Kansas-born billionaire Phil Ruffin (l.), owner of Treasure Island in Las Vegas, purchased Casino Miami for an undisclosed price. It offers 1,012 slots and electronic table games and sits on 21 developable acres where Ruffin plans to build a hotel. The property offers gaming, entertainment space, bar, café, jai-alai and simulcast betting.
A draft of a new federal sports betting bill would require states to obtain approval from the U.S. attorney general’s office of plans to legalize sports betting, and mandate purchasing of data from sports leagues. The bill is being pushed by Senator Orrin Hatch (l.), who is leaving the Senate at the end of the year, when the bill would likely die.
Recently named Wynn Resorts Chairman Phil Satre (l.) will be arguing that with a new board and executives the gaming giant is a different company from that created by Wynn founder Steve Wynn, who parted ways with his creation because of allegations of sexual predations. Meanwhile more lawsuits against the company continue to create problems.
Wynn Resorts was one of the big winners as trade war tensions eased between the governments of China and the United States. Other U.S. casino companies that operate in Macau should also benefit. U.S. President Donald Trump met with Chinese President Xi Jinping to step back the countries trade war.
Construction will begin within six months on Elysium City (l.), a $3.5 billion mega-resort in Spain, Cora Global President John Cora, a former Disney executive, announced. Tax incentives passed by the Extremadura government will enable the two-phase project, including a casino, hotels, golf course, stadium, theme parks and a Formula One racetrack.
A key state lawmaker says he expects Governor Andrew Cuomo (l.) will include sports betting in his April budget plan. If that happens, he says it’s a lock that sports betting in some form will be legal in the Empire State in 2019.
Off-track betting parlors with historical racing machines will be opening in Virginia within the next few years. First on the list is an OTB in Vinton, which has been closed since 2014. Three more could open next year and as many as 10 are permitted to open. Colonial Downs Group COO Aaron Gomes (l.) is leading the charge.
The Quapaw Tribe's Downstream Development Authority was recommended to operate a future casino in Pine Bluff, Jefferson County, Arkansas. The casino will be one of four allowed under an amendment voters passed last month. Quapaw Tribe Chairman John Berrey (l.) said the casino will create hundreds of jobs and million in taxes.
A federal appeals court is considering a lower court’s ruling invalidating patents of Konami Gaming in a case that could have far-reaching consequences for slot-machine intellectual property. IGT has come to support Konami on patents for games like Black Widow, Cherry Mischief and Cirque Chinois.
This week, the GGB Podcast features a discussion with Brian Decorah, the CEO of the Snoqualmie Casino outside of Seattle about his new position and the unique market that is the state of Washington.
U.S.-based casino company Rush Street Gaming has thrown its hat in the ring of contenders for a Japan integrated resort license. Chairman Neil Bluhm (l.) says he’s all in for Tomakomai, Hokkaido.
Andrea Domingo (l.), head of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp., says GGR from that country’s gaming industry could reach PHP217 billion (US$4.1 billion) by the end of 2019—up 13 percent over this year.
Fox Entertainment Group says Malaysian casino operator Genting “simply made up” its claim that Fox suitor the Walt Disney Company forced the termination of a theme park deal in Kuala Lumpur. Meanwhile, the company recorded a big loss in the 3rd quarter due to losses in the U.S.
Donaco International Ltd. will pursue its case against a Thai vendor for illegal competition in Poipet, Cambodia, though an appeals court has issued a ruling that would overturn an injunction against the vendor.
China’s Guangdong Province has reportedly ordered local travel agencies to stop offering one-day weekend trips to Hong Kong and Macau via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge (l.).
Emperor Entertainment Hotel Ltd., which operates the Grand Emperor Hotel (l.) and the Inn Hotel in Macau, has posted a group-wide revenue drop of 5.2 percent to HK$665.6 million in the six months to September 30.
