South Korea issued one new gaming license last week, to a partnership that includes the Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority. Six operators had submitted formal proposals, pitching plans to develop integrated resorts in Incheon, Yeosu and Jinhae. The Mohegan bid will build a $5 billion integrated resort at Seoul’s Incheon International Airport.
As part of a $40 million rebranding effort, Detroit-Based Rock Gaming is now Jack Entertainment, and the company's Horseshoe casinos in Cleveland and Cincinnati, Greektown Casino in Detroit and Thistledown Racino in North Randall soon will carry the Jack name. One company official explained, "Jack is an attitude. It's our company's progressive spirit."
Ainsworth Game Technology founder Len Ainsworth (l.), a legend in the gaming industry, will sell his majority share in the slot manufacturer to Austria’s Novomatic Group. Ainsworth has been making big strides into several markets, including the U.S., and Novomatic has been concentrating on the U.S. market for a while.
Amaya Inc. owned PokerStars announced it will launch an online poker site in New Jersey on March 21. It marks the company’s return to the U.S. market after being shut down by the U.S. Department of Justice in 2011. The site will be the state's 18th internet gambling site. It will undergo testing by state regulators before its debut. It will offer not only poker, but online table games and slot machine games as well. Meanwhile, Amaya is appealing an $800 million fine imposed by a judge in Kentucky.
The California Bureau of Gambling Control (CBGC) last week sent a letter to California’s card rooms (the recently expanded Bicycle Club casino at left) saying it would no longer accept applications for games that do not require “continuous and systematic rotation” of the player-dealer position. The ruling could cripple the $1 billion industry.
Carl Icahn (l.), the owner of Tropicana Entertainment, last week closed his deal to take over the bankrupt Trump Taj Mahal. Icahn has been bankrolling the Taj since it went into bankruptcy in 2014. He finally took over after a court affirmed that the casino could cancel health benefits for union employees.
Just as an agreement with Boston was reached that seemed to pave the way to completion, yet another town was heard from. Somerville has challenged the project for similar reasons, and land remediation on the site (l.) has shut down again. Meanwhile, MGM Springfield got the changes to its casino resort approved by the Springfield city council last week. The board voted 12-1 to endorse the downsized casino resort, which dispenses with the original 24-story hotel tower.
The government of Israel is simultaneously making a case for and against casinos in the resort town of Eilat. According to a new report from the Finance Ministry, the benefits include more tax revenues and a boost in tourism. The downside? More compulsive gambling.
MGM Cotai and the Parisian, two resorts under development on Macau’s Cotai Strip, will open later than originally planned. The MGM resort, set to debut in late 2016, has been pushed back to early 2017. The Parisian, a Sands China project, will open in November instead of April. MGM’s Grant Bowie (l.) says the transition from VIP to mass market is under way.
The promise of daily fantasy sports has turned into a nightmare. By failing to develop a business plan that actually worked and being blind, deaf and dumb to regulatory concerns, over saturation and investor worries, the industry has self-destructed.
This week, the GGB Podcast features a discussion with Madis Jääger, the CEO of Olympic Entertainment Group, on the impressive growth of his company is central and eastern Europe.
Genting Malaysia Berhad plans to double its capital investment in the firm’s Genting Integrated Tourism Plan in Kuala Lumpur. The projected cost has swelled from RM5 billion (almost $US1.2 billion) to an estimated RM10.38 billion (US$2.46 billion).
Macau’s Big 6 gaming concessionaires have joined together in a first-of-its-kind promotion aimed at residents of the territory. The “Macau Loves Locals” marketing campaign kicked off last week with the support of all the casino operators (l.) and will run through the end of March.
As James Packer plots to privatize his Australia-based Crown Resorts, his Macau joint venture is planning to buy out the minority partners in its new Studio City resort complex. Packer owns Melco Crown with his partner, Lawrence Ho.
