Forecasts called for heavy action on the first Super Bowl since the U.S. Supreme Court opened the floodgates to legal sports betting nationwide. The reality didn’t quite measure up. Sports books in Nevada won more than expected, but the first Super Bowl in New Jersey was less than successful, as they dropped $4.6 million. FanDuel, which dominates the N.J. market along with DraftKings, took a loss of $5 million on its own.
New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal (l.) is criticizing the federal Department of Justice’s reversal on its interpretation on the federal Wire Act and openly questioning whether Las Vegas Sands owner Sheldon Adelson is behind it. New Jersey, along with the attorney general of neighboring Pennsylvania, has sent letters to the DOJ strongly criticizing the new opinion. New Jersey is one of three states that allows online gambling and Pennsylvania has approved online gambling.
In a 28-12 vote, a casino bill passed from the Virginia Senate to the House for the first time in the state's history. It would allow casino referendums in Bristol, Danville and Portsmouth, but not before 2020. The delay would allow a comprehensive study of the state's gambling industry, due by January 1, 2020. Senator Tommy Norment (l.) wants a tax rate between 13 percent and 15 percent.
Japan’s IR Development and Promotion Ordinance has set forth new mandates for the country’s first integrated resorts. For one thing, IR hotels must offer “substantially” more than 100,000 square meters of floor space. Tokyo Dome Hotel (l.) is currently the largest Japanese hotel at 105,856 square meters.
A report from Roth Capital Partners estimates that the trade war between the U.S. and China may be hurting the share price of Las Vegas Sands. Some experts believe that the relationship between LVS Chairman Sheldon Adelson and President Donald Trump exacerbates the damage.
Melco Resorts & Entertainment Chairman and CEO Lawrence Ho recently visited Cyprus to meet with tourism officials and get them up to speed on the company’s big plans for Cyprus gaming. Melco has licenses to develop an integrated resort and several satellite casinos.
A bill that would remove Indian businesses from the jurisdiction of the National Labor Relations Board has been reintroduced in the Senate. Its chances there are good, but in the House its chances are much, much worse. Kansas Senator Jerry Moran (l.) wants to correct a “decade-old mistake.”
The American Gaming Association estimates that by the end of this year, half of the 50 states in the U.S., will either have legalized sports betting or will be considering doing so. AGA Senior VP Sara Slane (l.) says more money was wagered on betting than spent on pizza and chicken wings.
Skill-slot supplier Synergy Blue has released a report examining the role of skill-based gaming in what it calls a “new era of gamers and gambling.” The company identified skill games as bringing “exciting opportunity as well as daunting challenges.”
Sandra Douglass Morgan, recently appointed as chairwoman of the Nevada Gaming Control Board, will be the keynote speaker for the “Road to 2020,” the first Episode of the UNLV Gaming & Hospitality Education Series for 2019.
This week, the GGB Podcast features a sit down with Nehme Abouzeid, the president and founder of LaunchVegas, a consulting firm dedicated to brands looking to launch big in Vegas and other destination markets.
Gross gaming revenues in Macau dipped 5 percent in January, the first decline in more than two years. But the Golden Week holiday started strong, with day-one visitation up 21.7 percent year-on-year.
The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. reported net income of PHP31.49 billion (US$603 million) for 2018, up a whopping 536.6 percent over 2017, thanks to its sale of the land under the Solaire resort (l.).
Singapore gaming regulators have renewed the gaming license of Resorts World Sentosa. Operated by Genting Singapore Ltd., Resorts World is one of only two casino resorts in the market, along with Marina Bay Sands.
Laborers who worked on the Imperial Pacific Resort in Saipan say they were not paid in full after their employment ended. The workers, whose visas expired at the end of January, began leaving Saipan last weekend.
Laborers who worked on the Imperial Pacific Resort in Saipan say they were not paid in full after their employment ended. The workers, whose visas expired at the end of January, began leaving Saipan last weekend.
Universal Entertainment Corp. has completed its acquisition of shares in Asiabest Group International, a giant step forward in its plan for a backdoor listing of its subsidiary, Tiger Resort Asia Ltd.
Italy’s gaming market has exploded in the last decade. It more than doubled in size between 2008 and 2017. However the government is doing something to slow down that growth: forbidding advertisements and raising taxes.
Sweden's Minister of Public Administration Ardalan Shekarabi (l.) has called for representatives of the gambling industry to address Parliament on gambling advertisements. Shekarabi said the testimony is designed to see if the industry can self-regulate aggressive gambling ads or if action is needed by the government.
The stately, historic Opera House Casino (l.) in Scarborough, England, has gotten an infusion of cash. The £250,000 investment will allow it to increase its slot machines, add new food and beverages and hire a new assistant manager.
