The Connecticut legislature has been given two bills on a third casino to consider. The first bill would allow the tribes to join together and build a casino in East Hartford to compete with the MGM Springfield facility in Massachusetts. The second would establish a procedure that would allow multiple bids to located a third casino anywhere in the state—not necessarily owned by the tribes. Attorney General George Jepsen (l.) still has constitutional problems with the first, tribal, bill.
The Pojoaque Pueblo has shut down 30 leased slot machines at its Buffalo Thunder casino (l.) after New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez threatened to invalidate the licenses of the casino’s suppliers in an ongoing compact dispute. The Pojoaques have refused to renew their compact with Martinez, even though the state’s 16 other tribes have done so.
South Korea’s first integrated resort, Paradise City (l.) near the Incheon International Airport, is scheduled to open April 20 according to Paradise Co. and Japan’s Sega Sammy.
The American Gaming Association estimates that $10.4 billion will be wagered on the NCAA basketball tournament, with only 3 percent of those wagers made legally. The announcement is just another part of the AGA’s campaign to legalize sports betting in the United States.
Sponsored by Michigan state Senator Mike Kowall (l.), S203, which would allow online gambling, passed out of committee and will go before the full Senate. The bill would allow commercial and tribal casinos to have gambling websites. Michigan's iGaming market is estimated to eventually reach more than $300 million.
Jim Mullen, chief executive of the bookmaking giant warns that thousands of betting shops will close and thousands of jobs will be lost if the UK government follows through on plans to impose stringent limits on electronic table games. As he put it recently, “The future for high street betting shops is bleak.”
Macau casino and junket operator Jack Lam (l.) appeared to be in hot water with Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte. But a Philippines Senate panel has absolved him of guilt in investigations into bribery and illegal immigration tied to his gaming operations in the country.
The opening of Washington’s ilani Casino Resort near La Center. The $500 million casino is expected to attract about 4.5 million people a year to its 2,500 slot, 75 table game resort.
One of the reasons Morgan Stanley used to upgrade its status of Wynn Macau was the number of Google searches completed for the company. But then again, there are lots of reasons to be optimistic about the future of the SAR and the casino companies operating there.
This week, in the midst of March Madness, the GGB Podcast features an interview with Brian Musburger, founder and chairman of VSiN, the first media network dedicated to sports betting information.
Predictions are that Japan will host a multibillion-dollar gaming industry as early as 2020. But estimates of the jurisdiction’s value range widely and are often tempered by caution.
As expected, Imperial Pacific International has asked for an extension of its deadline to complete a multibillion-dollar integrated resort project (l.) on Saipan Island in the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas. But a local lawmaker is questioning why no gaming taxes are being collected from the successful casino resort.
Melco Crown Entertainment Ltd. plans to change its name to Melco Resorts and Entertainment, the company has confirmed. The change, which is subject to shareholder approval, should be complete by the end of March. It follows the sale by Crown Resorts of much of its equity.
Even as politicians in the Indian state of Goa assert their opposition to the local casino industry, the industry continues to grow. A sixth offshore casino will soon enter the Mandovi River thanks to a conditional license.
The Cambodian government garnered $48 million in taxes from the gaming sector in 2016, up more than 38 percent from 2015. NagaCorp paid in an additional $16.5 million in taxes for the year, mostly from its NagaWorld resort (l.) in Phnom Penh.
The Macau economy should grow 5.2 percent in 2017 with 5.3 percent growth expected in 2018, according to the latest report on Macau from the Economist Intelligence Unit.
The Philippine Court of Appeals has ordered Melco Crown to honor a 2014 agreement it made to refrain from hiring employees of Bloomberry Resorts, its rival in Manila’s Entertainment City casino zone.
Hong Kong-listed real estate developer Lippo Ltd. has completed its withdrawal from Caesars Entertainment’s South Korea integrated resort project at Incheon, near the capital city of Seoul.
Philippines Senator Richard Gordon (l.) has proposed the creation of a new regulatory body for online gaming outside the authority of the state-run regulator, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.
Seven gamblers in the UK lost more than £10,000 (US$12,360) in a single day over a 10-month period using fixed-odds betting terminals, says a report by GambleAware. The report has kicked off new criticism of FOBTs.
Australian bookmaker Tabcorp Holdings has announced it will sell a compliance unit to address antitrust worries in its US$4.82 billion takeover of rival Tatts Group. Both firms’ saw share prices rise on the news.
