With Japan on the horizon as a legal gaming jurisdiction and Macau rebounding from several years of declining revenues, G2E Asia became a focal point for the industry in the region. Top line executives and the head regulator in Macau made news, as did experts opining on gaming expansion and the possible shape of a Japanese casino industry.
The long and acrimonious legal battle between the Tohono O'odham Nation and the state of Arizona over the Desert Diamond West Valley casino (l.) in Glendale ended last week. Governor Doug Ducey and Tohono Chairman Edward D. Manuel announced an agreement ending the lawsuit.
Las Vegas Sands Corp. Chairman and CEO Sheldon Adelson recently met with Brazilian President Michel Temer (l.) and other government officials to present his plan for an $8 billion resort in Rio de Janeiro.
The Greek Republic of Cyprus last weekly granted a license to the Hard Rock/Melco Resorts partnership, and expects a big return from its first casino resort and satellite gaming halls. Finance Minister Harris Georgiades (l.) anticipates annual net revenues of €100 million (US$111 million).
Japan may limit foreign ownership of the country’s new integrated resorts, which may also limit profits, say analysts. Morgan Stanley’s Praveen Choudhary (l.) is expecting groups of investors for each property. Lawrence Ho, chairman of Melco International, says the decision to settle for less than majority interest “would be a tough one.”
The Department of the Interior has sent a letter to Connecticut’s two gaming tribes, the Pequots and the Mohegans, expressing the opinion that if they are allowed to open a third commercial casino it won’t violate the tribal state gaming compact guaranteeing the tribes exclusivity in gaming. The letter was addressed to Mohegan Chairman Kevin Brown and Pequot Chairman Rodney Butler (l.).
In a unanimous decision, the Florida Supreme Court ruled Florida counties do not have legal authority to ask voters to approve slot machines at existing parimutuel racetracks or jai-alai frontons without constitutional or legislative approval. As a result, although voters in Gadsden County approved slots in a referendum, Gretna Racing, which also operates a poker room (l.), cannot install them. The ruling affects seven other counties where voters have also approved slots.
The UK Gambling Commission is investigating a subsidiary of 888 Holdings to determine is the site is adequately protecting consumers. The subsidiary sponsors Championship clubs in the UK. The probe immediately sent 888 stock tumbling in the UK.
Ship-share used to be the one metric that an investor needed to evaluate a slot manufacturing company. Today, most slot companies are in other businesses, owned by conglomerates or have an extensive portfolio of many products, making evaluation much more complicated.
This week, the GGB Podcast features a discussion with AG Burnett, the chairman of the Nevada Gaming Control Board on the multiple issues he’s had to face during his term.
Fitch Ratings analysts say MGM Cotai (l.), scheduled to open on Macau’s Cotai Strip in the last quarter in 2017, will generate $220 million in 2018, its first full year of operations. The resort represents at $3.3 billion investment.
Macau’s Marine and Water Bureau held an opening ceremony for the new Pac On ferry terminal last week. Located near the airport on Taipa Island, it was designed in part to help deliver more tourists to the Cotai casinos.
Cambodian gaming firm NagaCorp has resumed work on its planned Mayak casino resort in the Russian Far East. The Primorye economic zone is now home to Lawrence Ho’s Tigre de Cristal, which opened in 2015.
Starting July 1, French casino boats must abide by new rules for gaming operations. Authorized ships may offer up to 15 gaming machines for terms of up to 15 years. Tables are permitted in international waters.
Voters in the Bahamas voted to oust incumbent Prime Minister Perry Christie in favor of opposition party leader Hubert Minnis (l.), in a development that could negatively affect the new Baha Mar resort.
Hard Rock International has won a provincial government bid to develop a $320 million destination casino in partnership with Ottawa’s Rideau Carleton Raceway (l.). Hard Rock Casino Ottawa will feature a hotel, a live entertainment venue and a 139,000-square-foot casino among its attractions.
The government of Uganda has announced new regulations designed to prevent gambling among young people. According to reports, authorities have increased gaming taxes and may eventually tax winnings as well.
Canada’s largest commercial gaming operator is taking over operations at six casinos previously managed by the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. The $200 million agreement includes a commitment from Gateway to develop a major new resort to compete for the U.S. border trade.
Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull (l.) has announced a ban on gaming advertisements in sports broadcasts on TV and radio. The prohibition will be in force daily until 8.30 p.m.
A manager at the SkyCity Casino in Auckland, New Zealand was fired after he promised a $300,000-plus “goodwill payment” to an international high roller. Despite his dismissal, the player was paid by the casino.
