The first formal hearing by members of Congress into the nationwide spread of legal sports wagering didn’t bode especially well for proponents of the idea that regulatory primacy belongs to the states. While the comments of members of the committee were not favorable to the states rights arguments put forward by sports betting proponents, it’s a stretch to think that any federal oversight is imminent.
The chairman of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission Stephen Crosby (l.), submitted his resignation last week just days before the agency began a review of the allegations made against Steve Wynn and his former company, Wynn Resorts. Crosby says each side in the dispute accused him of bias, so the only reasonable course of action was to step down. He said the action “saddened” and frustrated him.
A memo was sent out last week by the California Bureau of Gambling Control warning state card rooms that self-banked card games like blackjack and baccarat will be under increase scrutiny to ensure that regulations are followed. Assemblyman Rob Bonta (l.) requested a state audit to determine that licenses, renewals and approvals are issued on a fair, cost-effective and timely basis.
In Japan, global gaming operators continue to pull out all the stops for local governments that may want to partner on integrated resort projects. A dozen big names have approached Yokohama with RFIs, but it’s still unclear whether Mayor Fumiko Hayashi (l.) supports IRs or not.
In Washington, D.C., Councilman Jack Evans (l.) introduced the Sports Wagering Lottery Amendment Act of 2018 on September 25. The bill would legalize and regulate sports gambling in the District. Evans said sports wagering revenue would go early childhood education programs and the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford (l.) has long had a dream to build a casino on the Toronto waterfront. Now it is possible that he is resurrecting that dream, although the current mayor of Toronto says he’s not interested.
The Innovation Incubator at G2E announced last week the student and startup finalists to pitch to the business moguls judges. The. celebrity judges include stars of ABC’s “Shark Tank” Kevin O’Leary (l.) and Daymond John, and Sprout CEO Cindy Eckert. G2E begins on October 8 and runs through the 11th.
Danny Gladstone (l.) will step down as CEO of Ainsworth Game Technology as of June 30, but will remain with the company in a yet-to-be-announced role. In a recent interview Gladstone has shed some light on the future role of majority owner, the Novomatic Group, which purchased founder Len Ainsworth’s stake in the company last year.
Investing in casino companies can be a risky business, particularly in an era of rising interest rates and attractive bond acquisitions. Casinos are capital intensive and difficult businesses. But can REITs be a safe haven for investors since they guarantee a dividend even without soaring stock prices?
This week, the GGB Podcast visits with John English, a partner with Global Market Advisors and an expert on sports betting to discuss a panel he’s moderating at the October 25 episode of the UNLV Gaming & Hospitality Education Series.
A plan by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. to sell an estimated 17 of its 46 casino properties is on indefinite hold, according to PAGCOR Chairwoman and CEO Andrea Domingo (l.).
Japanese billionaire Kazuo Okada (l.), founder of Universal Entertainment, wants the Philippine Stock Exchange to investigate the proposed takeover of Asiabest Group by his former company, Tiger Resort Asia Ltd.
Imperial Pacific International has been approved to assume operations of the Mariana Resort & Spa (l.) on the island of Saipan. Kan Pacific recently announced its role as operator would end on September 30.
Genting Cruise Lines has announced that it will base one of its casino ships, the SuperStar Gemini (l.), in Malaysia starting this November. The cruiser will operate out of Port Klang, Penang and Langkawi.
Macau’s gaming halls may finally be moving to establish legally sanctioned smoking lounges. Health Bureau officials last week expected hundreds of last-minute applications ahead of the September 28 deadline.
Galaxy Macau has opened a new direct premium gaming club at the Ritz-Carlton. The MOP300 million (US$37.2 million) club, which took three years to build, offers 18 table games on the main floor and in salons.
The Landmark Macau casino resort is now operating under its new name, the New Orient Landmark Hotel. The rebranding followed the sale of the property by casino services firm Macau Legend Development Ltd.
Hong Kong-listed casino developer Melco International Development Ltd. has announced that it will open three satellite casinos in Cyprus this year. The satellites will be based in Nicosia, Larnaca and Paphos.
The three casinos on Tenerife, the largest of Spain’s Canary Islands,, including the Casino de Tenerife (l.), will be sold and privatized under a new public tender. The trio of gaming halls will be sold for a total of €24.9 million (US$29 million).
The government of Galicia in Spain has approved a casino in the port city of Vigo. The casino, to be based in a local shopping center, will “provide a boost for economic activity in the city,” according to a statement.
Star Entertainment Group of Australia is facing criticism for a planned 78-story hotel tower (l.) in Sydney. Residents say the AU$500 million (US$362 million) project will block views, create glare and dwarf other buildings.
London, Ontario has approved a zoning change that would allow the casino, entertainment complex that Gateway Casinos proposes for the Western Fair District. The $140 million project (l.) would include a casino, hotel and entertainment complex on 47 acres. And Gateway plans to spend about $18 million to renovate its Hanover casino in Ontario. It will be rebranded as Playtime Casino Hanover.
