Gaming analysts are sending up flares, warning that the much-anticipated Japanese casino industry could founder on a mountain of over-regulation. Also of concern: the policymakers’ sheer lack of experience. One of the restrictions would ban casinos from granting customers credit, which could foster an illegal underground system similar to one that subverts the country’s huge pachinko industry (l., a pachinko parlor in Tokyo.).

Indian gaming may be at its most successful point since the passage of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988. Figures released by the National Indian Gaming Commission showed growth of 4.4 percent overall—the highest GGR on record.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver (l.) commented that he is optimistic sports betting will be legalized within the next few years, and endorsed the reversal of the federal ban on sports wagering.

As Pennsylvania lawmakers struggle to fund an unbalanced state budget, leaders simultaneously struggle to reach a compromise on gaming expansion legislation. Satellite casinos and iGaming reportedly on the table, while VGTs at bars and restaurants on back burner.

The Primorsky Krai Development Corp. in Vladivostok, Russia has announced the auctions of three separate land parcels all designated for casino development. The minimum investment starts at $130 million. The only currently operating casino, Tigre de Cristal (l.), will enjoy extended monopoly

Managing, measuring and motivating makes for great host teams. Michael McNamee, one of the most experienced casino marketing executives, explains how he organized his teams, set goals and aspirations and measured success over a 32-year career.

The uptick in VIP play at Macau’s casinos may be “unsustainable” and “too high for the government’s taste,” says Japanese brokerage Nomura. It may also be illusory, based partly on the reclassification of premium-mass tables. (VIP lobby at MGM Macau, l.)

The U.S. has dropped all charges against Calvin Ayre after the former Bodog gambling founder pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor. The U.S. Attorney General for Maryland charged Ayre and three others with illegal gambling and money laundering in 2012. Ayre was sentenced to one year of unsupervised probation and a $500,000 fine on the misdemeanor.

The world is changing, not just the gaming industry. But how are casinos to respond when revenue has rebounded from the great recession but competition is increasing every day?

The investment bank has purchased more than 39 million shares in Silver Heritage. It’s a big lift for the ASX-listed operator, which is beating the bushes for money to complete its Tiger casino (l.) in Nepal it sees as a key to its future.

On July 9, the Indian Coast Guard had to rescue four crewmembers of the Lucky 7, an offshore casino that grounded on a sandbar (l.) in the Mandovi River off Goa. The incident precipitated a new flood of criticisms of the casino boats.

Steve Wynn’s long legal battle with former friend and ex-Wynn Resorts vice chairman Kazuo Okada could hinder Wynn’s chances of landing a casino license in Japan, some industry pundits say.

In 2016, Philippine agribusiness Calata Corp. planned a US$1.4 billion casino resort in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu. It was later cancelled due to concerns about “political risks” in the country. But it may be back on.

Macau Legend Development says it is close to completing the sale of its Landmark Hotel (l.) in the city. MLD has said the buyer is “very serious about closing” and that they will “try and close it in the next several months.”

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte (l.) has signed a new law that adds casinos to the list of entities subject to the Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2001. The move was prompted by a multimillion-dollar cyberheist in 2016.

The Vietnamese province of Thua Thien-Hue wants to add a casino to the Laguna Lang Co. project and increase the investment to US$2 billion. The project now includes resorts, spas, hotels and villas, restaurants and more.

Gongzi Jeju Casino on Jeju Island, South Korea, opened July 16. CEO Lysa Evans said the “expansion gaming area” makes Jeju competitive with Singapore and Macau. It includes a 40,000-square-foot gaming floor.

The Macau government has announced that anyone leaving or entering the territory with cash or “negotiable monetary instruments” of MOP120,000 (US$15,000) or more will have to declare it in customs.

Global ride-sharing company Uber did not meet with enthusiasm in Macau. Uber is leaving the territory after two years, saying it could “not secure a business environment to unlock the full benefits of ride-sharing.”

U.S.-based casino operator Hard Rock International has released more information about its proposed integrated casino resort in Catalonia, Spain. The deal represents a $2.3 billion investment for the tribal gaming giant. CEO Jim Allen (l.) the project “first class entertainment, hospitality.”

The Irish Cabinet and PM Leo Varadkar (l.) have approved legislation that will modern gaming regulations for the first time since the Gaming and Lotteries Act 1956. The bill includes raising the legal gambling age from 16 to 18, establishing an independent regulatory authority, authorizing self-exclusion and increasing the national lottery's stakes and jackpot limits.

Melco’s integrated resort project in the Republic of Cyprus will have 70,000 square feet of gaming space with 130 gaming tables and a 6,000-square-foot VIP “Casino in the Sky,” according to financial advisor Spectrum Gaming.

