SLS Las Vegas, the struggling north Strip resort, has been sold for an undisclosed sum to the Meruelo Group, an investment firm whose holdings include Reno’s 1,900-room Grand Sierra casino hotel. Reports are the new owners may change name of the SLS back to the Sahara, the legendary casino that was closed six years ago to make way for it.
A 30-page brief from acting U.S. Solicitor General Jeffrey Wall (l.) recommends that the U.S. Supreme Court decline to hear New Jersey’s appeal challenging the federal sports-betting ban. The American Gaming Association disagrees, as do New Jersey officials directing the appeal.
The Pennsylvania state Senate has passed a gaming expansion package including legalization of online gaming, but with a tax on internet casino games many believe to be unworkable. Consideration by the House might include a massive expansion of gaming, including slots in bars, restaurants and clubs. Governor Tom Wolf (l.) has not indicated whether he will sign a gaming bill or not.
Negotiations have reportedly broken down between Las Vegas Sands and MGM Resorts International over the potential sale of Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem to MGM. And proposed expansion of gaming in the Pennsylvania legislature could threaten a planned expansion of the property.
The Connecticut Senate has passed a bill that would allow the state’s gaming tribes, the Pequots and Mohegans, to build a third, satellite, commercial casino. The fate of the bill in the House is uncertain, although Governor Dannel P. Malloy (l.) has come down in favor of it—sort of.
CEO Mark Frissora expects an array of expansion opportunities will unfold for the casino giant once its largest operating company completes its exit from bankruptcy. The Las Vegas Strip will figure prominently in this strategy, he says. So will major emerging markets in places like Japan, South Korea and Brazil.
As the government of Macau, China is considering “refreshing” its six casino concessions, Geoff Freeman (l.), president and CEO of the American Gaming Association, called on the government to consider the “immense contributions” America’s gaming companies have made.
Now that the end of the long bankruptcy process is in sight, Caesars CEO Mark Frissora hosted a meeting of analysts to highlight the good news of the company, which includes better EBITDA and revenue.
This week, the GGB Podcast features an interview with Matt Wilson, the managing director of Aristocrat Americas, about his new position with the company and his strategy going forward.
Imperial Pacific International has received a conditional certificate of occupancy for its new casino resort (l.) on the island of Saipan. It must now get the OK to open from the Commonwealth Casino Commission.
Vitaly Umansky (l.), of Investment brokerage Sanford C. Bernstein, says China’s crackdown on corruption and money laundering in Macau is not over. The campaign started in 2014 and kicked off a two-year decline in the gaming industry.
As Japan gears up for a legal casino industry, possibly centered in major cities like Tokyo, Osaka and Yokohama, smaller markets are saying they could be left behind, despite the promise of “local revitalization.”
Melco Crown Philippines, a unit of Melco Resorts & Entertainment that operates the City of Dreams Manila (l.), is now the world’s top-performing casino stock. Since 2015, the company’s stock has well outpaced a Bloomberg index of global casino stocks.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte (l.) has signed an executive order banning smoking in public places. The new law, first floated last year, will take effect this summer.
In India, the overseer of the goods and services tax system announced that casinos will soon be taxed at 28 percent, in a category with other “luxury” entertainments including going to the movies or staying at a nice hotel.
The Udenna Corp. has sold a 25 percent stake in Phoenix Petroleum Philippines Inc. for P4 billion (US$80 million) to help finance the development of an integrated resort on Mactan, Cebu.
Wynn Macau is reportedly being sued by Rogelio Yusi Bangsil Jr., former official of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. Bangsil was named in a report disclosing alleged unlawful gifts to PAGCOR officers.
In a surprise move, Arena Racing Company has acquired the Newcastle (l.) and Sunderland greyhound stadiums from bookmaker William Hill. In February, Sports Information Services agreed to a deal to buy the venues.
Gérard Collomb (l.), France’s Minister of the Interior, has signed a decree detailing conditions under which gaming clubs, or “clubs de jeux,” may operate in Paris.
