Bahamas Prime Minister Perry Christie (l.) announced that his government has reached an agreement with Baha Mar’s general contractor and lead lender to resume construction of the stalled $3.5 billion super-resort and complete it by next spring. He implied that a “world class” operator has been lined up to buy it, but he didn’t name any names.
After hours of contentious debate, the Alabama House of Representatives passed 64-35 a bill that could have made Alabama the 45th state with a lottery. But the changes added by the House were not acceptable to the Senate, which rejected the bill overwhelmingly. Governor Robert Bentley (l.) regrets that voters will not have a chance to decide this constitutional amendment in November.
Caesars Entertainment has joined several groups in bidding for a resort casino in Canada’s largest city. The stakes are particularly high for the casino giant, which so far has failed to win agreement from a lot of dissatisfied lenders on a Chapter 11 restructuring of its largest operating company. Caesars already operates Caesars Windsor (l.), also in Ontario.
St. Louis, Missouri-based Isle of Capri Casinos Inc. will sell the Isle of Capri Casino Hotel Lake Charles for $134.5 million to Kicks Entertainment LLC, an affiliate of Laguna Development Corporation, owned by the Pueblo of Laguna in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The sale is expected to close by early fiscal 2018.
Z Capital Partners agreed to pay $17.35 per share to buy Las Vegas-based Affinity Gaming. The all-cash deal values publicly traded Affinity Gaming at about $580 million, and Citizens Bank agreed to finance $465 million of the selling price. Z Capital currently owns about 41 percent of Affinity Gaming shares, and the deal is to be concluded early next year. Affinity Gaming owns 11 casinos including the Silver Sevens (l.) in Las Vegas.
Adam Gray (l.), author of AB 2863, which would legalize online poker in the Golden State, appears to be holding a busted flush. Although some time remains to cobble together enough votes to pass the bill before the session ends—few think he will pull it off.
The Russian government has designated the site of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi as a gaming zone. It joins four other zones in the country, in Altay, Kaliningrad, Rostov and Primorye.
The Department of Interior last week responded to a decision challenging the department’s land-into-trust ruling for the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe in Massachusetts. The department says the judge erred in his decision by deciding the case with an issue that was not before him. Tribal Chairman Cedric Cromwell (l.) cheered the move.
There are fewer opportunities for investors on gaming’s supply side, with sales and consolidations. And the dynamics get more difficult as it’s not just machines and systems anymore.
This week, Per Eriksson, the president and CEO of NetEnt, joins the GGB Podcast to talk about his company’s long history in international iGaming and why his focus is on real-money gaming online.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte (l.), who made waves during his first weeks in office by vowing to “destroy” online gambling and “destroy” the chairman of PhilWeb Corp., now has the bingo industry in his sights.
Imperial Pacific International Holdings, which operates the only casino on the island of Saipan, has posted record growth in revenue and profits for the half-year ending in June. The company operates a small casino in a local mall (l.), with the permanent casino to open in 2017.
Daiwa Securities says Wynn Resorts and Sands China may not get meaningful lifts from the opening of new resorts on Macau’s Cotai Strip. Last week Steve Wynn’s $4.2 billion Wynn Palace (l.) made its debut
Philippine farm product distributor Calata Corp. has teamed up with U.S.-based Sino-America Gaming Investment Group to develop a casino resort on Mactan, connected by bridge to the holiday island of Cebu
The country’s Finance Ministry has a plan to legalize sports betting in hopes of putting the illegal industry out of business. But critics say it won’t work. For one thing, the maximum allowable bet per day is far too low, they say.
The Indian state of Karnataka, which bans all forms of gaming including lottery sales, is now weighing the benefits of offshore casinos as a way to stoke tourism.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan recently announced his support of AFC Wimbledon's plans to develop a new stadium at the site of the Wimbledon Greyhound racetrack (l.), effectively ending greyhound racing in London. The new Plough Lane development would include a 20,000-seat stadium, 600 homes and an entertainment center.
The Rank Group has announced it will close one of two Grosvenor casinos (l.) in Leeds, England to concentrate on the remaining property. Grosvenor Casino Leeds Arena will shut down next month.
Midlands Premier League football club West Bromwich Albion (l., striped shirts) has announced a deal to make UK online betting operator Coral its official European betting partner.
Hong Kong billionaire Tony Fung (l.) has shelved plans to develop an $8 billion casino resort on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. Fung confessed he’s nervous about the recent “nosedive” in the casino industry.
