In an expected development, the government of Macau has extended the licenses of SJM and MGM Resorts (MGM Cotai l.) for two years, expiring in mid-2022. The ducats were due to lapse at the end of next year, putting them in line to expire at the same time the other four of the “Big Six” licenses are due to expire. The extension gives the government more time to determine whether the licenses will be re-bid or expanded. Meanwhile, Las Vegas Sands settled a long-standing lawsuit with a consultant who claimed to help them acquire their license.
It’s the end of an era in many ways now that the private equity firms that once owned the gaming giant, Apollo and TPG, have sold their remaining shares. Carl Icahn, meanwhile, has increased his holding and is now Caesars’ largest individual shareholder and clearly the deciding voice in the company’s future.
Everi Holdings reported $4.2 million in net income for the fourth quarter, reversing a loss of $25 million a year earlier, and announced a deal to acquire technology from Atrient. The deal would give Everi cutting-edge casino marketing technology that includes kiosks (l.) and marketing platforms that compliment the company’s fintech services.
New Jersey has filed a brief in support of New Hampshire in a lawsuit challenging the new Department of Justice interpretation of the 1961 federal Wire Act. New Jersey has introduced both online casino gambling and sports betting. In an amicus brief, New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir (l.) Grewal says the state is seeking “nationwide relief” from the new opinion. Michigan is also joining the fray.
MGM, Las Vegas Sands and Resorts World are leading a growing choir of voices in Albany that want Governor Andrew Cuomo (l.) and the legislature to lift a moratorium on downstate casinos. As it stands now, they’re facing an uphill fight.
The Gauselmann Group has announced an investment in three Germany-based casinos as part of an expansion into the casino business. The casinos are located in Mainz (l.), Trier and Bad Ems and employ around 150 staff.
The Japanese city of Nagasaki has indicated that it would open an integrated resort in the vicinity by 2024 if it wins one of three IR licenses coming to Japan. It will establish a review committee to select the preferred IR operator.
The West Virginia legislature recently approved the Lottery Interactive Wagering Act and sent it to Governor Jim Justice (l.) for his signature. The measure would allow online and mobile casino gambling by players age 21 or older located within the state. It gives the West Virginia Lottery until June 2020 to finalize rules for licensing and regulation.
It may not be the Fab Four, but the latest British Invasion of the U.S. includes dozens of companies from the UK with expertise in sports betting and internet wagering. A savvy investor who can pick the right company will fare very well.
This week, the GGB Podcast sits down with Todd Haushalter, the chief product officer for Evolution Gaming, the leading company providing live dealer games for the online gaming industry.
Officials in Quezon City, Manila plan to establish a steep casino entry fee for locals as work begins on Bloomberry Resorts’ second Solaire-branded resort. But PAGCOR regulators say officials are overstepping their authority. No other Manila-area casino charges an entry fee, including Solaire in Entertainment City (l.).
Construction is under way in Macau to transform portions of the Sands Cotai Central resort complex (l.) with a new look and a new name. The Londoner Macao, as the project is called, could be completed as early as the end of next year.
Lawmakers in India may be growing impatient with the government of Goa, which has granted another extension to casino boats operating on the River Mandovi (l.). The boats have been preparing to move since 2014.
Australia-listed Frontier Capital Group Ltd. says it has enough money to reopen the Casablanca Casino (l.) in the Philippines’ Clark Freeport Zone. The casino in the Hotel Stotsenberg has been closed since 2017.
The government of South Korea is considering raising the minimum age for casino entry by two years, from 19 to 21. The move is designed to help stem gambling addiction.
Imperial Pacific International, which runs the Imperial Pacific Resort on the Pacific island of Saipan, says it expects a loss for the year that ended December 31, 2018.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte (l.) has fired Alexander Balutan, general manager of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office due to “serious allegations of corruption.”
Barrière, the gaming company that came in second as part of a tender for the principality of Andorra’s single casino license, is demanding that it be awarded the license. It has made the demand now that the Andorran Gaming Control Board (CRAJ) has withdrawn the award of the license to the home-based company Jocs SA.
