How about a delicious twist on customer rewards? Put aside the electronics, blankets and gadgets for a while and consider these five food gifting ideas for casinos personally chosen for your guests.
This week, a special edition of the GGB Podcast sits down with Joe DeSimone, the owner of DiSimone Gaming, which owns and operates Railroad Pass Casino Hotel and The Pass Casino in Henderson, Nevada.
Is the Taliban more honest than some conference organizers when it comes to how they view a woman’s place in the world? Richard Schuetz thinks so and believes we should hold the gaming industry to a higher standard.
Casinos in Mississippi and Louisiana have reopened in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida, which blasted the Gulf Coast August 29 with 160 mile-per-hour winds and flooding. Out west, wildfires have closed properties in the Lake Tahoe/Stateline region, but all casino hotels are welcoming first responders.
America’s largest sports betting companies, BetMGM, DraftKings, and FanDuel, have joined forces to campaign for a ballot measure that would allow mobile sports betting in California. The state’s tribes have qualified their own measure, and are unlikely to welcome the competition.
This year, three separate entities have tried to buy, take over or otherwise bail out troubled Australian gaming company Crown Resorts. As Crown awaits word of its fate from gaming regulators, the last of the deals has fallen through.
An unnamed investor will reportedly spend $142 million to develop a casino resort in Russia’s Primorye special economic zone. The region is currently host to two casinos, Tigre de Cristal and Shambala.
Wakayama Prefecture has signed a basic agreement with the Clairvest Group to develop an integrated resort in Marina City. In Nagasaki, eliminated bidders continue to claim the RFP was unethical and biased when Casinos Austria was chosen to develop an IR (l. at Huis Ten Bosch.
Days after its license to offer sports betting was approved and then yanked, the Yavapai-Prescott Tribe of Arizona, owners of the Cliff Castle Casino (l.), has sued to stop the ramping up of sports betting in the state. A state racetrack has filed a separate suit.
North Carolina state Rep. Harry Warren (l.) has sponsored a bill to legalize unregulated video gambling terminals and put the state lottery in charge. Bars, restaurants and some convenience stores could offer 10 machines.
The Biden administration has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene on behalf of Texas tribes that want to offer bingo on their reservations. The battle between the tribes and the Texas government goes back decades.
An unnamed member of the Ukraine Commission for the Regulation of Gambling and Lotteries, or KRAIL, has been arrested for taking $90,000 in exchange for gaming permits and licenses. Others may have been involved.
This year’s Global Gaming Expo in Las Vegas will require all attendees, exhibitors and speakers to provide proof of Covid-19 vaccination for admittance. G2E will take place October 4-7.
There’s a reason they call it “fall.” Historically, stocks take a tumble in September and October. This year’s confluence of Covid, inflation, depressed consumer confidence and other factors could deepen the impact.
The GGB Podcast sits down this week with Dermot Smurfit, the president and CEO of GAN, the groundbreaking online gaming platform provider on why GAN has brought together the best of sports betting and iGaming for U.S. and North American casino companies.
China’s Golden Week holiday is traditionally one of the year’s leading tourism periods for Macau. This year’s celebration could be fairly robust if Covid-19 rates on the mainland continue to subside.
A study has found that more than 20 percent of gambling shops in Great Britain are in the most deprived neighborhoods. The highest proportion of treatment centers are also in deprived areas.
Denmark’s new Gambling Advertisement Board will has gone live. It enable consumers to register complaints about the industry and advertisements. Most Danish gaming organizations support the board.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, the British Horseracing Authority limited the number of races a jockey could ride to one a day. That plan has been extended to next year with the support of jockeys.
The Irish Bookmakers Association took a proactive step to reduce gambling harm. The group approved a ban on the use of credit cards online and in shops. They also curbed ads during live events before 9 p.m.
The government of Mexico will not grant new casino licenses. The policy ordered by Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (l.) is aimed at getting corruption under control at existing casinos.
About half of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators have relocated to other markets, an exodus caused by a new tax, higher costs and Covid-19. But a new online sport is filling part of the void: online cockfighting.
Scientific Games Corp. has brought its OpenGaming system to Colombia in partnership with Betsson Group. This represents Scientific Games first appearance in a Latin America online casino.
Sporting Solutions and FDJ Gaming Solutions will launch sports betting with the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation’s new PROLIE+ online sportsbook.
