Global gaming operators may think twice about investing in Japan’s casino market if lawmakers approve some restrictions now on the table—including a proposed casino entry fee for locals and a limit on visitation, limiting the size of the casino and a two-tier tax rate higher than anyone envisioned. If all these stipulations are part of the final bill, will gaming companies be able to attract investors to integrated resorts that may cost as much as $10 billion like MGM Resorts plan for Osaka (l.).
Pennsylvania’s fourth mini-casino license was awarded to Greenwood Gaming and Entertainment, owner of the Parx casino (l.) outside of Philadelphia, for a casino inn Cumberland County, after regulators invalidated the bid submitted by Las Vegas Sands Corp. because it infringed on a buffer zone owned by Mount Airy’s Lawrence County casino.
Matt Maddox (l.) is working to assure employees and investors that Wynn Resorts’ growth pipeline is intact. He also affirmed the company’s “zero-tolerance” policy toward sexual harassment and announced formation of an executive-level task force focused on gender equality.
Senator Benedito de Lira (l.), the sponsor of the bill that would legalize casinos in Brazil, said he wanted an up-or-down vote on the bill this week. He says the amended bill is ready to go and requires no more changes.
Imperial Pacific International, which operates the Imperial Palace casino resort (l.) on the island of Saipan, is fighting back after a Bloomberg News article that suggested it has undue influence with politicians. The IPI has countered that Macau casino routinely under-report revenue, which makes the Saipan accurate reporting seem high by comparison.
American Gaming Association’s Geoff Freeman will open the conference at the Southern Gaming Summit, and Mississippi Choctaw Chief Phyliss Anderson will speak at the Global Gaming Women sponsored lunch. SGS launches with a golf tournament on May 2 and a conference on May 3, capped off with the inaugural class induction of the Mississippi Gaming Hall of Fame.
For the first time in five years Rep. Reggie Jones-Sawyer (l.) won’t be offering an e-poker bill in the California Assembly. He thinks he needs to give the highly controversial bill a chance to cool off before dusting it off again.
Major League Baseball joined the National Basketball Association in pushing a sports betting bill including a 1 percent “integrity fee,” but NBA Commissioner Adam Silver (l.) is muddying the waters with a justification for the fee that has nothing to do with integrity. And several states are moving forward without the fee, causing opposition from the leagues.
So mergers and acquisitions are on the radar of every gaming operator CEO. Even with recent history, there are lots of opportunities still remaining. But how will it shape up?
This week the GGB Podcast sits down with Willy Allison, the owner of the World Game Protection Conference, on how the upcoming show will be different than any of the previous 12 conferences.
Analysts have differing views on how quickly business will build at the recently opened MGM Cotai (l.) in Macau. Morningstar predicts a “decent” acceleration, while the Bernstein team says MGM will have to be patient.
Chinese property developer LongRunn International is reportedly planning an integrated resort complex on South Korea’s Yeongjong Island. Diamond City would be next to a Caesars Entertainment casino
MGM China has joined its fellow concessionaires in Macau by announcing higher salaries for eligible non-management team members starting March 19. Workers will see increases of between 2.5 percent and 8.1 percent.
Macau junket investor Rich Goldman Holdings Ltd., formerly the Neptune Group Ltd., has posted a decline in net profits for the six months to December 31 of 72 percent year-on-year.
Universal Entertainment Corp., operator of the Okada Manila casino resort (l.) in the Philippines’ capital city, recorded a net loss of JPY 13.4 billion (US$124.6 million) for the nine months that ended December 31, 2017.
UK bookmaker William Hill has been fined £6.2 million by the UK Gambling commission for breaching anti-money-laundering and social responsibility regulations. The commission said the bookmaker did not do enough to ensure prevention measures were effective. As a result, 10 customers were able to deposit money linked to criminal offences and William Hill gained £1.2m.
Portugal’s gaming regulator, Serviço Regulação e Inspeção de Jogos do Turismo, has announced record-breaking gaming revenues for the fourth quarter of 2017. The figures have been attributed to a surge in sports bets.
The EU Court of Justice last week rejected a petition from the Belgian government to drop proposed consumer-protection measures for the online space. Belgium took a state’s-rights position in the matter.
According to a new survey, 75 percent of Irish online gamblers have either borrowed money or sold their own possessions in order to place a bet. Moreover, 64 percent of respondents confessed to problem gambling.