L’Arc Macau, a satellite casino operating under the SJM Holdings license, may have been the site of a second junket theft. The jurisdiction’s Judiciary Police are reportedly looking into the inside theft of around HKD1 million (US$129,000) from a VIP room.
UK citizens are less trustful of the nation’s gaming industry than they have been in recent years and are betting less, partly due to match-fixing and reports of betting terminals promoting problem gambling, according to results of a 2015 study of UK gambling trends and published by the UK Gambling Commission. And a scandal within the country’s problem gambling community doesn’t help.
The December opening of Olympic Entertainment’s Casino Malta, operated by Eden Leisure, may compel its competitors in the Baltics to step up their games. Olympic operates 97 sites in seven countries.
Sky Betting & Gaming became the first online-only gaming company to join gaming industry watchdog the Senet Group, and says the partnership will help to develop online gaming regulations, while also demonstrating Sky Betting & Gaming’s commitment to integrity and honesty in the gaming industry. The Senet Group says the partnership will help it to develop an online gaming code of conduct.
British military personnel destroyed gambling equipment worth tens of thousands of euros and mostly seized from two illegal casinos that operated within territory controlled by Britain’s two military bases on Cyprus. Although Cyprus is moving forward with plans to open its first casino and hotel resort, the British military says it will continue enforcing its ban on casino gaming in territory it controls.
Canada’s House of Commons (l.) is considering legislation to create single-game sports betting under the “Safe and Regulated Sports Betting Act.” Currently, only parlay sports betting is permitted in Ontario.
The Tasmanian government is expected to soon rule on whether a longstanding casino monopoly held by the Federal Group, which operates the Wrest Point casino (l.), will endure. Last week, Treasurer Peter Gutwein said a decision would be forthcoming in the next six weeks.
Starting April 1, Botswana will implement new, more stringent gaming regulations with mandatory licensing across sectors, stricter surveillance to offset money laundering, and more compulsive gambling programs.
Another iPoker bill has surfaced in the California legislature that tries to bring the disparate stakeholders together. It includes a $60 million bone for the racetrack industry. California legislators Adam Gray and Reggie Jones-Sawyer (l. to r.) are working together for the first time to make it happen.
The Virginia legislature has sent a bill to regulate and legalize daily fantasy sports to the state’s governor, positioning the state to be the first to adopt a DFS law. The bill exempts the contests from the state's definition of illegal gambling and requires players be at least 18 years old. Meanwhile, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman is accusing DraftKings and FanDuel of trying to delay a trial stemming from his move to shut down DFS sites in New York.
The Court of Justice for the European Union has ruled against Germany’s restrictive online gambling laws, a move which analysts say will clear the way for online poker and other online gambling in the country.
William Hill has filed a complaint with UK regulators over the planned 2.3 billion pound merger of Ladbrokes and Coral. The complaint says the merged company will pose a threat to the UK gambling market.
Many online gaming companies are using prepaid debit cards to encourage Australian bettors to wager online, resulting in a steep increase in the amount of money Australians deposited on the cards. The gambling cards function similarly to debit cards and can give players faster access to winnings, but many have cash-access restrictions.
Reports in British newspapers say Playtech is considering making bids to acquire both Amaya Inc. and OpenBet. But analysts warn that the moves could be risky for the company.
The advent of online gaming for fun is proving to be beneficial for Canadian casinos, which experienced their best year yet last year with $6.2 billion in action. Gaming experts say the ability to learn and practice traditional casino games by playing online, win prizes, and accrue free plays, combined with popular culture, make gaming fun for inexperienced bettors and encourages them to enter casinos.
The GameAccount Network has signed an agreement with Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City, New Jersey for the launch of Borgata’s Simulated Gaming online experience. The social casino games will be integrated with the casino’s rewards programs.
A House committee last week approved a set of bills that would bring casino gaming to Georgia. One bill would permit four casinos in the state—two in Atlanta—and a second sets up a constitutional referendum approving those measures. Meanwhile, the Central Atlanta Progress and the Atlanta Down Improvement District have commissioned an independent study on the impacts of casino gambling and how it could affect downtown development. Governor Nathan Deal (l.) has expressed opposition to casinos in the state.