The $50 million Ovalle Casino Resort is holding its grand opening this week in Chile’s central Coquimbo region. It features 230 slot machines, 13 table games and 60 bingo seats and is already planning to expand early next year with a hotel, an outdoor theater and an observatory.
In 2015, Chinese visitors to the Land Down Under topped 1 million. That influx has translated to a nice spike in gaming action as high rollers divert from Macau, where the government has cracked down on corruption.
The Australian government has given the green light to James Packer’s plan to spin off his company, Crown Resorts, into an Australian business, an international business and a property trust. Crown CEO Rowen Craigie (l.) says the response to the plan has been “positive.”
For Sun International Ltd., it’s been nothing but cloudy skies in the Nigerian gaming market, where a slowing economy and an ongoing shareholder dispute have cut into earnings.
In Victoria, Australia, the government is taking public input about restricting sports betting ads on public transportation, in train stations and near schools. A government official said the prevalence of gambling ads "normalizes" sports betting. Legislation limiting gambling ads most likely would be introduced to Parliament in 2017.
After walking away from its attempt with 888 Holdings to merge with bookmaker William Hill, Rank Group says it is looking for new acquisitions. The company had partnered with 888 Holdings in making a $4 billion bid to merge the three companies. William Hill officials, however, rejected the bids and Rank and 888 have walked away and announced that they do not intend to make any offer for the British bookmaker.
Paid Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) contests in New York are legal again in time for the NCAA and NFL football seasons, after the New York Gaming Commission issued temporary permits to five DFS operators to continue doing business in the state. Those operators are DraftKings, FanDuel, Yahoo, FantasyDraft, and Draft. DraftKings resumed its paid contests within hours of the recent Gaming Commission decision.
The gaming technology company Pariplay, serving iGaming operators, land-based casinos and iLotteries, recently partnered with Microgaming and Omnislots. The two online gaming companies will offer Pariplay content including the popular games Atari Star Raiders, Atari Black Widow and the Three Stooges.
Antigua & Barbuda officials say they are ready to make a final attempt to solve a longstanding dispute over online gambling restrictions in the U.S. The country has rejected an offer made by the U.S., calling it paltry.
GVC, a leading online sports betting and gaming operator, recently introduced a new iOS and Android app that allows players to participate in up to four games at once, including a mix of cash games and tournaments. The upgrade also offers other state-of-the-art features and user experience improvements.
According to pokerfuse.com, players are reporting that several online poker rooms have been pulling out of the Ukraine and Russian markets. They include the iPoker network pulling out of Ukraine.
Recent amendments made to the UK’s gambling regulations approve virtual currencies like Bitcoin as cash equivalents. However, the commission’s protections only cover UK licensed sites, while most Bitcoin platforms in the market are registered overseas. In another UK matter, the country’s Advertising Standards Authority sent out two warnings to Betway Ltd and Bwin.party over misleading ads.
Esports Arena (l.), located in Santa Ana, California, has reached a deal with Chinese investment partner Allied eSports. The terms of the deal were not disclosed, but the company said the agreement will help fund expansion of its live eSports offerings.
Online poker brand PKR has launched Evolution Gaming Live Casino content. PKR has launched Live Casino versions of traditional casino games on desktop and mobile devices.
Betgenius has launched Racing Manager which it says removes the need for in-house traders and gives operators access to more than 40,000 events a year across UK and Australian racing.
All of the opponents and enemies of the Wynn Boston Harbor have been swept out of the way. Nothing stands in its way since Mayor Joe Curtatone (l.) of Somerville said last week that his city was dropping its challenges to the $2.1 billion casino resort.
Profits for Atlantic City’s casino industry were up by 21 percent for the first half of 2016. Six of the city’s eight casinos saw profit increases including the Trump Taj Mahal (l.), which is scheduled to close October 10. The casinos saw $259 million in profits, the highest since the first six months of 2010.
With electronic bingo machines deemed in compliance with local and state laws, VictoryLand Casino in Macon County, Alabama is set to open on Tuesday, September 13, said owner Milton McGregor (l.). The casino has been closed since a 2013 raid seized 1,615 gambling machines and $263,000 in cash. VictoryLand will employ 200 people, McGregor said.
Maryland regulators are letting MGM respond to an assessment of the market and cut the number of machine games that will debut at MGM National Harbor (l.) in December. The change amounts to slightly more than 300 units and follows similar reductions allowed Maryland Live! and Horseshoe Baltimore.
