Once a vibrant market, gaming was banned in Ukraine more than 10 years ago. Starting from scratch will give the industry time to do it right and creates opportunities for investors, according the experts in the region.
Richard Schuetz believes the black market is the gift that keeps on giving. Why? Because no matter how you slice it, there is little hope of dismantling illegal offshore betting no matter how hard you try.
In March, Jason Guyot (l.), a veteran of Foxwoods Resort Casino, made history, becoming the resort’s first-ever Pequot chief executive. Guyot had filled the role on an interim basis for more than a year.
It’s short on details, but a deal has been finally reached between New York legislators and Governor Andrew Cuomo (l.) to bid out two sports betting licenses and select the winners by the end of the year. But the deal has many hurdles to overcome and lots of criticism.
The Ilitch family, owners of the MotorCity Casino Hotel, the Detroit Tigers and the Detroit Red Wings, has Atlantic City on their radar. The family agreed to buy as much as 50 percent of Ocean Casino Resort (l.).
Macau gaming revenue topped US$1 billion in March. It was a 58 percent improvement over March 2020 and the second straight month of year-on-year increases.
Australia’s Crown Resorts, battered by revelations that it tolerated money laundering and operated in a culture of noncompliance, could recover sufficiently to win a gaming license for its Barangaroo casino (l.) in Sydney, New South Wales this year.
New York’s 2021-22 spending plan calls for a community advisory board to consider locations for New York City casino. Most city leaders remain dead-set against the idea.
Amendments to sports betting enactment legislation in the Maryland Senate would open sport betting licenses to an unlimited number of retail and online businesses.
Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro (l.) supports a bill introduced by Senator Ciro Nogueira to allow casinos to reopen. It has been a misdemeanor to operate casinos for 80 years. Brazil’s hotels support the change.
Osaka, Japan reopened its RFP process in hopes of luring new developers to build an integrated resort there. It didn’t work; the partnership of MGM Resorts and Orix Corp. stand alone as bidders in the region.
Cannae Holdings, Inc. announced a $32 million investment in fintech company Sightline Payments, fulfilling a commitment totaling $100 million in funding. Cannae Chairman Bill Foley (l.) says the company’s Play+ system is a game-changer.
Alabama state Senator Jim McClendon (l.) has pulled his lottery legislation, knowing it wouldn’t get enough votes to pass. Senators could revisit the bill later on.
The Gambling Commission in the U.K. has released its three-year strategy plan, along with a business plan for coming 12 months. The plan focuses on problem gambling, crime, regulations, among others.
The Mohegan Sun Casino in Connecticut last week agreed to a partnership to host the milestone Miss America 2021 Pageant for the next three years. The event, which will be held in December, will be the 100th anniversary of the pageant which started in Atlantic City.
This week, the GGB Podcast sits down with Jonathan Jossel, the chief executive officer of the Plaza Hotel Casino in Downtown Las Vegas on the 50th anniversary of the legendary property and its role in the Vegas market.
Tourism to South Korea fell 90.4 percent year-on-year in February with few travelers coming through Incheon Airport (l.). There were massive declines in visitation from China and Japan, the nation’s largest tourism markets. Casinos in the country took a heavy hit.
Japan casino regulators have announced the nine types of casino games that will be permitted inside the nation’s casinos. Traditional games like pachinko, pachislot and mahjong aren’t on the list, but Sic Bo (l.) is.
Sri Lanka's Economic Commission will regulate gaming activities and license procedures in light of a $1.4 billion project (l.) by the state-owned Chinese engineering firm.
The Macau Power of Gaming Association, representing employees at various casinos in the territory, has gathered the required signatures and will campaign for a seat in September’s Legislative Assembly elections.
The acquisition of Casino Blankenberge (l.) by Kindred Group has closed. Kindred bought the Belgium casino for £25 million from the Rank Group. The company will retain the management team.
As a result of an increase in online gambling, GamStop reported an increase in new additions to the self-exclusion list. The company credited the increase to an online betting increase in November and December.
Various Canadian regulatory agencies have approved of the purchase of Great Canadian Gaming Corp. by the U.S.-based Apollo Global Management Inc. Shareholders have approved of the $45 per share buyout.
The Netherlands has for years been an untapped market for online gaming. That changed April 1 when the Netherlands Gambling Authority began accepted license applications. The market is expected to launch October 1.
