Caesars Entertainment is acquiring Centaur Gaming and its Indianapolis-area racetracks, Hoosier Park and Indiana Grand (above), for $1.7 billion. The deal adds 4,000 slots and e-table positions to the two casinos Caesars already owns in Indiana and a lucrative new feeder market for its core Las Vegas resorts.
The American Gaming Association previews the U.S. Supreme Court case challenging the federal ban on sports betting, as suppliers, operators and states jockey for position in anticipation of legal sports betting. Sara Slane (l.), a senior VP with the AGA, said PASPA is a “failed law” that needs to be replace. Meanwhile, sports-betting purveyor William Hill is trying to block the Scientific Games/NYX deal. At the same time, the NBA is actively working to write legislation approving sports betting.
Alan Dunch, the chairman of the Bermuda Casino Gaming Commission, resigned last week in the face of a bill that would upend the entire regulatory process in the island nation. Dunch has asked the minister in charge to now withdraw the bill.
Officials in Macau are taking a closer look at lending practices of the city’s 126 junket operators, continuing with a general audit that started earlier this year. Officials have promised to “review and strengthen” the rules. Macau Chief Executive Fernando Chui Sai On (l.) says “government will review and strengthen the gaming rules.”
FinCEN last week issued $8 million penalty on California Card Club for willful violation of anti-money laundering controls. The agency claimed that Artichoke Joe’s Casino turned a blind eye to loan sharking, suspicious high-value chip transfers, and flagrant criminal activity for years.
With expectations mounting that the U.S. Supreme Court will overturn a federal ban on sports wagering the New York legislature will have at least one legalization bill to consider in its next session. Lawmakers, meanwhile, are huddling to come up with ways to bypass a constitutional amendment. This comes with a backdrop of disappointing revenue results at the three new casinos, including Rivers Casino (l.) in Schenectady where the GM resigned last week.
The publication Games Magazine Brazil last week conducted an interview with Federal Deputy Herculano Passos (l.), a major figure in the effort to legalize gaming in Brazil. Passos told the magazine they have the necessary votes in both houses of the legislature to pass the measure.
This week, the GGB Podcast features an interview with Lou DeGregorio, the founder and president of Shark Trap Gaming & Security Systems, about his new shufflers which he promises will revolutionize table games.
Hard Rock International is covering all the bases in its bid to win a Japan casino license. At a recent alt-rock concert in Yokohama, the U.S.-based gaming operator unveiled a new logo for its Japanese IR. Hard Rock Asia CEO Edward Tracy (l.) says “Entertainment is our DNA.”
Ambrose So, chairman of the board of Macau casino concessionaire SJM Holdings Ltd. says the company will not add more satellite casinos to its operations after its Grand Lisboa Palace (l.) opens in the city’s Cotai district.
The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. will auction off two parcels of land occupied by Solaire Resort and Casino in Manila’s Entertainment City. Solaire parent Bloomberry Resorts has the right to match any bids.
On November 8, the Philippines’ Securities and Exchange Commission filed a criminal complaint with the country’s Department of Justice against Calata Corp. and several executives for alleged market manipulation.
The presumed new owner of the Landmark Macau hotel (l.) will also acquire the casino operation there. The Pharaoh’s Palace gaming hall saw its revenue drop 22.6 percent in the first half of 2017.
Hong Kong-listed Landing International Development, promoter of Jeju Shinhwa World (l.) in South Korea, says the resort’s casino will open before the end of 2017, but after its previously planned debut of December 8.
Genting Hong Kong Ltd. has announced it plans to delist from the Singapore Exchange effective next April 17. The company says the move will free the operator to “focus on its core business,” including cruise ships.
Vietnamese nationals will be permitted to gamble in several of the country’s casinos starting December 1. But speculation continues about which of the country’s casinos will open their doors to locals.
The government of Macau will conduct a 45-day public review of a proposed minimum wage law that would apply to all workers in the city. Four public hearings on the subject will be held through December 27.
The UK Gambling Commission has announced a five-point strategy to make the country’s gambling industry fairer and safer. The three-year strategy is to improve regulation of the industry uphold industry standards. Players will see more information about safe gambling from operators and a better intervention process for problem gambling.
The Greek government is moving to overhaul its taxation system as it applies to casinos, to make rates more attractive to investors, and to bring casinos to two Greek islands, Crete and Mykonos.
While the government of Trinidad and Tobago considers the Gaming and Betting Control Bill 2017, it passed the Provisional Collection of Taxes Order 2017. The legislation temporarily doubles gambling taxes and regulates the nation's gambling industry in order to prevent money laundering and foreign exchange outflows. Finance Minister Colm Imbert (l.) warned it could become permanent without opposition support.
