That’s the billion-dollar question as Chief Executive-elect Ho Iat Seng (l.) prepares to take office in December. Speaking to the media recently, he expressed discomfort with the current system in the world’s dominant gaming hub, which saw three concessions become six, and indicated his preference for a statutory cap on the total number of licenses.

The Mohegan Tribe’s resort arm has been selected to operate the casino when Virgin Hotels Las Vegas (l.) opens next year where the off-Strip Hard Rock used to be. It will be the tribe’s first foray into Las Vegas and a first for any Indian-owned entity in the casino capital.

With a draft of Japan’s Basic IR Policy available to operators and before the public, the competition for three integrated resort licenses may start to pick up speed. Among the bidders with a decent chance is Galaxy Entertainment, owners of Galaxy Macau (l.), which has no debt, but also no international experience.

The NCAA's search for best approaches to the expanding legal sports betting market in the U.S. is focused on Washington, where two prominent senators, including Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (l.), are taking up the cause after a prior attempt failed to gain traction. The NCAA wants a prohibition on collegiate sports betting to be included in federal legislation, but there are legal questions that don’t bode well.

Twin River Worldwide Holdings revives the fortunes of Delaware’s Dover Downs (l.) while continuing a program of expansion that hedges its bets in the company’s home Rhode Island market. With new gaming equipment and investment at the Delaware property, Twin River believes it can become a first-class facility.

Two U.S.-based gaming operators—Hard Rock International and Mohegan Gaming and Entertainment—will go head-to-head in their bids to win a casino concession at the former Hellenikon International Airport (l.) near the Greek capital of Athens.

Since the law passed legalizing sports betting in the Granite State, seven New Hampshire cities have expressed an interest in being one of 10 cities that legalize sportsbooks within their jurisdictions. Cities like Nashua, home of the River Casino Sports Bar (l.), have joined forces to put referendums on the November ballot.

In the wake of UK government upheavals related to Brexit, the department overseeing gambling has appointed Helen Whately (l.) as its minister. She replaced Rebecca Pow, selected in July when Boris Johnson took over as prime minister. The chain of events leading to the changes involved opposition to the Brexit strategy.

Responsible Gaming Education Week has been sponsored by the American Gaming Association for 22 years now. RGEW 2019 was special in the events, contributions and results that were reported during the period. A “Get to Know Gaming” event at UNLV in Las Vegas, featuring experts in problem gambling, as well as the chairwoman of the Nevada Gaming Control Board Sandra Douglas Morgan.

María Eugenia Vidal (l.), governor of Buenos Aires, has delayed a tender for online gaming licenses while she seeks reelection. In Argentina, online gaming has been legal since 2006 but only on a province-to-province basis. Vidal has said she is personally opposed to gambling, but worked to enact online gaming laws earlier this year.

How’s that sports betting thing working out after a year of legalization across the U.S.? It’s created a new revenue stream for casino companies, suppliers and states. How soon, however, will full-on casino-style iGaming lag behind?

This week, the GGB Podcast sits down with Mat Doherty, the executive director of the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority, New Jersey’s agency that controls the tourism district in Atlantic City and directs the city’s redevelopment.

The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR) says it will uphold the government’s vow to “crack the whip” on Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) that are behind in their taxes. The country’s tax bureau collected a fraction of the PHP21.6 billion (US$412.9 million) it expected from POGOs; Senator Joel Villanueva (l.) has demanded the POGOs be shut down.

The government of the Philippines has given Hong Kong-listed casino developer Landing International Development, whose Nayon Landing IR (l.) was summarily canceled in 2018, has about six months to find an alternative site for a casino resort it originally planned for the capital city of Manila. If Landing fails in its quest, it could forfeit its casino license.

Loot boxes are virtual items in games that can be bought with real-world money and do not reveal their contents in advance. A UK committee calls it gambling and wants it regulated and efforts made to keep children from playing using money. Damian Collins (l.) of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, asked the government to “explain why loot boxes should be exempt from the Gambling Act.”

