Sky Warrior Bahamas Ltd., a subsidiary of Chow Tai Fook Enterprises, owners of the Baha Mar resort, was issued a gaming license for the largest casino in the Caribbean, clearing the last remaining hurdle to its planned soft opening April 21. The casino will open with no marketing and will welcome invited, non-paying guests to start, according the property president, Graeme Davis.
The Luxor (l.) has unveiled plans to convert a former nightclub into the Strip’s first eSports arena. A 2018 opening is planned for the venue, a massive state-of-the-art gamers paradise aimed at solidifying Las Vegas’ image as a premier destination for millennials. It will be the second eSports arena in Las Vegas and joins efforts by other casinos to cash in on the phenomenon.
A new report by Global Market Advisors has urged Japanese legislators to allow multiple integrated resorts on the Yumeshima Island (l.) in Osaka. In a proposed draft of the regulatory bill, casino resorts would be required by law to include amenities like conference centers and exhibition halls, for integrated resorts that will attract mainstream tourists and business travelers as well as gamblers.
The billion-dollar casino coming to the Catskills will be stamped with Genting’s Resorts World brand when it opens next spring just 90 miles from New York City instead of its original moniker, Montreign (l.). The name change is designed to enhance the property’s ability to market itself to a national and international audience.
The casino a Martha’s Vineyard tribe wants to build has been given a second life by the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeal. It ruled that a lower court was wrong to prevent the tribe from renovating an existing community center (l.) into a small bingo hall in the town of Aquinnah.
Ukraine’s government has pledged to legalize gambling and start reaping the revenues “no later than 2018,” according to a letter from the Ministry of Finance to the International Monetary Fund. Ukraine banned gaming in 2013, including many casinos (l.) in Kiev.
Indian Gaming 2017 was held last week, which included a meeting of the National Indian Gaming Association that re-elected Chairman Ernie Stevens Jr. The ribbon-cutting featured participation by former KISS frontman Gene Simmons and a cast of dignitaries.
A Florida gambler is in a dispute with a former friend after Seminole Hard Rock paid a slot jackpot to her because video showed it was she who pushed the button on the winning spin, even though he claims to have deposited money in the machine.
Gaming stocks connected to the Macau gaming industry have far outperformed other gaming stock in the last year. Although still far short of the highs they reached in the early 2000s, the performance is astounding but raises questions.
This week, the GGB Podcast wraps up a series on table games with a discussion with Robert Saucier, the president and CEO of Galaxy Gaming on why he believes tables are the growth area of the casino going forward.
Voters in Kinmen County, Taiwan, are expected to go to the polls in October to vote on casino gaming on the coastal island. The measure will pass if 50 percent of voters approve of the plan.
Asian casino operator Silver Heritage Group Ltd. is weeks away from completing the funding for its new casino resort in Nepal. The budget for the Tiger Palace Resort Bhairahawa has spiked by more than one-third.
Malaysia’s new tax on hotel stays could be a negative for operators like Genting Malaysia Bhd., according to analysts. But the government could reap up to MYR654 million (US$147.3 million) in new annual revenues.
Sands China executive Ruth Boston says the more, the merrier when it comes to hotel rooms in Macau. Boston made the comments as Sands Cotai Central (l.) marked its fifth year in business.
Tourist arrivals to the Philippines are expected to increase 10 percent to 6.6 million in 2017, with more visitors from South America, Japan, China and the United States.
Former Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell (l.) has quit his job as a $5,000-a-month advisor to Saipan’s Best Sunshine casino. The property is in the cross-hairs of the FBI and U.S. anti-money laundering authorities, and the Democratic Party honcho says he’s too far away to know what’s going on.
In the past 15 years, the South Korean government has accumulated 62.5 trillion won (US$54.56 billion) from the gaming industry, including more than $27 billion in tax revenues.
Genting Dream (l.), the first casino cruise ship operating under Genting Kong Ltd.’s Dream Cruises brand, made its first voyage to Okinawa, Japan earlier his month carrying 4,000 passengers and crew.
A planned casino hotel project in Málaga, Spain continues to meet pushback from politicians and community organizations who say the 440-foot skyscraper would be a blight on the city’s skyline.