The Starlight Casino in Edmonton, Canada will hold a grand reopening for its $57 million renovation. The upgrade included a larger casino and a total of 768 slots and 40 table games.
Penn National Gaming and Greenwood Racing will receive sports betting licenses from the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board this week. Harrah's Philadelphia (l.) will submit its application. Each will pay a $10 million license fee, then pay a 36 percent tax on gross winnings. New Jersey's tax rate is 8.5 percent, West Virginia's 10 percent and Nevada's 6.75 percent.
In Iowa, Republican Governor Kim Reynolds (l.), campaigning for re-election, said she'd wait to see a sports betting measure passed by both the state House and Senate before taking a position on it. Her Democratic challenger Fred Hubbell's spokesperson said he wants Iowa legislators to review how other states' actions and consider Iowans' opinions.
For the first full month of sports betting, Mississippi took in $7.7 million in handle with taxable revenue of $644,489. Few sportsbooks were open that entire period. But Mississippi Gaming Commission officials projected the September sports betting total could be $25 million-$30 million, with casinos winning 6 percent-7 percent of wagers.
FanDuel Group has issued a warning via email to its partners and affiliates against promoting unlicensed offshore gambling sites. FanDuel’s sportsbook operations said that it considers such sites as illegal operations and could move to terminate partnerships with affiliates that promote the sites. The move comes as offshore sites seem to be increasing their promotions in the U.S.
American Gaming Association Senior Vice President Sara Slane (l.) says her organization is considering the creation of an integrity-monitoring association that would share betting information to identify suspicious wagering activity.
IGT Global Solutions Corporation and William Hill US have formed a multi-year partnership to provide a full-service solution for sports betting to U.S. lotteries.
Among 13 constitutional amendments on the Florida ballot November 6 is Amendment 3, titled Voter Approval of Casino Gambling. It would give Florida voters "the exclusive right to decide whether to authorize casino gambling." Florida lawmakers for years have failed to pass comprehensive gambling measures. Seminole Gaming Chief Executive Officer Jim Allen (l., with Seminole Chairman Max Osceola) says tribal contributions then would change for his group that has the exclusive right to gambling in Florida.
The Colorado Division of Gaming recently became the 13th regulatory agency to approve Penn National Gaming's purchase of Pinnacle Entertainment for $2.8 billion. When the deal closes by year-end, Penn National will acquire Pinnacle's 12 casinos to become the largest regional gaming operator in the U.S. with 41 properties in 20 jurisdictions. Pinnacle owns the Ameristar casino (l.) in Black Hawk.
With this week’s closure of the hotel, Lucky Dragon (l.), the town’s first Asian-themed resort, and the first built from the ground up since the recession, goes completely dark. Creditors will now take a second shot at a foreclosure sale.
Hard Rock Hotel Las Vegas (l.) is slated to become the Virgin Hotel Las Vegas, and its new owners are looking for a new casino operator. In the meantime, Warner Hospitality, which has managed the casino for years, will be staying on.
More than 400 signatures were collected in four days from voters who support a horse racetrack in Jefferson County, Texas. Backers have until October 21 to gather enough signatures to place the issue on the May 19 ballot. Elias Hernandez and Kevin Johnson, both associated with Renaissance Hospitality, are behind the petition drive and admit that back a bill proposed by Rep. Joe Deshotel (l.) that would approve multiple casinos.
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board will hold a hearing on November 1 to gather public input on Penn National Gaming’s plan for a mini-casino in York County.
The Nevada Resort Association, the state’s gaming industry lobbyist, opposes the introduction of marijuana lounges in the city of Las Vegas. The councilman pushing an ordinance to allow them says the issue will be coming to a vote anyway.
A federal judge has overturned the state’s ban on political contributions from donors involved in the casino industry in a lawsuit brought by a Sands Bethlehem shareholder. Pasquale (Pat) Deon (l.), the chairman of the board of Philadelphia’s transit authority, SEPTA, initiated the lawsuit.
Weather conditions and road paving have delayed the opening of the ferry connecting the Rising Star Casino (l.) in Rising Star, Indiana and Rabbit Hash, Kentucky. The two docks are 2,000 feet apart, and it opened last week. The 10-car MS Lady Lucky will operate daily and charge $5 per one-way trip and $8 per round trip.
IP Casino (l.) in Biloxi, Mississippi recently debuted the new Bayview Café and 850 Wine & Spirits, following a $3 million renovation. The café offers dishes with Cajun, Asian, Italian, American and Southern influences. The lounge features a self-serve wine-tasting machine for customers who want to sample an ounce or glass of wine.
Joining the growing movement to phase out single-use plastic straw, Caesars Entertainment announced it will eliminate plastic straws and stirrers at all U.S. properties. Using only paper straws and other sustainable options will eliminate about 200 million plastic straws per year, officials said. MGM Resorts International announced a “Straw Reduction Initiative” in May.