The horseracing industry in Ontario is apprehensive because Gateway Casinos & Entertainment is threatening to move its casino from London unless it gets concessions on lease and its expansion goals. The horsemen worry about losing the subsidy that casino gaming provides their industry.
In a report on third-quarter financials, Spanish gambling firm Grupo Cordere noted its corporate recovery is continuing. It raised its Mexican gambling market profile in acquiring joint-venture casino operator Grupo Codere SA for $29.5 million, and launched new ad campaigns for its digital services in Spain.
Ontario’s Casino Niagara has reopened its second level after spending a total of $7 million, including a $3.5 million renovation and $3.5 million in new slots and gaming technology. The casino held a ribbon cutting last week.
Online gaming revenue in New Jersey again topped $20 million in October allowing the city’s casinos to report a 1.7 percent increase in revenue over October 2016. Straight land-based revenue, however, fell by 0.3 percent. The casinos took in $206.3 million in October, up from $203 million in October 2016, with Borgata (l.) the clear market leader.
A bill allowing online casino games and daily fantasy sports contests failed to pass out of the Illinois House Rules Committee before the legislative session ended. The measure, which earlier passed the Senate, will be taken up where it left off in committee when the 2018 session starts in January.
Offshore gambling companies have been leasing office space in the Philippines at a high rate this year, according to a recent report. The Philippine Amusement and Games Corporation has issued 42 Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators licenses since late last year.
A recent ruling by a Belgian Court could result in even stricter licensing rules in the country. The court ruled that the Belgium Gaming Commission had no authority to issue a single gambling license to online operators that offer more than one type of gambling product on a single website. Licensed online operators could be forced to reapply for separate licenses for each online product.
DraftKings announced it will begin offering live sports streaming through its newly-formed partnership with EuroLeague Basketball. Customers will be able to stream selected Turkish Airlines EuroLeague basketball games directly through their DraftKings mobile app, as well as accessing fantasy contests and live content.
Ladbrokes Coral released a third quarter trading update showing that online gains are helping to cover declines in its retail operations. The bookmaker reported a 3 percent increase in net revenues driven largely by a 12 percent increase in online revenue.
Football DataCo, the official data rights holder of all the professional football leagues in England and Scotland, has announced an integrity agreement with Genius Sports and Perform Group. The agreement will cover all professional league and cup competitions in England and Scotland and benefit from two bet monitoring systems identifying unusual or potentially suspicious patterns occurring in global betting markets.
The Stars Group, parent company of PokerStars, reported strong third quarter net revenues and EBITDA from its online casino and sportsbook segments. The company also said it is eyeing online gaming opportunities in the U.S., including Pennsylvania which just legalized online gaming.
Sky Betting and Gaming has launched its German sports betting platform Sky Bet Deutschland. The site offers consumers betting options on over 45 sports, with 2,000 bet types also available spread across 20,000 live events per month.
Swedish gaming operator Svenska Spel has added a new betting pool game to is products, giving players a chance at big winnings on smaller bets. The game joins eight other betting pool games available at the site.
Playtech BGT Sports has signed a new deal to install additional self-service betting terminals across Betfred’s 1,700 sites. The company will supply state-of-the-art widescreen machines at Betfred’s highest performing shops. Also, Spain's Casino Barcelona has launched a new online gaming platform featuring exclusive Playtech casino products.
Denise Coates (l.), co-founder and chief executive officer of gambling firm Bet365, was paid a record $261.1. million last year according to a report in UK media. Bet365 reported a $689 million profit for the 2016/17 financial year.
Macau-based Laxino Systems Ltd has launched cloud-based gaming platform which it hopes will start a new wave of creative content in gaming. Laxino is opening the platform to independent third-party content developers to design games.
The Wynn Boston Harbor near Boston and the MGM Springfield (l.) are both rising rapidly from their building sites. The Wynn is due to open in 2019 and the MGM will open less than a year from now.
For the second time in three years, the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission rejected a Cedar Rapids casino. In a 3-2 vote, commissioners claimed, as they did in a 4-1 vote in 2014, a new casino would cannibalize existing properties. Cedar Rapids Development (Cedar Crossing, l.) proposed two casinos and Wild Rose Entertainment proposed another.
Pennsylvania’s approval of satellite “mini-casinos” is surrounded by questions and potential lawsuits after a clause in the law emerges that was designed for one casino. The clause benefits Mount Airy casino (l.) and has many experts scratching their heads.