The Texas Racing Commission recently voted 5-4 to repeal a rule allowing historical racing machines at racetracks. The vote reverses the commission's defiant stance authorizing the games last year, but assures it will remain funded, according to Chairman Rolando Pablos (l.). The state's racing industry, which hoped historical racing would improve their situation, is not happy.
The American Gaming Association has come out against a tax on free-play promotions that was proposed by Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf. Casinos contend that revenue would actually decline if free play promotions, like one last week at Sands Bethlehem (l.), are taxed.
Tropicana Evansville will be the first land-based casino to be built in Indiana after the legislature allowed riverboats to move ashore last year. The Indiana Gaming Commission unanimously approved the new $50 million, 75,000 square foot facility, to be located between the property's two hotels. Construction will start this fall and be completed in 2017.
The ultimate fate of Caesars Entertainment’s bankruptcy proceedings involving its largest operating unit could hinge on an investigative report due out today.
Rockingham Park (l.) in Salem, New Hampshire would be the site of a racino if a bill before the Senate is approved by that chamber and then by the House. The bill is sponsored by Senator Lou D’Allesandro, who says the state could accrue $100 million a year from gaming.
A two-story, more than 75,000-square-foot Wynn Plaza luxury retail shopping center will feature a glass-topped atrium and house dozens of high-end, luxury retail stores specially selected to complement its Paris-themed design, Wynn Resorts CEO Steve Wynn announced. Wynn said the retail center should generate up to $25 million in annual revenues for the resort after it opens in late 2017. Wynn Las Vegas might also add a lake, hotel, and convention center to its golf course on the north end of the Las Vegas Strip, but its board has not seen any formal business plans.
Governor Tom Wolf has signed a bill into law creating a new Pennsylvania horseracing commission, which will consider a license for the Lawrence Downs project.
Atlantic City officials aren’t on board with a planned takeover of the city by the state of New Jersey after all and Mayor Don Guardian (l.) bitterly denounced the plan as a “fascist dictatorship” at a rally last week. The city proposed creating an alternate plan which would set goals and benchmarks for the resort’s troubled finances and would set up an oversight committee to monitor the plan.
The Iowa Court of Appeals soon will determine if the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission erred in granting a gaming license to the Hard Rock Sioux City (l.) and taking it away from Belle of Sioux City. Previous rulings supported the regulators but Belle attorney Mark Weinhardt called the IRGC's actions "an audacious case of bait and switch."
Privately owned casinos in Nevada must provide highly detailed financial information about each of their gaming properties, which gives publicly owned casinos a competitive advantage, and Nevada gaming regulators are poised to eliminate the public reporting requirement for privately owned casinos. If eliminated, critics say privately owned casinos would be able to conceal operating losses.
Idaho’s racetrack industry is pinning its hopes on a bill that would allow historical horse racing machines back at the state’s three remaining tracks. Tribal casino interests appear able to block the bill, however.
The $126 million Waterfront Conference Center at Harrah's Resort (l.) in Atlantic City has been a success since opening in September and attracted 30,000 conference goers. Some of that business has come at the expense of the Atlantic City Convention Center, but officials say that rather than cannibalizing the business, their goal is to grow the city’s convention and meeting business substantially.
Las Vegas-area casinos that traditionally cater to locals are diversifying their restaurant offerings to give locals and tourists more dining options and more reasons to set foot inside a casino, for the first time ever, in some cases. Large, chain-style restaurants are being replaced by smaller, more unique cafes and restaurants.
Mississippi's 12 Gulf Coast casinos posted $100.5 million in revenue for January—an increase of $13 million, or 15 percent, compared to January 2015 with $87.3 million. It's the first time since 2008 that January revenue topped $100 million. The opening of the Scarlet Pearl Casino in D'Iberville boosted numbers in fourth quarter.