Melco Resorts and Entertainment (Philippines) says it will redeem the remaining PHP2 billion (US$38.2 million) 5 percent fixed-rate corporate secured notes first issued in January 2014.
Two former police officials in Vietnam have been jailed for protecting a multimillion-dollar online gaming ring. Phan Van Vinh was sentenced to nine years and Nguyen Thanh Hoa to a decade behind bars.
Missouri state Senator Denny Hoskins (l.) has proposed replacing a “sports integrity fee” asked for by professional leagues with a completely different tax to fund infrastructure improvements at sports stadiums. Hoskins has included the new tax in his recently introduced sports betting bill.
In a crackdown by the UK Gambling Commission the regulator has penalized several gambling companies as it investigates the industry’s protection of problem gambling and safeguards against money laundering. The Commission has imposed nearly £14m in penalties on three companies. Commission CEO Neil McArthur (l.) expects the action to make iGaming operators “sit up and pay attention.”
Spanish gaming authorities have formed an advisory committee for responsible gambling. The move comes after an overhaul of Spanish gaming regulations. The committee, the Consejo Asesor del Juego Responsible advisory has been approved by Spanish gambling regulatory body DGOJ, and will act as the gambling industry’s liaison with Spain’s Treasury and Health departments.
Gateway Casinos and Entertainment, which operates dozens of casinos all across Canada, is preparing to enter the stock market in the U.S. with an IPO. Facts disclosed by a filing with the New York Stock Exchange are raising some eyebrows. The company proposes to build the Starlight Casino (l.) in Sudbury, Ontario.
As Brazil inches closer to a legal casino industry, federal Deputy Dagoberto Nogueira (l.) is advocating for the development of tribal casinos in the country. The model has lifted many U.S. tribes from poverty to prosperity.
Analysts say Australia’s Gold Coast may not support two integrated resorts. Star Entertainment agrees, and has threatened to shelve a massive expansion project at Star Gold Coast (l.) in the region if the government OKs a second IR.
Canadian federal prosecutors are being very close-lipped about why charges have been stayed in the prosecution of a company that allegedly enabled half a billion dollars in money laundering, and Chinese nationals who were officers in that company. RCMP officials are also not saying much about what killed the prosecution.
Australia’s six state governments will launch a National Consumer Protection Framework to protect online gamblers starting in 2019. Queensland was the last state to endorse the 10-point plan.
Canada’s premier Justin Trudeau (l.) says he was not aware of the gambling problems of one of his MP’s who just resigned from his party’s caucus. The MP, Raj Grewal says he was gambling away millions of dollars and driving himself into debt.
Christchurch Casino (l.) has promised the New Zealand Gambling Commission that it will create a new charitable fund and community liaison group if it wins a new casino license.
On November 6, Sun International Chile got a loan of 10,500 million Chilean pesos (US$15.57 million) to help capitalize its company, Sun Dreams, which combines two merged entities, Novosun and Dreams.
Buenos Aires Governor María Eugenia Vidal (l.) has given approval to begin regulation of online gambling in the Argentine Province. The province legislator has already approved online gambling and will now vote for final approval as part of the province’s 2019 Budget plan.
Sweden's gambling regulator the Lotteriinspektionen has issued the country's first online gaming licenses as the country prepares to launch new gaming regulations in January. The regulator approved 12 licenses to offer either online casino, online sports betting or both. Svenska Spel, the state-owned operator has also secured a separate license that effectively restates its position as the monopoly holder for lottery games and land-based slot machines.
SG Digital ha signed a deal with Australian slot developer Lightning Box under which SG will provide Lightning Box content to online casino operators in North America.
Social casino game company Playtika has completed its acquisition of Wooga, a German-based casual games maker. Reports put the total acquisition price above $100 million. Wooga is known for games Diamond Dash and Bubble Island.
Software provider Pragmatic Play signed an agreement to provide a portfolio of more than 100 video slots to iGaming operator Casino Barcelona Online. The Malta-based company recently entered the Spanish market with Casino777 and through a deal with Digital Distribution Management Ibérica. It also recently signed agreements with Portuguese and Italian distributors.