The state government of Queensland, Australia continues to push for at least one more integrated resort on the Gold Coast. Brisbane’s Queen’s Wharf development (l.) is now under way, but two other plans have stalled.
Niagara Falls Mayor Jim Diodati (l.), MPPs and other Niagara Falls, Ontario officials held a news conference to protest the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation's decision to move ahead with hiring a new operator for the city's two casinos. They're concerned they were not included in the process and that 1,400 jobs will be lost.
A Kenya betting company is fighting a plan to increase taxes on the gaming industry by 50 percent. Bradley Limited has filed suit at Milimani Court to quash the decision by Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich.
Gateway Casinos and Entertainment has opened the $25 million Cascades Casino (l.) in Penticton, British Columbia. The newest casino in the Gateway fleet includes 400 slots and 11 table games.
The year 2017, which many believed would be the year poker would be legalized in California, is seeing that effort run out of gas. Many attribute this to widened horizons by one of its principal advocates, PokerStars. CNIGA Chairman Steve Stallings (l.) says it’s more likely to fail.
Online gaming in New Jersey jumped by 40 percent in March over 2015 and led Atlantic City’s casinos to a 9 percent increase in revenue compared to last year. Matt Levinson (l.), chairman of the New Jersey Casino Control Commission says increased revenues have spurred new investment in the market. The news comes as the financially strapped city introduced a new municipal budget with the first tax decrease in nearly a decade.
The National Governors Association has sent a letter to Attorney General Jeff Sessions expressing “serious concerns” about his stance on online gambling. The letter urges Sessions to leave the decision to allow intra-state online gambling to the states. Sessions—in his confirmation hearings—suggested he might be willing to reassess a 2011 opinion from the Department of Justice that allowed online gambling in individual states.
Last year’s $4 billion sale of Caesars Interactive Entertainment, a move that proved key to the Caesars bankruptcy settlement, also was extremely profitable for Mitch Garber. The chief executive of Caesars subsidiary Caesars Acquisition not only founded CIE, he was a significant shareholder in the lucrative online business.
A bill to legalize online gaming in Michigan has been creating some confusion due to complications involving the constitutionality of expanding gaming in the state. Michigan’s state constitution requires most expansion of gambling to be approved by voters. Under the bill a player could place a bet from anywhere inside the state, but the wager would be considered to have been placed at a licensed, land-based casino operating the site.
Italy’s online gaming head recently said that Europe’s segregated online markets continue to work towards a player liquidity agreement. Daria Petralia (l.), head of Italy’s online gaming regulator, said negotiations are continuing and have shown significant progress. In a related matter, The European Commission has reportedly approved a plan to regulate player sharing agreements submitted by Portugal late last year.
Arkansas recently became the 11th state and the first this year to legalize daily fantasy sports betting. In Illinois, a bill designed to protect daily fantasy sports players was introduced by state Rep. Michael Zalewski (l.). The measure would supersede state Attorney General Lisa Madigan's 2015 opinion that DFS is illegal under Illinois law.
Scientific Games has completed the acquisition of Spicerack Media, a privately held mobile and social company and creator of the Bingo Showdown social bingo app.
China’s Alibaba is investing US$145 million in a partnership with Mail.Ru Group and three other suppliers to provide an upgraded mobile gaming experience.
Despite Russia’s moves to block unlicensed online betting, Bet365 continues to show strong numbers in the market, according to recent data. The numbers show, however, that more inquiries for sanctioned betting platforms are being made than for unlicensed sites. Still, several “blocked” sites are holding their own.
BetConstruct has partnered Edge Gaming to provide Virtual Cockfighting to BetConstruct partner network, the company announced. Also, BetConstruct announced it had reached an agreement with Atlantis Gaming Corporation to jointly develop a platform to be offered to casino operators residing in sovereign nations in the U.S.
Action on specific players won’t be allowed, but regulators have rescinded a ban on the state’s sports books taking any bets at all on the National Football League draft. Along with the Raiders coming to Las Vegas, it’s another sure sign that the casinos industry and the NFL are growing more comfortable with each other.