Nightclub developer Ivan Kane—who scored a success with the Royal Jelly Burlesque nightclub at the closed Revel casino in Atlantic City, as well as clubs in Las Vegas casinos—has announced a new club to open at Tropicana Atlantic City. Kane is known for unconventional themes, which will be on display at the new Kiss Kiss a Go-Go (l.).
Full House Resorts officials said the Colorado Limited Gaming Control Commission has granted the company gaming licenses for Bronco Billy's Casino and Hotel in Cripple Creek, Colorado. Full House expects to close on the purchase of Bronco Billy's by the end of March.
Boyd Gaming will begin negotiations with the UNITE HERE union on behalf of 585 employees at IP Casino in Biloxi, following a union card check held earlier this year. The workers are employed in the casino's housekeeping, food and beverage and uniform services departments. IP Casino has 1,442 employees.
Clark County District Court Judge Elizabeth Gonzalez may continue presiding over a wrongful termination suit against billionaire Sheldon Adelson and Las Vegas Sands, Chief Judge David Barker ruled. Attorneys for Adelson and Las Vegas Sands promised to appeal the ruling to the Nevada Supreme Court.
The Seminole Tribe of Florida continues to pressure legislators to approve the proposed compact in a new TV ad featuring the Senate Regulated Industries Committee's vote to ratify it. However, proposed changes, including allowing slots in six counties where voters have approved them, not just in Miami-Dade and Palm Beach, have complicated the process. The bill would allow slots at the Palm Beach Kennel Club (l.).
Rep. Chris Perone (l.) of Connecticut wants the legislature to revisit the issue of how much economic impact the MGM Springfield casino in Massachusetts will have on Indian gaming in his state. He wants to do a second study of the issue.
CNIGA (California Nations Indian Gaming Association) Chairman Steve Stallings (l.) gave an upbeat “State of the Industry” report recently at the 21st annual Western Indian Gaming Conference at Harrah’s Resort Southern California.
The Wilton Rancheria is keeping its options open for which of three locations it will choose for its casino in California’s Sacramento Valley. The tribe wants to build a casino that would be comparable to the largest in Northern California.
The last members of the Oklahoma-based Eastern Band of Shawnee left Ohio in the 1830s, but they're trying to stage a comeback on land they recently purchased and land they claim is theirs in Lewiston. A local attorney found old courthouse documents proving the tribe's claim. The tribe is reluctant to apply to the Bureau of Indian Affairs for land-trust status.
A new non-smoking area, Level2, recently opened at Seminole Casino Coconut Creek, featuring 100 slots, blackjack and other table games. The casino also will install a $1 million filtration system in the poker room. Smoking is banned in all public places in Florida, except Native American casinos which are on sovereign land.
The California legislature acted in bad faith by refusing to vote on a compact for the Enterprise Rancheria of Maidu Indians, a federal judge ruled last week. The judge has ordered the state to reach a compact in 60 days or have one forced on it by the federal government.
The White Earth Nation announced last September it would start construction on a third Shooting Star Casino this year. However, the tribe has not made a formal construction proposal and county officials plan to hold a series of public meetings about the casino, although no dates have been set.
An Arizona tribe has begun do soil studies on a casino site near Prescott after letting the project lie fallow for two years. The Yavapai-Prescott Indian Tribe wants to do the casino on 12 acres. It would be the tribe’s third casino.
The Prairie Island Indian Community bought a 112-acre tract in Welch, Minnesota for $4.4 million. But gambling will not take place there, said, Tribal Council President Shelley Buck, primarily because the state wouldn't allow it. Buck said the land is strictly an investment in diversification.
Canada’s Niagara Falls intends to use its share of gaming revenues to pay for dozens of unfunded capital improvement projects, while some in New York’s Niagara Falls say the Seneca Nation’s plan to open a gas station and convenience store is a poor choice of economic development projects and won’t prove beneficial. Seneca Nation officials disagree.
