Century Casinos and VICI are partnering to buy three new properties—two in Missouri, one in West Virginia—with a view to growing their portfolios. For Eldorado, which is reported to be closing in on a merger with Caesars Entertainment, the cash will do nicely and the sale divests some of the company’s smaller casinos such as Isle of Capri Cape Girardeau (l.). The purchases give Century a total of 10 North American casinos.
The Las Vegas Sands Corp. has announced it will focus all its energies on winning an integrated resort license in Osaka, Japan, going up against fellow U.S. operator MGM Resorts International. The alternatives—Yokohama and Tokyo—both had issues that LVS thought were exclusionary. LVS Japan chief George Tanasijevich (l.) says Osaka “has made it very clear” about their pursuit of an IR.
All that remains before the Encore Boston Harbor can open its doors are three tests that must be performed to the satisfaction of the Massachusetts Gaming Board. Then the $2.6 billion casino resort in Everett will be given the green light. One of the features of the property is the Popeye statue (l.) by Jeff Koons, which has graced several Wynn casinos in the past.
The New Mexico based Ellis Entertainment, LLC has purchased Ellis Park Racetrack (l.) in Kentucky for $11 million. Ellis Entertainment is a subsidiary of the development arm of the Pueblo of Laguna.
The Las Vegas Sands Corp. is on the hunt for SG$8 billion (US$5.9 billion) in funding to expand its integrated resort in Singapore, the Marina Bay Sands (l.). As one of the world’s most successful IRs, raising money should be easy, but you can never tell.
The federal Department of Justice will wait until at least 2020 before it attempts to enforce its revised opinion on the federal wire act. Recent memos said the DOJ is reviewing its recent loss in a New Hampshire lawsuit that challenged the opinion and is extending a grace period for enforcing the opinion until December 31. The memo did not say if the DOJ will appeal the New Hampshire ruling.
A lawsuit to force California cardrooms to stop using a convoluted formula for house-banked card games failed last week when a U.S. District Court ruled that the tribes do not have the power to enforce state regulations. The tribes say they will appeal.
AGS held its fourth GameON customer event at the WinStar World Resort in Oklahoma, drawing 142 attendees with unique seminars, panel discussions and networking opportunities.
Scientific Games Corporation Chairman Ronald Perlman (l.) has increased his own stake in the company, buying 110,000 shares to increase his stake to 39 percent. The company has also sued one its largest shareholders to force it to reveal its connection to a Russian company active in illegal gambling.
The recent gaming expansion bill in Illinois seems to be a boon for the industry—thousands of more slot machines, sports betting and additional casinos. But Scott Fisher of Convergence Strategy Group wonders what it means for the existing operators and why the video gaming machines at thousands of locations seem to be getting the best of it.
The sale of three casinos by Eldorado led to speculation that the acquisition of Caesars could follow. But let’s not put the cart before the horse. Eldorado has long said that smaller properties might not fit into its new size, whether or not it buys Caesars.
This week, the GGB Podcast features a discussion with Alan Feldman, the former spokesman for MGM Resorts and before that Mirage Resorts, on his transition to his new role at UNLV and his commitment to responsible gaming.
Local businessman and Legislative Assembly head Ho Iat Seng (l.) has officially declared his candidacy. As Beijing’s reported choice come election time later this summer, it’s believed the job is all but his.
In Goa, India, a group calling itself the Aam Aurat Admi against Gambling is frustrated by promises by several administrations to remove casino boats from the Mandovi River. The group’s leader, Sabina Martins (l.), says gambling is prohibited by law and should be stopped.
The wealthy in Hong Kong are quietly moving money offshore in response to a government plan to allow extraditions of suspects to China. The bill will cover Hong Kong residents as well as foreign and Chinese nationals.
Cambodia has issued at least 13 new gaming licenses since January for a grand total of 163. The government says tax revenues from the sector will total $70 million in 2019, up from $46 million last year. Ben Lee (l.) says the licenses will decrease in number when the government passes a bill that will require a minimum $50 million investment.
Travellers International Hotel Group, owner and operator of Resorts World Manila, is preparing to reopen the second level of the property’s gaming floor (l.), which was shut down after an arson attack in 2017.
Saipan lawmakers may get tough with casino operator Imperial Pacific International, which has seen its tax contributions slide dramatically in the past year. Officials have proposed a 10 percent tax on net gaming revenues.
Joy Belmonte (l.), the mayor-elect of Quezon City, Philippines, is standing by her decision to implement a casino entry fee for locals, overriding the authority of the country’s gaming regulator. Joy Belmonte will take office on June 30.
A Macau court has once again dismissed Kazuo Okada’s compensation claim against Wynn Macau and its former owner, Steve Wynn. Okada, a former member of the Wynn board, looked for US$1 billion in damages.