Many residents of Toronto have a soft spot in their hearts for Ontario Place waterfront park. So they are reacting with alarm at reports that Ontario Premier Doug Ford (l.) might want to put a casino there.
Rodrigo Maia has been reelected to president of the Brazil House of Representatives under new president Jair Bolsonaro. Maia is a strong supporters of integrated resorts in the South American country.
The investigation of money laundering in British Columbia casinos has come upon hard times as the government’s estimates of how much money was laundered may be inaccurate. The latest development is that the state-owned casino operator may itself have inadvertently participated in money laundering.
The Northlands Park and Casino (l.) in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada is closing its doors. Horseracing ceased there three months ago and has moved to nearby Century Mile near the Edmonton airport.
A bill has been introduced in the Maryland legislature that would provide for the addition of esports into the permissible offerings of the state’s casino and lottery industries.
UK bookmaker Ladbrokes is telling employees to push online account sign-ups to avoid being part of 5,000 planned layoffs as it closes about 1,000 retail betting shops, according to a report in the UK paper the Guardian. The company plans to close the shops as the UK drops the maximum bet on fixed odds betting terminals to £2. Redundancies to decide which shops close will be done through a ranking system. Part of the ranking system will involve how many new sign-ups an employee brings in, the paper said.
AGS Interactive has signed a content partnership agreement with online gaming leader Bede Gaming, under which the AGS content library will be available to Bede’s operator clients.
OneTouch has signed an agreement with BetConstruct, under which the OneTouch suite of casino content will be made available to BetConstruct’s global brands.
Quickspin announced that its Tournaments promotional tool has delivered impressive results, increasing turnover or slot tournaments six-fold in some markets.
Despite a nationwide crackdown on web gambling, Azino777, licensed in Curacao and operating from the Ukraine, reportedly is the biggest advertiser in the Russian-speaking internet. Working through thousands of illegal domains the casino is believed to account for 20 percent of all wagers in Russia’s underground market.
Paddy Power Betfair has acquired the country of Georgia’s largest online gambling operator Adjarabet. The deal is worth a deal worth £101 million or about $132.5 million. The Dublin-headquartered company said the purchase was part of its strategy to extend its footprint and cement its position into rapidly growing digital betting and gaming markets.
Figures released by Spain’s Dirección General de Ordenación del Juego show locally licensed online operators generated revenue of €189.5m in the three months ending December 31, 2018. The sum represents a 4.2 percent rise over Q3 and a 10.7 percent improvement from the same period in 2017. For 2018 as a whole, overall revenue from locally licensed online operators rose 25.5 percent to €699 million.
Sportech PLC has completed its acquisition of iLottery systems and games provider LOT.TO. The acquisition will provide Sportech with a new digital gaming vertical for iLottery, as well as enhancing its internal capacities incorporating LOT.TO’s product proven technology development teams, the company said.
The UK’s Gambling Commission has issued a warning to bookmakers about the use of non-disclosure agreements where consumers are paid money in return for agreeing not to talk to the regulator when settling complaints. The commission said it is investigating the use of these clauses.
The District of Columbia council is pushing ahead with a controversial bill allowing it to avoid taking bids for a sports betting vendor. It also extends the contract with the current D.C. Lottery vendor, Intralot. Executive Director Beth Bresnahan (l.) said an open-bid process would take at least 27 months and cost millions of dollars.
An effort to allow mobile sports betting failed in Mississippi, as House and Senate measures missed the deadline to pass out of committee. Wagerers will continue having to place bets in person at casino sports books. Senate bill sponsor, state Senator Willie Simmons, said he will continue to pursue mobile sports betting legislation.
Missouri state Senator Denny Hoskins' (l.) proposed sports betting legislation includes a 0.5 percent fee to be paid back to the state for sports facility repair, maintenance and construction. Casino interests object to the bill's requirement of using "official league data” and allowing professional leagues to disallow wagers. Governor Mike Parson hasn't expressed an opinion about sports betting.
A measure legalizing sports betting in Texas was introduced by state Rep. Eddie Lucio III. The constitutional amendment would require two-thirds approval of the legislature and a statewide voter referendum in November. If the measure passes, sports wagering could begin on January 2020. Governor Greg Abbott (l.) has expressed opposition to any gambling expansion.
Arizona lawmaker Sonny Borrelli thinks his state should stop wasting time and get in line for sports betting. The senator has introduced SB 1158 that would legalize sports book for tribes but would also collect a tax for the state.
Montana, one of the states which retained the rights to offer sports betting when Congress passed a ban in 1992, finally appears ready to offer the wagers. Three bills have been introduced in the legislature.
Oregon Lottery spokesman Matthew Shelby thinks the Lottery will be offering sports betting by the time the next NFL season begins this summer. “We are working internally through various options, but we still have a goal of rolling something out to Oregonians in time for the 2019 NFL season,” he writes.
