A request for proposals for three casino licenses for New York City could be announced in April, and reports are that Las Vegas Sands, Wynn Resorts and Bally’s will be in the fray. But if the slot parlors run by MGM Resorts and Genting get two of the licenses, only one will be available.

Governor Naomichi Suzuki (l.) of Hokkaido, Japan has dashed hopes that the island will host one of the country’s first three integrated resorts. The mayor of Tomakomai City Mayor said he’ll try in the next round.

In a 19-13 vote, Alabama state Senator Del Marsh’s bill allowing seven casinos and a state lottery failed to gather the 21 votes needed for Senate passage.

It’s been a year since British Columbia’s casino operators were forced to close, including Hard Rock Vancouver (l.) in Coquitlam, by the Covid-19 pandemic. Even now, operators are unsure when they’ll be allowed to reopen again.

Texas Rep. Dan Huberty (l.) wants to amend the constitution of the Lone Star State to allow sports betting. His is the fourth such bill introduced so far during the legislative session.

The Cambodian casino hub of Sihanoukville has locked down its borders due to an outbreak of Covid-19 infections. Eighteen new viral cases grew to 95 people in just three days.

Boyd Gaming and the FanDuel Group are reviving the iconic Stardust casino brand in online casinos and sportsbooks planned for New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

Entain, the parent company of Ladbrokes and Coral betting shops, could close as many as 300 locations in 2021, despite a profitable 2020. William Hill said its shops that reopened have come close to pre-Covid levels.

Some $4.5 billion could be headed Nevada’s way from the $1.9 trillion Covid-19 recovery bill that became law last week. City and county governments, schools and Las Vegas’ McCarran International Airport (l.) all are in line for funding.

Arizona tribes oppose a bill that would permit historical horseracing at racetracks and off-track betting parlors. They said its passage could derail the compact they renegotiated with Governor Doug Ducey (l.).

Jefferies equity analyst David Katz has devised a new way of ranking sportsbooks, which he calls the Digital Wagering Scorecard. Here’s how it works.

This week, the GGB Podcast features a discussion with Erika Nardini, the CEO of Barstool Sports, on how a small sports blog has developed into a major force in U.S. sports betting via its partnership with Penn National Gaming.

The hotel at Nepal’s Tiger Palace Resort Bhairahawa (l.)has reopened after an almost yearlong closure due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The hotel first closed down on March 23, 2020.

China has developed an innovative digital health certificate to help get outbound travel and tourism back on its feet. The document will function as a sort of Covid-free visa and could have global applications.

Pansy Ho (l.) continues to divest her stake in MGM Resorts International, the U.S parent of Macau's MGM China. It's believed her plan down the road is to exit the company entirely to take charge of Macau rival SJM.

Casinos in Russia's Primorye gaming zone saw a 24 percent drop in visitation last year due to the pandemic. But officials expect a complete turnaround, and still plan a concentrated cluster of casinos (map, l.).

Officials in Khanh Hoa Province (l.), Vietnam are pushing for a second casino resort development valued at more than US$2 billion. The project must be approved at the national level.

The Netherlands gambling authority, known as Kansspelautoriteit, unveiled a trademark that operators must display on digital platforms. The trademark speaks to new technical standards for online play.

The Swedish Financial Police have announced an uptick in reports of alleged money laundering in 2020, with more than 700 reports logged by gaming companies for the year.

In an effort to stem gambling harms, the gaming trade association in Gibraltar has formed a foundation to work with stakeholders. The Belvedere Trustees Limited assisted with start-up funds.

The Ōtorohanga District of New Zealand may update its gaming policy to allow more “pokies.” But that plan has run into a buzzsaw of opposition, particularly from the Problem Gambling Foundation.

Casinos and bingo hall in Canada’s Alberta province, including the Great Northern Casino, anxiously await word from the government that they will be part of the next stage of reopening. They hope patrons will return and gaming revenues will rebound.

Casino Marina del Sol (l.) in Chile will reopen after being closed for a year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The venue will move 140 slots outdoors to a terrace area once reserved for smoking.

Peru lawmaker Walter Ascona (l.) proposes a 12 percent tax on online gaming and sportsbooks. He would take the revenues from what is now an unregulated market and distribute it among provinces and municipalities.

Following the Georgia Senate’s passage of SR 135, voters there could get the chance to pass a constitutional amendment legalizing sports betting. Senator Jeff Mullis (l.) sponsored the bill.

North Carolina, Nebraska and South Dakota have moved closer to accepting the first bets since approval of sports betting in the states. Iowa promises what could happen as it passed the $1 billion mark in handle.

Mixed martial arts kingpin UFC becomes the latest to link with a sportsbook operator, in this case, DraftKings. The expansive five-year deal will feature in-game promotions, enhanced prop bets and more.

Software company Simplebet has used successful tryouts with FanDuel and Intralot to raise funds to help drive in-play betting options. CEO Chris Bevilacqua said such bets are the wave of the future.

BetMGM, DraftKings and FanDuel are tied for market share lead in Tennessee. Each took in $70 million in January. FanDuel and DraftKings face fines from a hold percentage too low compared to regulations.

