Eldorado Resorts last week sold off two more casinos, adding to the five they’ve recently sold, as the company prepares to take over Caesars Entertainment in a $17 billion deal. Rhode Island’s Twin Rivers was the buyer, and plans to substantially alter the Isle of Capri property in Kansas City (l.). Meanwhile, Caesars appears to have the backing of the shareholders, as they voted to return all eight of the 11 directors up for re-election, including, significantly, Carl Icahn’s four appointees.
The expected swift expansion of iGaming in the United States has hit a big speed bump thanks to the decision by technology giant Apple Inc. to prohibit iGaming apps from its App Store. Operators have until September 3 to rewrite their code to match Apple’s or be shown the door.
Oklahoma’s 15-year-old tribal gaming compacts will expire January 1, 2020. Governor Kevin Stitt (l.) said he wants to renegotiate them "to reflect the state of affairs today." The compacts give tribes exclusive rights to operate gaming in Oklahoma in exchange for 4 percent to 6 percent of revenue. The tribes are not happy about it.
Sasebo City and Nagasaki Prefecture in Japan hope to enter a request-for-concept phase for commercial integrated resort partners by the fall of 2019. Sasebo City on Kyushu Island (l.) has often been put forth as a potential IR candidate.
Aristocrat Technologies Inc. has sued Ainsworth Game Technology for infringement of intellectual property, alleging theft of the design for Aristocrat’s popular Lightning Link progressive product (l.).
Golden Nugget Atlantic City (l.), the leader in the New Jersey online gambling market, could see its combined online revenue surpass its brick and mortar revenue by the end of 2019. That would be a first for a U.S. casino. Through May, the casino has made only $3.5 million more with its brick and mortar casinos than online. However, the casino’s total online revenue is shared with three other online platforms.
William Hill announced that expected cuts would close about 700 betting shops putting about 4,500 jobs at risk. The cuts come after the UK reduced the maximum stake on fixed-odds betting terminals to £2. GVC reacted to the news by saying it expects to close 900 betting shops over the next two years, affecting 5,000 jobs.
A bill to bring legal sports betting to Puerto Rico has passed a joint committee of House and Senate members and now is headed to Governor Ricardo Rosselló Nevares. Rosselló, a proponent of gaming in the country, is expected to sign it.
Quapaw Nation Chief John Berrey said a former truck stop will open as a casino annex to the $100 million Saracen Casino and Resort (l.) in Pine Bluff, Jefferson County, Arkansas in two months. The casino will open in April 2020 and the hotel in October 2020.
With the U.S. gaming industry in a state of saturation, is it over for investors? Is there no way to make money anymore by investing in an up-and-coming gaming company? Yes you can. Just pay attention.
This week the GGB Podcast sits down with Winnie Wong, the chief responsible gaming officer and vice president of special gaming projects for Sands China. Wong was in Las Vegas to learn about the developments in responsible gaming.
A news report presumably published with Beijing’s backing accuses Suncity Group of creating an illegal offshore market on the mainland for Chinese citizens to gamble online. Chairman Alvin Chau Cheok Wa (l.) vehemently denied the charge, but Macau regulators have taken notice.
The government of Nepal has eased the minimum distance required between casinos and international borders. In a June 27 cabinet meeting, officials decided that casinos and electronic gaming halls can operate up to a distance of 3 kilometers (1.9 miles) from the border. Tourism director Dandu Raj Ghimire (l.) wants to encourage global players to enter the market.
The New Century Hotel in Taipa, site of the closed Greek Mythology Casino (l.), has been dogged for years by ownership and operational controversies. Now management has submitted plans to the government for reviving the property with some new construction.
Imperial Pacific International Holdings Ltd., which holds the sole casino license on the Pacific island of Saipan, announced last week that it has acquired 50 percent of a company that owns land there where a hotel and housing are being built. IPI said the acquisition is “in line” with its business development strategy. And the finish line may be in sight for the resort (l.).
Macau gaming venues accounted for more than 25 percent of violations reported since tough new smoking restrictions went into effect at the start of this year. Casinos are rushing to change that, seeking approvals for more than 600 specially designed smoking rooms.
A sixth casino has opened in the Philippines’ Clark Freeport Zone. The $250 million D’Heights Casino (l.) offered 50 gaming tables and 576 slot machines to start, with 100 gaming tables expected to be on offer when the venue marks its grand opening in October.
As Ireland considers reforms to its more than 60-year-old gambling laws, concern is being raised that changes in slot payments could lead to an increase in gambling addiction. Slot limits would be increased by more than 300 times to €10 a bet under proposals before the government. A new maximum payment of €750 would also be set. Playland casino in Dublin shown at left.
On July 8, the Athens Securities & Exchange Commission temporarily suspended the listing of OPAP SA due to speculation that Czech gaming company SAZKA will acquire a big piece of the former state-owned Greek lottery and sports betting operator.