The American Gaming Association has made common cause with other business-oriented associations to oppose removing full interest deductibility in the tax reform legislation being considered in Congress. The AGA just joined the Businesses United for Interest and Loan Deductibility Coalition.
Construction of the Las Vegas Raiders’ 65,000-seat domed stadium is formally under way. Only the question now is whether Congress will ban the tax-exempt public financing that is covering nearly 40 percent of the project’s $1.9 billion price tag.
MGM Resorts International has launched the GameSense campaign to promote responsible gambling in the company’s 10 Las Vegas properties, as well as its casinos in other states.
In a poll of 494 randomly selected Georgia residents, conducted by Georgia College and State University, 58.2 percent said they supported casino gambling, up from 51.3 percent last year. Supporters said two casinos, in Atlanta and another location, could generate $600 million in revenue and help support the HOPE scholarship program.
Florida state Senator Travis Hutson (l.) proposed legislation that would define daily fantasy sports contests as player rather than team based; allow decoupling; lower slot taxes; and permit designated player games at card rooms. Hutson said his bill was "more narrow in scope than in the past but no less thorough in detail."
Business is down at the Strip hotel where a gunman staged the worst mass shooting in U.S. history and owner MGM Resorts is cutting jobs in response. Insurers, meanwhile, have begun to tally the cost of the tragedy, and it’s expected to easily top $1 billion.
The resort giant is joining forces with Madison Square Garden Company to bring another large-scale events center to the Las Vegas Strip. Preliminary plans call for a mixed-use facility of more than 500,000 square feet with a residential component.
The Seminole Tribe of Florida gave $1 million and Disney Worldwide Services gave $550,000 in October to Voters In Charge. The political committee is gathering petition signatures to place on the November 2018 ballot a constitutional amendment giving voters, not lawmakers, "the exclusive right" to authorize casino gambling.
The casino industry in Tunica County, Mississippi once employed 14,000 people. Today it's 7,800. Casino parking lots are far from full, Harrah's Casino resort is barricaded and the former Bally's Hotel has been demolished. Tunica Convention and Visitors Bureau President Webster Franklin said increased competition, the economy and Mississippi River flooding are to blame.
Atlantic City voters have elected a new Mayor after four tough years for outgoing Mayor Don Guardian. Frank Gilliam Jr. (l.) will now head a resort with several new development projects underway, but still facing severe financial problems. The state also controls the city’s finances.
The Las Vegas resort is the fourth in the Station Casinos portfolio to vote to unionize. As it stands, more than 900 workers at the property are slated to join local affiliates of UNITE HERE. But Station management has indicated it may contest the election.
Though New York-based Keating & Associates LLC, which is seeking to buy the closed Revel Atlantic City casino, does not appear to be the frontrunner for the property, it has signed a contract to buy a one-acre development site adjacent to the Revel site. The company indicated they are planning a retail and restaurant complex at the site.
Communities in the Granite State new have the option of allowing bars and taverns to deploy Keno machines. The resultant profits would be used to fund full-day kindergarten. Towns like Derry are considering elections in March to authorize the games.
Outgoing New Jersey Governor Chris Christies has appointed a new head to the state’s Casino Control Commission, leading to charges that the current head, Matthew Levinson (left, being sworn in, in 2012), has been ousted for political reasons. Levenson is the son of Atlantic County Executive Dennis Levinson and the county is currently suing the state over its payment in lieu of taxes scheme for Atlantic City casinos.
Wishing to remain anonymous, a Las Vegas entertainment company that's remodeling several hotels is in the process of donating about 10,000 pieces of furniture to victims of Hurricane Harvey in Texas. The company also donated the 18-wheelers delivering the furniture. New Hope Church in Las Vegas is organizing the project.
No action by the Interior Department on approval for the third Connecticut casino to be built jointly by the Mohegan and Mashantucket Pequot tribes has attracted the attention of the state’s two U.S. senators, Richard Blumenthal (l.) and Chris Murphy. The two are lobbying the department to give the project its approval.
Questioning if federal courts have jurisdiction, a federal judge did not issue a ruling in the Texas state attorney general's office's case against electronic games at the Tiguas' Speaking Rock Entertainment Center in El Paso. The tribe said its "games of chance" are legal but the state alleges they violate the Federal Restoration Act.
The Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians voted 1,449 to 654 against a fourth casino, the Red Water. Chief Phyliss J. Anderson had said the casino would generate $50 million in annual revenue and create 250 jobs. Opponents said it would cannibalize $18 million from the tribe's two properties in Choctaw
As the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe of Massachusetts waits while the Bureau of Indian Affairs tries to find a legal way to put its 151 acres in Taunton into trust and build its First Light casino resort (l.)—it’s huge debt with the Genting Group is growing ever larger. Tribal members are starting to rumble with dissatisfaction with the tribal government.
