Gaming revenue in Macau grew for a third straight month in October as the long-awaited recovery continues. Analysts credited the Golden Week holiday, which drew more visitors to the city’s new family-friendly resorts. The opening of Wynn Palace and Sands China’s Parisian (l.) were also a factor in the increased revenue.
Several states have gaming issues on the ballot on Election Day, including gaming expansion in New Jersey and Massachusetts. Polling doesn’t bode well for those measures, but other issues are also getting the attention of casinos, including recreational marijuana referendums in four states.
Should gaming become legal in Japan, U.S. gaming giant MGM Resorts International may invest up to $9.5 billion in a Japanese casino through a real estate investment trust, says CEO Jim Murren (l.). It would site the project in Tokyo, Osaka or Yokohama.
GameCo launched Danger Arena, the first skill-based game in a U.S. casino, on its Video Game Gambling Machine (VGM) at Harrah’s Resort in Atlantic City. The game will be offered at all Atlantic City owned by Caesars Entertainment, and will introduce new games in 2017. GameCo CEO Blaine Graboyes (2nd from l.) is joined by Atlantic City Mayor Don Guardian and Harrah’s executives at the ribbon cutting.
The Hong Kong-based conglomerate has confirmed its intention to rescue the unfinished Bahamas megaresort and get it open. But the deal has already come under fire from a former Baha Mar director, who says Chow Tai Fook is too closely tied to Macau’s Stanley Ho (l.) to be “suitable” for a gaming license.
As most of the opponents of the Cowlitz tribe’s $510 million ilani Casino Resort, which held a groundbreaking two months ago (l.), near La Center have been peeled off, the ones that remain are taking their case to the U.S. Supreme Court. Citizens Against Reservation Shopping and their allied card rooms contend that land for the tribe was wrongly put into trust in 2010
Pennsylvania Senate leaders are indicating that a vote on a measure legalizing internet gaming and restoring the host fee to municipalities is unlikely this year, but plan to keep host money flowing. Majority Leader Jake Corman (l.) said there is no consensus on iGaming in the Senate.
An often-rumored merger of the two largest DFS sites FanDuel and DraftKings appears to be on as reports say the two sites will join forces. DraftKings co-founder Jason Robins would run the merged company. FanDuel’s co-founder Nigel Eccles would be chairman. Investors have reportedly been urging a merge for months.
This week the GGB Podcast turns its attention to architecture and design in Indian Country with an interview of David Nejelski, the creative director and a principal of TBE Architects.
The government of Vietnam, which now bans casino gaming by Vietnamese nationals, may open the door to local gamblers as part of a three-year experiment. The measure could help stoke foreign investment. Only two integrated resorts would be allowed to admit Vietnamese gamblers during the experiment, including one on Phu Quoc Island (l.).
More than a year after it opened, Melco Crown’s Studio City resort in Macau launched its first VIP operations. The firm moved 33 VIP tables to the property on the Cotai Strip and will open junket rooms this week.
Kangwon Land (l.), the only casino in South Korea that allows locals to play, saw a rise in net income of 4.5 percent for the third quarter. The gaming hall also reported a 6 percent increase in sales year-on-year.
Wynn Macau and its contractor on the city’s Cotai Strip have announced an agreement that will settle litigation over the new Wynn Palace. Leighton Asia had missed important construction deadlines on the resort.
Macau’s Social Welfare Bureau wants more time to consider a request by the local regulator to ban casino workers in the city from entering or playing in casinos during their free time.
Galaxy Entertainment Group is outperforming across all segments in Macau, according to a consensus of analysts. It’s a wave the Hong Kong-based gaming company could ride despite new competition on Cotai.
The only company that operates casinos in India, Delta Corporation Ltd., saw its third quarter income shot up 45.8 percent over 2017. Its profits for the third quarter were $18.56 million
Gaming operator Grand Korea Leisure is at risk of missing its revenue goals for 2016, according to a Daiwa Securities analyst. Thomas Kwon attributes the possible shortfall to slower visitor traffic and drop.
Genting Hong Kong Ltd.'s Genting Dream (l.) will make its maiden voyage from Guangzhou, China on November 13. The Genting Group subsidiary plans to offer a three-brand cruise portfolio to tap into the 5-million passenger Chinese leisure market. Genting Dream will accommodate 3,400 guests and employ 2,000 crew members.