Online gaming firm Gaming Innovation Group has reportedly suspended operations of its sportsbooks in Sweden due to a “lack of clarity” in the country’s regulations. GiG called it a temporary suspension and asked the government to clear up the confusion.
A new UK report brands gambling companies as irresponsible for not doing more to ensure underage minors do not see gambling ads online and on social media platforms such as Twitter. The interim report is part of a longer study commissioned by a leading gambling charity in the UK, GambleAware.
British Columbia Lottery Corp. Vice President of Corporate Compliance Robert Kroeker (l.) has reportedly resigned amid complaints he instructed his staff to “ease up” on anti-money-laundering measures and “allow dirty money to flow into casinos.” The report in Global News comes as regulators in the Canadian province are investigating numerous complaints of money laundering at casinos.
Twenty-seven betting companies, including Betway, one of the market leaders in Kenya, did not have their licenses renewed at the beginning of July. Some of the companies are planning to appeal the country’s multi-agency gaming board, which cancelled or deferred the licenses.
Australian supermarket giant Woolworths, which plans to divest of its pubs and pokie operations, may attract new investment as it concentrates on its core business, say some analysts. But the spun-off company, the Endeavour Group, could be shunned by some investors.
Chilean law enforcers are planning to officially charge two former directors of the Association of Operators, Manufacturers and Importers of Electronic Entertainment with corruption for allegedly making illegal contributions to political campaigns.
Genting UK has extended its partnership with Galaxy Gaming Inc., under a new multi-year agreement providing product and marketing support for Galaxy table-game titles and progressive systems.
Major League Baseball has announced its first venture into eSports with a tournament in China That will feature eight competing teams under the title MLB: The Show. The three-month competition will take place across the Chinese cities of Beijing, Chengdu, Chongqing, Hangzhou, Shanghai and Xi’an and is scheduled to launch before the end of the year.
The Oregon Lottery is on rack to open its sports betting section in three phases that will have the first wagers being taken as the NFL season begin. The Lottery’s hiring of SBTech to run its sports wagers continues to be controversial.
The fate of 40 bills passed by the Maine legislature in the final days of the session are in limbo, including one that would legalize sports betting. Governor Janet Mills (l.) has declined to sign them at this time.
Moving forward on sports betting, the Tennessee Education Lottery Corp. announced its first public meeting on the matter, August 14 in Nashville. Without physical casinos, Tennessee is the first state to offer only online/mobile sports betting.
The Indiana Gaming Commission recently released proposed regulations for sports betting, which was signed into law May 8. The process will include a public comment period before the regulations can be finalized. But Indiana Grand Senior Vice President and General Manager Ron Baumann (l.) says he’s looking to hire employees to staff the sportsbook.
The Mohawk Tribe is building a 5,200-square-foot venue at its Akwesasne resort near the Canadian border and has selected Toronto’s the Stars Group to manage it. It’s expected to open in time for football season in the fall.
The North Carolina House has approved legislation calling for a study of the “feasibility” of regulated sports betting in the state. A newly formed North Carolina Gaming Commission would conduct the study and analyze the “positive and negative impacts” of sports betting.
The company that operates the two casinos in Rhode Island has started a campaign against Governor Gina Raimondo’s plan to pen a $1 billion, 20-year agreement with International Game Technology for lottery service. Twin River Executive VP Marc Crisafulli (l.) claims that agreement is a bad deal for the state.
Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker has signed the comprehensive expanded gaming bill, but that doesn't mean sports betting, new casinos and racinos and additional video gambling machines will come to the state soon. Rules have to be written, applications taken and other steps completed. Fairmont Park (l.) racetrack is waiting patiently to submit its application.
Regulators in Pennsylvania have approved a motion to restart auctions in September for the remaining five licenses to build Category IV mini-casinos. Previous auctions got little attention. The House gaming oversight committee chairman, Rep. Jim Marshall (l.), says they’ll give it one more try.
Despite a request from Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber to delay the vote, Miami-Dade County commissioners approved a proposal to open bids for a monorail system connecting Miami and South Beach. The proposal was presented by the Miami Beach Monorail Consortium, which includes the Genting Group, owner of downtown Miami property (l.) where it hopes to build a casino.
Since racinos opened in Ohio in 2012, slots revenue has steadily increased to a record $1 billion in fiscal 2019. MGM Northfield Park (l.)—previously the Hard Rock Rocksino—led the state's seven racinos with $256 million, up from $246.5 million in fiscal 2018. Hollywood Columbus casino led the state's four casinos with $19.5 million in revenue for June.
The Gambling Addiction Prevention Act of 2019, filed by U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (l.) of Massachusetts and David Daines of Montana would require the Department of Defense to offer treatment services to active-duty service members with gambling problems. By one estimate, 56,000 active-duty service people have gambling disorders.
Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf (l.) has signed a bill into law that gives Lancaster County municipalities 60 days in which to opt out of the video gaming terminal program, banning VGTs in their jurisdictions.
Revenue from the 1,000 historical racing machines installed last September at Churchill Downs' Derby City Gaming has resulted in a record $32.2 million in prize money for horsemen at the Louisville, Kentucky racetrack. The total for the 145th Spring Meet, which ended June 29, was $9.9 million, 45 percent higher than last year's $22.2 million total.
The Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska is backing a petition to place a casino question on the 2020 ballot. The tribe’s economic development arm, Ho-Chunk, is financially supporting the drive. The Nebraska legislature has also approved video gambling.
Despite a majority vote to lift the limit on new video gambling licenses in unincorporated areas of Illinois, the limit will remain in effect in Lake County, thanks to board rules and Robert’s Rules of Order. Some board members voted no because they received the amendment to the proposed ordinance the day before the vote.
Electronic pull tabs, approved by the North Dakota legislature in 2017 and launched in August 2018, have generated more than $8.9 million in charitable gaming taxes, significantly surpassing all predictions. Today 174 organizations offer more than 1,700 devices in 470 sites statewide, said Gaming Director Deb McDaniel.
Madisonville County, Texas, has joined several other Lone Star counties in passing a resolution of support for the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas to keep its Naskila gaming facility (l.) open. The resolution by the county commission supports H.R. 759 which would establish that the tribe can legally operate a Class II casino.
The Pascua Yaqui Tribe of Arizona and the city of Tucson are negotiating a possible deal that would allow the tribe to put land into trust inside city limits and open a casino there. The 14.8-acre parcel once hosted a drive-in theater. The tribe already operates Casino del Sol (l.) south of Tucson.
The Tulalip Tribes of Washington state are poised to begin a $125 million part project that will include a new Quil Ceda Creek Casino, a gathering hall and a marina. The project on 15 acres is expected to be finished by early 2021.
Oregon’s Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation have commenced an $85 million expansion to its Wildhorse Resort & Casino. The new work will include a 300-room hotel that will mirror the existing 10-story tower.
California’s Cahuilla Band of Mission Indians have begun an upgrade of their Cahuilla Casino and hotel near Anza. The work is slated to be finished by the end of 2019.
Wisconsin lawmakers have reviewed a bill that would allow lottery winners to remain anonymous if they choose. The bill would ban retailers who sell winning tickets, the lottery administrator and the state revenue department from divulging information about the winner. The location of the winning ticket sale still would be made public.
International Game Technology Plc. has signed a four-year contract extension with the Colorado Lottery to provide a wide array of products through July 12, 2025.
A new law will allow the Iowa Lottery to give $100,000 a year to the new Iowa Public Safe Survivor Benefits Fund. The money will go to organizations that help families of first responders killed in the line of duty to keep their insurance. Governor Kim Reynolds signed the legislation May 22.
Konami Gaming has named veteran technology leader Sina Miri to the position of vice president, innovation and strategic R&D in a strengthening of executive leadership.
ProNet Gaming has named former William Hill director Alex Leese as chief executive officer. The appointment comes as the company expands into newly regulated markets around the world.
The first assistant general manager of the Muckleshoot Casino to come from the Muckleshoot tribe, Jesse B. McDaniel, has been hired. He comes to the job after five years as Tribal Business Leader.
Nevada regulators have approved the PlayOn cashless table-game wagering system from Automated Cash Systems Inc. after a successful field trial at the Red Rock Casino in Las Vegas.
Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City has installed the 7,500-square-foot Unilumin LED sportsbook on the casino floor, featuring a four-sided display with live in-play betting odds.
Table Trac has signed an exclusive contract with Tokyo-based Broadband Security Inc. that will integrate Table Trac’s CasinoTrac casino management system into the coming Japanese gaming market.
Gary Platt Manufacturing has supplied unique “Steampunk” style chairs for San Manuel casino’s new high limit gaming area. The all-new Vault Gaming & Provisions has debuted unique and custom décor for its guests.
Colombia’s online gambling regulator, Coljuegos, has approved eCOGRA as an independent testing laboratory. This follows recent approval from the Buenos Aires Provincial Institute of Lottery and Casinos enabling eCOGRA to also test and certify online platforms and games.
The upcoming Casino ESports Conference to be held in September at the Luxor in Las Vegas will focus on how casinos moving into eSports can turn a profit, according to event ambassador Roy Student (l.). The two-day conference, titled “For the New Era of Gaming,” will bring together online and land-based gaming operators with members of the eSports industry and attempt to map out a progressive and mutually profitable future.
The upcoming Betting on Sports Conference scheduled for September in London has announced a new partnership with the International Association of Gaming Advisors. The deal strengthens the relationship between the IAGA and SBC, which organizes the conference.