A town hall rally recently was held to oppose the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation's modernization plans for Niagara Falls' two casinos, including Fallsview (l.). An estimated 1,400 jobs would be lost under the OLG's current plans, area officials said. They claim the province is placing generating revenue ahead of jobs and economic development.
A Swedish government report recommends a licensing regime for online gaming. Though the plan would largely eliminate the monopoly of Svenska Spel, it would retain control of land-based casinos and lotteries.
Amaya Inc., owner of PokerStars, wants to rename itself The Stars Group Inc. The group also will ask shareholders to approve moving from Montreal to Toronto. The move is seen as part the plan of new Chief Executive Officer Rafi Ashkenazi (l.) to transform the online gambling company after a series of controversies surrounding its acquisition of PokerStars.
Spain’s online gaming industry saw revenue rise one-fifth in the first quarter of 2017. In the three months ending March 31, the take was almost 20 percent higher year-on-year, but down from the fourth quarter of 2016.
Atlantic City’s Resorts Casino has announced a plan to launch a daily fantasy sports site in New Jersey through a partnership with DFS supplier Sports AD. The site will be available only to New Jersey players. It will be titled FastPick and Resorts hopes to launch the site in June pending final from the state’s Division of Gaming Enforcement.
A UK study released last week outlined the growing popularity of eSports in the world. But will the video version challenge the popularity of real sports? That’s a big question to the Twitch eSports platform.
The Malta Gaming Authority has granted BetConstruct a Skill Games Supply License. The license lets BetConstruct offer a fantasy sports product, which includes soccer, American football, basketball, baseball and hockey, on a B2C and B2B level.
GAN will supply its simulated gaming content to WinStar World Casino. The company will supply a social gaming experience from a single technology platform and deliver a custom-designed website/app integrated into WinStar’s on-property loyalty program and Scientific Games' ACSC casino management system.
Swedish iGaming provider NetEnt has been approved by the British Columbia Gaming Policy and Enforcement Branch to supply the British Columbia Lottery Corporation.
New Jersey U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone has sent a letter to the acting U.S. solicitor general asking for an endorsement of the state’s position in the case challenging the federal sports betting ban. It’s already on the agenda of the Supreme Court, but recent developments have made it more time sensitive.
Pennsylvania senators are reportedly set to vote this week on a replacement for the local-community host fee to replace the fee declared unconstitutional last year, challenged by the Mount Airy casino (l.). Meanwhile, a bill passed by the Pennsylvania House of Representatives updates the state’s bingo laws, relaxing rules lawmakers considered to be antiquated.
Genting has announced another delay in the projected opening of its $4 billion megaresort on the Las Vegas Strip. The company says a retooling of the design, mainly to favor a younger market, will delay the debut of Resorts World Las Vegas to 2020. Groundbreaking (l.) occurred three years ago.
Kansas dog and horse racetracks will not be allowed to offer slots, following a House committee's rejection of a bill that would have paved the way for them. Legislators said they feared the measure would have broken state contracts with casinos and led to costly litigation. Las Vegas casino owner Phil Ruffin (l.) has been turned away.
A measure phasing out an add-back tax and changing the $3 admissions tax for a supplemental wagering tax was signed by Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb (l.) and praised by casinos. The add-back tax was considered a tax on a tax. The admissions tax change is revenue neutral, but the processes for counting guests were cumbersome.
The MGM Springfield (l.) is moving rapidly towards meeting its goal of opening in the fall of 2018. The project is nearing completion of its seven-level parking structure.
Officials in Bunnell, Florida recently asked the state attorney general's office for an opinion on whether or not electronic bingo machines are considered legal bingo games or illegal slot machines. The situation stems from the closure of Shamrock Bingo one year ago, which offered 40 machines and supported a local nonprofit.
How close is state Attorney General Adam Laxalt to his top campaign donor, Sheldon Adelson? Too close, claims Democratic Assemblywoman Maggie Carlton (l.), who has introduced a bill in the Nevada legislature to replace the AG’s office as legal counsel to the Gaming Control Board.
With the planning board's recent approval, Miami Beach is moving forward with two proposed ordinances that would ban casinos. The state legislature's failure to pass a wide-ranging gambling bill that would have authorized commercial casinos in South Florida motivated Miami Beach officials to take action on their own, but the Fontainebleau (l.) objects.
The Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in downtown Sioux City, Iowa recently debuted its $6.2 million, 8,000 square foot expansion. The new area features the Wine Bar with 125 labels, 60 new slots, two blackjack tables and a private lounge area—plus a snakeskin patterned carpet on the new gaming floor.