The Japan Racing Association has suspended 156 racehorses from the upcoming calendar due to allegations that they were given an illegal performance-enhancing drug.
Marina Bay Sands has given up its efforts to recover some $10 million in gambling debts from an Australian-Chinese business tycoon. On June 6, the Singapore resort filed a notice of discontinuance in the case.
UK Labor Deputy Leader Tom Watson (l.) is calling for the establishment of a gambling ombudsman to protect UK consumers. The call comes a month after Watson called for a review of all online casino licenses in the country. The Labor Party has called for several tough initiatives to combat problem gambling including a ban on credit card use at gambling sites.
STDM’s license to operate the Estoril Sol’s three casinos in Portugal expires at the end of the 2019. Public tenders, which are expected to draw major operators, could begin as early as this summer
Platinum Gaming, which operates Unibet.co.uk and uk.bing.com, has agreed to pay £1.6 million in a settlement with the UK Gaming Commission for failures in its social responsibility and anti-money laundering procedures. The case involved a gambler convicted of fraud playing stolen money at the sites.
Australian supermarket giant Woolworths is taking the heat for over-serving alcohol to patrons in its gaming shops. The company faces big fines and even revocation of its gaming licenses for the practice.
A Divisional Court ruling has gone against a Kenora-area First Nation seeking to build a casino on its reserve. The Wauzhushk Onigum Nation sought a judicial review of the process that led to the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation awarding Gateway Casinos a casino license for Kenora.
On June 13, Alberto Weretilneck, governor of Río Negro Province in Argentina, presided over the groundbreaking ceremony for a new casino and entertainment complex in the capital city.
Kenyan gamblers could be hit with a 10 percent excise tax as the government looks for way to reduce problem gambling in the country. The move was proposed by Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich (l.).
The New South Wales’ Gambling Impact Society has launched what it calls a “lived experience project” in which people affected by problem gambling can share their stories to enlighten the public.
The NBA is planning a virtual sports betting game featuring NBA highlights and footage. The game will debut next season in U.S. and European gaming and lottery markets. The game—titled NBA Last 90—will simulate the last 90 seconds of an NBA game and offer wagering options.
Seventy-nine operators have expressed interest in online gaming licenses in the Netherlands according to Dutch gaming regulator Kansspelautoriteit. The market is set to launch on New Year’s Day 2021.
Global Gaming has vowed to appeal the revocation of its operating license by Sweden’s gaming regulator, Spelinspektionen. The firm’s SafeEnt subsidiary was charged with operational breaches.
Last week the European Gaming and Betting Association and Entercash filed a case against the Norwegian Ministry of Culture over a policy that seeks to block online gaming payments.
Danish gaming regulator Spillemyndigheden has launched a campaign to educate the public about skin betting and loot boxes. The initiative is aimed at parents, children and teens under the age of 18.
A bill that will legalize sports gaming in New Hampshire is headed for Governor Chris Sununu (l.). The governor is almost certain to sign the bill, especially since his budget is already spending the proceeds from it.
The pen of Governor Janet Mills (l.) is the only step yet to be taken before Maine approves sports betting. The bill was approved the last day of the legislative session in a whirlwind of activity.
Sports wagering, which used to take place in the shadows outside of Nevada, is now become so accepted that many sports arenas want sports betting within their walls. Illinois’ major sports stadiums, including the venerable Wrigley Field (l.) will be allowed to operate their own betting outlets under the sweeping gambling expansion bill recently passed by the Illinois legislature.
The Rhode Island Lottery is confident that it will be able to offer mobile sports betting in time for the NFL season in September. The legislature approved of mobile sports book three months ago.
It’s been one year since New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy (l.) placed the first legal sports bets in the state and the governor says sports betting has been an unqualified success. As he often does, he predicted the state will pass Nevada for total sports handle. About $3 billion has been bet on sports in New Jersey over the last year.
The Senate’s on board. The Assembly’s leadership isn’t. Neither is Governor Andrew Cuomo (l.). Supporters of mobile sports betting in the Empire State appear to have little choice now but to look to 2020, and maybe longer.
Less than a third of Colorado voters surveyed would vote to legalize sports betting if the election were held today. Supporters of this ballot measure, which would put money into the Colorado Water Plan, see that they have their work cut out for them.
New Mexico’s Indian tribes may have discovered the secret sauce for easily offering sports betting in a state where it isn’t yet legal. The answer seems to be: Just do it. That’s what the Tamaya Nation did when it opened a sports book at its Santa Ana Star casino (l.).
May’s sports betting handle in Pennsylvania was down 2.4 percent from the previous month with a total handle of $35.9 million. The state hit a high of $44.5 million in March. However, the first four days of online sports betting at the SugarHouse casino (l.) in Philadelphia—the last four days of the month—brought in more than $573,000 in total bets.