A new report by the Council of Europe (COE) has called out the government in Malta for its failures to adequately guard against money laundering and potential financing of terrorism.

Macau Legend Development Ltd. says its planned hotel and casino complex in Cape Verde will be complete by the end of next year, says company head David Chow (l.).

Despite early reports that four companies would bid on three casinos owned by the Council of Tenerife, including the Casino Santa Cruz (l.), only one company showed up for the tender. The bid will remain sealed until authorities on the Spanish-ruled West African island determine that it meets the legal requirements.

French gaming group Cogit has won a license to operate the first casino in French Guyana on the coast of South America. Cogit also operates four casinos in metropolitan France and four in the West Indies.

Ajit Singh Shekhawat, (l.) a former director general of police in Rajasthan and current member of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) says legal betting in the country would be an effective way to deter corruption and match-fixing in the popular sport.

Pennsylvania casinos are taking their time getting online casinos up and running throughout the state. Online poker is taking even longer to get rolling. Both elements were supposed to be in play by July 15, but only three—including the iGaming websites of Parx Casino, Hollywood Casino and SugarHouse (l.) were operating by August.

The New Jersey legislature has rescinded a regulation that barred gamblers from betting on the NBA at the Golden Nugget in Atlantic City because owner Tilman Fertitta (l.) also owns the Houston Rockets. The new law puts the state on the same plane as Nevada and Mississippi. Meanwhile, Fertitta predicts the addition of two new casinos in AC last year was “a huge mistake.”

The opening date for unveiling the Oregon Lottery’s “Scoreboard” sports betting app keeps getting pushed back. Holding things up is the testing process for the mobile sportsbook and the state lottery’s first eCommerce platform.

Colorado voters will cast ballots this November over Proposition DD, a measure that would legalize sports betting in the state’s three casino cities. No one knows how much money is to be made if the measure passes, but casino towns including Black Hawk (l.) want any revenue the bets will bring.

The addition of FanDuel as the sportsbook partner of Valley Forge Casino (l.) pumped $35.3 million in wagers to Pennsylvania’s nascent sports betting market. FanDuel and rival DraftKings are the dominant players in the New Jersey sports betting market.

The Michigan House Regulatory Reform Committee approved a measure to legalize mobile and land-based sports wagering. Sportsbooks would be offered at the three Detroit casinos and 20 tribal casinos. Governor Gretchen Whitmer (l.) said she's concerned sports betting would affect state lottery sales, but she may approve the legislation if it includes higher taxes on sports betting revenue.

Several casinos invited football legends to place the first legal sports bets. At Ameristar Casino East Chicago, former Chicago Bears icons, coach Mike Ditka and kick returner Devin Hester, did the honors. At Horseshoe Casino in Elizabeth, it was former Green Bay Packers star Paul Hornung, (l.), 83—ironic since he was suspended in 1963 for gambling.

Sports bettors have wagered more than $8.5 million in Iowa since August 15, generating $2.1 million in profits for the state's 14 casinos and $146,000 for the state. The biggest surprise was only 42 percent of bets were made using mobile apps. But Racing and Gaming Administrator Brian Ohorilko (l.) said that probably was due to the on-site registration requirement.

IMG Arena has signed a multi-sport partnership deal with Scientific Games under which IMG will provide data, live streaming and interactive visualizations for SG Digital’s OpenSports platform.

NASCAR has launched an effort to offer race fans the opportunity to bet on in-race propositions. Such bets could include lead changes or fastest lap time. The goal is to drum up more interest in the popular sport by giving casual fans a reason to watch more of a race.

Sweden’s Unibet, in its first foray into the U.S. market, has partnered with the New Jersey Devils hockey team to promote its sports betting platform. To highlight the deal, the company signed Devil’ superstar former goalie Martin Brodeur. The company hopes the move will help gain a foothold into the competitive sportsbook landscape.