A report on Swedish gaming from Mediavision found that 55 percent of Swedes 18-74 gambled monthly in the last half of 2017, up from 50 percent during the same period in 2016. The study found that internationally licensed operators saw the biggest increases in Swedish players. One in eight Swedes gambled monthly on foreign online gambling websites, the study found, up 25 percent from a year earlier.
The Spanish government is banning radio and television ads for gambling during “children’s hours.” The hours are 8-9 a.m. and 5-8 p.m. The new restrictions also prevent gambling companies from using celebrities or fictional characters in ads that would be “attractive of striking” to children.
Bermuda Casino Gaming Commission Chairwoman Cheryl-Ann Mapp (l.) said although the commission has had "encouraging dialogue" with local banks, it's seeking recommendations for overseas options to handle casino transactions. The commission so far has granted one provisional casino license, to the Hamilton Princess Hotel and Beach Club.
Australia’s biggest supermarket chain, Woolworths, is also the biggest moneymaker when it comes to poker machines. The “pokies” profited the chain at $1.2 billion last year.
Ottawa’s Rideau Carleton Raceway and the Hard Rock Casino (l.) are proposing a $318 million expansion. They want to build a hotel, concert venue and expand gaming to 55 tables and 2,000 slot machines.
Cornwall, Ontario city councilor Mark MacDonald wants to do something to attract a casino to the city for economic growth. He hopes to avoid cutting the budget or raising taxes.
Gamblers in Uruguay spent about $805.5 million on all forms of gambling in 2017, or about 1.3 percent of the country’s gross domestic product. All games, except instant Quiniela had a small increase in sales. The report comes as the country is about to make good on its policy of blocking unlicensed offshore online gambling sites.
It could take years to get to the bottom of a money laundering operation that has fingers in China, the fentanyl drug trade, and casinos. That’s the opinion of the attorney general of British Columbia David Eby, who is overseeing probes into provincial gaming.
New Zealand gamblers spent $2.334 billion in 2016-2017, up $125 million or 5.7 percent over 2015-2016. NZ Lotteries (l.) sales rose 26.8 percent from $437 million to $555 million, and non-casino gaming machines' take increased 3.1 percent to $870 million. Spending at the country's six casinos fell 2.4 per cent to $572 million.
The government of Saudi Arabia has announced the nation’s first card-playing tournament with cash prizes. The inaugural event will take place April 4-8 in the capital city of Riyadh.
The Bay State’s “homegrown” industry, daily fantasy sports, would be regulated and allowed to flourish under a bill proposed by state Senator Eileen Donoghue (l.). Her bill is now being reviewed by the legislature’s Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies.
Parx Casino has submitted a request to the Pennsylvania gaming board outlining specific restrictions the casino would like in the board’s regulations for online casinos. The company is asking that Pennsylvania restrict each license holder to one “skin” or brand.
Atari announced it will launch the Atari Token for use in cryptocurrency-based casino platforms. Atari and Gibraltar-based Infinity Networks will create a platform offering access to any form of digital entertainment. Atari also extended its partnership with Pariplay to introduce casino platforms allowing players to bet in real money or cryptocurrencies.
Online casino operator Oriental Game is predicting major growth in offshore online gaming in the Philippines this year. The company’s president said he expects the country will meet revenue projection form all online sources and that his company is planning to expand in the market
Online bookmaker Betway has brought together Premier League football club West Ham United and leading eSports team Ninjas in Pyjamas for the promotion “Betway Esports Challenge.” The challenge features soccer players competing in Counter Strike: Global Offensive
ORYX Gaming has signed a deal to integrate its portfolio of aggregated casino and slot content with brands operated by Quasar Gaming. The deal covers both the Quasar Casino and OVO Casino brands.
The state’s commercial casino experiment hasn’t lived up to expectations, falling a collective $230 million shy of gaming revenue projections. The del Lago casino (l.) in the Finger Lakes district, fell far below predictions. Experts don’t expect the challenges will fade wither, citing an ongoing proliferation of gaming across the Northeast.
Philadelphia developer Bart Blatstein (l.), who owns the Showboat hotel in Atlantic City, has petitioned New Jersey gaming regulators for a statement of compliance indicating the Showboat could be used as a casino and he would be eligible for a casino license. The former casino was re-opened in 2016 by Blatstein as a non-casino hotel. Blatstein said at the time he had no plans to re-open it as a casino.