A new German State Treaty on Gambling would make it possible to issue more online sports betting licenses and extend the experiment phase for two more years. The purpose is to nourish a legal sports betting industry and discourage illegal sports betting.
Gaming opponents are slamming the Queensland government for paving the way to a second Gold Coast casino. Star Entertainment is also opposed to the move, saying the market has reached saturation. Star in building an integrated resort (l.) in Brisbane, the capital of Queensland.
The country’s new governing coalition, MORENA, is calling for an increase in a “sin tax” that would impact gaming and betting operators nationwide. The coalition also plans to introduce new regulations to combat problem gambling online.
Ontario Finance Minister Bill Morneau (l.) is calling for the federal government of Canada to amend the Criminal Code to allow single event sports betting. This type of wagering is considered the fastest growing, most popular form of sports betting.
Companion bills in the Michigan House and Senate would legalize online casino games, poker and sports betting. Outgoing Governor Rick Snyder vetoed similar legislation last year. State Rep. Brandt Iden said he had the votes but not the time to override the veto. While campaigning last year, Governor Gretchen Whitmer (l.) said she supported online sports betting.
In a case that dates back to the early days of online gambling in New Jersey, a California man will forfeit about $90,000 he had amassed in online accounts in the state. The player, identified as Vinh Dao, played from outside the state’s borders, which is prohibited under New Jersey law.
Paddy Power Betfair has announced plans to rebrand and change its name to Flutter Entertainment pending shareholder approval. The group also reported an increase in revenues despite a dip in profits for 2018.
The Malta Gaming Authority has moved to cancel gaming licenses for Neptune Entertainment and Triton Gaming and has ordered the companies to shut down their online operations. The authority did not disclose the reasons for the license cancellations saying investigations into the sites were ongoing.
New Jersey-based ResortsCasino.com has added FastPick fantasy sports wagers to its offerings, featuring a tab to make a variety of wagers on individual athlete performances.
The legislature has approved and Governor Gina Raimondo (l.) of Rhode Island appears ready to sign a bill that would approve mobile sports betting in the state. Rhode Island’s two casinos already offer sports betting that must be confined to those casinos.
A bill to legalize sports book on tribal lands and on Minnesota’s two racetracks is moving through the Senate. It is opposed by the Minnesota Indian Gaming Association.
The chancellor of North Dakota University System told lawmakers he is against a proposed sports betting bill that would allow betting on collegiate games. He claims it would put pressure on vulnerable student athletes.
The two gaming tribes of Connecticut appear to hold the winning hand in deciding whether sports betting will be legalized in the state. New legislation requires that the tribes agree to any changes by negotiating new compacts. And the sports betting legislation introduced in Connecticut includes a 0.25 percent integrity fee to major leagues for funding a joint venture with the state to bring in more sports events.
Concerns have emerged over allowing college sports and in-play wagers in Iowa. The legislation introduced by State Rep. Bobby Kauffman and Senator Roby Smith (l.) faces an uphill battle since recent polls showed only 25 percent of Iowans support legalizing college sports betting with 68 percent opposed, and 40 percent approved betting on professional sports with 52 percent opposed.
SkyCity Entertainment has offered to pay New Zealand taxes as it moves to set up an offshore online gambling site to service the country’s gamblers. Online gambling is illegal in New Zealand, but the country does not prohibit its citizens from playing offshore sites. The company says it will self-regulate its site and voluntarily pay taxes to the country.
West Virginia sportsbooks at Wheeling Island and Mardi Gras casinos suspended sports betting earlier this month, but promised to honor all outstanding bets. Delaware North, the company that owns the two casinos said a contractual dispute between platform providers caused the suspensions.
House Bill 175, which would have allowed sports betting at horse racetracks and the Kentucky Speedway, will not be voted on before the Kentucky legislative session ends. Sponsor state rep. Adam Koenig said the measure has a better chance of passing next year. It’s the third consecutive year a sports betting bill was introduced.