Delaware’s sportsbooks continued to struggle in August, with wagers on sports topping 42 percent year on year, despite a monthly increase.

The Leicester City football club (l.) in the UK has struck a deal with Yabo Sports, a leading gaming company from Asia. The deal, one of many Yabo signed since its 2015 founding, will feature Yabo’s logo on match days and during post match interviews.

Faculty and staff may be banned from betting on the Purdue Boilermakers under a proposal floated by President Mitch Daniels in response to a request by athletics department staff and others. The ban would be the first of its type in Indiana, where sports betting recently began. Trustees will consider the action at their October 10 meeting.

The Wells Fargo Center (l.) in Philadelphia will include a PlaySugarHouse sportsbook at its new standing-room-only level for Philadelphia Flyers hockey games.

The Illinois Gaming Board wants lawmakers to amend the new expanded gaming law’s Chicago tax structure. A study said taxes, fees and other charges add up to an effective tax rate of 72 percent, which would scare away any potential developers. The study also said a 4,000-position Chicago casino could eventually take in more than $1 billion annually—if it’s sited downtown, not elsewhere as recommended by Mayor Lori Lightfoot (l).

Kentucky Attorney General Andy Beshear recently said he would allow casinos, sports betting, fantasy sports and online poker if elected governor on November 5. He said expanded gambling would have an economic impact of $1.7 billion. Gambling opponent Governor Matt Bevin (l.) said in July gambling had driven people to commit suicide in casinos—a statement that bears no relation to facts.

Neil Bluhm, the billionaire real estate developer who wants to build a casino at the Brockton Fairgrounds in Massachusetts (l.), has lost another bid to do so. Last week, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission once more slammed the door in his face.

The city council of Russellville, Arkansas has formed a Community Gaming Evaluation Committee to review applications for a Pope County casino, even though county commissioners have recommended Cherokee Nation Businesses for the license. The state Racing Commission also disagrees with the county's choice and opened a second 90-day window for accepting applications.

Workers at the Fiesta Henderson (l.) have voted to become the seventh Station Casinos property to unionize. Station, meanwhile, continues to hold to its position not to recognize any of the elections or negotiate labor contracts.

Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority former CEO Rossi Ralenkotter (l.) was scheduled to receive $15,000 a month through March 2020. But the LVCVA ended the agreement after criminal charges were filed against him this month in connection with the Southwest Airlines gift card scandal.

Michigan law firm Dykema Gossett has been hired for $250,000 to help the state of Oklahoma negotiate gaming compacts with Native American tribes. Tribal leaders claim the compacts will automatically renew January 1. But Governor Kevin Stitt (l.) said he wants new compacts to require higher exclusivity fees than the original 2004 rates.

After being dry for 150 years, the Crow Reservation in Montana may once more serve alcohol, in particular at its Apsaalooke Nights casino (l.). The venue has been closed for two years for violating regulations. The Crow Tribal Gaming Committee is reviewing the legislation but no date for a vote has been set yet.

Ho-Chunk Inc. is leading a petition drive to place on the 2020 ballot a proposal to allow casino gambling at state-licensed horse racetracks. If the issue passes, CEO Lance Morgan said Ho-Chunk would immediately upgrade its Atokad Downs track (l.), adding a restaurant, sports bar, simulcasting and casino gaming.

Seven Maine tribes are seeking to change the state law that mandates how they are treated. They want to amend the law so that they are treated as sovereign nations rather than municipalities. Penobscot Chief Kirk Francis (l.) said, “This is about the restoration of those rights, not the granting of them.”

Southern California’s Agua Caliente tribe last week took another step towards building its third casino, this one in Cathedral City, reaching an intergovernmental agreement with the Riverside County Board of Supervisors over how much it will pay the county. The progress was hailed by Tribal Chairman Jeff Grubbe (l.), who anticipates a groundbreaking date “in the coming months.”

