This week, the GGB Podcast sits down with Jonathan Michaels, the senior vice president, strategic development and government affairs for Sightline Payments on his new job and how his former position at the AGA has prepared him.
Research shows that military service members, both active-duty and retired, are at greater risk for problem gambling. A recent study from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, calls for more screening and improved access to treatment.
In 2020, Washington D.C. launched GambetDC as its mobile sportsbook. Revenues fell far short of expectations, and when commercial sportsbooks opened at pro sports stadiums, the differences were even more glaring. What’s the problem—and more importantly, what’s the solution?
Global Gaming Business presents the winners of the 20th annual GGB Gaming & Technology Awards. Don’t miss this special video commemorating the best products and services in the casino industry.
In unexpected decisions on November 2, voters in Richmond, Virginia defeated a major casino proposal, and New Jerseyans made it plain they want no further expansion of gaming in that state. Here’s a rundown of those and other results from last week’s elections.
The two dominant players on the Las Vegs Strip, Caesars Entertainment and MGM Resorts, have both indicated that they plan to sell one of the properties there. While Caesars hasn’t identified the specific resort, MGM last week announced the Mirage (l.) is on the block.
Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (l.) secured a healthy majority in the House in the November general election. That was good news for the country’s nascent IR industry, which the new PM supports.
California tribes have come out against two sportsbook plans that could challenge their own at the ballot next year. Their stance seems to close the door on a compromise among tribes and commercial interests. Anthony Roberts (l.), chairman of Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation, says the measures would be bad for California and for tribes.
Billionaire James Packer (l.), Crown Resorts’ controlling shareholder, denies any knowledge of money laundering at the company’s casinos, but is willing to sharply reduce his ownership stake, now at 37 percent.
A new report shows that tourism to the Silver State is improving steadily by the month. Summer saw “historically strong numbers,” said the head of the Reno-Sparks Convention and Visitors Authority.
With little fanfare, Florida kicked off legal sports betting on November 1 with retail and online betting (l.). The low-key launch coincided with several legal attempts to wrest control from the Seminole Tribe, whose new compact gives them exclusive rights to mobile betting in the state. Louisiana launched its new industry the day before, with a little more ballyhoo
The American Gaming Association last week named Hard Rock International Chairman and Seminole Gaming CEO Jim Allen (l.) as the next board chairman. CEO Bill Miller gets a contract extension.
Chief Richard Sneed (l.) of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians has slammed the U.S. House for its support of Lumbee Indian recognition. Federal recognition could lead to a Lumbee casino in North Carolina.
The pink cloud of excitement around sports betting and the global recovery has abated. Investors are in sell-off mode, a lot of bullish quarterly predictions fell flat, and it’s back to a world where stocks sell on fundamentals.
This week, the GGB Podcast sits down with Paul Steelman, the founder and president of Steelman Partners, to discuss his role in the design of the new Genting project on the Strip, Resorts World Las Vegas.
Macau posted the worst-ever gross gaming revenues for October due to a Covid surge that killed Golden Week. Barring new viral cases, gaming analysts hope for the start of a bounce-back in November.
Late last month, Macau’s Court of Final Appeal upheld an eight-year prison sentence for Alan Ho (l.), former director of the Hotel Lisboa, for exploitation of prostitution.
Australia’s Star Entertainment Group has announced it will sell its Treasury Casino Hotel (l.) in Brisbane, then lease it back for 30 years from investment firm Charter Hall.
Northern Ireland is revamping its gaming laws for the first time in 35 years. The minister in charge, Deirdre Hargey (l.) is calling for a Mandatory Code of Practice to be added to the updated laws.
A black dealer at the fashionable Crown London Aspinalls casino (l.) in Mayfair has won a discrimination suit against her employer. She was told she couldn’t deal because a patron wanted white dealers only.
The Danish Gaming Authority Spillemyndigheden has fined the online casino company LeoVegas for violating the country’s anti-money laundering regulations. It found five violations in a 20-player sampling.
A U.S. court has ordered all gaming equipment owned by Imperial Pacific International to be sold. The Saipan casino operator arrived with promises of international tourism and increased prosperity, but now is insolvent.
Everi Digital has released three-reel mechanical slot themes to online casinos in Connecticut for the first time, bringing the total of states served to nine.
Scientific Games has acquired Authentic Gaming, a leading provider of premium live casino iGaming solutions, to move into the live casino market for the first time.
Rush Street Interactive has launched “RushArena,” a proprietary multi-player tournament engine that allows head-to-head competition between online players.
Sweden’s gaming regulator Spelinspektionen will drop its controversial deposit cap on November 14. However, the regulator has been told to “evaluate” other consumer protection measures.
Flutter Entertainment has said it will lose £50 million through its temporary exit from the Netherlands’ online gaming market. It is leaving only to return, and plans to apply for a license to operate legally
The launch of sports betting in Maryland was delayed once again when the state panel set up to approve applications asked for more information from applicants. Governor Larry Hogan (l.) signed the sports betting bill in May.
Legislators in the Buckeye State say they’re close to a deal for legal sports betting. It’s been two years and still several bills are competing in both chambers, but Senate President Matt Huffman (l.) said he’s “optimistic.”
The first month of mobile-only sports betting in Wyoming was promising. Operators launched September 1 and took in $6.2 million in wagers, according to the state gaming commission.
The Illinois legislature with a super majority passed an amendment to its state betting law that allows betting on college athletic contests and the end of the in-person registration requirement. All that remains for the bill to become law is the signature of Governor J.B. Pritzker (l.).
Connecticut’s first week of sports betting began October 19, including at the FanDuel sports book at Mohegan Sun (l.), and propelled the state market into ninth place in the U.S. Connecticut has now passed Colorado, which has 2.2 million more residents.