The Irish Ministry of Finance will review gaming industry tax rates as part of a larger ongoing review of Irish corporate taxation laws. The ministry has invited comment from the industry on the current rate structure.
The Bermuda Casino Gaming Commission has partnered with the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement to formalize an information-sharing program on gaming regulation. Richard Schuetz (l.), executive director of the BCGC, says it will expedite the island nation’s regulatory process.
Stan Rosenberg (l.), president of the Massachusetts Senate, says it is unlikely that online gaming legislation will pass this year. The special commission appointed to present a recommendation on iGaming also hasn’t made its report yet.
The launch of the real-money gaming website PokerTribe.com has been delayed again by the Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma, while the National Indian Gaming Commission investigates Universal Entertainment Group, developers of the tribe's previous gaming website with the Cheyenne and Arapaho. Universal also is working with the Iowa Tribe on its currently postponed website.
A former Malta Gaming Authority employee released e-mails to Reuters that allegedly show the authority being lax in its “sealing” proceedings for online gambling computer servers. The employee charged that the authority failed to properly monitor the computer servers.
New Jersey’s Assembly has approved a bill sponsored by Assemblyman Vincent Mazzeo (l.) that would tax daily fantasy sports operators at 10.5 percent quarterly and require licensing through the state Division of Community Affairs. A bill in the state Senate proposes a 9.25 percent tax. In Alabama, a bill to legalize and regulate daily fantasy sports contests recently died as it passed through committee but was declined a vote in the Senate.
Atlantic City’s Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa has launched the online social gaming site BorgataFreecasino.com, a “simulated gaming” website offering slots, table games and video poker.
Michigan Governor Rick Snyder (l.) signed a law clarifying that social media internet games are exempt from state gambling law. The games reward players with additional playing time and are increasingly popular among casinos that use them as marketing tools. Lawmakers are consulting commercial and Native American casino operators about the possible impact of a bill that would allow parimutuel bets to be placed on horse races statewide via mobile phones and tablets.
GVC Holdings says it will not seek licensing in the Czech Republic and advised its customers there that play has been stopped and they should withdraw their accounts. Czech gambling authorities place a 23 percent tax on sports betting revenues and a 35 percent tax on casino slots play.
PlayOn, an Irish-owned fantasy sports gaming company has valued itself at £30 million (€35 million) during a capital funding drive. The company is in the middle of the first of two fundraisings this year to raise about £9 million.
NetRefer has provided its affiliate marketing solutions to viensviens.lv—the second biggest online sportsbooks in Latvia—through its iGamingCloud platform.
The Esports Integrity Coalition, a non-profit industry body working to regulate cheating in eSports, has banned a player for two years for cheating during the Mettlestate Samsung Galaxy CS:GO Championship. The player confessed to using a third-party software to gain an advantage.
Inspired has been selected to supply Virtual Sports products to Veikkaus Sports Betting locations and on the Veikkaus Sports Betting website. Owned by the Finnish government, Veikkaus is the Finnish National Betting Agency and has an exclusive legal betting license on lotteries and sports betting in Finland.
Century Gaming Technologies announced it has acquired Grand Vision Gaming, a leading software developer and manufacturer of gaming devices. Steve Arntzen (l.), CEO and president of Century, said GVG’s custom software development will enhance the product content offerings on all gaming machines manufactured by Century.
The Illinois Senate passed a bill allowing a city-owned casino in Chicago, six other statewide casinos and slots at racetracks, generating $550 million in annual revenue. Governor Bruce Rauner (l.) said he would support the bill if it's part of the "grand bargain" legislative package to end the state's two-year budget stalemate.
The Australian operator is seeking $400 million for the 35-acre parcel that was to host its $2.4 billion Alon Las Vegas (l.). The super-luxury development was abandoned last December as Crown retools to pay off debt and focus on growth back home. The site is directly across the Strip from Wynn/Encore.