The Standardbred Breeders and Owners of New Jersey have announced a 10-year preliminary agreement with the Meadowlands Racetrack (l.) for a sports betting revenue sharing plan which will add at least $1 million annually to the track’s racing purses. A state bill that would increase purses is also in the works. The Meadowlands agreement will increase purses by about 10 percent.
The District of Columbia City Council has advanced its sports betting bill to a second hearing on Dec. 18. The bill would give control of sports betting to the district’s lottery Washington has no brick and mortar casinos, but the bill would allow for in-person sports betting within professional sporting venues around the city.
The Michigan House approved the Lawful Internet Gaming Act, which would regulate daily fantasy sports and allow online gambling. The measure now goes to the Senate, which may not review it before the session ends December 20. The bill's sponsor, state Rep. Brandt Iden (l.), also is working on sports betting legislation for 2019.
A two-day legislative hearing last week provided an opportunity for Kansas lawmakers to hear the facts about sports betting. The chairman of the committee, Senator Bud Estes (l.), said, “We need to be educated.”
Minority House Leader Rick Staples (l.) last week introduced a bill to legalize sports betting in Tennessee. It would require a statewide referendum that must be driven by voters. A tax of 10 percent would be placed on the activity.
The NBA announced a deal to give sports books real-time data for in-game betting, in the first data distribution deal on sports betting by a major professional U.S. league.
The resort giant and partner GVC see a major opportunity in Indian Country for their sports betting services. To get the word out they’ve signed up an investment bank with strong ties to tribal gaming nationwide.
The federal agency says Station Casinos must negotiate with Las Vegas’ Culinary Union on a contract covering more than 800 workers at the company’s Green Valley Ranch resort (l.). Station, which continues to challenge a 2017 union vote at the property, says it will appeal the ruling.
Sports betting is now offered at both casinos in Rhode Island. The Tiverton casino (l.) introduced a sportsbook last week. The wagers must be done on the casino premises, although mobile platforms will soon be introduced.
California’s card club owners have reason to feel hunted. Both by new regulations being prepared by the agency that regulates them, and by lawsuits filed against several card clubs by Indian tribes claiming they are operating illegally. Hawaiian Garden Casino (l.) is one of 10 cardrooms named in the suit.
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board held public hearings on Category 4 satellite “mini-casinos” planned by Stadium Casino and Mount Airy Casino Resort. The Mount Airy facility would be in Big Beaver, while the Stadium casino (l.) would be in Hempfield Township.
In Virginia, state Senator Bill Carrico and state Delegate Israel O'Quinn will introduce a measure authorizing a proposed casino in Bristol in the upcoming session. The bill would be subject to a public referendum in November 2019. The legislature is also considering bills to legalize sports betting in the state.
The owners of Spectacle Entertainment, which recently announced plans to purchase the company that owns Majestic Casino I and II in Gary, Indiana, said they'd like to move one of the casinos ashore and relocate the other, possibly to Terre Haute. However, lawmakers whose districts include casinos and other casino operators already have expressed opposition.
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board granted Penn National Gaming a five-year license renewal for its flagship Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course outside Harrisburg.
A new report estimates that Las Vegas’ transformation into a major sports town, together with similar large-scale entertainment events, was good for $2.5 billion in spending by visitors last year. T-Mobile Arena (l.) was the top-grossing building of its kind in 2016-17. Total economic impact of events held in Las Vegas is averaging $3.9 billion annually.
The recent announcement that Caesars Entertainment will close the Tunica Roadhouse casino (l.) in Mississippi by the end of January has observers wondering about the future of the Tunica gaming market. Officials said competition from other areas is partly to blame for the closure, plus the move from destination to convenience gambling.