UK gambling companies Ladbrokes and Gala Coral announced they have completed their long-awaited merger, creating a new gambling firm that includes sports betting and gaming operations across multiple channels and in multiple jurisdictions. The group’s name is now Ladbrokes Coral Group plc.
Last month, Germany’s 16 federal states announced they will create a new gambling treaty that will eliminate a cap on sports betting licenses in the country and open the door to online gaming.
Russia’s new Sochi gaming zone will have a soft opening in December, followed by a grand opening the following month. The zone will include several local facilities, including Roza Khutor (l.), and will be able to accommodate up to 1,700 players at any one time.
Owners of the Chelmsford City Racecourse (l.) in Essex in the eastern UK have announced plans to open a casino that will reportedly create more than 100 new local jobs.
British Prime Minister Theresa May (l.), a Conservative Party member who took office in July, has asked for a review of the country’s gaming industry in light of escalating losses. Last year, those losses rose 12 percent.
The city of Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada wants to make sure that its interests are protected as the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp.(OLG) begins the process of picking an operator for the two casinos, including Fallsview (l.), that currently operate in the city. It officially asked to have a seat at the table last week.
Sun Dreams accepted a $150 million loan allowing it to expand in Latin America. The company was formed by the merger of South Africa-based Sun International and its counterpart based in Chile, Dreams. Sun Dreams 13 operates properties in four nations, including Chile’s Monticello (l.), with a total of 6,650 slots and 295 gaming tables.
The new, dynamic eSports enthusiasm will have a place to call home in Canada. Elements Casino (l.) in British Columbia is opening an eSports lounge that will hold monthly tournaments and will debut December 3 with a “Street Fighter V” tournament.
The tourism industry in the Bahamas is slowly recovering from Hurricane Matthew which hit in early October. Sunwing Airlines suspended flights from the U.S. and Canada but will resume service December 17. Carnival Cruise Lines has not resumed cruises to Freeport. Many larger resorts remain closed, such as the Grand Lucayan, home of Treasure Bay casino (l.), but smaller ones stayed open.
In Chile, a federal appeals court agrees with casino operator Marina Del Sol that the country’s gaming licensing process is inconsistently applied. The court upheld an action by the operator against the gaming control board.
A commission to study online gaming and fantasy daily sports, in fact all iGaming except for the lottery, has begun meeting. It’s a dream come true for one of the panelists, Massachusetts Gaming Commission Chairman Stephen Crosby (l.), who has long advocated an “omnibus” approach to regulating internet gaming.
Singapore Pools has launched its online gaming site. The state-owned lottery firm is one of two that received a three-year exemption under the island’s Remote Gambling Act last month. Horseracing operator Singapore Turf Club is expected to launch an online gambling service later this month.
The UK Competition and Markets Authority has announced it is investigating whether online gambling firms are treating their customers fairly. The investigation was prompted by complaints to the UK Gambling Commission about misleading promotions and unfair user terms at gambling sites. This includes terms that allegedly block player payouts. Also new anti-money laundering rules for accepting virtual currencies have gone into effect for UK licensed sites.
Codere has announced the launch of a new sports betting website operated under the Codere Apuestas brand. The website features a wider variety of in-play betting markets and allows players to place bets via desktop.
Online gambling sites in the Philippines would be included in new anti-money laundering rules being proposed in the country. The move would rescind an exemption casinos under the country’s Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2001.
New Jersey Assemblyman John Burzichelli (l.) is trying another approach to beat a federal prohibition on sports betting by introducing a new bill that would essentially make sports betting legal anywhere in the state. The bill then could be amended later, supporters say. The state has been fighting for several years in court to find a way around the federal law and still have an appeal of their last effort pending in the U.S. Supreme Court.
The good news for Las Vegas sports fans: MGM Resorts International is looking to bring an NBA franchise to its T-Mobile Arena (l.). The bad news: Sheldon Adelson is losing patience with the Oakland Raiders and says he may pull out of a deal to bring the NFL team to the $1.9 billion stadium he plans to build.