Gulfport Gaming Development's proposed $140 million casino resort site was approved by the Mississippi Gaming Commission. The commission previously had approved the site under Rotate Black, which could not secure financing for its planned casino. Gulfport Gaming Development also operates Magnolia Bluffs Casino-Hotel (l.) in Natchez.
On August 1, Judge Suzanne Van Wyk issued an order dismissing part of a case in which the state claimed third-party company workers must possess occupational licenses. Now the Florida Division of Pari-Mutuel Wagering said it has filed exceptions to that ruling, and wants designated players to have occupational licenses, even though those players do nothing.
Developer Glen Straub (l.) says he is frustrated with New Jersey’s regulatory climate and may soon abandon efforts to re-open Atlantic City’s former Revel casino. Straub has had difficulty getting casino licensing and building permits to partially reopen the property. However, the mercurial developer quickly backed off the threat saying he hoped to get through the regulatory process and re-open part of the property October 1.
MGM Resorts International has unveiled a new ad campaign against a possible casino resort at the Bradley International Airport in Connecticut. The ads accuse the Airport Authority of trying to “scam” taxpayers with “a bad deal.”
Century Casinos, Triple Crown Casinos, American Gaming Group, and Full House Resorts all say they plan to begin construction on new hotels during the coming years in Cripple Creek, Colorado (l.). That would about double the current 450 hotel rooms in the gaming destination located west of Colorado Springs, and where casino gaming has been legal for 25 years.
Under a state rescue plan for Atlantic City, city casinos will make payments in lieu of taxes to the resort. The cumulative amount of those payments, however, will not be lessened if the Trump Taj Mahal closes October 10 according to an analysis by the Press of Atlantic City, with the city’s seven remaining casinos having to pick up the Taj Mahal’s share. The key is whether the city’s other casinos gain the Taj Mahal’s business.
Larry Flynt owner of two casinos in Gardena, California, is being sued for trademark infringement by Isle of Capri Casinos Inc., The lawsuit claims that Flynt infringed on the company’s trademark when he dubbed his newly acquired casino the Lucky Lady.
A relatively strong U.S. dollar, when compared to overseas currencies, is limiting the number of international visitors this year. Some of the largest international carriers at McCarran have reported significant drops in passenger travel to Las Vegas. Fortunately, several smaller airline routes continue growing and roughly offset the losses experienced by larger airlines.
A coalition of racino supporters led by the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska's Ho-Chunk Inc. is recovering from the shock of lacking enough valid signatures to place before voters a constitutional amendment allowing casino gambling at racetracks. More than one-third of the signatures were disqualified. Ho-Chunk spent $1.4 million on the failed 10-month effort.
The Hollywood Park Casino is counting on attracting some new patrons when the former St. Louis Rams move into its neighborhood on Century Boulevard in Los Angeles. That’s why the card club is expanded its casino by about 40 percent. The expansion is due to open in October.
Oceanport N.J. officials have come out against a voter referendum to allow casinos to be built in northern New Jersey. The borough is home to Monmouth Park racetrack (l.), which is slated to receive aide form taxes on the new casinos. Borough officials, however, say the current plan does not give the horseracing track the support it needs to survive.
The Hawaiian Gardens card room is nearing the end of its $90 million. It was originally going to be a $45 million renovation, but they just kept adding amenities.
Although it's been open since June 2, the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe's Naskila Entertainment Center, featuring 365 electronic bingo games, finally was targeted by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (l.). He said the venue violates an existing injunction and should be closed, and the tribe should pay $10,000 per day for each day it's been operating.
Because it fraudulently collected millions of dollars from the Pauma tribe of San Diego County, the state of California must now pay the money back. The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has order the state to pay the tribe $36.3 million.
Residents of Jamul, in San Diego County, continue to fiercely oppose the Jamul Indian Village’s Hollywood Casino. The casino is ready to open in about a week, but many, including a county supervisor, haven’t given up on stopping it from happening.
The Mohegan Sun, one of the largest casinos in the world, will celebrate its 20th anniversary in October. The casino plans an entire month of star-studded entertainment.
A group of activists challenging the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians’ use of water for their Chumash Casino don’t want the case to go to federal court. Save the Valley argues that the case is a local one and should be decided in superior court.