Although he opposes expanded gambling, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee (l.) seems to have changed his mind about sports betting legislation. His office is working with lawmakers to rework state Rep. Rick Staples’ measure that would authorize 50 retail sports books and mobile wagering and generate about $150 million in annual tax revenue.
New Jersey’s legislature will consider a bill to increase penalties for sportsbook that take bets on contests prohibited by state law. The state prohibits bets on college teams from New Jersey institutions. The bill—which has cleared a state Assembly panel—would raise fine by 10 times. Meanwhile, Tropicana Atlantic City has unveiled its permanent sports book (l.) with William Hill.
North Carolina state Senator Jim Davis, whose district includes the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians’ Harrah’s Cherokee Resort, introduced S 154, which would allow sports betting at that property and Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River Casino & Hotel (l.). Previously Davis successfully sponsored other legislation allowing the casinos to expand.
Valley Forge Casino opened its FanDuel Sportsbook in an event featuring former Philadelphia Eagle Brent Celek, who placed the first bet after a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Meanwhile, Pennsylvania regulators have approved an eighth retail sports betting location, authorizing Greenwood Gaming to open a sports book at nearby Valley Forge Turf Club.
A measure legalizing casino gambling in Georgia recently failed to move from the House to the Senate. State Rep. Ron Stephens (l.), the bill’s sponsor, said next year he’ll introduce the bill, which would require a statewide referendum in 2020 to approve casinos in select locations throughout the state.
In a unanimous vote, the Indiana Gaming Commission approved transferring the two licenses of the Majestic Star Casino (l.) in Gary to Spectacle Entertainment. Spectacle wants to move one license to a land-based location and the other possibly to Terre Haute. State law will have to be changed to move the licenses.
Kentucky Downs racetrack (l,) in Franklin, Kentucky recently was sold to Kentucky Racing Acquisition LLC, a joint venture of Ron Winchell and Marc Falcone. The Thoroughbred racing facility hosts five live races a year and offers 750 historic horseracing machines. Winchell is a horse breeder and Falcone is a former officer at Red Rock Resorts and Station Casinos.
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board recently approved allowing Churchill Downs to manage Lady Luck Casino Nemacolin (l.) in Farmington, Louisiana for $100,000 paid to Eldorado Resort, which will retain ownership of the property. Opened in 2013, the casino offers 600 slot machines and 27 table games.
The Mississippi Gaming Commission will consider an application for casino site approval from Cure Land Company. The proposed casino in Lakeshore, Hancock County, located less than two miles from the Silver Slipper Casino in Bay St. Louis, would feature a 40,000 square foot gaming floor with 1,100 slots and 22 table games, plus a 300-room hotel.
The death of 21 horses since December has stunned the Santa Anita racetrack (l.). The iconic California track has shut down until it can begin operating a program that will safeguard horses. Meanwhile it is losing out on lucrative racing days.
Atlantic City’s nine casinos took in about $241 million in revenue for February, up about 26 percent over last year. Sports betting has topped $2 Billion in total handle since going live in the state nine months ago and online betting rose 44 percent over February 2018 to $32 million. Four of the city’s casinos, however, reported revenue declines.
The San Juan Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino has completed a $20-million renovation by development firm XLD Group. Constructed by V Architecture, the hotel’s design was influenced by its location, while adding contemporary renovations to better guest experience.
Wind Creek Hospitality has applied to Pennsylvania regulators to begin changing exterior signage on the Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem. A rendering of how it’s going to look at left.
Elon Musk’s Boring Company has won a bid to build a mile long tunnel transit system to serve the expanded Las Vegas Convention Center that will open in two years. The winning bid by the eccentric billionaire was for $55 million.
A day-long celebration, including a parade, speeches, entertainment and a huge cake, will mark the 20th anniversary of the Beau Rivage Resort & Casino (l.) in Biloxi, Mississippi. The $750 million property, built by Steve Wynn in 1999, opened one of the state’s first two sports books last August.
A bill in the Pennsylvania legislature would increase the severity of penalties for anyone who is underage caught gambling in one of the state’s land-based casinos.