Maryland Governor Larry Hogan (l.) announced plans to increase education spending over the next decade should lawmakers pass a bill creating a “lockbox” that guarantees casino revenues go to school spending.
The hotel giant Marriott is committing $50 million to the unfinished Strip behemoth, the former Fontainebleau (l.). In return it will manage the resort, resurrected under new ownership as the Drew Las Vegas and slated to open in 2020.
The reorganization of Caesars Entertainment Corp. approved by U.S. Bankruptcy Court made the family business of billionaire George Soros (l.), one of the operator’s largest shareholders, and a major donor for liberal causes.
Caesars Entertainment has announced a new policy to check on and enter guest’s rooms once daily even if the room has a do not disturb sign. The company said it plans to implement the policy soon across all of its properties. The company said the policy is in direct response to October’s mass shooting on the Vegas strip. The room checks will be conducted by security personnel in rooms with a privacy sign.
The struggling Lucky Dragon casino (l.), the first built from the ground up in Las Vegas since the recession, hopes the protection of U.S. Bankruptcy Court will result in a better deal than a looming foreclosure auction. Analysts say the property needs new ownership.
The general managers at three Northwest Louisiana riverboat casinos will be asked to explain to the state Gaming Control Board why they have not met voluntary minority procurement goals. Board Chairman Ronnie Jones (l.) did not name the properties. The state's 15 licensees set voluntary minority procurement goals when riverboat gaming began in the early 1990s.
The state’s congressional delegation is gearing up to fight an administration plan to ax funding for Brand USA. The federal program, which has been of major benefit to Las Vegas, was founded nearly a decade go to promote the country as an international destination.
New Jersey gaming regulators are encouraging businesses and firms interested in offering sports betting in the state to apply for casino service licensing, even as it awaits a decision on the issue from the U.S. Supreme Court. The state has a challenge before the Court to allow sports betting.
As the MGM Springfield in Massachusetts rolls toward opening, it announced the restaurant partnerships that will be featured in the $950 million project, including a seafood eatery by celebrity chef Michael Mina (l.).
As the Ohio River rose toward flood stage, the hotel, spa and café at Horseshoe Southern Indiana (l.) in Elizabeth were closed for the safety of guests and team members. Management kept in contact with the Army Corps of Engineers and also arranged for guests to find other accommodations. The closure was expected to last several days.
The soon-to-open Hard Rock casino in Atlantic City is implementing a community outreach program aimed at dispelling notions that resort residents—a predominantly black community—are excluded from the wealth casinos have brought to the region. That effort includes employment programs, setting aside concert tickets for locals and regularly scheduled community meetings.
In New Orleans, Fair Grounds Race Course and Slots (l.) officials want to extend the casino closing time from midnight to 3 a.m. to generate revenue lost to the 2015 citywide smoking ban. Area residents are concerned with litter, traffic, crime and other issues that could result from the longer hours.
Officials at Great River Entertainment in Burlington, Iowa, which includes Catfish Bend Casino (l.), said tentative plans include opening a sports book facility in a sports-bar setting if the U.S. Supreme Court allows sports betting. Chief Executive Officer Gary Hoyer said the casino employs 600 and draws 600,000 visitors annually, mostly within a 50-mile radius.
The verdict from 2017 revenues statewide confirms what Las Vegas locals have long known: slot machines on the Las Vegas Strip are strictly for the tourists. Last year, resorts on the Strip averaged a win percentage on their machines exceeding 8 percent.
In Monroe, Louisiana, the South Side Economic Development District is working to bring in a riverboat casino on the Ouachita River. The state legislature would have to declare the river as a gambling waterway, and the state gaming director would have to issue a license. A parish-wide vote also would be required.
Harrah's New Orleans Casino will build a 24-story, 340-room luxury hotel above the entrance to its Canal Street casino. Part of a $350 million renovation project, the plan also features a rooftop pool and bar, Best of NOLA outdoor food hall and the Fillmore Theater. Harrah's currently purchases 27,000 rooms a year at other hotels for guests.
One day after a magistrate judge ruled the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe must close its Naskila electronic bingo hall, Texas U.S. Congressman Brian Babin (l.) introduced legislation allowing it and the Tigua Tribe to offer gaming on sovereign lands under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. In an appeal, the Alabama-Coushattas claimed the Kickapoo Tribe has offered electronic bingo without state interference for more than 20 years.