Last week, iGaming and sportsbook company BetMGM announced the signing of former Tennessee Titans and Arizona Cardinals running back Chris Johnson (l.) as its newest brand ambassador.
Arlington International Racecourse (l.)will no longer run races. The track owner expects to sell the land to the Chicago Bears for a new stadium in the suburbs. But Chi-town will put a full court press to keep the team.
New York Mets owner Steve Cohen (l.) is angling for one of NYC’s first casino licenses. Cohen wants to build a casino right next to Citi Field Stadium in Queens, and is already talking to the Las Vegas Sands Corp.
Hard Rock has committed to invest $70 million to add a 300-room hotel to its resort in downtown Cincinnati. It’s part of the company’s plans to rebrand the former JACK Casino into a regional destination.
Iowa will see its last greyhound season and last greyhound race in May 2022. Then the Iowa Greyhound Park (l.) in Dubuque will close. Greyhound racing has been in decline in the state for 20 years.
In an efforts to rejuvenate one of the oldest casino hotels in Atlantic City, Bally’s Corp. has embarked on a $100 million upgrade of its namesake property, with renovated hotel rooms, new slots and other entertainment.
The MGM Springfield Casino (l.) in Massachusetts has reopened its poker room. The poker room was closed for 18 months due to Covid. It will have 13 tables that can each support up to nine cash players.
The Oakland A’s baseball team still are interested in relocating to Las Vegas, even as the team negotiates with its home city in California. A’s brass have sent surveys to fans of the AAA affiliate Las Vegas Aviators.
In a quarterly earnings call last week, Station Casinos executives said they won’t sell the three casinos they closed during the pandemic, and also disclosed a price tag for their planned Durango Drive casino: $750 million.
Sin City resorts have embraced sustainability as a business practice. At Caesars Entertainment properties alone, almost 20 tons of recyclables are removed from the trash on busy weekends.
The National Association of Broadcasters will return for a four-day convention in Las Vegas next April. The 2020 show was one of the first major trade shows to be shut down by Covid-19.
Resorts World Las Vegas has added a new deluxe amenity: a 262-seat Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft. The jet will be used for corporate travel and high-value resort guests, including charters.
The Poarch Band of Creek Indians, owner of Wind Creek Hospitality and its 10 gaming properties, is a finalist for the license to operate a casino in Chicago’s south suburbs.
Oklahoma’s Osage Nation is planning to develop an entertainment district at the Lake of the Ozarks that will include a hotel complex featuring a casino and a slate of non-gaming amenities.
A racetrack with an entertainment center that offers historical racing machines proposed by coffee billionaire Travis Boersma (l.) is proposed for Grants Pass Oregon. Six gaming tribes call the plan a violation of law.
A recent decision by the U.S. Supreme Court expanded Indian Country to about half of Oklahoma. That also means that tribal members who live within that territory won’t have to pay state income or sales taxes.
The Little River Band of Ottawa Indians seeks the approval of Governor Gretchen Whitmer to build a $180 casino at Fruitport Township. The project would convert the defunct Great Lakes Downs Racetrack.
The reopening of the acclaimed Pines Modern Steakhouse (l.) at the Yaamava’ Resort & Casino in California is a “another milestone” in the expansion of the property, according to the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians.
The Spokane Tribe of Washington November 1 opened its additional casino floor: Phase 2 of its $400 million expansion. It will eventually include a hotel, dining, retail shopping and an entertainment center.
IGT has signed a seven-year agreement with the operator of the French National Lottery to upgrade the current lottery central system with the advanced Aurora platform.
Tennessee lawmakers have transferred control of sports betting in the state from the Tennessee Lottery to the Sports Wagering Advisory Council. Mary Beth Thomas (l.) assumed the executive director role on November 1.
The Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation and LionGrove have named a leadership team for the Foxwoods El San Juan Casino. Their partnership is reviving the stately old landmark that was empty for years.
Cole Wogoman, who served as legislative counsel to D.C. Councilmember Mary Cheh, has joined the National Council on Problem Gambling as government relations manager.
Gaming industry provider Win Systems has added Elias Kostopoulos (l.) as its business development director of public gaming systems, and Javier Morales as the sales manager for the systems division in Spain.
Angel of the Winds Casino in Arlington, Washington, has announced the appointments of a new chief people officer and chief technology officer. Stephen Heise and Allen Kreger are gaming industry veterans.
Former NFL quarterback and broadcaster Chris Simms has added his talent to PointsBet sportsbook. Simms will create sports betting content. He will also retain his position with NBC Sports.
The National Football League and Aristocrat Gaming have announced an exclusive slot machine licensing agreement under which Aristocrat will produce NFL-themed slot machines.
Kambi Group has signed a multi-channel agreement to provide its sportsbook to Desert Diamond’s three Arizona properties, with a mobile sportsbook to follow.
IGT has announced the launch of its worldwide policy on responsible gaming, dedicating itself to “promoting fair play” and complying with RG regulations in its operations in more than 100 countries, according to IGT Senior Vice President Wendy Montgomery (l.).
Sands China Ltd. and the Bank of China Macau Branch have officially launched their BOC Sands Lifestyle UnionPay credit card. The credit card, aimed at Macau residents, offers rewards at Sands China resorts.
GeoComply has received its Temporary Certificate of Authority to operate in Louisiana as its sports wagering provider license is being finalized for approval.
Paysafe announced that its payments platform is now live in Colorado and New Jersey through a partnership with SuperBook Sports, which is already showing growth in the Colorado market.
The World Game Protection Conference is set to return to Las Vegas February 15-17 at the Tropicana, focusing on threats and operational risks to casinos.
