Blackstone has agreed to sell the operations of the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas to MGM Resorts International, while selling the land to the Blackstone real estate investment trust. It’s one more mega-deal for MGM on the Las Vegas Strip.

Singapore has transitioned from relaxed to stricter Covid-19 measures due to a rise in viral infections. The newly reimposed safeguards will be in place until October 24, the government has announced.

Legal sports betting began September 30 in Connecticut. Governor Ned Lamont placed the first bet at the sports book at Mohegan Sun following the ribbon cutting (l.).

Scientific Games has entered into an agreement to sell its sports betting division, OpenBet, to Endeavor Group Holdings for $1.2 billion in cash and stock. The transaction completes one phase of SG’s divestiture.

A second federal lawsuit has been filed against the new 30-year Seminole gaming compact. Miami businessmen Armando Codina and Norman Braman (l.) say the deal, which includes sports betting, violates IGRA.

The Nevada Gaming Commission has tacitly approved MGM Resorts’ buyout of its partner at CityCenter. The $2.1 billion deal will give Dubai World’s half stake in the Vegas property to MGM.

A special legislative task force has been working for months on a bill to regulate gaming in Brazil. Now their work appears to be futile, with Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro (l.) threatening to veto any legislation.

Joe Asher, who led William Hill US for many years until the Caesars buyout, has been named as the president of sports betting for IGT and will promote the company’s PlaySports platform, which powers over 50 U.S. sports books.

Buy-and-hold investors are doing better with regional casino stocks over big-name operators such as Sands, Wynn and MGM. Here’s the breakdown, recently and historically.

This week, the GGB Podcast features an interview with the legendary John Acres, who’s back again with a new company and a new product, the Foundation system to once again shake up the gaming industry.

As recently as September 21, Genting Malaysia planned to reopen its flagship Resorts World Genting (l.) by October 1. That plan has been tabled, with travel and tourism suspended until vaccine rates reach 90 percent.

Macau’s Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau and associated public welfare entities have launched a Responsible Gambling Promotion to boost awareness of gambling disorders.

In a bid to revive tourism, the government of the Philippines has mandated that all industry workers must be vaccinated against Covid-19 by the end of the year.

The U.K. self-exclusion program GAMSTOP said it registered 25 percent more people on its national list in the first six months of 2021. Almost 75 percent were male and 59 percent were between the ages of 18 and 34.

The U.K. horse racing industry wants the government to change the levy system or risk financial instability. Supporters spoke before the House of Commons on the need to do something now, not in three years.

Italy is contemplating an overhaul of its gaming sector in the wake of Covid-19, which caused a precipitous decline in revenues in 2020. Former treasury official Claudio Durigon (l.) has lobbied hard for a restructuring.

Sweden’s administrative court has upheld a penalty against the FrankFred and Klirr operator, XC Gaming. The company, under a former owner, paid bonuses and gave gifts to players to sign up.

In ongoing testimony before a Western Australia royal commission, panel members heard allegations of loan sharking at the casino at Crown Perth (l.). At stake is Crown Resorts’ license to operate in the state.

Research indicates that betting activity in two Australian states has risen 300 percent during recent Covid-19 lockdowns, 100 points higher than in November 2020.

Entain has begun converting its retail betting shops to bring them into the digital age. To start with the change will affect two of its popular brands across the U.K. and one in Italy.

Among 28 applicants, Dutch gaming regulator de Kansspelautoriteit has granted 10 licenses for online gaming in the Netherlands. KSA Chairman René Jansen (l.) expects more licenses to become available.

Tipico, the Malta-based operator, faces stiff fines from the Dutch Gambling Authority. The fines were instituted after Tipico was accused of unlawfully offering online gaming.

Sports betting in Louisiana has been delayed once again, from the original mid-September to mid-October, as Louisiana State Police troopers transition from Hurricane Ida duties to their regular gaming division posts.

Caesars Sportsbook will put a patch on the Jerseys of the Washington Capitals in time for the 2022-23 season. The patch marks the first such sportsbook placement on a jersey in the league.

ESPN’s parent company, Disney, has all but signed a deal with sportsbooks, allowing the network to expand programming aimed at bettors.

Carsten Koerl (l.), CEO of Sportradar, told attendees at the SBC Barcelona Summit that sports betting is becoming integral to business throughout the world. In his view, America will overtake Europe in the near future.

Stockton University of New Jersey conducted a poll to gauge support for a wagers on New Jersey college sports. Forty-five percent of voters opposed the change, compared to 40 percent in favor.

Colorado’s sports betting market is in its infancy. But some lawmakers are fed up with the proliferation of advertising by digital platforms and retail sportsbooks. Colorado House Speaker Alec Garnett (l.) wants it to stop.

Sportsbook and iGaming giant BetMGM has announced a content partnership with comedian Bill Burr (l.) and All Things Comedy, a leading comedy podcast network.

The Bolton Wanderers Football Club have taken a bold step by agreeing to eliminate onsite betting ads at its stadium. The club will also stop entering future sponsorships and commercial partnerships.

Leisure & Resorts World Corp. has won permission from the Philippines gaming regulator PAGCOR to launch a new retail and online sportsbook for local users.