Proponents of a casino proposal (l.) for the Brockton Fairgrounds in southeastern Massachusetts who were turned down by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission are asking for another bite at the apple. The MGC discussed their request at its meeting last week.
Southern California’s Morongo Casino, Resort & Spa has announced an expansion. The Riverside County casino will add 800 slots, a parking lot with 750 spaces and a new bar and lounge.
The Scottsdale, Arizona tribal casino Talking Stick Resort and Casino took six weeks of repairs to recover from a monsoon storm that knocked down the resorts electrical grid. It is just now reopening.
Congressman David Cicilline (l.) and two U.S. senators from Rhode Island are opposing a bill in Congress that would make it possible for the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe of neighboring Massachusetts to open a casino that would compete against the state’s two slot parlors. The tribe is on the verge of losing its reservation status.
The Catawba Indian Nation based in South Carolina applied in 2014 to the Bureau of Indian Affairs to take land into trust for a casino on ancestral lands in North Carolina. It's still waiting for a response. The $300 million-$600 million resort also would offer two hotels, dining, retail and entertainment and create 5,000 jobs.
Oral arguments began September 26 in the Comanche Nation's suit against the Secretary Ryan Zinke (l.) and the Interior Department. The Comanches claim the agency twisted the rules for the wealthier Chickasaws who are building the RiverStar Casino in Jefferson County, Oklahoma near the Comanche's Red River Casino. The Comanches fear the Chickasaw casino will cannibalize their operation.
Idaho’s gaming tribes have forged an alliance of tribes, unions, small business, church groups and ranchers to oppose Prop. 1. The proposition would allow the state’s racetracks to add historical racing machines.
Northern California’s Tule River Tribe just published the environmental impact statement for its proposal to build an off-reservation casino near Porterville Airport, 20 miles from its reservation. It wants to move the Eagle Mountain Casino to the new 40-acre site.
Two new polls show about two-thirds of Enid, Oklahoma residents support a United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee casino. The city commission recently held a study session about the possible $10 million, 20,000 square foot venue. Tribal officials said the casino would employ 157 and generate $27.3 million in annual gaming revenue.
The Northern California Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians have proposed a controversial casino near Vallejo, in the midst of the Golden State’s wine country. The tribe reportedly has partnered with a Las Vegas based company to build and manage the casino.
The permanent Desert Diamond Casino is starting to take shape just outside of Glendale, Arizona. The Tohono O'odham Nation celebrated the project’s “topping off” ceremony last week.
Alabama House Speaker Mac McCutcheon (l.) clarified remarks regarding introducing a lottery bill. He said, "no lottery bills have been drafted, pre-filed or even discussed" among lawmakers. The Poarch Band of Creek Indians said a lottery would not impact their three Alabama casinos. Alabama is one of five states without a lottery.
The Granite State Lottery recently unveiled eight instant online games. The “iLottery” games are “the critical next wave” for the lottery, says its director, Charlie McIntyre.
Scientific Games has become the first lottery sports betting supplier to support the Global Lottery Monitoring System through a new associate member program.
Reno-based Eldorado Resorts announced President and Chief Financial Officer Thomas Reeg was named chief executive officer and Chairman Gary Carano (l.) was named executive chairman. Also with the recent approval of the Nevada Gaming Commission, Eldorado needs only Missouri regulators' approval to finalize its $1.85 billion acquisition of Tropicana Entertainment.
Melissa Ashley (l.), who led the operations of G2E for Reed Exhibitions, has left the company and will be replaced in 2019 by Michael Mandl. The company has also named Debbie Evans president of RX US. She comes to the job from being president of RX South East Asia and Australia.
Ed Brennan, a 25-year veteran of the internet, software, hardware and financial services industries, was named president at CashBet, an i-gaming platform developer. Brennan served on CashBet's advisory board, will lead the company as it develops a new blockchain-powered platform. Brennan replaces Mike Reaves, who co-founded CashBet in 2012.
PlayAGS, Inc. has become the first gaming supplier to partner with the Vegas Golden Knights hockey team, sponsoring a new “Play of the Game feature at home games. AGS President CEO David Lopez (l.) says the two share unique core values, strong teams, and character-driven culture.
The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City, opened at the end of June, operates key casino management system products supplied by Scientific Games, which also is developing a Hard Rock lottery game. Cath Burns (l.), senior vice president of gaming systems at Scientific Games, says the systems and products will give Hard Rock a competitive advantage.
EquiLottery Games will debut its Win Place Show sports betting game in March in conjunction with the Kentucky Lottery. The game is based solely on chance with no skill aspects.
GameCo announced its lineup of products for release at the upcoming Global Gaming Expo, including an updated version of its “Nothin’ but Net” skill-based 3D basketball game.
Gaming Laboratories International President and CEO James Maida (l.) and a team of locally focused, global experts led by GLI EMEA Managing Director Martin Britton presented a complimentary half-day regulators seminar during the IAGR 2018 Conference.