When a North Dakota Senate committee voted 7-0 to send an online poker bill to the full floor with a “Do Not Pass” recommendation, senators took it seriously and rejected the measure in a 47-0 vote.
Online sports-betting registration ended at midnight on April 10 in Illinois. In-person registration was part of the 2019 sports wagering legislation but Governor J.B. Pritzker suspended it when casinos closed for Covid-19.
Completion of the sale of William Hill to Caesars will have to wait after two investors objected. Hill and other operators did better than expected in 2020 but face uncertainty from U.K. update of the 2005 Gambling Act.
Efforts to approve sports betting in Kansas stalled when the House said no deal. The two chambers had differing versions, but each version had its opponents. Whether it can be revived this year remains to be seen.
A bill has been introduced in the Maine Senate to legalize and regulate sports betting. Senator Louis Luchini’s (l.) bill would allow racetracks, OTB venues, casino operators and Indian tribes to operate sportsbooks.
The state of Wyoming has legalized sports betting. It became the second state this year to do so when Governor Mark Gordon (l.) signed it into law on April 5. It was Rep. Tom Walters’s second attempt to pass such a bill.
A bill filed in the U.S. House of Representatives by Nevada Congresswoman Dina Titus (l.) seeks to end the 1950s era federal excise tax on sports wagers. The law was originally enacted in an effort to battle illegal gambling. Sponsors say it’s now outdated.
The National Football League has named London-based Genius Sports Group as the exclusive distributor of play-by-play, betting and stats data to sportsbooks.
Delaware’s sports betting operations, including the sports book at Dover Downs (l., earned $966,752 in revenue for March, a 40.9 percent increase over March 2020, although handle decreased for the month.
Spain’s new regulations pertaining to gaming, especially sports betting, could harm both the gaming industry and some sports clubs themselves, say opponents. The government is specifically targeting advertising.
Endeavor Group Holdings plans to take UFC public, according to an SEC filing. The company also hopes to buy the 49.9 percent share of the mixed martial arts firm it doesn’t own.
Betfred has established operations in the U.S. in Colorado, Iowa and Pennsylvania. The U.K.-based company has applied for a Nevada license. While waiting, the company built its sportsbook as a calling card.
Fox Corp. has filed a lawsuit against Flutter over the former’s purchase of 18.6 percent of an 18.6 percent share of FanDuel. The issue revolves around the fair market value on FanDuel; Fox sees it as lower than Flutter does.
The Dave & Buster’s chain of sports and entertainment-themed restaurants plans to add sports betting where authorized as part of its bid to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Carousel Group, a late-bloomer in the sports betting business, has partnered with the owners of Maxim, the magazine for MaximBet. The two companies think the combo will appeal to the target audience of bettors.
Circa Resort & Casino, which opened in October, has formed its first partnership. It will be an official sponsor of the ninth inning for the Padres Baseball club of Major League Baseball.
The three finalists for Richmond, Virginia’s gaming license—Bally’s project rendering at left—presented their proposals to residents in virtual meetings. A committee will select the operator and voters will have final approval in November.
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot (l.) says she has some ideas about where to locate the city’s sole casino. Proposals will be accepted later this month for the casino resort that’s expected to open by 2025.
The Nevada Gaming Control Board Chairman Brin Gibson (l.) says more casino workers need to be inoculated against the Covid virus, and he won’t relax the current 50 percent capacity restriction on casinos until they are.
Officials of Pennsylvania’s Shippensburg Township unanimously approved the plan of Greenwood Gaming and Entertainment to develop a Parx-branded mini-casino (l.).
Maryland’s six casinos recorded the largest single-month revenue in the industry’s history in March, recording a combined $169.2 million and topping the previous record.
The World Series of Poker will return as a live, in-person event at the Rio (l.) in Las Vegas from September through November, with the No-Limit Main Event concluding November 23.
Historical horseracing was declared a legal gambling option by the Kentucky legislature late last year. Now a task force will research how to increase the tax rate on HHR without affecting its success.
A federal appeals court has upheld a lower court decision to allow a defamation lawsuit filed by former casino mogul Steve Wynn against attorney Lisa Bloom to move forward.
A new casino development has broken ground in Nevada’s Reno-Sparks area. Legends Bay Casino (l.), expected to open in mid-2022, will be the first all-new casino in the vicinity since 1995 broke.
