rancheria. The tribe has petitioned the Bureau of Indian Affairs to put land in Elk Grove into trust for a $400 million casino with 2,000 slot machines. Region Business likes what it sees so far.

Expect to see a charm offensive from the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians, a central California-based tribe that recently swore in a new chairman, 39-year old Kenneth Kahn (l.). Kahn is considered a charmer by many who hope he will use that way with people to win over the residents of Santa Barbara County, with who the tribe has a rocky history.

The Casino Del Sol resort (l.), owned by the Pascua Yaqui tribe in Tucson, is getting a new brand and new feel. A new center bar, renovated and relocated lounges and a state-of-the-art lighting system are all part of the plan.

A casino is not part of the plans for the former Multnomah Greyhound Park in Wood Village, Oregon, the Grand Ronde Tribe recently announced. The tribe, which bought the 31-acre site for $10 million last year, recently announced it would build an 8-story hotel and an "entertainment oriented campus."

Construction has begun on a $13 million, 50,000 square foot bowling complex at Harrah's Cherokee Casino Resort in Cherokee, North Carolina. The tribe and Tribal Casino Gaming Enterprise will split the cost of the venue, which will open in late 2017 and feature 24 lanes on two floors, a bar, arcade and dining areas.

After 20 frustrating years of trying to build the Fire Mountain Casino in Yuba County, the Enterprise Rancheria claims that delays by opponents forced it to temporarily cease building. The tribe blames a series of lawsuits that have caused backers to shy away from investing in its proposed casino.

The enterprising Quapaw Tribe of Oklahoma continues to expand beyond the Downstream Casino Resort in Quapaw, Oklahoma. The tribe recently opened the Quapaw Mercantile, selling beef and bison products from the Quapaw Cattle Company. The tribe also tends 100 beehives and launched a coffee-roasting operation.

Alabama legislators will consider a bill allowing a statewide lottery, in a special session called by Governor Robert Bentley (l.) starting August 15. Bentley said a lottery could generate $225 million annually, offering the "best" chance to solve the state's fiscal troubles. He said most of the lottery proceeds should help Alabama's Medicaid program.

The Georgia Lottery raised $1.1 billion on ticket sales of $4.55 billion, an increase of $117 million over 2015. The 23-year old program finances the state's pre-kindergarten program and HOPE scholarships. Lottery President Debbie Alford introduced started online and instant games, and noted the lottery benefited from huge national jackpots.

In a case related to the corruption scandal that sent former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich to federal prison, an appellate court recently reduced casinos' award from $77 million to $26 million. The court said the jury wrongly found a "pattern" of racketeering activity, so RICO rules do not apply. Blagojevich could be free within a year.

A request for proposal has been released by the state of Illinois for a new lottery management company to replace Northstar Lottery Group. The 10-year contract is worth $300 million. Governor Bruce Rauner said the state lottery "has been very poorly run and failed to meet expectations for years.”

Michael A. Hamilton recently was named general manager at the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana's Paragon Casino Resort in Marksville, Louisiana. A 20-year veteran of the gaming and hospitality industry, previously Hamilton was vice president of resort operations at Mohegan Sun in Connecticut where he was directly responsible for retail development.

Melco International Development Ltd. has appointed Evan Winkler as its new managing director, the company has announced. Winkler will report directly to Chairman and CEO Lawrence Ho.

20-year industry sales veteran Craig Butler has been named state sales manager for New South Wales, Australia at Interblock, a leading developer and supplier of luxury electronic table games. A senior business development professional, Butler worked for EBET as New South Wales state sales manager and also operated successful clubs in Sydney.

Named "the foremost legal authority" in sports data by Chambers and Partners, world renowned sports lawyer Steven Burton has been hired as director of Sports Integrity Services at Genius Sports. A 17-year veteran in collecting, using and protecting sports data and integrity, Burton has been involved in many historically large and valuable sports data deals.

UNLV and the University of Sydney in Australia agreed to “invent” the research field of sports betting integrity. The universities will work to help create regulatory controls for interactive gaming and sports betting, in which Nevada seeks to be a global leader, while combating problem gambling. Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval (center, joined by UNLV’s Bo Bernard on the right, and Sydney University’s Alex Blaszczynski) on August 1 announced the memorandum of understanding during a two-week trade junket.

Georgia technology provider Agilysys is getting strong support for its new rGuest Buy self-service kiosk from beyond its core hospitality and gaming markets. A range of new corporate clients, including banks, law firms and financial services providers are deploying the innovative cloud-based platform.

New York’s newest gaming resort will open early next year with 2,000 machine games, 85 tables and a casino floor entirely networked by Scientific Games’ SDS management system. The deployment will include a complete foundation of accounting, player-tracking, management, CRM and analysis tools.

Country music star and Redneck Riviera owner John Rich plans to open a Redneck Riviera bar at the Grand Bazaar Shops in Las Vegas this year. North Carolina-based Bar Management Group will operate the bar, which also will house a Redneck Riviera store, and its menu will include food from the Wahlburgers restaurant located beneath the Redneck Riviera.

A multi-location commercial casino operator in the U.S. has partnered with London-based GAN to launch Simulated Gaming, GAN's proprietary enterprise-grade social gaming solution. The operator will be announced following regulatory approval. GAN is a leading developer and supplier of enterprise-level business-to-business iGaming systems and online gaming content.

Las Vegas-based architectural firm Friedmutter Group and its founder, Brad Friedmutter (l.), has been hired by Foxwoods Resort Casino and Biloxi Boardwalk Ventures to design the new $265 million Foxwoods Resort Casino at Biloxi Pointe in Mississippi at a former Heinz plant site. The 781,000 square foot venue will reflect an "Old Biloxi" theme and open in spring 2019.

Best-known for its Macau monopoly on automated table games with live dealers, Paradise is turning a growth eye on Japan. It’s reported the company’s LT Game subsidiary has lined up a partner in Japan for slot machine development.

The World Poker Tour's Season XIV second half recently began in Florida and Oklahoma. In Florida, the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino is hosting the fourth annual Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open, offering a $5 million prize pool. In Oklahoma, the WPT Choctaw is expecting a prize $3 million-plus prize pool.

More than 300 of the 1,200 cameras at the Meadows Racetrack and Casino in Washington, Pennsylvania recently were converted to HD for $2.8 million. The new technology enhances scanning two banks of TV monitors every minute, to catch players counting cards, capping or pinching bets or moving money with the count.

More than 3,000 people attended the 22nd annual Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association Conference in Tulsa. The OIGA represents 38 federally recognized Oklahoma tribes. Thirty run gaming operations in 124 locations, with 71,750 electronic games and more than 4,600 bingo seats, ranking Oklahoma among the top two states for number of casinos and gaming machines.

Sponsored in partnership with the Indiana Gaming Commission, GLI’s recent Midwest Regional Regulator Seminar treated more than 80 attendees to a full day of training forums and key opportunities to share information with colleagues across the region.

Megabucks Gold and the new Ca$h Climb progressive link are headlining IGT’s exhibit at this week’s Australasian Gaming Expo in Sydney. The slots and systems giant also is showing an array of new multigame packages on its Multistar Champion series.

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