Atlantic City Mayor Frank Gilliam (l.) was the subject of an FBI raid of his home as agents seized property during the five-hour search. The reason for the investigation has not been revealed. Gilliam is also in trouble for a fight—caught on casino surveillance cameras—he had outside an Atlantic City Nightclub last month.
Despite a good year in 2018, Iowa Greyhound Park in Dubuque, Iowa, the state's last remaining dog racetrack, is preparing for the possible impact of Florida racetracks closing due to Amendment 3. The end of $5.1 million in annual subsidies from casinos in Dubuque and Council Bluffs also concerns officials at the greyhound racetrack.
The Joliet, Illinois city council approved a 1-year moratorium on new video gambling licenses for businesses east of Route 59 that hold a liquor license. Since 2017, Joliet charges $250 for a video gambling license and $250 for each machine. Currently there are 341 video gambling machines at 78 locations in the city.
A $16.7 million Justice Department grant will provide medical, emotional and legal support for hundreds of people affected by the October 2017 mass shooting on the Strip. The money is earmarked for a local compensation fund that has disbursed more than $3 million to date.
Construction has begun on the $3.6 million, 4,200 square foot, 100-slot smoking-friendly Riverbend Terrace at L'Auberge Casino in Baton Rouge, a response to falling revenue due to Louisiana's smoking ban, which began in June. Hollywood Casino created a 12-slot covered smoking area. Belle of Baton Rouge officials said they have no plans to upgrade the property.
The Southern California desert is proving to be a competitive proving ground for several Indian casinos. The properties are engaged in a building competition with hundreds of millions of dollars on the line. Agua Caliente (l.) is the most recent to announce an addition, a new tower in its Palm Springs facility.
A study commissioned by the Gun Lake Tribe shows the tribe, Gun Lake Casino and Gun Lake Investments contributed $1.5 billion to Michigan's economy from 2011, when the casino opened (l.) in Wayland, to 2017. Gun Lake enterprises employ more than 2,600 people and contributes $228 million annually to the state's economy.
Five years since it opened, the largest Indian casino in Northern California, Graton Resort and Casino, has had a large footprint on the local economy. The $825 million casino is also benefiting its 1,400 members.
The Coquille Tribe of Oregon wants to break with tradition and build a second casino. Other tribes in the state oppose the move as does Governor Kate Brown (l.) and the Oregon Lottery.
Estom Yumeka Maidu Tribe of the Enterprise Rancheria and the Seminole Tribe of Florida, owners of Hard Rock International are continuing work on the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Yuba County. Tribal Chairwoman Glenda Nelson (l.) says they are looking at a completion date of about a year.
Both fans and critics are weighing in on the 450-foot, 638-room guitar-shaped Seminole Hard Rock Hotel as it rises in Hollywood, Florida. Visible for miles, the building will feature 12 powerful light beams shooting into the night sky. Critics complain the structure is too big, too bright and too ugly.
A record $7,007 recently was distributed to each of the 15,709 members of Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. The June payment was $5,552. Officials said the difference partially was due to improvements at the tribe's Valley River Casino (l.) in Murphy, North Carolina, which attracted 862,000 visitors in fiscal 2018 compared to 851,000 in 2016.
Scientific Games has announced the launch of a multi-state linked lottery game based on the legendary game show Deal Or No Deal, as the show returns to prime-time TV.
ReelMetrics has launched a new service in which subscribers can view comparative rankings for a variety of gaming machine cabinet styles by cost, form or other factors.
Penn National Gaming has partnered with Alliance Data Systems Corp. to develop a co-branded credit card that will be offered to the operator’s player’s club database of more than 20 million.
A white paper released by gaming testing company BMM Testlabs says slot machines must become more interactive to attract the younger player demographic.
Hong Kong-based blockchain gaming firm Alphaslot announced a multimillion-dollar investment led by China’s Sora Ventures. Alphaslot said it will use the investment to expand operations and move up the launch of a tokenized blockchain entertainment platform for the gaming industry.