The last and largest of New York’s four new commercial casinos will have a new name when it opens next year―Resorts World Catskills (l.). The rebranding is designed to better tie the $1.2 billion project, located just 90 miles from New York City, into Genting’s global gaming empire.
Since the initiative that would allow a casino in York County, Maine was sort of approved by methods they consider by hook or by crook, two lawmakers feel it’s OK to get creative to take it off the ballot. Rep. Louis Luchini and Senate Majority Leader Garrett Mason (l.) are considering adopting the wording of the initiative, and then repealing it right away.
In a 13-8 vote, the Kansas House Appropriations Committee rejected a bill that would have allowed Sedgwick County voters to gather at least 5,000 signatures for a re-vote on allowing slots at the Wichita Greyhound Park (l.). Committee members feared state-run casinos would sue, since they paid privilege fees for exclusivity.
A special committee appointed by the city of Tiverton, Rhode Island is working to pack its host community agreement with the Twin River-Tiverton casino with lots of goodies, such as $3 million a year from the developer. Others suggest requiring the casino to pay to pick up litter on nearby streets.
In Arkansas, Attorney General Leslie Rutledge (l.) rejected a proposal for a referendum on casino gambling, because, she said, the title was "overly long and complicated" and the draft language was poorly written. The proposal was Barry Emigh, a Hot Springs resident who has unsuccessfully submitted dozens of casino-related amendments to the state constitution.
Carl Icahn has apparently propped up his Tropicana casino in Atlantic City by acquiring the Chelsea Hotel, a non-casino hotel next door to the property. The move comes just two months after he sold the former Trump Taj Mahal to Hard Rock International. Details of Icahn’s purchase of the Chelsea were not released.
Delaware North has completed its third phase of renovations at its Jake’s 58 Hotel & Casino (l.) on Long Island. That includes expanding the casino’s video lottery terminals to more than 1,000.
Fundraising "game nights" offering casino-style games, bingo or raffles for nonprofits could be allowed at venues that serve alcohol under a measure proposed by North Carolina state Rep. Jamie Boles. He said current state law is confusing. The measure passed the House Finance Committee and will move to the full House.
New Jersey’s Atlantic City casinos saw a 30.4 percent increase in gross operating profit for the first quarter. That led the chairman of the state’s Casino Control Commission to declare that the resort’s market has recovered from losing five casinos since 2014.
In a victory for racetrack operators, the Stronach Group, entry fees for the DerbyWars website are wagers, a federal court judge recent ruled. The Stronach Group argued DerbyWars used its races for the contests without compensating the tracks. The lawsuit seeks monetary damages to be determined later at trial.
Atlantic City’s Borgata casino—now owned solely by MGM Resorts International—will switch its My Borgata rewards program to MGM’s M life Rewards loyalty program. In another announcement, Borgata will launch a free-to-play social casino site.
An Oregon Senate committee is considering legislation that would close more than a dozen poker rooms in Portland. Senators are seeking "another way of moving forward" to allow the rooms to remain open, such as not charging entry fees and not hiring permanent dealers. Portland poker rooms generate $10-$15 million in annual revenue.
The Raiders and Las Vegas have a stadium lease, only it appears there’s nothing in the document that prevents fans from making sports bets from the stands on their phones. The NFL is certain to oppose this, but the final word rests with Nevada regulators.
For the first time, players in Las Vegas can compete for cash and prizes using their golf skills instead of luck in weekend tournaments at MGM Grand's Golfstream indoor laser golf course in the Level Up alternative gaming area (l.). Tournaments include putting, closest-to-the-pin and longest drive challenges. Buy-ins are $20 and the top four players win the prizes.
The town of Aquinnah, Massachusetts and the town association based there have decided to take their case against the casino the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) wants to build on Martha’s Vineyard all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. Whether the Supremes will deign to take the case is another matter entirely.