Charitable gaming could be the beneficiary if one of two sports wagering bills is adopted by the North Dakota legislature. The legislature has begun holding hearings on the bills.
The parent company of Parx Casino in Bensalem, Pennsylvania is planning a second satellite sports book at its Valley Forge Turf Club off-track betting facility.
The $11.9 billion in win was the state’s third-best annual total ever. The Las Vegas Strip was up 2 percent to $6.56 billion. Reno was up 4 percent to $636.9 million. Sports books handled more wagers than ever, $5 billion worth, and won a record $301 million.
Officials of Bridgeport, Connecticut and the city’s delegation to the legislation are renewing calls for a casino in the city. MGM has proposed a casino in Bridgeport (l.). The only thing standing in the way is the existing gaming tribes.
The results of a study commissioned by Louisiana Senate President John Alario, due this week, could determine whether or not the state will extend Harrah's New Orleans Casino's license by 30 years. Harrah’s New Orleans GM Dan Real (l.) says there can be a deal that benefits both sides.
Employee owned Eureka Casino Resort has purchased Seabrook Greyhound Park (l.) in New Hampshire. The company may be Nevada-based, but two top executives will be returning home when they start work to renovate the acquisition.
South Dakota voters could have the chance to approve a Deadwood-style casino in the proposed entertainment district (l.) in Yankton and whether Deadwood and tribal casinos may offer sports betting. A Yankton casino measure failed last year, but this year's version would direct funds to veterans causes. Both issues would require a statewide referendum to amend the state constitution.
The Mississippi Gulf Coast's 13th casino moved forward as the state gaming commission unanimously voted to grant site approval for a Long Beach casino. Now developer James Parrish must prove he has the financing to complete the project, which must include a 40,000 square foot casino, 300-room hotel, fine dining and a unique amenity.
In a unanimous vote, an Indiana Senate committee approved a bill that would allow one of the Majestic Star Casino's licenses to move from Gary to Terre Haute, and let live-dealer table games start now at Anderson and Shelbyville racinos. The measure, co-authored by state Senators Mark Messmer and Jon Ford (l.), also would legalize sports betting.
The former coal town of Jenkins, Kentucky could host the Raven Rock Casino Resort if developers successfully convince legislators to change state law banning casino gambling. Raven Rock Entertainment Chief Executive Officer James Hibbitts said the casino resort could generate $1 million in tax revenue in its first year and create 1,000 jobs.
Electronic bingo could return to Alabama beyond Poarch Band tribal casinos under legislation being drafted by state Rep. Pebblin Warren. Her bill would allow the games at Victoryland Casino (l.), once Macon County's primary employer and tax revenue source. It has been open only sporadically since it was raided in 2010 under Governor Bob Riley.
Binion’s, formerly the Horseshoe, is a Downtown Las Vegas landmark, and hasn’t had a hotel since the old one closed 10 years ago in the midst of the recession. That will change this summer with the debut of an 81-room offering harkening back to the property’s earliest days as the Hotel Apache (l.).
About 20 Massachusetts senators last week took a tour of the recently opened MGM Springfield. They were there to gauge the effects of the casino on the local economy. MGM Springfield President Michael Mathis (l.) said business is booming around his casino.
The Las Vegas casino famed for the 1,150-foot-high observation tower has a new name—The STRAT Hotel, Casino and Skypod—to go with the $140 million owner Golden Entertainment is investing in an entirely new look. Upgrades include new restaurants and bars, remodeled rooms and a redesigned casino floor.
Nearly half of the aldermen in Des Plaines, Illinois said they'd support video gambling in the city, in response to requests to business owners concerned about competition in nearby communities. But as home to Rivers Casino (l.), officials fear allowing video gambling machines could put the city "in a very awkward position."
The New Jersey Casino Control Commission has approved a trustee to oversee investment in Atlantic City’s Ocean Resort as a New York-based hedge fund seeks to gain a controlling interest in the property. Financial disclosures in the process show that the much-troubled property—originally the Revel casino, which closed due to bankruptcy—is facing serious cash flow problems once again and has been losing money since September.
Atlantic City saw two new casinos open in 2018 which led to a 20 percent increase in casino employment at the end of 2018. Nine Atlantic City casinos reported total employment of 27,927 in December, an increase of 5,749 jobs over the number recorded in the final month of 2017. The city had only seven operating casinos in 2017.
Utah’s Assistant Attorney General Steven Wuthrich has helped write legislation that puts electronic sweepstakes machines squarely in the crosshairs. He calls the games “fringe gaming,” and considers them gambling.
The New Jersey legislature has passed a bill that would restore government subsidies for the state’s horseracing industry. The state’s Assembly and Senate gave final approval to a bill providing $20 million a year for five years to the racing industry. The bill now goes to Governor Phil Murphy (l.).