Sports Handle has uncovered a paper trail that chronicles an effort by Major League Baseball to persuade sports book facilities in Las Vegas to become Authorized Gaming Operators. They would pay MLB in return for access to its game data and branding.
Members of the Washington DC City Council are asking for an inspector general’s investigation of a proposed contract to run the district’s new sports betting app. The five-year, $215 million contract would go to Intralot, but reports have surfaced that several sub-contractors to the deal have connections to DC political campaigns.
When the longshot St. Louis Blues won against all the odds, the sports books that covered bets for the team ended up paying dearly. At one time the odds were 300-1 against the Blues.
Iowa casinos have been pushing for an aggressive timetable in implementing sports betting in the state hoping to live in August ahead of the NFL season. Iowa approved sports betting in May. Three casinos have been given conditional approval to construct sportsbooks.
New Jersey lawmakers are taking a second look at a law they approved last year that forbids sports franchise owners from betting on their game. The law as written aimed at Golden Nugget Atlantic City (l.) operator and Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta.
Regulators in Pennsylvania approved the petition for a sports wagering certificate from Mount Airy Casino Resort, and approved a vendor for the coming sports book at Erie’s Presque Isle Downs & Casino.
Sportradar has announced a multi-year extension of its media partnership with NASCAR to continue distributing NASCAR’s live timing and scoring data to digital media partners. Sportradar has been distributing NASCAR’s information for the last four years. The announcement follows an integrity services agreement signed in December between Sportradar and NASCAR.
H2 Gambling Capital and Princeton Public Affairs Group have formed an alliance to support one another’s professional services in the growing U.S. sports betting market.
The Ladies Professional Golf Association announced it is partnering with Genius Sports to implement a sports betting monitoring, education and investigation program. Under the partnership, the LPGA’s integrity team will receive regular reports, analysis and betting data from Genius Sport’s bet monitoring system.
The Arkansas Racing Commission has granted a license to the Oklahoma-based Quapaw Tribe to operate a casino in Jefferson County. Construction has already begun on the $350 million facility in Pine Bluff. Tribal Chairman John Berrey (l.) says his people are “excited.”
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board has approved Penn National Gaming’s license to built its first mini-casino (l.) in Morgantown near the Pennsylvania Turnpike.
Caesars Entertainment held a topping-off celebration for Caesars Forum, a 550,000-square-foot conference facility featuring the world’s two largest column-free ballrooms.
The Santa Anita racetrack may have had to cancel its remaining season of racing. The track may have been suspended at the request of California’s governor. But that doesn’t mean the Breeders Cup is ready to cancel its November 1-2 event. Not yet, anyway.
Workers at the Fiesta Rancho and Sunset Station have voted overwhelmingly to join the Culinary and Bartenders locals, bringing to six the number of Station Casinos properties in the Las Vegas Valley that have chosen unionization. Station has yet to negotiate contracts with any of them.
Rush Street Gaming announced plans to break ground on a $60 million hotel project (l.) that will create the 219-room, four-star “Landing Hotel Pittsburgh.”
A bill to federally regulate horseracing has been introduced in the U.S. Senate. The bill, co-sponsored by New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (l.), mirrors a similar bill introduced in the House of Representatives. The bill which would appoint the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, a private, nonprofit group, as the overseer of racing’s medication rules and drug-testing programs.
Virginia has for years been one of the most restrictive states when it comes to gaming. That may not be true much longer, as votes to permit gaming in individual cities are upcoming.
The owner of the Magic City Casino in Miami, Florida claims it has the exclusive right to use the longtime nickname “Magic City.” West Flagler Associates has filed suit to prevent a developer from using the name.
Video gaming terminals at approved truck stops in Pennsylvania is closer after International Game Technology completed work on the central control system.
The Kansas City metro area in both Kansas and Missouri have benefitted greatly from the commercial vitality of the casinos that serve the two states. So says the most recent State of the State report by the American Gaming Association.
The city of Jacksonville Florida ordered 15 internet cafes to shut down partly for suspicion that the sites were offering simulated gambling games. A total of 23 businesses were notified but about six had proper certificates of use. They could still face closing.
The Seminole tribe is withholding $350 million in gaming revenues from the Florida government, saying the state violated tribal exclusivity by allowing smaller gaming halls to offer banked card games. The state counters that the games have never been judged to be illegal, so therefore are permitted. Chairman Marcellus Osceola Jr. (l.) says the state can take the time to decide, but the tribe will withhold funds in the meantime.
A U.S. senator from North Carolina has penned an op-ed accusing the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians of bullying other tribes who want to build casinos that it consider competition. The tribe is opposing bills by Senator Richard Burr (l.) that would put land into trust for the Catawba Nation and the Lumbee Tribe.