Nevada-based gaming Caesars Entertainment reportedly may partner with the Chinese-backed ASF Consortium on its AU$3 billion resort complex on Australia’s Gold Coast. The U.S. firm would run the gaming side. ASF Director Louis Chien (l.) says Caesars is just “one of many”

Australian gambling operator CrownBet has filed an appeal against the recent decision from the Australian Competition Tribunal approving the Tabcorp-Tatts Group merger. The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission has also appealed the tribunal’s ruling. CrownBet’s appeal echoes concerns raised by the commission and states that the merger will hurt gamblers and gambling competition in the country.

The number of pokie machines available in Monash gambling halls has been capped at 105 for the next 25 years. That hasn’t silenced critics who say players in the Australian city will lose more than $100 million in 2016-17.

India’s Sports ministry has reportedly been discussing the legalization of online gambling in the country. The Indian Express newspaper cited an unnamed source as saying that several government administrations have been approached and consulted about a proposal to legalize online play.

Resorts Atlantic City has launched the first daily fantasy sports game at a New Jersey online casino. The game is called FastPick, where players choose head-to-head matchups between athletes. Initially, the game is only available at Resorts online site in the state, but casino officials say there are plans to offer the game at Resorts’ brick-and-mortar casino.

DraftKings CEO Jason Robins (l.)—speaking during a Facebook Live session—discussed the future for the DFS giant now that its planned merger with rival FanDuel has collapsed. Robins said the company intends to offer a simplified game for NFL contests this year and that attracting casual DFS players is a priority for the company.

Michigan State Senator Mike Kowall (l.) is amending Senate Bill 203, which would allow tribes to apply for online casino licenses and share up to 10 percent of the revenue with the state. Tribes claimed the legislation gave commercial casinos an unfair advantage, but commercial casinos claim the bill gives the advantage to tribes.

Just two years after launching in Italy, PokerStars has grabbed the top spot in the country’s online market. PokerStars now has 8.85 percent of the market, passing Lottomatica. PokerStars new rewards program is being given credit for the site’s success.

The UK Gaming Commission has issued a warning to sites running unauthorized fantasy sports leagues that charge entry fees. The commission warned that operating or advertising a fantasy contest could require a pool betting license in the country.

PlayUp, a daily fantasy sports (DFS) site from Down Under wants to employ its singular model to go international. It is seeking $10 million to expand its site that relies solely on advertising for revenues—and thus neatly dodges all of the objections to DFS that it is a form of gambling.

Paddy Power Betfair now offers a branded retail television channel throughout the UK via a 5-year deal with Sports Information Services Limited. Paddy Power TV is the first to utilize SIS Limited's Complex Automated Production innovation, which streamlines the production process, offers more content variety and helps operators broaden their audience.

Thirty slots by UK-based gaming studio Blueprint Gaming, part of the Gauselmann Group, now are available over bwin, Sportingbet and other GVC brands. The launch will kick start the Jackpot King progressive product with Top Cat, Slots O’ Gold, Super Spinner Bar X and Worms Reloaded.

Yahoo Japan Corp. has launched a new web-based gaming platform called Game Plus. The platform offers streamed games without the need to download software or apps.

Playtech has partnered with MGM Interactive to launch an omni-channel slots game based on the “Robocop” films.

The Slovakia Finance Ministry has issued a blacklist of unlicensed online gambling sites and said it will move to block the sites in the country. They include operators William Hill, bet365, 888Holdings, Bwin, Bet-at-Home and 1xbet.

Play’n Go is set to launch the online mobile slot game Moon Princess, based on the famous Sailor Moon anime series, for smartphones, tablets, PCs and laptops.

BMM Testlabs tested the online gambling platform for Wplay.co in Colombia, after being selected as the test lab of choice by the operator’s parent company.

Genting is upping the stakes in a U.S.-facing strategy that keeps getting bigger and more elaborate. Just nine months ahead of the debut of its much-anticipated Catskills casino, the company has launched construction of a 400-room hotel at its mega-racino, Resorts World New York City (l.), in Queens.

Voters In Charge submitted more than 100,000 valid signatures on petitions to place on the November 18 ballot a constitutional amendment restricting gambling expansion. The Disney Corporation contributed $650,000 of the $688,000 the group has raised since fundraising began in March, giving $400,000 in June and $250,000 in April.

Although nonprofits in North Carolina currently hold fundraiser casino nights, a bill that would have officially allowed them was vetoed by Governor Roy Cooper (l.), who said he feared "unintended problems" like video poker expansion. The legislation would have allowed nonprofits to hold casino nights four times a year where alcohol lawfully is served.