Casino Canberra in Australia’s capital city has reported a widening loss in 2016 of $7.7 million. Its share price has dropped to just 5 cents, but owner Aquis says it is confident about the resort’s future
Despite concerns about its financial solvency, the ASF consortium has just released more details about its planned multibillion-dollar casino development on Australia’s Gold Coast.
Uganda has a very large under 30 population that has very little to do with its time but gamble. Especially those who are out of work. The government wants to curtail this practice.
A comment made by U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions during his confirmation hearing is being used by opponent of online gaming as a reason lawmakers should reject iGaming. Mario Scavello (l.), chairman of the Senate Community, Economic & Recreational Development Committee, says the time to act is now and any federal decision will be superfluous.
Daily fantasy sports operator DraftKings has raised $100 million in investment funding in its first funding round since announcing a planned merger with FanDuel. Los Angeles Dodgers part owner Todd Boehly’s (l.) Eldridge Industries Inc. led investors, Bloomberg News reported.
Daily fantasy sports betting now is legal in Mississippi, the 12th state to allow the games following Governor Phil Bryant's (l.) signature on House Bill 967. Operators must pay $5,000 for a three-year license and pay an 8 percent tax on revenue. DFS company employees and individuals under age 18 may not participate.
Canada’s Amaya Inc. announced it will sell its former lottery business Innova Gaming group to Pollard Banknote Limited. The company has made a C$42 million offer for the gaming group. The deal is still under negotiation with Amaya and Pollard announcing a support agreement.
Germany’s lower house of Parliament has passed a law against match-fixing and betting fraud activities. The new law now makes it a crime to conspire to fix sporting events. Players, coaches and referees involved in match fixing face up to three years in prison.
Online gambling operator Pinnacle has withdrawn from the Slovenia market as the country considers new online gaming regulations. New regulations are not yet in place in Slovenia, but Pinnacle and companies such as 888 Holdings have pulled out of the market ahead of proposed new licensing requirements.
Yearly figures for the Danish market show that online gambling helped increase overall gambling revenue 13 percent for 2016. The country saw $5.3 billion in revenue from sports betting and online gambling.
The Norwegian Gaming Authority has warned sites engaging in video game “skins” betting that the practice is legally defined as gambling in Norway and that operators will face sanctions.
Konami Gaming and Spin Games LLC announced an agreement making Spin Games the exclusive distributor of Konami real-money online gaming in Europe. Kent Young (l.), CEO of Spin Games, says his company aims to exceed the expectations of Konami customers.
Red Rock Resorts will launch the social gaming app “StationPlay,” allowing users to earn points for redemption at Station Casinos properties in Las Vegas.
Evolution Gaming has agreed to offer its full portfolio of online games for play via mybet.com and through German land-based betting shops and regional betting providers.
Isle of Man-based Playtech is unveiling “Grand Royale” which offers an even more authentic look and feel of a real casino table. It is now offering licensees the new experience with games like Grand Blackjack and Baccarat.
More than 150 digital casino games by Pragmatic Play now are available through an agreement with the online gambling company Mr Green. The HTML5 games include Queen of Gold, Hot Safari, Mighty Kong, Magic Crystals, Sugar Rush, Lady Godiva and the company’s premier game, 7 Monkeys, among others.
Las Vegas Sands Corp. has reached an agreement in principle to sell the Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem in Pennsylvania to MGM Resorts International, as reported last week by a state newspaper and two weeks ago by GGB News. But according to MGM and LVS? Business as usual.
The former Atlantic Club casino (l.) in Atlantic City—originally the Golden Nugget—has been sold to a local development group planning to turn the property into a hotel and indoor water park. The property was bought for an undisclosed price. The Atlantic Club was originally Steve Wynn’s Golden Nugget casino in the early days of casino gambling in the resort.
Gettysburg businessman David LeVan (l.) is seeking Pennsylvania’s last Category 1 racino license for his third proposal for a casino in Adams County, to be called Mason-Dixon Downs.
The North Dakota House sent a bill permitting up to six state-operated casinos back to committee. Native American tribes that operate the state's six casinos (Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa’s Sky Dancer casino at left) and charitable gambling groups opposed the legislation. Casinos would have to be built within five miles of a 5,000-plus population city or within 20 miles of a reservation.