Atlantic City’s casinos saw gaming revenue decline by 1.6 percent in April compared to 2016, the first monthly decline this year. However, the figures include revenue from the now closed Trump Taj Mahal. Without considering the Taj’s 2016 revenue, the city’s seven remaining casinos saw revenue increase more than 6 percent. Online gambling in the state again broke $20 million for the month.
Veterans clubs and other non-profits in the state say they need more modern gambling games to compete for younger members. In response, companion bills have been introduced in the Senate and Assembly to allow the groups to run video gaming-style pull-tabs.
Commercial casino revenues are up dramatically in the first months of 2017. Revenues increase 7 percent over last year according to a report by the University of Nevada Las Vegas Center for Gaming Research.
The process by which a gaming initiative qualified for the November ballot in Maine left such a bad taste in the mouth of lawmakers that they want to prevent the measure from being voted on. Senator Garrett Mason (l.) has introduced a bill that he admits has only a slim chance of succeeding.
In a series of small moves, Atlantic City saw the Miss America Organization move its headquarters to Boardwalk Hall (l.), a major seafood festival planned for its Boardwalk and approval of a Boardwalk beer garden. The city is actively trying to diversify its attractions and attract new business to the resort.
Full House Resorts reported a $1.5 million, 56-space RV park will open at Rising Star Casino (l.) in Rising Sun, Indiana in June--the first at a casino in the market. Also in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, Silver Slipper Casino reported net revenues increased 12 percent and hotel occupancy rose from 85 to 89 percent.
Disney Worldwide Services gave $250,000 to the Florida political group Voters in Charge last month. The group wants to place on the November 2018 ballot a proposal giving voters the right to allow casino gambling in the future. In April the Florida Supreme Court approved the ballot wording.
In an effort to limit the spread of video gambling machines, the small Chicago suburb of Island Lake, Illinois recently approved a one-year moratorium on issuing licenses for them. The village approved the games in May 2014 and has issued licenses for five establishments.
Table game revenues increased 10.2 percent for Pennsylvania casinos during April, the biggest contributor being Pinnacle Entertainment’s Meadows Casino south of Pittsburgh.
Dozens of Las Vegans turned out for a hearing at City Hall to complain about the house rentals promoted by AirBnb and others. They say renters are trashing their neighborhoods. City Council is listening.
An Oklahoma Senate committee recently rejected in a 22-16 vote a measure allowing tribal casinos, including the state’s largest casino, WinStar (l.), to offer roulette and craps and permitting tribes to run daily sports betting if it's authorized by the federal government. Proponents said the bill would have generated funds to help fill the state's $878 million budget gap.
The Seminole Tribe of Florida lacks a compact with the state but still pays revenue share from blackjack at all its casinos, including Hard Rock Hollywood (l.), out of good faith. The tribe recently paid $19.5 million, bringing its 2017 total to $97.5 million. The money is "administratively segregated" within the general revenue fund until the legislature approves a new compact
Employees of tribes who are carrying out their duties off the reservation will no longer enjoy immunity from lawsuit, according to a just released decision by the U.S. Supreme Court. The Lewis v. Clarke decision is seen by many tribes as a weakening of sovereign immunity.
A refusal by an appeals court to review a decision by a three-judge panel means the Aquinnah Wampanoags will most likely be able to open a Class II bingo style casino on Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts. Tribal Chairman Cheryl Andrews-Maltais (l.) is “ecstatic.”
A Central California tribe proposes to build a new casino and 250-room hotel a few miles from its existing reservation casino. The process to move the Eagle Mountain Casino to 40 acres the tribe owns is moving forward step by step.
Citing record-low sales, high taxes and state lottery competition, the Catawba Indian Nation recently closed its bingo hall in Rock Hill, South Carolina. Chief Bill Harris (l.) said despite a loyal customer based, the operation did not attract new players. The decision followed six months of talks with tribal economic development leaders.
The $5 million renovation recently debuted at Cherokee Casino Will Rogers Downs (l.) in Claremore, Oklahoma. The 43,000 square foot casino was redesigned with 250 electronic games and the simulcast viewing area offers numerous large screen TVs and seats more than 100. The indoor paddock observation area provides a panoramic view of the paddock.
The Forest County Potawatomi Community opened a $97.5 million, 381-room hotel at its Potawatomi Hotel & Casino in Milwaukee in August 2014. Now the tribe announced it will build a second, $80 million, 119-room hotel tower to be completed in spring 2019. The 180,000 square foot addition will create 50 new jobs.