A Piggly Wiggly grocery in Antioch, Illinois became one of the state's first with to offer video gambling machines. Owner David Karczewski said the machines allow him to compete with large grocery store chains. Illinois Gaming Board records indicate two other full-service grocery stores downstate have video gambling licenses.

Connecticut Governor Danell Malloy (l.) has signed a bill into law that authorizes legal sports betting, pending the outcome of the state of New Jersey’s appeal in the U.S. Supreme Court. And a law passed in March in Mississippi made no mention of sports betting, but simply established consumer protections and regulations regarding fantasy sports betting.

The release of tribal gaming’s record 2016 revenues has prompted one Las Vegas expert to see a glass that’s more than half full for the casino mecca. Not so in Reno (l.). There it’s been “a different story,” he says.

Developers competing for a Cedar Rapids, Iowa casino license made proposals to the Iowa Racing & Gaming Commission. They include the $40 million Wild Rose Cedar Rapids, and the $105 million Cedar Crossing Central (l.) and $165 million Cedar Crossing on the River, both proposed by the Cedar Rapids Development Group-Peninsula Pacific Partnership.

The Delaware Video Lottery Advisory Council held its first meeting, without revealing any recommendations it will make to state lawmakers this year on behalf of the gaming industry.

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board has scheduled a hearing for July 31 to hear additional evidence on the ownership of the partnership that won the second Philadelphia casino license.

Maine’s Ethics Commission has demanded financial documents from several entities that are listed as donors towards a campaign to persuade voters to authorize a casino in York County. It is investigating sources of the Horseracing Jobs Fairness campaign which seeks to put a measure on the November ballot.

Construction of MGM Springfield (l.) in Massachusetts is on time and on budget, but the housing that was supposed to accompany the $950 million casino is lagging behind. A candidate for city council wants to know why.

Casino gambling was legalized in Michigan on July 17, 1997, and the first Detroit casino, MGM Grand Detroit opened two years later, followed by MotorCity Casino and Greektown Casino Hotel. The three operations have generated more than $4.5 billion in tax, with $1.9 billion dedicated to education.

The Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission fined Rhythm City Casino in Davenport and Riverside Casino in Riverside for self-ban violations. Rhythm City will pay $3,000 for allowing a self-banned person to sign up for a players club account. Riverside will pay $25,000 for the same violation, since it's the second time this has happened.

The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, which seeks to build the $1 billion First Light Resort & Casino in Taunton, Massachusetts, is looking for a way out of the casino’s legal limbo. Some hope relief will come from a “fix” of the Carcieri v. Salazar decision that has frozen the tribe’s hopes.

After its gaming compact expired, the Pueblo of Pojoaque kept operating casinos, including Buffalo Thunder (l.) near Santa Fe, but New Mexico threatened vendors with enforcement actions. The pueblo sued, lost, appealed and lost again when judges ruled the state acted within its authority. The pueblo claims federal law prohibits states from taking action leading to closing gambling on tribal land.

A state audit found that New York’s Turning Stone Casino (l.) allowed welfare recipients to withdraw cash with their benefit cards, a possible violation of federal and state law. The Oneida Tribe says the audit was a violation of its sovereignty.

Pechanga Resort & Casino is several months away from completing its $285 million expansion and upgrade, that will include a new luxury hotel with 568 rooms, ballroom, a luxury spa, pool and two more restaurants, bringing the dining options to 13.

The proposed Ho-Chunk Nation casino in Beloit, Wisconsin received a boost after Bureau of Indian Affairs personnel told city and state officials the process is moving forward. An environmental impact study has been completed, and the BIA could make a determination within two years. Governor Scott Walker will make the final decision.

A bill to create a tribal homeland for the Lytton Band of Pomo Indians in northern California has passed the House and awaits action in the Senate. The tribe has bought 500 acres with casino money from its San Pablo Casino (l.), and wants to put the land into trust for a reservation, but not a casino.

California’s Wilton Rancheria is one step closer to getting authorization to build a $400 million casino at unfinished Elk Grove mall near Sacramento. However, it is a road that could take seven years to complete, according to tribal Chairman Raymond Hitchcock.

With all legal contests behind it, Arizona’s Tohono O’odham Nation has announced plans to begin work on its now Class III $400 million casino near Glendale. The tribe has been dreaming of building this casino for more than a decade.

The Broken Arrow, Oklahoma city council recently discussed a draft resolution opposing gambling at the Red Creek site, where a restaurant is scheduled to open amid casino rumors. The Kialegee Tribal Town has offered to provide gaming oversight but most likely does not have jurisdiction at the location.

Construction of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians' $400 million, 175,000 square foot Four Winds Casino in South Bend, Indiana recently reached the halfway point. The facility will feature a casino with 1,800 slots, a 500-room hotel, dining options, bars and retail. It created 300 construction jobs and will require 1,200 permanent jobs.