Choctaw Nation officials recently broke ground to expand the Grant Casino Resort (l.) in Grant, Oklahoma. Set for completion in July 2017, additions will include a 96-room hotel tower, an expanded swimming pool and outdoor bar, larger buffet and new coffee shop and upgraded lobby, plus a new poker room and 125 new slots.
Miccosukee tribal member Sally Jim must pay federal income taxes on her 2001 gaming per-capita payment of $272,000, a federal judge recently ruled. Jim had argued the money was a "general welfare" payment, as established by Congress in 2014, and not subject to taxation. The 600-member tribe operates Miccosukee Resort and Gaming in Miami.
A new $2.2 million solar energy complex will lead to savings for the Fond du Lac Band's Black Bear Casino in Carlton, Minnesota, as well as 150 homes and numerous other businesses. The project will reduce the carbon footprint by 20 percent by 2020—a goal the tribe set in 2007.
The Niagara Falls Police Department spends about $125,000 annually to provide policing services for the Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino in Niagara Falls, Police Superintendent Bryan DalPorto recently told The Buffalo News. DalPorto says the department averages about 10 calls daily to the casino, and he wants the tribe to help pay for casino policing costs.
Having lost its appeal to stop the Cowlitz Tribe from building the $510 million Ilani Resort and Casino 15 miles north of Portland, Oregon, the Grande Ronde hopes to take its case to the U.S. Supreme Court. The tribe expects Ilani to take business from its Spirit Mountain Casino, 60 miles south of Portland. Meanwhile, a man has questioned where the Cowlitz casino is actually located.
The White Earth Nation's proposed Shooting Star Casino would be built on trust land in Otter Tail County, Minnesota, but the parking lot would be situated on public land. Although the tribe is preparing a voluntary Environmental Assessment Worksheet, the SLCCG wants a more comprehensive Environmental Impact Statement.
The Forest County Potawatomi Community in Wisconsin spent more on politics--$70,000--in the first six months of 2016 than it did in the past six years combined, said the nonpartisan watchdog group, Wisconsin Democracy Campaign. The tribe spent three times as much on Republicans as on Democrats.
The $365 million Margaritaville Casino & Restaurant at River Spirit Casino in Tulsa recently opened, featuring a 27-story glass tower with a tropics-themed 483-room hotel, a gaming floor with electronic games, table games and poker, an upscale spa, outdoor pool and concert venue. The project provided 2,500 construction and 1,000 permanent jobs.
The West Virginia Lottery posted revenue of $98.8 million for July, up $1 million over July 2015—despite Greenbrier's two-week closure due to flooding in late June. Greenbrier's (l.) revenue dropped 44 percent to $281,000 compared to $502,000 in July 2015. But officials said Powerball and MegaMillions ticket sales made up for the losses.
Banker Parry Thomas, who was responsible for many Las Vegas casino projects, died last week at the age of 95. Thomas also was known for making it easier for corporations to become active in the Nevada gaming industry.
Joel Bergman, co-founder of Bergman, Walls & Associates architecture and interior design firm in Las Vegas, died last week at the age of 80. He was responsible for many iconic designs in the industry, including the Mirage, Treasure Island and much of the latter additions to Caesars Palace.
Retired U.S. Navy Admiral Jay L. Johnson joined the Wynn Resorts board of directors. Following a 32-year military career, Admiral Johnson was chief of Naval Operations and a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, plus chief executive at Dominion Virginia Power and chairman and chief executive officer at General Dynamics Corporation.
Due to the increasing popularity of electronic table games, Interblock last week announced that Jennifer Saragnese has been appointed director of customer and player service. She will be based at the company’s corporate offices in Las Vegas.
The longtime general manager of Harrah’s Southern California Resort is retiring. Janet Beronio has seen many changes in the 13 years she has been in charge of the casino resort.
Paddy Power co-founder and former Chief Executive Stewart Kenny will be stepping down from the board of Paddy Power Betfair, the firm announced. Kenny spent 28 years with Paddy Power and was the company’s first CEO. The company also reported a 20 percent increase in revenue for the first six months of the year.
GVC has capped its acquisition of bwin.party with the appointment of three industry veterans to head its casino and live gaming products and content development divisions. They hail, respectively, from Lottoland and Gala Coral Interactive, from bgo.com, Grosvenor, Caesars and Full Tilt, and from Talarius.
The man who built the Connecticut Sun into a winning and profitable team for the Mohegan Sun will step down in September. Chris Sienko, general manager of the basketball team, announced his departure last week.