The Ponca Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma will build a 12,000 square foot casino near Enid. Previously the tribe operated two casinos in Ponca City that now are closed. The facility will offer more than 250 gaming machines, a restaurant and smoke shop, and will create 50 full-time and 250 construction jobs.
Groups are coalescing in Northern California to oppose the Redding Rancheria’s plans to move its existing Win-River Casino. Leading the charge is a group called Speak Up! Shasta, which has also opposed malls and a shopping center over the years.
A House bill that would put land into trust for an Alabama tribe has moved from committee to the full House. The U.S. Supreme Court is considering the legality of a similar bill that protected trust land in Michigan.
A Northern California town is appealing to its two U.S. Senators to try to stop a bill in Congress from putting land into trust for the Lytton Band of Pomo Indians. The tribe, which operates a casino in San Pablo, have used casino profits to buy land they want to use for tribal housing and a winery.
Smoking still is allowed on the gaming floor at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida, but certain areas recently were designated non-smoking. These include several walkways, elevator banks, restrooms and the Beach Club Café. Now visitors can avoid smoke as they walk around the casino floor perimeter.
During their height, protests against the Dakota Access pipeline gained worldwide attention. They also badly damaged the income of the Prairie Knights Casino (l.), owned by the Standing Rock tribe. Only now is it recovering completely from the blow.
Harrah's Cherokee Casino, owned by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in Cherokee, North Carolina, recently celebrated its 20th year in business. In that time, about 61 million people have visited the facility, which employs 2,500 people. Gaming profits provide $12,000 annually for tribal members.
A panel of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority recently ordered Gopi Krishna Vungarala to repay the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe $9.6 million that he received "through false and misleading statements," leading the tribe "to believe that he did not receive commissions on the tribe's transactions and that he had no conflict of interest," the panel stated.
The chief operating officer of the Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort Hotel in Worley, Idaho was arrested last week for his part in the beating of a man that he had an argument with earlier. Francis Andrew SiJohn was arrested and booked on misdemeanor battery charges.
Lottoland cannot accept bets on the outcome of Australian lotteries according to a decision by Northern Territory Attorney-General Natasha Fyles. The ruling was in response to concerns Lottoland’s “synthetic business practice” had “undercut” Territory businesses and newsagents, local media reported. Lottoland officials have said they are willing to work with authorities in addressing concerns.
A Colorado Springs woman who won a $1 million Powerball jackpot in 2007 recently hit a $805,330 payout on a Wheel of Fortune progressive slot machine at Wildwood Casino in Cripple Creek, the largest jackpot in the casino's history. "I guess I'm just a lucky person," the winner said.
The first drawing in the Multi-State Lottery Association's newest game, Lotto America, was held Wednesday, November 15 with a jackpot of $15 million. Thirteen states offer Lotto America, the original name of Powerball. The new game replaces Hot Lotto and uses real lottery balls in its Wednesday and Saturday night drawings.
The deputy assistant secretary for policy and economic development for the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Gavin Clarkson, has resigned. He was taken down by an Inspector General’s report on a tribal loan program he ran over which is being sued.
Golden Entertainment recently named Al Salinas corporate vice president of security. Previously he served 29 years in the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, becoming the first Hispanic to hold the rank of deputy chief. Salinas will oversee the operational and strategic direction, administration and coordination of Golden's security and surveillance departments.
Marzia Turrini, formerly senior vice president, operations Europe and South America, has been named senior vice president, business development Europe and South America at BMM Testlabs. A 15-year gaming industry veteran, Turrini will oversee regional business development teams and steer continued growth through market share gains and new regulated jurisdictions.
IGT has launched its award-winning Sphinx 4D video slot at Seminole Hard Rock Tampa, marking the first appearance of mid-air haptic and gesture technology
Everi Holdings announced plans for a private offering of $375 million in senior unsecured notes due 2025, part of an effort to lower cash interest costs, extend debt maturities and lower its cost of capital.
The Global Gaming Women organization is now accepting nominations for the 2018 Great Women of Gaming Awards recognizing achievements by women in gaming.
Reed Exhibitions and the American Gaming Association report that more than 90 percent of the exhibit floor space for the 2018 edition of G2E Asia has been sold.
ICE Totally Gaming 2018 will be the largest edition of the trade show on record, after organizers have expanded the exhibit floor to a total 43,500 square meters.