DraftKings expects to hold a 20 percent market share when sports betting handle when the market reaches full maturity—meaning more than $4 billion a year. Revenue could reach 71 percent.

Penn National Gaming’s Barstool expected to become the sixth online sportsbook in Illinois March 11. The launch will be the third mobile sportsbook for Barstool, with the others in Pennsylvania and Michigan.

Bally’s has been spending big to get into the digital betting and gaming space and is now hoping to scoop up Allied Esports Entertainment for $100 million.

Supporters of single-event betting in Canada face the need to erase the concerns of the horse racing industry which sees the fixed odds system in sports betting as a threat to the viability of parimutuel wagering.

Australia’s sportsbook king PlayUp has opened in Colorado, one of the most active sports betting markets in the U.S. It is operating as the operator for Bull Durham Casino in Blackhawk through a mobile app.

The Wyoming House voted 32-28 against legalizing sports betting and fantasy sports. The debate focused on the risks of gambling addiction and whether the state should encourage it just to collect additional revenue.

The English Premier League’s Leeds United has signed a new deal with Skrill, the digital payments brand, making Skrill an official partner of the football club.

The Danville Planning Commission believes the gaming resort (l.) Caesars Entertainment plans to build in the city is so big and so unique that the location demands its own special zoning.

VICI Properties is selling 60 million shares of common stock to fund $2 billion of the $4 billion the REIT has committed to its $6.25 billion joint-venture purchase of Las Vegas Sands' Las Vegas Strip resorts, along with the Sands Expo Center (l.).

Maryland Governor Larry Hogan (l.) has eased restrictions on the Maryland hotel and gaming industry, allowing casinos and restaurants to operate at 50 percent capacity.

Penn National Gaming’s first Category 4 satellite casino, Hollywood Casino Morgantown (l.), is slated to open along the Pennsylvania Turnpike in eastern Pennsylvania by the end of the year.

The West Virginia Senate has passed a bill reversing a ban on ATM machines near video lottery machines at racetracks. The ban was implemented in 1994.

Southland Casino Racing (l.) in West Memphis, Arkansas now is operating 24/7 after offering limited hours due to Covid-19. President and GM David Wolf said he welcomed the return to “normal hours.”

The Mississippi Gaming Commission released updated Covid-19 guidelines, raising occupancy limits from 50 percent to 75 percent but maintaining most of the protocols in place since last year.

Hospitality workers in Southern Nevada could be the next group in line for coronavirus vaccines. Nevada's Covid-19 Task Force said the vaccines could start to be administered by March 21.

Resorts World Casino New York City, owned by a unit of the Malaysia-based Genting Group, has filed suit against its insurers claiming it was wrongly denied coverage for losses caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

In the past five years, the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe has given $21 million in grants from 2 percent of revenue from its Soaring Eagle Casino in Mount Pleasant, Michigan.

The Board of Selectmen of the town of Aquinnah on Martha’s Vineyard want a rapprochement with the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head. They want an end to the battle over the tribe’s bingo hall.

Graton Resort & Casino of Rohnert, California has announced industry-leading minimum wage increases across its entire workforce. The changes, effective March 8, include $18.50 for non-tipped workers, according to tribal Chairman Greg Sarris (l.).

Since the first documented case of Covid-19 in Indian Country on March 2, 2020, the pandemic has taken more than 5,300 lives of Native Americans and caused more than $10 billion in casino revenue losses.

The Netherlands de Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) may grant a monopoly to operate the lottery to Lotto BV, according to the Dutch Administrative Jurisdiction Division. It rejected an appeal by Betfair and others operators.

After a two-year search, Playtech has chosen Brian Mattingley (l.) as its new board chairman. Mattingley will leave 888 Holdings after 15 years and replace Alan Jackson.

Pennsylvania Senate President Jake Corman (l.) has appointed the wife of a colleague to the state’s Gaming Control Board. A newspaper says the board has become "a lucrative landing ground for the politically connected."

The U.K. Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport has tapped John Baillie and Catharine Seddon (l.) for another year term as gambling commissioners.

Campbell House, an interior design firm serving the hospitality industry, has announced that JoyceLynn Lagula has joined the company as creative director and principal.

PlayAGS financials got hammered in the fourth quarter and for 2020. But David Lopez (l.), the CEO of AGS, which makes electronic games, said the pandemic spurred efficiency which should spur 2021 growth.

Aristocrat Gaming has introduced an updated version of its RevMax performance optimization solution. Called RevMax Plus, it will, says Aristocrat, “maximize game investment” using analytics

A $1 billion no-bid deal crafted by former Governor Gina Raimondo (l.), who recently took a position with the Biden administration, that gives IGT a 20-year no-bid contract to supply the Rhode Island Lottery is under scrutiny by state lawmakers.

Potawatomi Hotel & Casino in Milwaukee has teamed up with Evolv Technology to bring a high-tech security and screening system to enhance the safety of guests and team members.

Global online gaming firm Fazi Interactive has announced a new partnership with Maxbet Romania. Fazi will work with Maxbet to provide a leading-edge entertainment product for players in the market.

The Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers has added six new members, bringing the total membership in the organization of gaming suppliers to a record 190 members.