The Chicago-area gambling market, valued at $2.5 billion, would add $550 million to the Illinois gambling market under proposed legislation. The bill calls for opening casinos in downtown Chicago and surrounding areas. The measure also would allow slots at airports and let existing casinos add more games.
Kansas’ fourth and final state-owned casino, the $80 million Kansas Crossing Casino and Hotel (l.) will open in Pittsburg, Kansas on April 8. The facility will create more than 400 jobs and will offer 625 slots and 16 table games, plus a 123-room Hampton Inn and Suites, restaurant, bar and entertainment venue.
Southern Nevada welcomed more visitors than ever before in 2016, and they spent more than ever before, according to a new report prepared for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. They generated $35.5 billion in gross product, hundreds of thousands of jobs and $11 billion in wages.
When the governor and legislature of Massachusetts created the gaming expansion law of 2011 they were creating a brand-new approach to gaming. Now, six years later, the law is beginning to show just how different the Bay State’s way of doing gaming is from the rest of the country.
Florida regulators will not allow the bestbet poker room (l.) in Jacksonville to install up to 2,000 slots, although voters approved the machines in a November referendum. State officials said the slots would be allowed only if existing gambling laws are changed. Owners of bestbet can appeal the decision or ask for an administrative hearing.
Las Vegas’ newest casino hotel is reaping the benefits of its innovative Asia-centric business model. VIP gamblers are flocking to the boutique property in numbers large enough to justify a redesign aimed at adding more high-end tables and the introduction of a Macau-style rolling chip program.
Isle of Capri Casinos Inc., headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, recently closed on the $40 million sale of its Lady Luck Casino Marquette (l.) in Iowa to an affiliate of the Casino Queen based in Swansea, Illinois. One of St. Louis' largest privately held companies, Casino Queen posted revenue of $120 million in 2015.
Culinary Union foe Station Casinos is letting the Las Vegas local organize its Palace Station workforce, bringing the company’s union shops to two. Station gave up its opposition amid an NLRB probe into unfair labor practices.
Local tax revenues declined by 26 percent, admissions fell 27 percent and 100 employees had to be laid off at the Illinois riverboat casino Par-A-Dice in East Peoria since video gambling machines appeared in bars and restaurants in 2012. Communities like Pekin like the revenue the machines generate but struggle to keep operations local.
The University of Nevada, Las Vegas is positioning itself as a leading resource for operators, regulators and investors ahead of what many see as a nascent boom in legal sports betting nationwide. They’ll be gathering at the school next month for a two-day conference on what to expect when it happens.
Atlantic City casinos saw a slight uptick in revenue for February compared to last year, helped by another strong month for online gaming. Land-based action, however, declined by 2 percent, but when taking out figures for the closed Trump Taj Mahal casino, the city’s remaining casinos saw a better than 6 percent increase.
Hollywood Casino St. Louis is investing $7.3 million to renovate its 273-room Sunset Tower, including new furniture, lighting, artwork, window treatments and flat screen TVs. The project will be completed in June. Last year the 211-room Rodeo Tower underwent a $4.5 million makeover. The property is owned by Gaming and Leisure Properties and operated by Penn National Gaming.
The Iowa Supreme Court unanimously ruled the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission may oppose a gaming license to a casino that could cannibalize others. The case, which affirms commission and district court decisions, involved the IRCG's denial of a license to the proposed Cedar Crossing Casino in Cedar Rapids in 2013.
Atlantic City’s home county has authorized filing a lawsuit aimed at overturning the state’s payment in lieu of taxes agreement with the resort’s casinos. Atlantic County’s governing body has given the county’s chief executive the leeway to file a suit to overturn the plan and challenge the state’s takeover of city finances as unconstitutional. The county feels it will not receive its fair share of casino tax revenue under the plan.
A bill in the Nevada Senate wants state and Las Vegas officials to have the tools to develop a light rail network for the city. The measure would provide them with authority to seek tax hikes and federal grants to finance infrastructure expansion.
The Nevada Court of Appeals says the Strip resort is not liable for damages in the death of a tourist who was killed in a taxi that burst into flames when it was hit by another vehicle whose driver had been shot. The shooting was prompted by an argument that started at Aria, according to police.
The momentous Cabazon Supreme Court decision is 30-years old. Seldom has a court decision had such wide-ranging ramifications on the economic life of a group of people, the way Cabazon has affected the lives and fortunes of tribes that now have Indian gaming. Tribal official Brenda Soulliere and attorney Glenn Feldman (at left) played major roles in the drama.