The New Jersey Department of Community Affairs has rejected a fiscal plan from Atlantic City that Mayor Don Guardian and Council President Marty Small (l.) hoped would stave off a state takeover of the city’s finances. The DCA said the city’s plan did not go far enough to secure the city’s finances, did not include property tax increases and had some questionable funding mechanisms—most notably a sale of the city’s former municipal airport to its own MUA. The DCA must now decide whether to move to take over city financial operations.
The bank expects a hefty profit from unloading its 17 percent share of the Las Vegas locals giant. The move comes as Red Rock is moving in the opposite direction with plans to spend big to buy another locals favorite, the Palms, and will finally divest Deutsche of all its casino investment, which started with the Cosmopolitan 10 years ago.
The Florida Supreme Court heard oral arguments concerning the title and language of the Voter Control of Gambling Amendment, which would allow voters—not the legislature—to determine if casino gambling should be allowed. The group behind the proposal, Voters In Charge, want to place the measure on the 2018 ballot.
Boosted by robust convention traffic, visitation to the casino mecca hit 3.7 million in September and through the first nine months of the year is already ahead of the record set in 2015. Gaming isn’t faring too badly either. September’s win on the Strip was up 7.5 percent year on year to $542.5 million.
The state’s regulators have finalized rules for table games, enabling four new casinos to push ahead toward opening. The first is set to debut in a couple of weeks in the form of a major expansion at the Tioga Downs racetrack (l.).
The long road to construction came to an end last week for Wynn Boston Harbor (l.) in Massachusetts as the state gaming commission granted the final approval for the property to begin construction.
Ten, the former Revel casino in Atlantic City, has received a certificate of occupancy from Atlantic City. The property’s owner Glen Straub is hoping to re-open at least part of the facility in early 2017. Resort officials also appointed several executives responsible for running the casino.
Not long ago, Rockaway Beach, Missouri Mayor Don Smith was optimistic about bringing a casino to the financially struggling town near Branson. But recently he said "there's an 80 percent to 90 percent chance it's dead." He blames opposition from existing Missouri casino interests who would "tie that up in the courts for years."
Dauphin County, Pennsylvania and Penn National Gaming, owner of Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course, signed an agreement allowing the county to continue receiving from the casino $6.5 million annually. The payments were threatened when the state Supreme Court ruled gambling laws taxing casinos according to their size violated the state constitution.
The Maryland Lottery and Gaming Agency is considering Hollywood Casino Perryville's request to move 14 slots to an outdoor smoking patio. Smoking is prohibited inside the state's five casinos but is allowed in outdoor gambling areas, like those at Rock Gap in Cumberland and Horseshoe in Baltimore.
The U.S. Virgin Islands' two racetracks, including the Randall “Doc” James racetrack (l.), will be renovated and expanded for $30 million each by VIGL Operations LLC, a private company owned by B & B Amusements, which also will manage the operations. The government also has proposed legislation that will update current local horseracing laws.
The Poarch Band of Creek Indians is expected to announce plans for Alabama's largest amusement park in Foley. The development will be a "hybrid" of Disney World and Six Flags, said Mayor John Koniar, with one of the Southeast's largest roller coasters, plus 20 other rides, retail outlets and other attractions.
An Indian tribe in Northern California, the Jackson Rancheria Band of Miwuk Indians, has purchased a newspaper with roots going back to the formation of California as a state, the Amador Ledger Dispatch. It’s not usual for a tribe to own a community newspaper.
The Graton Resort and Casino in Rohnert Park, California, is days away from opening its $175 million expansion that comes just three years after one of the biggest casinos in the state opened. The expansion includes a six-story hotel with 200 rooms and a convention center.
The Enterprise of Rancheria Maidu in Northern California has temporarily stopped construction of the Enterprise Rancheria Fire Mountain Casino in response to an appeal to California’s 3rd District Court of Appeal, by a rival gaming tribe.
Tribal officials and guests received an honorary 10-gallon first fill-up at the grand opening of the FireKeepers Pit Stop gas station and convenience store at the FireKeepers Casino Hotel in Battle Creek, Michigan. The facility offers 16 pumps, a 4,300 square foot upscale convenience store and multi-level car wash.
The former Dairyland Greyhound Park in Kenosha, Wisconsin, has caught the interest of a developer, said Mayor John Anataramian. In August 2015, Governor Scott Walker rejected a proposal by the Menominee tribe and Hard Rock International to develop an $800 million casino complex at the abandoned property.
The Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians in Michigan has been waiting more than two years for a decision from the U.S. Interior Department regarding its trust application for a Lansing casino. Now the tribe's concerned that a decision may be put off until after the new president takes office.
The state of Oklahoma sold 750 acres of former state park land near Kingston for $4 million to a private developer in 2006. The recession ended those plans. Now the state bought back the land and sold 50 of those acres for $4.2 million to the Chickasaw Nation for a casino resort.
The Waccamaw Indian People of South Carolina and Gary Green Gaming entered into an agreement to help the tribe gain federal recognition. Green was Donald Trump's former vice president of marketing. Gary Green Gaming Chief Executive Officer Buddy Levy said a University of South Carolina anthropologist proved the tribe was not extinct.
Gun Lake Investments and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation are partnering to develop a $4.4 million fuel and convenience store at Gun Lake Casino in Wayland. The 6,700 square foot facility will create 22 jobs and generate more than $1 million in annual local and state taxes.
The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes opened their new $21.1 million Gray Wolf Peak Casino near Missoula, Montana on November 1. About 200 people waited to enter the 34,000 square foot facility, featuring a 10,000 square foot gaming floor with 307 machines. The property employs 120 people.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs has a new director, Weldon “Bruce” Loudermilk. The member of the Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes of the Fort Peck Indian Reservation takes the helm from retiring director Michael S. Black.
Marcellus W. Osceola Jr. recently won the election for chairman of the Seminole Tribe of Florida. He replaces James E. Billie who recently was removed by the Tribal Council for conflicts over policies and procedures. Out of 843 votes, 319 were for Osceola and 297 were for Billie who ran for re-election.
Viejas Casino Resort has appointed a veteran of 30 years in the gaming industry. It has named Thomas McCartney as president and general manager of this San Diego County resort.
ComplianceOnline hired Richard Leather as legal and research director, responsible for enhancing current regulatory content and strengthening the brand. Leather previously worked at ComplianceOnline as a legal analyst for GamblingCompliance, which he joined in 2012. Prior to rejoining ComplianceOnline, Leather was head of regulatory and licensing at Betclic Everest Group.
Cash-handling market leaders Innovative Technology Ltd. recently hired Antonio Rodriguez as technical sales engineer. Based in Barcelona, Rodriguez brings more than 10 years experience in sales to his new position, overseeing the company's gaming, amusement and vending operator accounts in Spain.
Bookmaker William Hill has named Cem Miralay to chief customer officer, which includes the responsibilities of former Chief Marketing Officer Alex O'Shaughnessy, who left the company last month.
In a $75 million program to reduce costs, Scientific Games last week laid off approximately 700 workers. New CEO Kevin Sheehan said the cost reductions will help focus the company on its core business.
The American Gaming Association marked the 24th anniversary of the federal law banning sports betting with a list of 24 reasons the ban should be overturned.
IGT installed its CrystalSlant, Axxis 23/23 and Axxis 3D cabinets at Bingo Oasis Pilar under an agreement that will bring some 100 new IGT cabinets to the property.
Sun International has awarded a contract to supply games, systems and table products to Sun International’s new Sun Time Square casino in South Africa.
Mohegan Sun and DFS operator FanDuel have reached a deal to offer the FanDuel product on Sun websites and apps. Meanwhile, after a wait of more 10 ten years the Mohegan Sun will open its second hotel tower, the Earth Hotel. The additional hotel will allow the Sun to accept all of the guests who want to stay there—a capacity that has been strained in recent years.
IGT has signed a seven-year contract extension with the Georgia Lottery to provide a complete array of lottery products and services, including installation and maintenance of the central system.
Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. has had a monopoly on star performers, but MGM Casino, opening December 8 in National Harbor, Maryland, is set to compete. MGM has lined up Boyz II Men, Lionel Richie, Bruno Mars, ZZ Top and Cher. Besides sports, Verizon Center will feature Kanye West, Ariana Grande and Green Day.
The National Council of Legislators from Gaming States announced Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich will deliver the keynote address at its winter meeting, January 6-8 in Scottsdale. The annual conference reviews critical gaming issues of interest to legislators and other policymakers.
Aristocrat will use the November 15-17 SAGSE trade show as the Argentina debut of its popular Arc Double cabinet, which will headline the slot-maker’s display.