Gamal Aziz, a former president of Wynn Macau and MGM Grand Las Vegas, has been indicted in the sweeping Justice Department investigation into bribery and cheating at some of the nation’s top universities. Aziz is charged with falsifying documentation to get his daughter into USC.
The Ohio-based Jack casino company has launched a new public relations campaign called “JACK Loves CLE.” The campaign is based around the hometown vibe that Jack exudes at its Jack Cleveland Casino and Jack Thistledown Racino. It will include TV, print, billboard and radio ads.
Pojoaque Pueblo’s Buffalo Thunder Casino and Resort (l.) became the second casino in New Mexico to offer sports betting. This is just in time to take wagers for March Madness. And soon after that, the Navajo Nation decided to launch sports books in its New Mexico properties as well.
California’s Chukchansi tribe, owners of the Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino (l.), has another potentially deadly dispute between tribal factions. Five years ago such a clash ended up closing the casino for more than a year.
The Saracen Casino Resort in Pine Bluff, Arkansas is taking shape, said Quapaw Tribe Chairman John Berrey. In a presentation, he said the $320 million project could generate $35 million in tax revenue in five years for the city and state. If a license is granted by mid-April, the casino resort could open in February 2020, he said.
While admitting that the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) has won the right to build a casino on its reservation adjacent to the town of Aquinnah on Martha’s Vineyard, the town maintains the tribe ought to submit to some review. Its rights are “not without limits,’ claims the board of selectmen.
Two years after breaking ground the San Diego-county based Sycuan Band of Kumeyaay Nation will soon open a $250 expansion. It will include a 300-room hotel, spa, fitness center and lazy river pool feature.
The largest casino resort on the West Coast, Pechanga Resort Casino, is boldly going where no casino has gone before. It has deployed friendly robots on its property that remind happy patrons of characters from science fiction.
International Game Technology announced a three-year management extension of its contract with Loto-Québec and a 10-year contract renewing its agreement to provide platform, retailer terminals and services to Slovakia’s lottery.
Art Manteris, the vice president of race and sports operations at Station Casinos, will be inducted into the SBC Sports Betting Hall of Fame in an April 25 ceremony. He joins former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie in the inaugural induction.
AGS has named longtime slot supply veteran Mark DeDeaux as the company’s new senior director, slot products, charged with overseeing game product management, operations and sales.
Gaming and Leisure Properties, Inc. has named longtime Penn National Gaming executive Steven T. Snyder as senior vice president and chief financial officer.
At Beau Rivage Resort & Casino in Biloxi, Mississippi, Murat Akan was named executive director of hotel and food and beverage. Harry Hall Jr. was promoted to director of beverage. Evans Tedford moved up to director of food and beverage. Barrett Cobb was named director of restaurants. And Corey Boykin was promoted to manager at BR Prime.
Michael Hu recently was promoted to president of Asia Pacific at luxury gaming manufacturer and electronic table game market leader Interblock. Hu joined Interblock in 2004 and opened the Asia branch, expanding the company’s stations to 7,000 and solidifying Interblock as Asia’s ETG market leader.
Duetto reports that its business in providing revenue management solutions to casino clients has doubled in just the past 12 months, and is growing steadily across the U.S.
Slot supplier AGS and the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma have signed a deal that will reinforce their longtime partnership. AGS provides a leased game footprint of approximately 3,200 Games, representing AGS’ largest Chickasaw footprint ever, according to AGS CEO David Lopez (l.).
Deutsche Bank Securities has estimated that Scientific Games Corporation will save around $9 million in annual interest expense as a result of its recent offering of unsecured notes.
The Japan-based parent company of Konami Gaming is building a new 12-story tower in Tokyo that will be dedicated to esports, including an arena, esports classes and a special esports shop.
AGTech has won the contract in an open bidding session to provide a network service platform for the Sports Lottery Center in China’s Guangdong Province.
GeWeTe launched its Cash-Center-Premium product in an extensive exhibit for the Irish market at the recent Irish Gaming Show in Dublin, Ireland. GeWeTe’s Aristidis Tsikouras and Mark Edmundson at left.