Connecticut’s two gaming tribes submitted rough drawings for the $300 million satellite casino that they hope to build in East Windsor. City officials were less than overwhelmed by the drawings
Although many are watching the U.S. Supreme Court with interest to see how it rules on Christie v. National Collegiate Athletic Association, and whether the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA,) which bans sports betting, is unconstitutional—none is watching it as closely as gaming tribes. The way they operate Indian casinos could be heavily impacted by the decision.
Fewer than the 60 senators needed to overcome a filibuster have committed to voting for the Tribal Labor Sovereignty Act. Tribes want the act, so they are no longer under the jurisdiction of the National Labor Relations Board. Unions call the bill anti-labor.
Lawmakers in Maine want that state’s high court to rule on whether federally recognized tribes can offer gaming without the permission of the state. Tribes have tried for years to get such permission, without success. Henry John Bear (l.), a non-voting tribal member of the state House, made the initial request.
The North Carolina Education Lottery wants to offer "digital instants," electronic scratch-off games played on computers or smartphones. Executive Director Alice Garland (l.) said the games could raise $130 million over five years. Social conservatives and retailers oppose them. The lottery commission can approve any game currently offered in another state.
Hard Rock International last week named Danielle Babilino senior vice president of global sales and marketing for Hard Rock Hotels & Casinos. She formerly worked for seven years at Wynn and Encore Las Vegas.
The Gaming Standards Association has selected a new board of directors for 2018, to be chaired by Roman Czubak, an executive of Austria’s Novomatic AG.
Maryland’s Live! Casino & Hotel named Dedren Bailey, a 15-year marketing veteran in Mississippi and Louisiana, as the casino’s new vice president of marketing.
Luke Keller is the new vice president and general manager at Mark Twain Casino in La Grange, Missouri, owned by Affinity Gaming. Previously he was director of marketing at the company's Lakeside Hotel and Casino in Osceola, Iowa. He also worked at Grand Falls Casino Resort and Prairie Meadows Casino in Altoona, Iowa.
Lu Wei, former head of the Cyberspace Administration of China, has been expelled from the Communist Party and dismissed from public office due to allegations he accepted bribes.
Jim Johnson, a former U.S. Treasury undersecretary, has been named special counsel to review the state of New Jersey’s current fiscal control of Atlantic City. The announcement does not affect the state-appointed position of Jeffrey Chiesa, a former U.S. senator, who has been overseeing the city’s finances since November 2016.
Playtech has announced the appointment of Richard Bayliss, former Senior Online Manager at the UK Gambling Commission, to its Compliance team as Regulatory Compliance Manager. The company said he will play a key part in leading the direction of Playtech’s responsible gambling initiatives.
Live! Casino & Hotel in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, is planning to open what will be the first outdoor gaming patio where smoking is permitted, including both slots and table games.
Konami’s Fortune Cup mechanical horseracing game has been launched at the D Las Vegas, joining one of the town’s two remaining installations of the legendary Sigma Derby.
Wall Street firms initiating coverage on PlayAGS, Inc. following the initial public offering of gaming supplier AGS are giving the new public company high marks.
Huntington Press, publisher of the Las Vegas Advisor consumer newsletter, has created its own social casino titled Comp City Slots. The site was created in partnership with Free Slot Games of Las Vegas, LLC and is available on both the Android and iOS mobile platforms.
Sega Sammy Holdings Chairman Hahime Satomi, the Japanese supplier’s largest shareholder, has sold 74 percent of his stake in the company to his own asset management firm.
Three years ago, the Ohio legislature gave the Ohio Casino Control Commission jurisdiction over skill-based games. After a year of studying the games, the commission has adopted 28 new rules for the games.
Advanced deposit wagering companies' customers now may fund their accounts with JPMorgan Chase credit cards, the National Thoroughbred Racing Association announced. Previously the nation's largest credit card issuer let customers use cards linked to checking accounts for deposits. The change is expected to benefit Florida's five major horse racetracks serviced with ADWs.
Eclipse Gaming ha announced that its Super Slots of Cash game has exceeded performance expectations to become a top performer in casinos across North America.
Digital content creator Picsolve has signed a five-year partnership with Caesars Entertainment that will allow guests to collect and share content at Caesars Strip properties using imaging technology.
The World Game Protection Conference, to be held March 12-15, will focus on how casinos deal with the new reality following the October 1 Mandalay Bay shooting, and the recent spate of casino robberies.