Washington state’s gaming tribes are among the biggest employers in communities where they operate and they contribute both to the economy and to charities. So says a report generated by the Washington State Gambling Commission.
Starting in July, non-graduated per capita payments to adult members of the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan will drop by $120 for the first quarterly payment and then by $120 per quarter. The bottom line: members will receive $2,400 less for the year, or $60,000 instead of the current $62,400.
According to Canada’s APTN National News, the Canadian military has been conducting surveillance of the Akwesasne Mohawk Community. The community runs the Akwesasne Mohawk Casino Resort in Hogansburg, New York, but the casino is not mentioned in government reports.
A special Associated Press report indicated the Multi-State Lottery Association, which runs Powerball, dropped changes that would have offered larger jackpots and better value for revisions that build bigger, but less attainable, jackpots. An official said ticket sales for the recent record $1.6 billion jackpot prove the association made the right move.
A measure that would allow Alabama to join multistate lottery games like Powerball and Mega-Millions recently was discussed by the state Senate Tourism and Marketing Committee. Bill sponsor state Senator Trip Pittman said joining multistate games would minimize costs yet generate income. Alabama is one of six states without a lottery.
Iowans will be able to purchase lottery tickets on self-serve touchscreen machines, which the House approved 87-10. The machines will bring in an extra $30.5 million in lottery revenue over the next two fiscal years, for a total of $321.5 million. Players also will be able to buy Powerball tickets at the new kiosks.
Intertain Group Limited, an international online gaming company, is seeking a new chief executive officer and a chief financial officer, following changes recommended by a recent independent committee review. The review suggested shifting from an "acquisition asset to operational excellence," and eliminating the company's management incentive plan. CEO John Kennedy Fitzgerald (l.) will resign.
Retired just four months, Mike Smith, former executive director of the Casino Association of Indiana, has been named executive director of the Indiana Horse Racing Commission. Smith said he plans to regulate the sport fairly and launch new promotions to attract new horse-farm operators and more and younger bettors.
Kathryn Martini has been promoted to director, client services at BMM Testlabs. She joined the company in 2002 in Melbourne, Australia and has held the positions of project office manager and compliance consultant in the company's Las Vegas office, where she will continue to serve U.S. clients.
Kennis Wong Kwok Leung, appointed CEO of Macau junket runner Jimei International in February 2015, has stepped down. In a filing to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, the company said Wong will remain with the company as a director of several subsidiaries.
Cypress Bayou Casino Hotel General Manager Anthony Patrone recently was arrested on charges of felony theft, computer fraud and obstruction of justice in a case related changing an inactive employee's status to active and paying a $5,000 bonus. Patrone denies all the charges. Chief Financial Officer Monte Spivey also was arrested in the incident.
New Jersey regulators have posted the rules by which manufacturers must operate in the supply of slot games in which skill can be used to improve results. Division of Gaming Enforcement Director David Rebuck (l.) says his state with have an advantage with its “New Jersey First” program.
The 2016 Forbes Travel Guide bestowed five-star awards for several MGM Resorts International properties, while Las Vegas Sands’ Venetian and Palazzo resort, two Caesars Entertainment properties, and the M Resort earned high ratings. The annual travel guide helps business and luxury travelers determine the best hotels at which to stay based on the quality of rooms and excellence of service and hotel amenities.
Two celebrity chefs have agreed to open new restaurants in the Cosmopolitan by the end of the year. Patrons will be able to enjoy dining at David Chang’s Momofuku or Christina Tosi’s Milk Bar and bakery, after the two chefs agreed to their first business endeavors in the Western United States.
Rockers Jefferson Starship opened the new Stage 954 music venue at the Casino at Dania Beach in Miami, part of a $60 million renovation at the recently reopened property. Chief Executive Officer Scott Savin said the goal is to offer continuous entertainment, so players can enjoy a concert, watch jai alai and play the slots.
