Segmenting Las Vegas

Las Vegas has many markets from high rollers to low-rolling locals. But where should casino executives concentrate to jump start the recovery from Covid? Turns out, every segment has possibilities.

In AC, No Takers (Yet) for Former Airport

For years, Atlantic City’s Bader Field, one of the largest plots of vacant land on the eastern seaboard, has been idle. Proposals for its use have come and gone, including a casino plan that was killed first by the state, and then by the Great Recession. What’s next for the former airport?

Businesses Sue Virginia Over Skill Game Ban

Virginia’s ban on games of skill, including the popular “Queen of Virginia” game (l.), is set to take effect July 1. But six business owners have sued the state, the governor and others claiming the ban would “substantially affect, damage and hinder” their operations.

Asleep at the Wheel

Can regulators really understand the nuances of multi-billion-dollar transactions when even the most educated financial whiz has trouble? They missed the boat—along with a $150 payment to Jeffery Epstein—in the Caesars/Apollo transaction, so can we count on them to wake up for the Las Vegas Sands/Apollo transaction?

Canadian Single-Game Sports Betting Approved

Single-game sports betting has passed in Canada. Provinces and territories will regulate betting on hockey, football and other sports, and bettors can wager on teams like the Toronto Blue Jays or the Montreal Canadiens (l.), which ironically just advanced to the NHL Stanley Cup finals for the first time since 1993.

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Maine Bill Allows Tribal Gaming

After decades of trying, Maine’s four federally recognized tribes have won the right to offer gaming. A bill that passed in the House and Senate must meet with approval from Governor Janet Mills (l.).

Melco to Build Nongaming Complex in China

Melco International and the Agile Group will build a multibillion-dollar nongaming complex in Guangdong Province, China. Melco’s Lawrence Ho said the firm will bring its “incredible expertise” and intellectual property such as the City of Dreams brand to nongaming projects.

Star, Crown CEOs Meet, Talk Merger

Sources say the heads of Australian gaming giants Matt Bekier of Star Entertainment and Crown Resorts’ Steve McCann met in a virtual meeting June 16 to discuss the former’s proposed merger.

Codere Online to Go Public

Codere Group will spin off its Codere Online business, which will become a new publicly listed company on the Nasdaq market through a special purpose acquisition company.

ASIAN GAMING More

Sands Macau Lawsuit Back In Court

Asia American Entertainment Corp. continues to seek compensation for an alleged breach of contract by the Las Vegas Sands Corp. AAEC worked with the Sands to enter Macau, then was dropped by the Vegas giant. It’s the second time the company has been sued for essentially the same reasons.

Yokohama Mayoral Race Could Decide IR Bid

Yokohama’s plan to develop an integrated resort hangs in the balance depending on the winner of the city’s mayoral election in August. Hachiro Okonogi (l.), an LDP candidate, says he would oppose the IR plan.

Korean Authorities Test Gaming Equipment

Officials in Jeju, South Korea have announced a plan to inspect all gaming equipment at the region’s foreigners-only casinos to ensure compliance with local regulations.

Macau Adds Gaming Investigators

A year away from Macau’s casino concession retender, the government wants to more than doubled the number of gaming inspectors and add a deputy director under Director Adriano Marques Ho (l.).

Vietnamese Trafficked to Work in Cambodian Casinos

Vietnamese officials are warning their people to disregard lucrative job offers in Cambodia. Kristin Parco (l.), of the UN International Organization for Migration, said the country is a “recruitment ground for traffickers.”

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Finnish Loss Limits Now Permanent

Limits on how much Finnish bettors can lose took effect during Covid-19. After several extensions, the limits will now become permanent, with a loss limit of €500 a day.

Danish iGaming Outpaces Sports Betting Revenue

In the 2020 Danish Gambling Report, online casino activity exceeded sports betting as a percentage of market share by 27 percent to 25 percent. Lottery sales did even better. Covid-19 closed land-based casinos and live sports.

EGBA Critical of Italian Licenses and Fees

Italian authorities expect to increase gaming license fees and reduce the number of licenses, which concerns the European Gaming and Betting Association. The group worries illegal gambling will rise as a result.

Norway Aims at Unlicensed Offshore Gaming Sites

Norway’s Minister of Culture is tired of illegal gaming sites operating with impunity. Abid Raja (l.) supports a new gambling law that would enable him to go after unlicensed offshore operators.

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CNMI Commissioners Lay Off Most of Workforce

Gaming regulators in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands have laid off 60 percent of their workforce due to the closure of Saipan’s only casino, Imperial Palace (l.).

Trinidad, Tobago Gaming Sector Underpays Taxes

Gambling on the island nations of Trinidad and Tobago bring in some $15 billion a year but pay less than $100 million in corporate taxes. The government wants to correct the oversight with the Gambling Control Bill.

Saskatchewan Casinos, Bingo Halls Reopen

Step 2 of the Covid reopening in Saskatchewan, Canada signaled the reopening of bingo halls and casinos, including the Northern Lights casino (l.). The gaming halls, closed for a total of 10 months, have lost an estimated $100 million in revenue.

GambleAware Comes to Australia July 1

The state of New South Wales, Australia will soon offer a new gambling support service called GambleAware. The service unites all gambling support services that are currently operating as Gambling Help NSW.