A San Francisco reporter last week reported that the Raiders NFL team would be playing their 2019 season in that city, a year before landing in Las Vegas. Complicating that reports is the fact that the San Francisco 49ers would have to give their permission, and so would the NFL. Neither has done so.
What residents call the “ghost mall,” (l.) is getting shoved and battered into flinders to make way for a casino to be built by the Wilton Rancheria. Work has begun in Elk Grove near Sacramento to demolish the “eyesore” that has been visible from Highway 99 for more than ten years.
An audit highly critical of the way the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe of Massachusetts runs its finances has appeared on a government website. The tribe claims the audit was released as an attack on the tribe’s reputation by its enemies. The debt has been incurred as a result of attempts to build the tribe’s First Light casino resort (l.).
Native Americans have the highest rate of gambling addiction of any group in the United States. They are tied for that dubious distinction with Asian Americans.
The Ho-Chunk Nation plans to expand its casino resort in Madison, Wisconsin. The project includes an additional 145,000 square feet of gaming space, a 150-200 room hotel, 15,000 square feet of conference and entertainment space and a 30,000 square foot museum and cultural center. The tribe operates six casinos in Wisconsin.
The town of Aquinnah, Massachusetts, has asked the Martha’s Vineyard Commission to review plans by the Aquinnah Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head for a small, Class II casino. The tribe calls the move a delaying tactic.
Construction has begun on a new permanent structure at the Apache Casino Hotel in Lawton, Oklahoma that will replace the huge white tent that has served as the west entry for nearly a decade. The project will be completed by the end of the year. The property began as a smoke shop 20 years ago.
California’s Chicken Ranch Casino, which started as a bingo hall in 1985, is in the midst of an expansion and renovation. Ultimately a new, relocated casino could be in the Me-Wuk Indians’ future.
Pittsburgh’s Rivers Casino has hired legendary Las Vegas oddsmaker Jimmy Vaccaro, a native of the local region, as director of sports relations, overseeing the property’s new sports book.
J. P. Morgan Managing Director Bret Yunker was named chief financial officer at Eldorado Resorts, effective May 2. Analysts said Yunker's hiring “signals that further corporate activity” is part of Eldorado’s long-term plan. Recent Eldorado acquisitions have made it the third largest regional casino company, with 27 casinos and properties in 13 states.
Chris Kelley has been named future president and Chief Operating Officer of Northfield Park in Ohio by MGM Resorts International. MGM has purchased what is currently known as Hard Rock Rocksino Northfield and will soon take over.
Asia Pioneer Entertainment Holdings Ltd. has appointed Tony Chan Chi Lun as an executive director. Chan is CFO of the company’s Macau gaming equipment subsidiary, APE Macau.
Asia Pioneer Entertainment Holdings Ltd. has appointed Tony Chan Chi Lun as an executive director. Chan is CFO of the company’s Macau gaming equipment subsidiary, APE Macau.
Ng Man Sun, the chairman, CEO and executive director of Amax International Holdings has upped his share of the company by exercising conversion rights to convertible bonds.
Suppliers Continent 8 signed two partnership agreements last week with Playtech and SBTech. The Playtech deal strengthens the 20-year partnership between the two firms, while the SBTech agreement allows both companies to expand in the U.S. as a provider of both online and retail sports betting technology. Officials with Continent 8 and Playtech signed the agreement (l.) at last week’s ICE trade show in London.
Scientific Games and Princess Cruises awarded $200,000 in prizes, including a $100,000 prize for the winner, in the Grand Finale of the onboard “Monopoly Cruise for Cash.”
Asian gaming giant Universal Entertainment Corp. has announced that it plans to partner with video game developer Capcom Co. The Japanese firms will join forces to build and sell pachislot machines in the country.
New York has not conducted a social impacts study or comprehensive needs assessment in more than 10 years, according to a new report from the state Comptroller’s Office. Little is known about how best to allocate limited treatment dollars, the study says, and most of the state lacks any publicly funded treatment option at all.
Scientific Game announced the launch of Jin Ji Bao Xi, one of its most successful games in Asian markets, to the rest of its gaming jurisdictions, including the U.S. Class III market.
Everi Holdings emphasized financial technology solutions and growing interactive gaming offerings in partnership with Atrient in a shared stand at last week’s ICE London trade show.
Gavin Isaacs, the chairman of SBTech and former CEO of Scientific Games, will be the keynote speaker at the Southern Gaming Summit, May 7-9 at the Beau Rivage in Biloxi, Mississippi.
Synergy Blue’s display at ICE London reflected skill-based games with unique features, thanks to the inherent flexibility of the “HAWG” platform on which they are based.