A federal court says Massachusetts’ Wampanoag Indian Tribe must obtain state and local building permits before going ahead with a planned bingo hall with machine games in the town of Aquinnah on Martha’s Vineyard.
Partners in the proposed $200 million WarHorse racino and hotel have promised city council members in Lincoln, Nebraska that they will be good neighbors, committed to reinvesting in the city.
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in North Carolina have approved a plan for allocating revenue it expects from Caesars Southern Indiana (l.), which the tribe purchased for $280 million last December.
The Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi, owners of FireKeepers Casino Hotel in Battle Creek, Michigan, just sent $15.6 million to the state and local governments as part of its revenue-sharing deal.
Smoking is now prohibited at the Navajo Nation Gaming Enterprise’s two New Mexico casinos, including Fire Rock (l.), that reopened March 19 after Covid-19 closures. Public health officials hope the ban remains permanent.
Following approval of its land-trust application last December, the Kiowa Tribe in Hobart, Oklahoma may now act on its agreement with the city to develop the site of its future Kiowa Casino. Tribal Chairman Matthew Komalty (l.) says it will help a distressed area.
A groundbreaking was held April 6 in Porterville, California for the relocated Eagle Mountain Casino (l.). The project, delayed for 20 years, includes a 250-room hotel and a casino on 40 acres.
The North Carolina Education Lottery kicked off in 2006 and since then, players have won more than $18 billion in prizes, and statewide education has benefited from $8 billion.
Scientific Games has launched a new online iLottery subscription program it says will open the path to digital modernization for the Western Canada Lottery Corp.
The Washington Lottery is warning customers that an app that just launched in the state by Lottery Now is not affiliated with the state lottery. The app, Mido Lotto, enables purchases of Mega Millions and Powerball.
Gaming Arts has elevated company President Mike Dreitzer (l.) to chief executive officer and promoted Matt Heyerdahl from director of finance to chief financial officer.
Jamul Casino has promoted Theresa Grady (l.) to the role of chief financial officer. Grady has been with the California casino for four years and most recently served as director of finance.
Valley Forge Casino announced last week that Ron Bailey has been named vice president and general manager of the Pennsylvania resort. Bailey comes to Valley Forge from Boyd Gaming, where he spent almost 10 years.
Danielle Boyd has resigned as VP of sports gaming at the Tennessee Education Lottery. No explanation was provided. Jennifer Roberts resigned from the same position in June 2020 after slightly more than six months.
Potawatomi Hotel & Casino veteran Sheryl Schnering has been named interim CEO/general manager at the property, replacing Rodney Ferguson who resigned. Schnering was CFO at the property for six years.
GAN has named Robert Shore, a veteran casino industry corporate finance executive, as the company’s new vice president of investor relations and capital markets.
Denise Coates, one of the U.K.’s richest women, last year was paid a salary of £421 million and £48 million in dividends by the company she founded, Bet365. It’s calculated that Coates makes £1.2 million every day.
Paul Whitbread (l.), founder of U.K.-based gaming software provider NRM, has announced his decision to retire. Whitbread passed his stake in the company to longtime partner Andrew Ludlow.
GLI has promoted Candi Lopez to manager of client services, Cindy Nguyen to senior account executive, and Kelvin Ortega to account executive, along with other promotions and hires.
A company known to U.S. customers for its credit services will bring its gaming subsidiary to the stateside market. TransUnion Gaming Services LLC already has 12 years of experience in the U.K. and Europe.
Synergy Blue, provider of interactive, arcade-style casino gaming experiences, has introduced a new addition to its library: Area 50 Fun, housed on the new 2600 XL cabinet.
Mohegan Sun Casino at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas will deploy technology from JCM Global including the iVIZION bill validator, GEN5 thermal printer and ICB Intelligent Cash Box system.
Florida-based US Thrillrides is now taking orders for its unique amusement park ride, Unicoaster Roulette, “the game you can ride.” The one-of-a-kind attraction resembles a giant roulette wheel.
DraftKings has completed the acquisition of jackpot and gamification business BlueRibbon Software, which the company says will improve customer service for its players.
The AGEM Index rose by 1.6 percent in March to 64.13 points, led by a significant jump in the share price of Australian slot manufacturer Aristocrat Leisure Limited.
Allied Esports Entertainment, Inc. has reached an amended agreement to sell the World Poker Tour to Element Partners, LLC for $105 million. Element beat out Bally Corp.’s $100 million offer.