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Fast Track, Kindred Team on Player Engagement

Kindred Group’s 32Red has a deal with Fast Track to help develop player engagement campaigns. The program provides some 499 data points to each segment to create a personalized experience.

BetConstruct Introduces Pocket Keno

BetConstruct has released a new product, Pocket Keno, a fast and easy solution to accept bets on Keno games through application via Cashiers (Agents).

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Ohio Senate Passes Sports Betting Bill

The Ohio Senate has approved legal sports betting, but opponents including small businesses say it shortchanges them in favor of professional leagues including the Cincinnati Bengals (l.).

D.C. Sports Betting Results Below Expectations

Revenue projects for sports betting in the District of Columbia have fallen short of what the DC Lottery hoped for. Blame Covid-19, some legal issues and a lack of commuters and tourists. The results are expected to improve.

NJ Governor OKs Fixed-Odds Wagers; Collegiate Wagers Move Forward

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy (l.) will sign a bill that lets tracks in the state offer fixed-odds betting instead of pari-mutuel wagers. Fixed odds lock in the price instead of a fluctuation until post time. And a bill that will allow residents to be on New Jersey colleges has advanced.

Bally’s Will Offer Kansas Sports Betting

Bally’s signed a multi-year deal with Dodge City’s Boot Hill Casino to offer mobile sports betting when state legislators approve it. The new agreement expands Bally’s mobile sports betting platform into its 14th state.

Sports Stars Buy Vegas Lacrosse Team

The co-owners of Las Vegas' new National Lacrosse League team include NHL legend Wayne Gretzky (l.), Brooklyn Nets head coach Steve Nash and pro golfer Dustin Johnson. The team will start its first season in 2022.

DraftKings Survives Hindenburg Report Claim

A report by Hindenburg Research alleged that SBTech was working in illegal gaming markets. Since SBTech has a partnership with DraftKings, it cast the sportsbook in a negative light. But the response is more of a yawn.

Investors Pour $36 Million into Sporttrade

A group of investors that includes Jim Murren and Tom Wittman have pumped $36 million into U.S. sports betting exchange Sporttrade. The company expects to go live in New Jersey this year.

‘Mattress Mack’ Bets $3.35 Million on Astros

Jim McIngvale (l.), the Houston furniture store owner, already bet more than $3.35 million on the Astros to win the World Series. With a $35 million payout, he could afford to return customer costs on furniture with a win.

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Virginia Accepting Gaming License Applications

The Virginia Lottery Board is now accepting gaming license applications from casino operators approved by voters in Bristol, Danville, Norfolk and Portsmouth. Richmond will hold a casino referendum in November.

Caesars Can Keeps Indiana Casino

The Indiana Gaming Commission has ruled that Caesars Entertainment doesn’t have to sell its Hammond Horseshoe Casino to avoid “undue economic concentration.” Caesars owns five of the state’s 13 casinos.

Louisiana Parish Finalizes Rev-Share Agreement

A proposed $325 million casino in Slidell, Louisiana would give a portion of revenues to local governments, nonprofits and other local entities under a new agreement. Voters will decide on the casino in November.

MGM Debuts New York Track Renovations

MGM Resorts International, operator of Yonkers Raceway and the adjacent Empire City Casino, has completed a major renovation of the 122-year-old track.

Will Shreveport Casinos Become Smoke-Free?

Shreveport, Louisiana officials passed a smoking ban in 2020 set to take effect August 1. But at a recent council meeting, the city’s casinos cited a report claiming their revenue and attendance would decline.

TRIBAL GAMING More

Catawba Two Kings Casino Could Open July 1

Housed in 23 prefabricated buildings merged into a single unit, the Catawba Two Kings Casino “prelaunch facility” in Kings Mountain, North Carolina, may open July, offering 500 slots, a snack bar and food trucks.

Osage Nation Breaks Ground on Two Oklahoma Casinos

Ground was recently broken on new Osage Nation casinos in Bartlesville and Pawhuska, Oklahoma. Both are expected to open in fall 2022, featuring gaming floors, hotels, pools, spas, fitness areas and meeting space.

Navajo Nation Bill Would Reopen Casinos

The Navajo National Gaming Enterprise could soon reopen all its casinos and more importantly, open them to non-tribal patrons. CEO Brian Parrish (l.) said, “We're keeping our guys safe (and) protecting the patrons.”

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Everi Projects Record Q2 Results

Everi Holdings announced that it expects “record results” for the second quarter of 2021, prompting a planned refinancing of its outstanding total debt.

Morongo Adds AGS, NexGen Fast Cash Solution

Morongo Casino near Palm Springs, California is adding 40 NexGen Fast Cash mobile chip devices to its table games. The solution from AGS and NexGen enables players to buy chips at the table without cash.

Hard Rock Opens with JCM in Indiana

The Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana opened last month with cash-processing equipment provided exclusively by JCM Global, including the iVIZION bill validator and ICB Intelligent Cash Box system.

Zitro Exhibits in Ukraine

Zitro presented its top products including the Link King and 88 Link progressives at the recent Gaming Industry Exhibition in Kiev, which heralded the opening of the Ukrainian gaming market.

Engine Australia to Create Self-Exclusion Register

Technology provider Engine Australia will develop that country’s first national self-exclusion register for online and mobile gambling. It previously created a similar program for the U.K. Gambling Commission.

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