The conference committee that will negotiate an agreement between Florida House and Senate gambling bills postponed a meeting, citing talks with the Seminole Tribe over its gaming compact. The House bill calls for limiting gambling while the Senate measure would expand it. The tribe said it's not satisfied with either plan and Senate President Bill Galvano (l.) wasn’t hopeful about a compromise.
The Poarch Band of Creek Indians that wants to buy the Margaritaville Resort Casino in Bossier City, Louisiana, but doesn’t want the brand name to go with it, may pull out of the deal. In D’Iberville, Mississippi, the recent purchase of additional land gives the tribe 34 acres and two legal casino sites in the Back Bay. Chief Executive Officer Jay Dorris said architectural drawings could be ready in six months.
Detroit's three casinos reported combined total revenue of $131 million in March, an increase of 5 percent over March 2016. For the year 2016, the casinos gained 0.7 at $1.386 billion; MGM Grand (l.) posted $592.1 million, up 1.7 percent; MotorCity rose 0.7 percent to $467.9 million; and Greektown dropped 1.3 percent to $325.6 million
The historic Elks Tower (l.) in downtown Sacramento could become the site of a new cardroom called the Elks Casino. It was awarded a conditional use permit last week, but must still fight a lawsuit brought by the competition.
In 2011, following a major expansion, Robert Low (l.) declared his privately owned Palace Resort Casino in Biloxi would become smoke-free. He compensated employees for the resulting lower traffic and lost tips. Today, however, Low said the casino has recovered and offers associates a healthy environment and non-smokers a clean place to gamble.
A bill that would have eliminated $14 million in state funds for the greyhound racing industry in West Virginia was vetoed by Governor Jim Justice. He said the measure would have led to the loss of the sport as well as 1,700 jobs. Greyhound racetracks are located in Wheeling and Nitro.
Off-track betting now is available at Wild Rose Casino and Resort (l.) in Clinton, Iowa, although live racing isn't offered there. Other Iowa casinos will follow, thanks to 2014 legislation allowing those without live racing to offer simulcast betting as part of a legislative package permitting Iowa greyhound tracks to end live racing.
A bill proposed by Louisiana state Rep. Franklin J. Foil (l.) would direct a portion of the $400 million generated by riverboat gambling to help save the TOPS scholarship program. Foil's measure would set up a TOPS Gaming Income Fund to cover any deficits in the program, which faces increasing costs and decreasing awards.
The city of Biloxi used to receive rent money from the Golden Nugget Casino Resort (l.) in East Biloxi. However, the legislature mistakenly transferred the money into the state general fund and has yet to return it. So the city recently filed a lawsuit to get back its $606,350.52.
Connecticut lawmakers are worried that if they pass a bill favored by the state’s gaming tribes that they could endanger the existing tribal state gaming compact. The tribes sent a letter to the legislature last week that said, in essence: “trust us, it won’t.” But now a third bill that would open up development to other parties is in the works, and prospects for a third casino (l.) run by the tribes in East Windsor get dimmer all the time.
The chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee, Rob Bishop (l.), wants to put the brakes on the Department of the Interior allowing tribes to buy land off the reservation and put it into trust. He has asked that up to seven pending requests be suspended or frozen.
The Stockbridge-Munsee Community gave the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel documents it said proves the land where Ho-Chunk operates a casino it's planning to expand in Wittenberg, Wisconsin was reacquired after October, 1988—the cutoff for land acquired by tribes to be used for gambling. The Stockbridge said the Ho-Chunk expansion will negatively impact its nearby casino (l.) in Wittenberg.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs is mulling a request by the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians to build a second casino in Fruitport Township, Michigan. The BIA is reviewing the EIR for the $180 million proposal.
The WinnaVegas Casino and Resort in Sloan, Iowa, owned and operated by the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska, recently turned 25. From humble beginnings in pre-fab buildings and trailers, the venue today offers a 55,000 square foot gaming floor, hotel, restaurants, 300-seat conference center and 1,500 seat entertainment venue.
Opponents of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians' Four Winds South Bend casino say it will bring increased traffic, noise, crime, bankruptcy and divorce, and take money from established small businesses. However, the tribe's Four Winds New Buffalo (l.) faced the same negative predictions, which turned out to be misplaced.