A federal judge last week heard arguments in a case where the Kalispell Tribe of Washington is suing to prevent the Spokane Tribe from building a casino in Airway Heights. The first phase of the casino has already been completed.
A Washington tribe has announced that it is adding a conference center to its previously announced five story hotel project. The announcement was made by the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe about 7 Cedars Casino (l.).
Millennials are absolutely critical to the plans of the Connecticut Lottery. So it is working to make the Lottery attractive to that age group. To do that, it says, it needs to migrate the lottery online and onto mobile platforms.
The Oregon Lottery says it expects to pay its sports betting contractor SBTech about $26.8 million over the next three years. Sports betting is scheduled to begin in the state in September. The state expects to attract a handle of $722 million by the third year. SBtech’s payments, based on a share of projected revenue, are expected to increase each year as the handle grows.
The legislature of North Carolina is moving a bill that would create a state commission that would oversee boxing, the lottery, bingo and raffles. Lawmakers left out daily fantasy sports from the bill. A lottery commission already exists, so it’s unclear what would happen to that organization.
The District of Columbia has posted regulations governing sports betting in Washington. Many consider the language unclear in some instances, such as whether bets are allowed on some college teams, or none at all. But the prohibition on betting on the city’s colleges, such as Georgetown University, is considered by some to be hypocritical.
AGS President and CEO David Lopez has won a Glassdoor Employees’ Choice Award as a Top CEO following a 98 percent approval rating in anonymous employee reviews.
James Maida, the president and CEO of Gaming Laboratories International, won the EY Entrepreneur of the Year for New Jersey. Maida is joined by (l. to r.) GLI staff Chris Gallo, co-founder Paul Magno, Maida, Angela Koutsouris, Robert Cox, Bruce Hecht and Angela Stewart.
iGaming and sportsbook platform supplier, Bet.Works, has appointed Jay Rood as the company’s new Chief Risk Officer. With over 25 years’ experience in the Las Vegas sports betting industry, Rood has held a number of senior positions at companies such as Caesars, and MGM.
The New York tribe has hired Justin Arnett to manage the sports betting operations coming to its three upstate casinos. Arnett most recently ran the Venetian and Palazzo books on the Las Vegas Strip. His experience also includes stints at the Cosmopolitan, Hard Rock, M Resort and the Gold Coast.
Gaming veteran Alex Yemenidjian has joined the board of Green Thumb Industries, which hopes to take part in the development of the legal cannabis industry. His experience in a heavily regulated industry is seen as highly valuable on the board.
Intralot has confirmed the list of senior independent members of the board of directors for its U.S. subsidiary Intralot Inc., welcoming three new directors.
AGS has named Anna Massion, a veteran executive with experience in corporate finance and asset management, to its board of directors and to several key board committees.
Konami Gaming has launched its Concerto Opus large-format slot cabinet (l.) in the Caribbean gaming market for the first time with six units at Casino Atlántico Manatí in Puerto Rico.
The Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers has teamed up with Gaming Laboratories International to create the “Lasting Impact Philanthropic Initiative”
Interblock announced that it has surpassed 950 electronic table game units at Resorts World Casino New York City (l.), making it North America’s largest ETG footprint in a single casino.
Gaming Laboratories International has joined the Canadian Gaming Association, and will expand its Vancouver, British Columbia laboratory to handle increased Canadian business.
Grupo Como has named JCM Global as its preferred supplier of bill validators and printers for its casinos across the Spanish and Latin American gaming markets.
The Gran Palacio casino in Monterrey, Mexico has installed the Wigos casino management system produced by Win Systems, one of more than a dozen Wigos installations in the country.
Table Trac, Inc. has partnered with Tokyo-based Broadband Security to market its CasinoTrac casino management system in the coming Japanese integrated-resort market.
TPG Capital is acquiring slot route operator Accel Entertainment through a publicly listed subsidiary, which will become the vehicle for Accel’s public listing.
The Association of South African Bookmakers (SABA) has taken a stand four square in favor of diversity and inclusion. It is supporting an initiative created by the gaming industry called the All-in Diversity Project.
Gambling.com Group Plc. announced the winners of its inaugural American Gambling Awards, recognizing achievements in the online gaming industry. New Jersey’s David Rebuck (l.) was named top regulator following a stiff challenge from Pennsylvania’s Susan Hensel.
Finnish gaming operator Paf will act as lead technology partner for Grand Casino Luzern in its new online casino venture, mycasino.ch. The online site will be introduced this summer.
Everi will display its latest game themes and banked products at the Northwest Indian Gaming Conference and Expo at Washington’s Tulalip Resort Casino.
Clarion Gaming and the International Masters of Gaming Law have signed a memorandum of understanding under which IMGL will become Clarion’s global legal partner.
