A groundbreaking deal between MGM Resorts and the NHL (MGM CEO Jim Murren and NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman at left) seemed to break the dam last week as Caesars, MGM, 888 and others worked out deals with the NHL, the NBA and the NFL. Since the repeal of PASPA, doors are opening for the sports and gaming worlds to finally embrace as full partners. It’s not just about marketing and promotion either. Some contain technology and data-sharing provisions that promise to change the face of sports betting.
Although the buzz around this week’s general election in the United States surrounds which party will take control of Congress, there are still a few gaming referendums that will have an impact on the industry. Arkansas, Florida and Idaho are among five states where gaming is on the ballot.
Mark Frissora will leave as CEO of Caesars Entertainment in February when his five-year contract expires. The contract would have automatically renewed had he or the company done nothing, but his departure is seen as a nod to unhappy shareholders.
Britain’s Finance Minister Philip Hammond (l.) announced expected increases in taxes on offshore online gambling companies planned to offset revenue losses from a coming cut to the maximum stake bets allowed on fixed odds betting terminals. Hammond told parliament that the increase will raise the tax rate from 15 percent to 21 percent. The new taxes and the reduction in FOBT stakes are now expected to go into effect in October 2019.
Delta Corp., India’s only listed casino operator, wants to develop an integrated resort in Goa, but only if the government moves the state’s offshore casinos ashore. Chairman Jaydev Mody (l.) says the facility would include a water park, retail and a convention center.
Brazilian President-elect and former military leader Jair Bolsonaro (l.) is not an avid proponent of gaming, but may be pragmatic and back it as an economic palliative. He’s expected to allow the Brazilian states to move forward on their own in lieu of federal control of gaming.
William Hill Plc is seeking to acquire Swedish-listed Mr Green & Co AB for about $308 million. The UK Bookmaker is seeking to expand its digital businesses and European operations ahead of Brexit. The acquisition would combine William Hill with MRG’s Mr Green and Redbet brands in an effort to lessen the bookmakers on UK operations as the country tightens its gambling regulations.
Three years after declaring that Russia’s Azov City casino zone would close with all three of its casinos (l.), the government has made good on that pledge. The zone will be free of casinos by the end of December, and a new casino will open in Sochi in 2019. Meanwhile, the Primorye zone near Vladivostok is expected to expand quickly as all six casino-approved parcels are expected to be leased by the end of the year.
Earnings season has brought a renewed interest in gaming stocks as companies have posted better earnings and investors react to perceived value. The rally is focused across all sectors of the gaming industry.
This week the GGB Podcast features an interview with Michael Tobin, the CEO of Continent 8 Technologies, a company that serves the gaming industry by storing the immense amount of data needed for iGaming, esports and sports betting.
The director of the Macau Economic Association has said that the city could face “heavier pressure” in the coming year due to trade tensions between the U.S. and China.
U.S. tribal gaming operator Foxwoods has stated its intention to vie for an integrated resort license in Japan. The company has set its sights on Tomakomai, Hokkaido where it hopes to develop a smaller, regional IR. The effort is being led by Mikio Tanji (l.) following the death of Foxwoods CEO Felix Rappaport last summer.
Gross income from gaming operations overseen by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. has risen 18.7 percent year-on-year for the first nine months of 2018, according to the state-run regulator.
Success Dragon International Holdings has announced it will change its English name to ezBlock Capital. The latest rebrand is part of Success Dragon’s plan to “rebuild its information technology services business.”
Phase III of Galaxy Macau will likely be delayed until mid-2020 due to delays in securing government approvals, says Union Gaming analyst Grant Govertsen. Construction on the addition has “largely maxed out.”
Belle Corp., the owner of City of Dreams Manila, has posted a 19 percent increase in recurring net income for the first nine months of 2019 due to growth in its gaming and real estate businesses.
A family office established by billionaire gaming titan Lawrence Ho is launching a MOP-denominated corporate bond worth MOP2 billion (US$250 million). The two-year bonds have a 3.1 percent coupon rate.
The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) is calling for the U.S. to pass the Taiwan Travel Act and to forge closer ties with the island nation. It passed a resolution last month calling for the U.S. to “take advantage of the opportunities afforded by this new policy and schedule visits between high-level U.S. officials and their Taiwanese counterparts.