The $274 million investment Genting Malaysia made in the First Light Resort & Casino (l.) in Taunton, Massachusetts could be a total loss. The Mashpee Wampanoag is still waiting for word whether it can start building again after an adverse court decision shut it down for a year. It’s possible it may never get that word.
In New Mexico, Fire Rock Casino (l.) and Northern Edge Casino, operated by the Navajo Nation, posted a first-quarter net win of $21,528,766—about $200,000 less than $21,747,278 in 2016. As a result, the Navajo Nation will pay the state 9 percent of the adjusted net win on slots, or $1.9 million.
The smashing of the ceremonial guitar launched the opening of Seminole Hard Rock Tampa's $100 million expansion. Highlights include a high-end, 26,000 square foot, mezzanine level casino; a ground-floor smoke-free gaming area; a non-smoking poker room; 1,200 additional parking spaces and the Orient Road garage (grand opening with President Joe Lupo at center) which offers a "rock tour" walkway.
The group Choctaw For Better Government collected more signatures than required on petitions to hold a referendum for the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians' proposed $25 million Red Water Casino in Leake County. The group opposes taking on more debt. Chief Phyliss Anderson said the loan would be paid off within 18 months.
Responding to the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohicans’ lawsuit seeking to stop the Ho-Chunk Nation’s casino expansion in Wittenberg, Wisconsin, the Ho-Chunk filed a brief in federal court stating the rival tribe’s lawsuit is “nothing more than a poorly disguised attempt to protect its revenue stream by interfering with the business operations of a competitor.”
The state of Texas and the Alabama-Coushatta Indians will meet in federal court in a September trial to determine if the tribe's Naskila entertainment center (l.) can remain open and offer electronic bingo games. The state considers the games illegal and believes the tribe should be held in contempt of court and fined.
The Palace Casino Hotel will move to a larger site with more visibility near Cass Lake, Minnesota, the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe Indians recently announced. The property opened in the early 1980s and is need of repairs, said Tribal Council Chairman Faron Jackson. The new $45 million facility will include a waterpark.
Federal Sports Minister Greg Hunt (l.) is looking at an Australian national lottery that could help provide long-term funding for the professional sports industry. The lottery could raise tens of millions of dollars per year, proponents say.
Lottery sales in Mainland China increased 9.6 percent year-on-year for the month of April, according to the country’s Ministry of Finance. Total sales for the month reached RMB38.24 billion (US$5.5 billion).
Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant will summon legislators to a special session starting June 5 but creating a statewide lottery most likely will not be on the agenda, said House Speaker Philip Gunn. Bryant asked legislators to consider a lottery to generate additional revenue. Gunn created a committee to study the issue.
Genting has named former Foxwoods and Harrah’s executive Edward Farrell as president of the new Resorts World Las Vegas property, slated to open in 2020.
Jane Russell-Winiecki, chairwoman of the Yavapai-Apache Nation, has been named among the 2017 Most Influential Women in Arizona Business by Arizona Business Magazine. She was the first woman in more than 40 years to be elected to the tribe's highest office and only the second woman in the tribe's history of modern government.
Former Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska tribal council member Louis Houghton, 70, pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of theft from a gaming establishment on tribal lands. He's one of nine former tribal leaders charged with skimming more than $327,000 from the tribe’s WinnaVegas Casino Resort in gift cards and prepaid debit cards.
Dr. Wolfram Seidemann, chief executive officer at Giesecke+Devrient Currency Technology of Munich, Germany, recently was named to the board of the International Currency Association. The ICA promotes cash a means of payment equal to digital and mobile methods, and encourages innovation, best practice and optimized solutions to assure stable currency systems.
Boyd Gaming and Ainsworth Game Technologies partnered to debut the Ainsworth slot Pac-Man Wild Edition in an exclusive launch at Boyd’s Las Vegas properties.
The board of directors for Entertainment Gaming Asia has made no indication it will accept or reject the offer of Melco International Development to buy all its outstanding shares.