Phase 1 of the Ho Chunk Tribe's Project Forward recently debuted at the Ho Chunk Casino in the Wisconsin Dells. The colors and finishes were inspired by Ho Chunk culture. The total $153 million expansion effort, expected to be completed in 2018, includes the tribe's Black River Falls and Wittenberg casinos.
The White Earth Nation's proposed Star Lake Casino in Otter Tail County, Minnesota still is undergoing an environmental assessment, then the county board will determine if an Environmental Impact Statement is required. Residents are concerned about wetlands removal. The project would include a casino, hotel, RV park, dining and retail.
A Northern California tribe wants to move its existing Coyote Valley Shodakai Casino to a new site. The Coyote Valley Band of Pomo Indians would put new housing on the old site.
Mississippi House Speaker Philip Gunn's (l.) lottery study committee members are tasked with gathering facts about a state lottery, including potential revenue and impact on society, casinos and other segments of the economy. Gunn said the facts may "show that the lottery is not the windfall that all its supporters claim it will be."
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie continues to push for legislation that would use state lottery revenues to help the state’s underfunded public worker pension plans. The plan would provide $37 billion in lottery funds over 30 years
A growing scandal over the Connecticut Lottery’s oversight of its cash card games has claimed another victim. Frank Farricker, who replaced the previous chairwoman who left under a cloud of suspicion has also stepped down.
The Willy Wonka Golden Ticket Game from Scientific Games includes a second-chance drawing leading to a “Billion-Dollar Challenge” that will award a $1 billion annuity.
Pariplay will supply content to the LottoStar brand, which has integrated with Pariplay’s FUSION content network. Pariplay’s games will be featured in the Kwikies Games section of the LottoStar website.
Jim and Heather Murren were awarded the Woodrow Wilson Award for Corporate Citizenship, for work both have done in the community as well as business practices.
Kathy George recently was named chief executive officer at FireKeepers Casino Hotel in Battle Creek, Michigan. She had served as general manager and vice president of operations for more than five years. Her hospitality career began at Wyndham Hotels and Resorts and she also worked for the Seneca Gaming Corporation.
The UK Gambling Commission has named David Pemberton as the regulator’s chief operating officer. He will oversee corporate services including human resources, finance, IT, planning and risk.
Mike Galle has been named to the dual position of general manager at Boomtown Casino Biloxi and Hollywood Gulf Coast Casino in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, Penn National Gaming recently announced. He began his casino career in surveillance and most recently was general manager at Hollywood Gaming Mahoning Valley in Youngstown, Ohio.
Joey P. Barbry, form chairman of the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe, will appear in federal court on May 23. He recently was indicted on one count of theft from an Indian tribal organization, after writing non-sufficient checks for more than $1,000 to a check-cashing service at the tribe's Paragon Casino and Resort in Marksville, Mississippi.
Antoine Bonello was named chief operating officer at Malta-based online gaming operator Mr Green Ltd. Bonello was head of customer experience/operations at Betfair for three years and served as director of integration during its merger with Paddy Power. Bonello will be responsible for increasing Mr Green's European market presence and product variety.
The Swedish-based LeoVegas Group AB has announced the resignation of Johan Styren, current chief executive officer of its Malta-based subsidiary LeoVegas Gaming Ltd. A successor was not named in the announcement.
The Intralot Group has named John R. Donahue, a veteran executive of casino suppliers including Scientific Games and IGT, as CEO of its U.S. subsidiary, Intralot Inc.
Amaya, Inc. named Robin Chhabra to the newly created position of chief of corporate development, in charge of pursuing ongoing strategic opportunities.
The World Series of Poker will scrap the November Nine format that had the final table of the WSOP Main Event played months after the main tournament ended. The final table will now be played in July under a new four-year deal with Poker Central and broadcaster ESPN. The cable sports network will now show the entire tournament live on tape delay.
Incredible Technologies announced that it has officially been licensed as a Casino Service Industry Enterprise by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement.
Betradar and Digital Sports Tech are partnering to bring the Player Props product to sports-betting operators around the world through Betradar’s SML feed.
The annual Asia Gaming Awards were announced at a gala dinner at last week’s G2E Asia. Categories included land-based casinos, suppliers and online gaming.
The Novomatic Group will occupy Stand 59 at the Peru Gaming Show, with a display that will highlight the Gaminator Scorpion Cabinet and games from the new Impera Line.