Four members of a California tribe, owners of the Thunder Valley Casino Resort (l.), that banned them for being critical of the tribal council found no relief from a federal appeals court. A panel of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that courts have no jurisdiction over such cases.
U. S. District Judge Kathleen Cardone recently ended an 18-year-old lawsuit against the Tigua tribe by the state of Texas—even though she closed the case last year. The state has pursued the tribe's attempts to offer gambling, from a full-fledged casino to electronic bingo games at its Speaking Rock entertainment center (l.).
With approvals from the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin, the Shawnee Tribe is proceeding with its $25 million Golden Mesa casino (l.) near Guymon. The venue will create 175 jobs and draw visitors from Colorado, New Mexico, Kansas and Texas. It faced opposition since the tribe has no historical ties to the area.
North Carolina will become the 17th state to offer lottery keno games, starting this fall. The state lottery commission said the games could generate up to $66 million in their fifth year, bringing in $220 million in revenue over five years. Officials hope the keno games will attract millennials who typically are not lottery players.
A bill that would allow lottery games based on live horseracing recently was introduced in the West Virginia House of Delegates. House Bill 2943 would amend a statutory ban on combining live horseracing and lottery results by exempting horseracing. EquiLottery would manage the games, which currently are allowed in California, Florida, Kentucky and Minnesota.
A lawsuit contending Northstar Lottery Group cheated players and vendors was moved to federal court in the Southern District of Illinois. Plaintiffs said Northstar printed more scratch-off tickets than it planned to sell, then ended games before grand prizes were awarded, to boost profits. The claims are similar to the results of a recent Chicago Tribune investigation.
The $4 billion Bahamas super-resort has hired industry veterans Alex Pariente (l.) and John Zaremba to head up gambling operations ahead of its opening next month. Pariente is an alumnus of Hard Rock International, Wynn Resorts and Caesars. Zaremba ran the casino at the Cosmopolitan on the Las Vegas Strip.
MGM Resorts International CEO James Murren will receive the Woodrow Wilson Award for Corporate Citizenship in recognition of his commitment to diversity.
Philip Bowcock recently was named chief executive officer at bookmaker William Hill PLC. He held the position on an interim basis since July 2016 after James Henderson was removed from the board. Bowcock was finance director at Cineworld Group for nearly four years before joining William Hill as chief financial officer in November 2015
Asian casino operator and developer Silver Heritage Group Ltd. named Adam Titus as executive director for special projects at its Palace Resort Bhairahawa in Nepal. Titus will replace Hugh Holmes who recently resigned. Most recently Titus worked with MGM Macau and Okada Resorts in Manila, Philippines.
Global Market Advisors is making a big play for more Native American business by naming Ericka Meeske Rafferty as its vice president of Native American Gaming. She brings a wealth of experience with North American tribes to her new job.
The Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana named Kurt Schmidt chief financial officer at its Paragon Casino Resort in Marksville, Louisiana. Schmidt has served as the chief financial officer or chief executive officer at six Native American tribal gaming organizations in the Midwest and Southwest. He also has overseen construction of two new casinos.
Cash-handling product developers Innovative Technology recently named Peter Dunlop group managing director. Dunlop, who has been with the company since 1996, has managed product development since 2005. He replaces Aidan Towey who retired after 22 years at the company.
The new del Lago Resort Casino in New York is the third casino to open recently with 100 percent of the games on their floors equipped with JCM Global cash-handling equipment.
WinBet Gaming Club has introduced the first EGT “Super Premier” slot machines in Romania, placing games in the P-27/27 ST Slim and P-27/32H ST cabinets at its Bucharest Casino.
IGT has launched its Spin Ferno spinning-reel tournament system at select Cirsa casino properties in Mexico, the first deployment of the system in that country.
Iverson Gaming Systems has been granted a U.S. patent on the technology behind its VirtualATM product, which would allow customers to use smartphones to download funds for gaming.
Combine a very young company called Bingo Nation Inc. with a new member to its board, David Matheson, who practically screams respectability and gravitas in the world of Indian gaming. What do you get? Maybe a game changing new niche in Indian gaming.
Duetto, a supplier of hotel profit optimization technology has announced it is partnering with Brisas Group. Its revenue strategy application will soon be in place at the group’s luxury resorts in Mexico.