In a unanimous vote, the Milwaukee Plan Commission approved the Forest County Potawatomi's request for an $800 million, 19-story, 119-room second hotel tower at the Potawatomi Hotel & Casino. The addition, which also will offer a spa and meeting space, will open in spring 2019 and create 50 new permanent jobs.

The movement towards using online technology in state lotteries claimed another state last week: New Hampshire. The Granite State is now the fifth state to sign on to an online lottery. Several other states are waiting in the wings.

In 22 of the 44 states that offer lotteries, revenue declined between 2014 and 2015, and 21 states lost revenue in 2013 to 2014. Experts blame jackpot fatigue, caused by declining interest until jackpots grow dramatically large. Other reasons include millennials' lack of interest and competition from other forms of gambling.

Scientific Games has signed a new six-year contract with the Colorado Lottery to provide instant games along with planning, research and sales support.

IGT will provide system hardware and software, including 1,000 full-function Altura Flex lottery terminals, under a new three-year contract extension with the New York Lottery.

Jamaican Lavrick Willocks will plead guilty to one count of conspiracy for bilking at least 90 mostly elderly Americans out of more than $5.7 million. Federal prosecutors will dismiss 65 other counts against Willocks who had faced up to 40 years in prison. Fourteen other people have been charged in the scam.

Mark Juliano has resigned his position as president of Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem, with no public reason stated, as disclosed in a memo sent within Las Vegas Sands Corp.

Rick Mazer, Atlantic City regional president of Harrah’s since 2013, has left Caesars Entertainment, the company announced. Kevin Ortzman was named regional president in the Atlantic City region, which oversees Bally’s, Caesars and Harrah’s Resort.

Patricia Dawn has been promoted from payroll and scheduling manager to director of payroll, scheduling and human resources information systems at Live! Casino & Hotel in Hanover, Maryland. Dawn joined Live! in 2015 from Belterra Park Gaming and Entertainment Center in Cincinnati, Ohio where she payroll/scheduling coordinator.

Sports Information Services Limited recently hired Dominic Matthews as chief operating officer. Matthews worked at Ladbrokes for 26 years, most recently as commercial projects director and retail operations director. In his new role Matthews will oversee SIS' strategic plan and daily operations.

Lifescapes International created the landscape environment for the new Paradise City gaming and resort complex in Incheon, South Korea.

AGS officially launched its new Orion slot cabinet, which has already surpassed initial performance and sales expectations with initial installations.

Konami’s Synkros casino management system is now live at Lac Courte Oeilles Casino Lodge and Convention Center and sister property Grindstone Creek in Wisconsin.

GameCo, Inc. has signed a license agreement with Bandai Namco Entertainment to create a skill-based slot machine using the popular fighting game Soulcalibur II.

The Tulalip Resort Casino in Washington state will serve as sponsor for Ainsworth Game Technology in testing on the state’s central-determination gaming system.

Galaxy Gaming Chairman Robert Saucier (l.) withdrew his bid for a new Nevada license and referred the application back to the Nevada Gaming Control Board as he resolves a former licensing issue.

Spanish casino operator Cirsa has acquired Novomatic Group subsidiary Admiral Peru, assuming ownership of 17 Admiral slot operations in the country.

The World Series of Poker has set a new record with 121,000 entrants, an increase of 13,000 players over 2016. The prize pool for all 74 events topped $231 million.

Interactive gaming tables by Gamblit Gaming recently were installed at Downstream Casino Resort, owned and operated by the Quapaw Tribe of Oklahoma. Gamblit games are distributed in Oklahoma under an exclusive arrangement with Integrity Gaming of Norman.

FireKeepers Casino Hotel in Battle Creek, Michigan was named a 2017 Corporate Community Leader by Governor Rick Snyder and the Michigan Community Service Commission. Since opening in 2009, FireKeepers team members have provided 100,000 pounds of food to the needy and raised more than $60,000 for the Boys and Girls Club.

GSA Europe held an open house in Malta last week attended by 30 representatives of Europe’s gaming industry. GSA Europe, a division of Gaming Standards Association, seeks to serve the needs of suppliers, manufactures and online and physical casinos.

Clarion’s Sports Betting USA conference, slated for November 14-15 in New York, will take place as the U.S. Supreme Court considers New Jersey’s challenge to the federal ban on sports betting.

IGT will highlight its library of Class II game content at the OIGA Conference and Trade Show, to be hale in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, July 24-26.

TransAct Technologies will demonstrate a full suite of gaming technology and printing solutions at the Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association Conference and Trade Show.

Small Nuggets of News

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