The Fire Hub restaurant, bakery and food pantry (l.) will open this week in a former Battle Creek, Michigan fire station owned by FireKeepers Casino Hotel. The multifaceted project aims to eliminate hunger in conjunction with the Food Bank of South Central Michigan and offer a contemporary dining experience.
The Keweenaw Bay Indian Community recently held a job fair to fill construction jobs it anticipates for its $40 million renovation projects at Ojibwa Casino in Baraga and Ojibwa Casino Marquette in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Tribal members approved the expenditures in a referendum held last August.
California’s Klamath Tribes will hold a groundbreaking next month or in June for an 84-room hotel that it has been planning for more than a year. The hotel is adjacent to its Kla-Mo-Ya Casino.
Indian gaming profits are bigger than ever. They have passed the $30 billion mark according to Alan Meister’s annual report: Casino City’s 2017 Indian Gaming Report. Profits for 2015 were 5 percent higher than 2014.
Tired of participating but getting nothing for their efforts, Maine’s four tribes are sitting out hearings on a bill that would authorize them to have four casinos, with as many as 1,500 slot machines. The bill was introduced by Rep. Benjamin Collings (l.).
California’s Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians has announced plans for a new casino and entertainment district in downtown Cathedral City. It would be on 12.5 acres the tribe just bought from the city.
EquiLottery, developers of a lottery product based on live horseracing results, became an Industry Stakeholder of the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance. EquiLottery will make an initial donation and pledged at least $1,000 annually for each lottery offering its unique product. The TAA supports organizations that retire, retrain and rehome Thoroughbreds when their careers end.
Station Casinos has appointed industry veteran Anthony Faranca as vice president and GM of the off-Strip casino resort. The former Caesars and Parx Casino executive will be in charge of all day-to-day operations at the 1,200-room property.
Ron Olson, a 25-year Native American gaming industry veteran, has been named chief executive officer at Kewadin Casinos, the Kewadin Gaming Authority recently announced. Olson will oversee five casinos in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, owned and operated by the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians.
Famed Las Vegas businessman and gambler Billy Walters has been convicted of securities fraud and conspiracy for illegally trading on stock tips that made him millions. Walters’ golf buddy Phil Mickelson was also caught up in the high-profile investigation but evaded criminal charges.
Aruze Gaming America announced last week at the NIGA trade show that it is offering two-year performance guarantees on all APX video platforms, as well as all new video platforms to be released in the future.
The first skill-based gaming machines in Nevada, supplied by Gamblit Gaming, are reportedly doing well in a field trial at Planet Hollywood on the Las Vegas Strip, according to CEO Eric Meyerhofer (l.).
VizExplorer, a provider of operational intelligence solutions for the gaming industry, has announced a partnership with social gaming provider OpenWager. The deal will allow for the launch of VizExplorer’s SocialLink for OpenWager to be integrated with VizExplorer’s existing applications. The move will allow gambling companies to use social games to boost customer visits, the company said.
The Tahoe Biltmore in Crystal Bay, Nevada has installed the Synkros casino management system, featuring an array of new capabilities and loyalty benefits
Novomatic AG saw revenues from global operations increase 10 percent for 2016, to an all-time high of around €2.3 billion, with its global workforce swelling to 23,500.
AGS reports that games on its new Orion premium slot cabinet are performing at quadruple the house average at U.S. casinos where 50 of the cabinets have been placed.
Merkur Gaming Mexico has joined the trade association of the Mexican gaming industry, AIEJA, after serving as one of the country’s major gaming suppliers.
A subsidiary of International Game Technology has signed a contract with the national lottery of Germany for upgrade and maintenance of its central computer system.
BMM Testlabs has been approved by Italy’s Agenzia delle Dogone e dei Monopoli to test and certify equipment for various sectors of the Italian VLT market.
Inspired Entertainment streamed its virtual racing product across the U.K. with a national broadcast of its Virtual Grand National, which crowned One For Arthur the champion.
JCM Global will stage the 19th annual AGEM/AGA Golf Classic on April 25 at Cascata (l.) in Boulder City, Nevada, with proceeds going to the National Center for Responsible Gaming.
Aristocrat Leisure Limited will invest in Indian entrepreneurs in a new effort to partner with local talent in a focus on technologies outside of the gaming industry.