Illegal gambling is flourishing in the Ukraine, and the big loser is the government, according to a report. The gambling halls reportedly are operating with impunity out of lottery offices. Ukraine banned casinos in 2009 (including the casino shown at left).
Heaving hitters in the gaming industry, such as gaming giant the Genting Group, are demanding that the tiny principality of Andorra give them a redo on the process by which it selected a local vendor to operate a operate a small boutique integrated resort. The government has given itself until November 27 to review the original decision.
This week the Las Vegas-based gaming giant is unveiling the first of four resorts in the Persian Gulf tourist hub. A pair of branded hotels and luxury residences will follow later in the month. A third hotel is scheduled to debut in December.
The government of Queensland has agreed to fork over $26 million in additional prize money over the next six months to avert a strike by the state’s thoroughbred racing industry.
After a 6-year absence, slot machines will return to Hiawatha Horse Park (l.), Kawartha Downs and Ajax Downs in Ontario, Canada. The previous Liberal government cancelled the Slots at Racetracks program but Premier Doug Ford's government reached an agreement to reestablish the program and provide extra funding for horseracing.
New York Supreme Court Justice Gerald Connolly (l.) has ruled that daily fantasy sports contests are a form of gambling and the state needs to adopt a constitutional change to allow the contests. However, it is not expected that the state will move to shutdown DFS sites as the case moves through appeals. The ruling came in a challenge to the state’s 2016 law that allowed the contests and classified DFS as a game of skill.
Gibraltar has reached a tentative agreement with Spain to protect its gambling industry in the face of concerns over how Brexit will affect the Overseas British Territory. The deal is part of Gibraltar’s plan to retain the majority of its gambling offices. About 14,000 people commute daily between Gibraltar and Spain.
Albania’s parliament has adopted legislation that ban online betting and prohibit other forms of gambling. The ban will begin January 1 and comes after a governmental move to combat gambling addiction, reduce the threat of match fixing in sports and to protect household finances.
Evolution Gaming will offer its dealer-assisted online table games in New Jersey from its Atlantic City studio through an agreement with PokerStars Casino NJ. The company also announced a totally scalable dealer-assisted live online table game called Infinite Blackjack. Todd Haushalter (l.), chief product officer, says the company finally “broke the code.”
Three former university football players did not lose their "right of publicity" when DraftKings and FanDuel used their player data, statistics and names, the Indiana Supreme Court recently ruled. The justices said that information "falls within the meaning of 'material that has newsworthy value.'" The American Gaming Association praised the ruling.
The Chinese government has moved to block several online poker apps, including Poker King, an app which reportedly takes in about $7.1 million in daily bets from the country. The move continues a Chinese crackdown on “inappropriate” online content for the country’s 700 million users.
Online slots and table games from Habanero are now available on the Bede Gaming platform under a new distribution deal. Habanero’s full collection of online slots will be made available to Bede clients through the Play platform, along with Habanero’s range of table games and video poker titles.
Basketball Hall of Famer Michael Jordan (l.) is one of the lead investors in a group making a $26 million investment in an esports startup called aXiomatic Gaming. AXiomatic Gaming owns Team Liquid, which is regarded as one of the top pro gaming organizations in the world.
Penn National Gaming is preparing to launch its online casino in Pennsylvania through partnerships with IGT for its digital platform and NetEnt for games.
As a deal for the purchase of Wembley stadium collapsed, the Martin Glenn (l.), the head of the UK Football Association, proposed a tax on gambling to help fund amateur or “grassroots” football. The proposed sale of the stadium was to partially fund youth and amateur football. The gambling industry reacted angrily to the proposal.
Virginia state Del. Marcus Simon (l.) he'll introduce a measure to legalize sports betting starting in July 2019. The bill would allow sportsbooks at horse racetracks and casinos, although there are currently none of either in the state.
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board approved petitions to offer both live and online sports books to Harrah’s Philadelphia, Rivers and SugarHouse casinos.
Illinois State Rep. Bob Rita's two scheduled hearings on expanded gambling and sports betting are over. Now lawmakers are reviewing several gambling bills, he said. They cover taxation, mobile/internet wagering, major leagues' integrity fee and where sports betting tax revenue would be directed. No single bill includes every important issue, Rita said.