The Morongo Band of Mission Indians is working to complete renovations and expansion to Morongo Casino Resort & Spa (l). in Cabazon. They are adding 800 slots and increasing the size of the gaming floor by 30 percent, among other additions.

The Angel of the Winds Casino in Arlington, Washington has opened Phase I of its $60 million expansion. The 18-month first phase added more slot machines and gaming tables, a high-end restaurant, expanded buffet, new bowling alley, concert venue and a 575-space parking structure.

The Mohegan Sun Casino in Connecticut has sued Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melnyk (l.) over $900,000 it says he owes it. The casino claims he wrote five bank drafts two years ago that weren’t honored.

In testimony before the Virginia House Appropriations Committee, Virginia Lottery Director Kevin Hall said unregulated gambling machines could lead to a loss of $140 million in revenue this year, causing a loss of $40 million in public education funding. Hall said the machines located at lottery retailers have increased from 500 in January to about 4,500.

Twin River Management Group has teamed up with UK-based Camelot Lottery Solutions to bid on a chance to run the Rhode Island Lottery. The team hopes to block the no-bid contract that Governor Gina Raimondo (l.) negotiated with IGT to operate the state lottery.

As Resorts World Las Vegas prepares for its late 2020 debut, the Asian-themed mega-casino is going for depth across nearly all senior management positions. RWLV CEO Scott Sibella (l.) hailed the latest hires, who include five experienced hands from MGM Resorts, Wynn Resorts, Las Vegas Sands and Mandarin Oriental.

GVC Holdings Plc last week announced that it has appointed Dean Shannon (l.) chief executive of its Australian division. Shannon will succeed Jason Scott as leader of the unit, overseeing the corporate development of Ladbrokes Australia and Neds brands.

BMM Testlabs Director of Tribal Gaming Jodi DiLascio (l.) has been chosen as a board member of the American Indian Science & Engineering Society. The appointment speaks to her interest in promoting the sciences among tribal youth. DiLascio will use her membership to push young people to follow their passions.

Wind Creek Hospitality has added to its executive staff, naming Venus McGhee Prince (l.) as chief compliance officer and Ken Rohman as chief marketing officer.

Philip Easthill has resigned his post as secretary general of the European Casino Association (ECA), in a move that took effect September 1. His departure will mark a new structure for its secretariat in which Veronika Tisold will act as executive director with support from Casinos Austria's Social Responsibility Officer Hermann Pamminger.

The El Cortez in Downtown Las Vegas launched Scientific Games’ new “Munchkinland” slot by granting a total of $6,000 in free play to customers for the max-bet spins each.

Aristocrat Technologies staged the world premier of Dollar Storm, the net evolution of the megahit Lightning Link, at California’s San Manuel Casino.

Sandman Hotel Group has implemented Duetto’s hospitality revenue platform across its entire portfolio of hotels, resorts and inns in Canada, the U.S. and the U.K.

The San Francisco 49ers last week announced the addition of Cache Creek Casino Resort and the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation as proud team partners with a multi-year deal that includes a presenting sponsorship of the 49ers pre- and post-game radio shows.

Incredible Technologies has been named to the Inc. 5000 list of America’s fastest-growing privately held companies for the second time, ranking No. 2014. Elaine Hodgson (l.), president and CEO of IT, says one of the keys is keeping employees happy and fulfilled.

The 2nd Annual Casino Marketing Boot Camp last week announced its speakers lineup. The innovative conference is designed to give casino marketers strategies and tactics to reach their program goals, according to organizer Julia Carcamo (l.).

Daniel Harrop (l.), the doctor who unsuccessfully challenged the legality of the Rhode Island law that authorized sports betting in his state, is back. When his lawsuit was dismissed the judge said he had no standing to sue. Now he does: Harrop claims to have been harmed because he lost a sports bet that he placed in December.