The First Nations of Saskatchewan have signed a new gaming framework that will allow them to offer sports betting. Chief Bobby Cameron (l.) said it took “hours, days, weeks, months, and years” to achieve the outcome.

The Illinois Gaming Board will hear presentations from the four south Chicago suburbs, including Calumet where Delaware North has proposed a casino (l.), and three Waukegan casino license applicants on October 13. “Preliminary suitability” will be announced by early January.

The Chicago Bears have bid $197.2 million for the 326-acre Arlington International Race Course (l.) property, prompting rumors it was leaving Soldiers Field. The last race of Arlington’s 94th season was run there on September 25.

A New York district judge said Islandia residents seeking to close Jake’s 58 Casino (l.) failed to prove former owner Delaware North colluded with the village board, and called plaintiffs’ allegations "nothing more than conjecture and speculation."

Illinois’ first riverboat casino, the Argosy Casino Alton, celebrated its 30th anniversary. The vessel has been replaced with a larger facility that’s still a boat. It has survived two floods, a runaway barge and Covid-19.

Professional poker player Scott Robbins (l.) has dropped the $1.25 million lawsuit he filed against the Borgata in Atlantic City earlier this year. The casino banned him for life after he made a joke about suicide.

Demolition began last month at a former Danville, Virginia mill (l.), making way for the Caesars Virginia Casino. Plans include a $500 million destination resort with 500 hotel rooms, a spa, pool area and fitness center.

Billionaire Jay Bloom (l.) wants the NBA to award him a league franchise in Las Vegas, and is willing to put up millions of his own money. But records show he’s got financial problems, including a bankruptcy.

The Koi Nation of California wants to build a $600 million casino resort on 68 acres in Windsor, Sonoma County. The Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria is fighting the development, saying the market is saturated.

The delayed environmental impact report for Redding Rancheria’s proposed Win-River Resort & Casino relocation is back on track. That BIA has restarted the process for putting the land into trust.

The Department of the Interior and National Indian Gaming Commission are siding with the Seneca Nation in its dispute with New York state over casino revenue. At stake: $470 million in revenue-sharing lawmakers say the tribe owes.

The 25th anniversary of Mohegan Sun will occur roughly at the same time that it will unveil iGaming and sports betting. The casino has bounced back better than ever from losses suffered during the pandemic.

Amendments to the gaming compact between Washington State and the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation have been approved by the BIA. This allows the tribe to offer sports betting on its reservation.

West Virginia Lottery Director John Myers says revenue at the state’s five casinos and 1,200 Limited Video Lottery locations has held steady, despite a surge in Covid-19 cases in the state.

The International Center for Responsible Gaming last week announced that Arthur Paikowsky has been named president of the organization, which is dedicated to conducting research into disordered gambling.

Gaming Arts LLC, has promoted Jean Venneman from chief commercial operator to chief operating officer. The company also added Mike Smykowski as director of sales.

Ainsworth Game Technology has named David Bollesen as its new chief product officer, effective October 7. Bollesen will head the company’s global game development teams.

Pennsylvania-based Gaming and Leisure Properties Inc. has appointed JoAnne A. Epps as a new independent director. Epps is a professor at the Temple University Beasley School of Law.

Kandice Machado has been named president and CEO of Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis. Machado has served in the position on an acting basis for 10 months.

Crown Resorts has appointed Redbubble Chair Anne Ward (l.) as a board member and Craig Durham as secretary/legal counsel. The additions are part of a strategy to reconstitute Crown leadership in a challenging time.

Betsson AB Chairman Patrick Svensk has resigned following a statement by major company shareholders that they “no longer have full confidence” in him.

Gary Platt Manufacturing has officially launched its new Sierra Nevada Hospitality Division, naming seating authority Eric Segal as the new division’s president.

IGT will supply its Resort Wallet with IGTPay cashless gaming solution for a trial at Club York in Sydney, Australia, one of the private gaming clubs prevalent in New South Wales.

PayAction Sports Bonus, a product that will link real-life sporting events with slot bonuses, will debut at this week’s Global Gaming Expo by Acres Manufacturing Company.

Sightline Payments and Konami Gaming have formed a partnership to deliver cashless gaming solutions through Sightline’s Play+ digital payments technology and Konami’s Synkros casino management system.

Paysafe, a leading specialized payments platform, has formed a partnership with Fubo Gaming to supply its mobile sportsbook with multiple payment solutions.

Novomatic recently installed a diverse selection of cabinets, games and progressives to the slot floor at one of Europe’s largest casinos, Casino Loutraki in Corinthia, Greece.

Galaxy Gaming, a developer and distributor of casino table games and technology, has announced major milestones in its omnichannel table game content and solutions.

Casino Cash Trac has broken ground on a new 7,000-square-foot office facility adjacent to the company’s current headquarters in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

The Sports Betting Hall of Fame will induct its Class of 2021 at the SBC Summit North America in December. Among the inductees are legendary bookmaker Jimmy Vaccaro (l.), of South Point Casino in Las Vegas.

Last year, the gaming industry had to settle for a virtual G2E. This year, although the world hasn’t quite returned to normal, the live event has returned, with masks and vaccine mandates.

The ICE Location Analysis performed by research firm Explori has unveiled concerns from exhibitors to ICE London that the ExCeL Centre is not an ideal long-term location for the show.