The Argentine province of Entre Ríos has banned online gambling for the time being as it works to create a framework for regulating the industry. Under a new law, the Institute of Financial Assistance for Social Action of Entre Ríos is now the province’s regulatory body and bans online games of chance, gambling and advertising without its approval.
Unikrn’s live-betting esports betting platform has been approved with a wagering license in the Isle of Man, clearing the way for users to legally gamble on esports events.
The first week of making book at the Santa Ana Star Casino Hotel (l.) in New Mexico actually lost money. But this is a good thing, according to Vic Salerno of USBookmaking. It means the customers will be returning. Meanwhile, in a move to attract younger players, a game tied to sporting-event outcomes soon will be available from the New Mexico Lottery.
An Indiana legislative study group recommended legalizing sports betting, based on a report for the Indiana Gaming Commission that suggested offering in-person and mobile online betting, setting reasonable tax rates and allowing college sports wagers. It said sports betting could have an annual economic impact of $466 million by the fifth year and create 729 full-time jobs.
Rep. Pat Garafolo (l.) wants to make sports betting legal in Minnesota in time for next year’s NFL season. For that to happen, he says, all of the state’s gaming interests will need to compromise their interests and work toward that goal.
Colorado state Reps. Cole Wist and Alec Garnett, who convinced colleagues to approve daily fantasy sports in 2016, now envision legalizing sports betting. They're proposing placing sports betting on the November 2019 ballot, to start in January 2020. A vote isn't required, but Wist and Garnett want to make sure Coloradans truly want sports betting.
A Louisiana Senate committee heard testimony on several gambling topics, but the main subject was sports betting. Louisiana Gaming Control Board Chairman Ronnie Jones said the November 6 parish-by-parish vote on daily fantasy sports could indicate voters' attitudes toward DFS. State Senator Danny Martiny (l.) said he'll re-file a failed sports betting bill.
Gaming tribes of the Golden State have reached the end of their patience with the Bureau of Gambling Control, which they say has not been enforcing state law on its 74 card rooms, even though the agency’s director, Stephanie Shimazu (l.), says they will crack down on the illegal game play. The tribes say they are going to sue.
The 10-month investigation of Wynn Resorts by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission could extend into December. The investigation’s documentation will help the panel decide whether to pull the license for Wynn to operate the $2.4 billion Encore Boston Harbor (l.) that it is building.
Lucky Dragon (l.), the closed Las Vegas casino hotel, failed to attract any bidders and has been repossessed by its principal lender, Snow Covered Capital. The firm said it will continue to shop for a buyer for the off-Strip resort, promising that with the “right operator” it will be a success.
Exacta historical racing machines meet Kentucky' definition of parimutuel gambling, because players bet against each other and winners share the net pool, a circuit judge recently ruled. The decision is the latest move in a case dating back to 2010. The Family Foundation, which opposes gambling, said it will appeal.
As a public meeting was held on Penn National Gaming’s plan to open its Hollywood Casino York mini-casino in the York Galleria Mall, the company announced plans for a second mini-casino near Morgantown (l.).
A plan to legalize slot machines outside of casinos to battle illegal slots in bars and taverns in Puerto Rico has come under fire by the head of the island’s tourism bureau. The nation’s casino industry is already under stress with at least six major casinos folding, including the legendary El San Juan (l.).
After failing to sue victims of the 2017 mass shooting on the Strip the gaming giant has switched course and now hopes to settle with them out of court. The two sides are expected to postpone lawsuits in federal courts in seven states while they pursue mediation.
Bristol, Virginia, has hit upon hard times with a downtrodden coal industry and the recently closure of a factory. Two former high school classmates hope to open a casino in a former mall (l.) to bring jobs and tourism back to the area.
A run of bad luck at baccarat combined with a double-digit drop in wagering on the game to make it a difficult month for Nevada’s biggest resort operators. It was a good month off the Strip, though, and overall the industry recorded its first statewide increase in gaming revenue in two months.
Investors said they'll lobby legislators in January for a referendum on casino gambling to allow a $250 million casino resort in the Jenkins coalfield region, near the Virginia border. One investor, James Hibbitts, said a destination casino could provide much-needed jobs. Racetrack operators have opposed a casino gambling referendum.