The Seminole Tribe will have exclusive rights to sports betting, set to start this fall, through the new 30-year compact it negotiated in April. But the deal faces lawsuits and other challenges after Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed the bill into law (l.).
FuboTV, a sports streaming service, is another step closer to offering live sports betting with the approval by the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission. The company partnered with Casino Queen.
July revenue figures did nothing to allay concerns that GambetDC is still floundering to live up to expectations. The app attracted less than 61,000 bets and a handle of $2 million in the month.
ESPN is reported to be discussing licensing its brand to sportsbooks such as DraftKings or Caesars Entertainment. Such a deal could be worth $3 billion and involve renaming the sportsbooks.
Pennsylvania state Senator Wayne Fontana (l.) and members of a key Senate committee have introduced a bill that would add self-service sports betting kiosks to bars and taverns.
The proposed rules for sports betting in Maryland have been released by state authorities for a 30-day public comment period, leading to a public hearing on September 22.
Connecticut has approved emergency regulations that should allow it to begin offering sports betting by the opening of the NFL season September 9. All that remains is approval by the U.S. Department of the Interior, according to Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Chairman Rodney Butler (l.).
Rhode Island’s sports betting revenue rose an almost unbelievable 828.6 percent in July over the same month a year ago. The amount wagered increased 229.9 percent. Much can be attributed to last year’s pandemic.
DraftKings Sportsbook has been approved by the Oregon Lottery Commission to operate the state’s sports betting app. It takes over from SBTech, which had operated Scoreboard.
When you nab Ben Affleck and Shaquille O’Neal for a sports betting ad, you’re playing with the big boys. A new TV spot for Wynn Resorts’ app WynnBet brings the casino company in line with others.
One of the top ranked professional tennis players has become a brand ambassador for BetRivers.com. As an ambassador James Blake will take part in promotion and events on the sites platforms.
Kambi Group has acquired esports data and odds provider Abios with an eye to capitalize on global opportunities presented by the growth of esports wagering.
Wyoming added another digital sportsbook operator September 1. That’s when BetMGM went live with its platform. Wyoming is unique in that it only offers mobile sports betting. This is the 14th market for BetMGM.
Sports Illustrated and U.K.-based 888 Holdings are partnering to enter the online betting and gaming market with a new company: SI Sportsbook. The first state they will deploy the new operator is in Colorado.
Alabama’s four racetrack owners have voters to tell legislators they want expanded gambling legislation. The track owners estimate the state loses $700 million annually in tax revenue to neighboring states.
In 2020, the Illinois Gaming Board fined Accel Entertainment $5 million for allegedly offering incentives to install its machines. Now Accel is donating to Missouri politicians as they discuss expanded gambling legislation.
Last month, eight horsemen filed a lawsuit accusing Meadowlands owner Jeff Gural (l.) of banning them from his tracks to increase the success of his own horses. Gural said he banned the horsemen over doping.
Players at the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas this fall must provide proof of vaccination and wear masks. The games run from September 30 to November 23.
Under new laws, Missouri Lottery winners will be able to remain anonymous. Also, casinos may become non-floating but must be located within 1,000 feet of the Missouri or Mississippi River.
A Bay State racehorse owner has proposed a modest equine center in Sturbridge, Massachusetts. It would offer 10 horse races a year and also operate a sportsbook. The town will consider the proposal September 13.
Caesars Entertainment has bought out one of its partners in the Horseshoe Baltimore casino, to assume a 76 percent stake in the property. The casino, open for seven years, has been a lesser performer in the market.
The Strat Hotel Casino (l.) of Las Vegas is the latest property to require its employees to show proof of vaccination or undergo weekly Covid-19 testing. The Strat is a Golden Entertainment property.
Intense competition for service workers has prompted Iowa’s 19 casinos to ask the state Racing and Gaming Commission to waive licensing requirements for employees not involved in gambling operations.
Construction will begin next month on $8 million in renovations at the Danville Regional Airport in Virginia, ahead of the new Caesars Casino opening in 2023.
Clark County, Nevada officials say the Vegas wedding industry is picking up steam. The county is on track to issue its 5 millionth marriage license, with a social media blitz for maximum exposure and participation.
New advertising from the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority focuses on the appeal of the city for sports enthusiasts. It calls Vegas the “Greatest Arena on Earth.”