The Florida Supreme Court will determine whether pre-reveal games are illegal slot machines. Last year a circuit court judge ruled they're not but later reversed himself after the Seminole Tribe of Florida asked him to reconsider that decision. State regulators and opponents said the games' random number generator meets the definition of a slot machine.
MGM Resorts International overcame a challenging Las Vegas market to beat analysts’ forecasts with just over $3 billion in revenue for the three months ended September 30 and earnings of 26 cents per share. As for the remainder of the year, CEO James Murren said it’s “setting up nicely.”
A legislative study committee recommended the Majestic Star Casino (l.) in Gary, Indiana be permitted to move ashore, allowing the city to use the area for an intermodal transport center. Officials from Hammond said that city should receive one of Gary's two gaming licenses if Majestic Star moves.
The regional gaming powerhouse generated a 5.8 percent increase in cash flow to $148.8 million year on year on total revenues that were up 5.1 percent to $612.2 million. Citing the recent acquisitions of five casinos in four states, management said it expects a solid growth trajectory well into the future.
Southern California’s Indian casinos are engaged in a complicated series of expansions, with one eye on each other and the other on the market. They are trying to integrate non-gaming into their overall resort package, without saturating the market. San Manuel is just one of at least a dozen casinos to expand or announce expansion plans in the past two years.
Physically located in Nebraska but officially a part of Iowa, the Ponca Tribe's Prairie Flower Casino (l.) in Carter Lake, Iowa opened November 1. The 9,500 square foot Prairie Flower is the subject of lawsuits by Council Bluffs, Iowa and the state of Iowa, which fear it will steal revenue from Council Bluff's three lucrative commercial casinos.
Brian Decorah (l.), the CEO of Snoqualmie Casino, has offered to pay $1 million so the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) can act quickly to do an assessment for the design and construction of a safer highway to serve the casino. Two employees, a mother and daughter, died in a traffic accident on their way to work last month.
The governor of Oregon, Kate Brown (l.), has agreed to a tribal state gaming compact with the Coquille Tribe for a small casino in Medford. Critics say the governor has made a 180-degree turn in her attitude toward tribal gaming and they suspect it is because of campaign donations from a gaming tribe.
Pala Casino Spa & Resort has completed a year of expansion and renovation that includes new wall coverings, a 10,000 square-foot gaming area and 300 slots and a 15,000 square-foot smoke-free gaming area. It also doubled the size of two signature eateries, Noodles Asian Restaurant and the Luis Rey bar and lounge.
Casino executive Mark Brown has unretired to serve as interim chairman of troubled Imperial Pacific International, which runs the sole casino resort on the Pacific island of Saipan. Brown was chairman when the company entered the Saipan market.
John McManus (l.), executive vice president, general counsel and secretary at MGM Resorts International, was named president of the International Association of Gaming Advisors. Vice president is John Hagan, partner, Harris Hagan; secretary is Luke Orchard, senior vice president and chief compliance and risk management officer, IGT; and treasurer is Ellen Whittemore, executive vice president and general counsel, Wynn Resorts.
Michael J. Facenda, who has a long history of marketing with hotels and casinos across the United States has been named vice president of marketing for Agua Caliente Casino Resort Spa and Spa Resort Casino in California’s Coachella Valley.
Silver Heritage Group has announced the appointment of Ben Watiwat as chief financial officer, the resignation of non-executive director Robert Benussi and the appointment of Michael Bassett to Benussi’s prior role.
Incredible Technologies announced the appointment of Miguel Peña Jr. as director of customer solutions, responsible for overseeing customer service and field service.
Synergy Blue announced a sales and distribution agreement with Florida-based Reel Games, which will distribute the supplier’s skill-based games in the Caribbean cruise-ship market. Reel Games CEO Sean Smith (l.) admires Synergy Blue’s “robust library.”
Kristian Nylén (l.), CEO of sports-book supplier Kambi expressed optimism about its entry into the U.S. market in his message included in the company’s Q3 2018 report.
Melco Resorts and AlphaSlot have become the latest additions to the GSA Technology Summit—Focus on Blockchain, the first-ever blockchain conference of the Gaming Standards Association. The conference will be held in Reno November 8-9.