California Governor Gavin Newsom and the Picayune Rancheria of the Chukchansi Indians recently signed a state tribal gaming compact. The new compact authorizes the tribe to have 3,500 slot machines.
At California’s Augustine Casino, tribal council members recently awarded “hero pay” to more than 70 employees for their work during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, “one of the most difficult years in recent memory.”
Five Ho-Chunk casinos in Wisconsin were closed from August 26 through August 30 due to “a major computer systems failure.” No reason was given for the glitch. Only Ho-Chunk Madison remained unaffected.
Faith leaders in North Carolina have asked Congresswoman Virginia Foxx to join them in opposing the Catawba Two Kings Casino (l.). But Foxx said Congress leaves casino issues to state and local officials.
After years of legal battles, the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska may now move forward on its proposed casino (l.) in Carter Lake, Iowa. The Eighth Circuit ruled the 1990 Ponca Restoration Act does not limit the casino’s location.
Two gaming tribes are considering opening marijuana dispensaries near their casinos. The plans of Foxwoods Resort Casino and Harrah’s Cherokee Casino were chronicled by a website devoted to cannabis.
The Pokagon Band of Potawatomie Indians have opened the Sportsbook Lounge (l.) at Four Winds New Buffalo in Michigan. Guests can place bets on-site at any of the Four Winds venues, and on kiosks and cellphones.
Last month, Casino Del Sol (l.) became the second casino in California to offer Las Vegas style table games. Pascua Yaqui Chairman Peter Yucupicio threw out the first dice at the new craps table.
Scientific Games Corp. has signed a 10-year contract to provide retail and digital iLottery games, systems and services to the Azerbaijan National Lottery.
Sightline Payments announced that company co-founder Omar Sattar has been named co-CEO, along with Joe Pappano, to oversee internal operations as the company grows.
Veteran Vegas bookie Nick Bogdanovich (l.) has been released by Caesars Sports, which recently sportsbook William Hill. Bogdanovich spent nearly a decade as Will Hill sportsbook director.
The expected appointment of Marcus Boyle (l). as chairman of the U.K. Gambling Commission could be good news for the betting industry. His role with Deloitte may have sealed the deal.
Sportech CEO Richard McGuire and CFO Tom Hearne will depart the company next month. The betting tech company recently sold its Global Tote Business, Bump 50:50 and a Connecticut freehold property.
JCM Global has installed a high-resolution LED sports ticker and LED commercial display at the Ascend Sportsbook (l.) at Michigan’s Soaring Eagle Casino.
Konami Gaming, Inc. has launched the first casino slot game based on the long-running robot competition television program, during the taping of the show’s World Championship.
Aristocrat packages legendary games Buffalo, Timber Wolf and 50 Lions together in a new version of its Wonder 4 video slot, which features four reel arrays.
Scientific Games has launched Dragon Tail Baccarat as the first title in its Quartz Standalone electronic table game format, a new ETG format featuring several unique features.
The D Las Vegas and its sister property, the Circa, are offering Aruze’s “Go Go Claw” machine, an arcade-style game similar to claw machines in which players manipulate a device to scoop prizes.
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy (l.) will return as a keynote speaker at the 24th East Coast Gaming Congress, October 25-26 at Harrah’s Resort in Atlantic City.
May 7-9, 2024: SBC Summit North America, Meadowlands Exposition Center, Secaucus, NJ. Produced by SBC Events. For more information visit sbcevents.com.
May 14-16, 2024: Cage Conference + Connect User Conference, Gila River Resorts & Casinos Learn about new technologies that enhance profitability and network with industry leaders who have proven success in Cage, Revenue and Player Services. For more information visit skiild.com/cage-conference/.
June 3-5, 2024: SiGMA Asia, SMX Convention Center, Manila, Philippines. Produced by SiGMA Group For more information visit sigma.world/.
June 4-6, 2024: G2E Asia 2024, The Venetian Macao, Macau, SAR. Produced by RX and the American Gaming Association. For more information visit g2easia.com/.
June 18-20, 2024: Canadian Gaming Summit, Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Toronto, Canada. Produced by SBC Events. For more information visit sbcevents.com.
July 16-19, 2024: iGB L!VE 2024, RAI Amsterdam, Netherlands Produced by Clarion Gaming. For more information visit igblive.com.
