It’s so-far, so-good for sports betting in Louisiana, which kicked off in October, just in time for the New Orleans Saints to whup the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. First-month revenue figures are pending, but reports on the ground are encouraging.
Ainsworth has led the way for the industry to delve into a new market for slot suppliers in historical horse racing. Kentucky and Virginia lead the way and other states are also considering permitting HHR games.
This week, the GGB Podcast sits down with Cindy Hovey and Roger Pettersson, who are involved in product management and marketing at IGT to talk about the Peak cabinets and how they enhance the games developed by IGT game designers.
Last week, U.S. District Court Judge Dabney Friedrich (l.) ruled that the gaming compact negotiated by Florida officials and the Seminole Tribe violates IGRA’s provision that state-sanctioned gambling occur on tribal land—literally. The tribe instantly appealed, and the bets continued.
Tribal Chairwoman Cheryl Andrews Maltais (l.) and the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) has petitioned Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker to enter a Class III gaming company that includes mobile sports betting, slot machines and table games.
Alvin Chau (l.), the head of Macau junket operator Suncity Group, was detained last week after the Chinese government issued an arrest warrant, sending a chill through the city’s VIP sector.
U.S.-based investment firm the Blackstone Group has upped its bid for Crown Resorts, offering $6.2 billion for the Australian casino giant. The offer—the third from Blackstone—breaks down to AU$12.50 per share.
Flutter Entertainment will buy Tombola, a U.K. online bingo firm, for $535 million in an all-cash deal. The purchase should close in the first quarter of next year. Tombola is one of the first companies to require deposit limits.
In a potentially precedent-setting decision, a Macau appeals court has upheld a 2018 decision that found Wynn Macau liable for half a debt owed by junket operator Dore Entertainment. It all started with an embezzler.
Louisiana Gaming Control Board Chairman Ronnie Johns (l.) says online sports wagering will launch in early to mid-January 2022. Meanwhile, eight casinos and racetracks now offer onsite retail sports betting.
Wynn Resorts Chair Phil Satre (l.) says CEO Matt Maddox, who will vacate his post in January, steered Wynn through unprecedented storms and left the company “stronger and more stable than it’s ever been.”
Grupo Orenes and R. Franco, gaming manufacturers based in Spain, have agreed to merge. The combined company will be Spain’s largest gaming manufacturer. Both companies were founded in the 1960s.
What is gaming’s place in the metaverse, that intersection of virtual reality and artificial intelligence? It’s exciting and terrifying at the same time, so you’d better be prepared.
This week, the GGB Podcast features Willy & Jo Allison, the organizers of the World Game Protection Conference, on how they are preparing to present the event for the first time in almost three years.
The Philippine Anti-Money Laundering Council has added Smarc Group to its list of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators that have not cooperated with compliance checks.
The Macau government will again draw from its financial reserves due to fewer gaming taxes generated by the city’s top industry. It will address the shortfall with an additional $790 million taken from the bank.
Japan’s coming integrated resort industry must cultivate a strong base of domestic consumers in order to truly succeed. One gaming expert said the locals market is “the most important segment of all.”
The resort island of Phu Quoc in Vietnam has reopened to travelers, welcoming 200 tourists from South Korea on November 20. The visitors were not required to quarantine.
A new report indicates that the Asia Pacific region will lead the rest of the world in electronic table games. The survey calculated the patterns through 2027, with that region growing 6.8 percent.
As the Malaysian state of Kedah considers a ban on licensed gaming operations, Human Resource Minister Datuk Seri M. Saravanan (l.) is warning that prohibition will simply drive the industry underground.
Spanish-based gaming operator Codere has been taken over by its creditors as a result of court-ordered restructuring. The restructuring includes an infusion of €225 million to help Codere recover from the pandemic.
A report submitted to the Perth Casino Royal Commission indicates that Western Australia has the highest percentage of gamblers in the country but a lower level of problem gambling. Why? Fewer pokie machines.
The government of India could join China in banning most cryptocurrencies. India is preparing to unveil its own digital currency backed by its reserve bank. It wants to discourage competitors.
FansUnite has acquired American Affiliate, which will use its deep portfolio of technology to accelerate FansUnite’s entry into the U.S. online casino, sports betting and poker markets.
Gopher Investments, the No. 2 shareholder of online gaming giant Playtech, has pulled out of the three-way takeover battle for the London-based supplier.
Wynn Resorts is abandoning a plan to spin off Wynn Interactive, the operator’s online gaming branch, which would have created a $3.2 billion public company. At the same time, the company named a new president to replace Craig Billings, now CEO of Wynn Resorts.
PlayStar will partner with marketing and analytics provider Intelitics for player acquisition in connection with PlayStar’s launch in the New Jersey iGaming market.
Malaysia and Laos may seek to introduce online gaming as a way to up government revenues ravaged by Covid-19. They’re looking at what many consider the successful model in the Philippines.
New York State Senator Joseph P. Addabbo Jr. (l.) seeks to take mobile sports betting to the next level. He wants to incorporate horse racing into the mix and has introduced legislation to accomplish that.
Cliff Castle Casino (l.) in Camp Verde, Arizona, has entered into a multi-year agreement with International Game Technology to launch sports betting using the IGT PlaySports platform.
Caesars sportsbook has struck a deal with Madison Square Garden for sponsorship of the New York Knicks and New York Rangers. MSG Network will also air a series featuring comedian JB Smoove.
FanDuel and Genius Sports Ltd. have signed a new partnership. The deal will include a range of NFL data, in-play betting content and other media products.
The NBA has expanded its agreement with Sportradar to eight years. The firm has exclusive rights to distribute league data to sportsbooks in and out of the U.S. The NBA will also acquire 3 percent of Sportradar.
The New Jersey Devils signed a partnership with Betway in which brand exposure and media coverage benefits team and operator. The deal comes on the heels of a similar arrangement with PlayUp.
Oversight of Tennessee sports betting will transition from the state lottery to the Sports Wagering Advisory Council on January 1. SWAC Executive Director Mary Beth Thomas (l.), promises a smooth transition.
Trying to fend off competition for media rights, NBC Sports has renewed its contract with the U.K.-based Premier League for $2.7 billion. The contract carries the partnership through 2028.
Entain Foundation U.S. is sponsoring a responsible gaming education program in partnership with NBA legend Charles Oakley (l.). It’s part of a community service plan for underprivileged communities.
Nevada regulators are considering whether to allow players to sign up for cashless wagering accounts remotely to reduce a bottleneck of customers waiting to enroll in casinos.
When the Florida legislature voted to allow parimutuels to decouple jai-alai from casino gambling, the Casino at Dania Beach’s fate was sealed. Its jai-alai front closed November 28 after 69 years of operations.
A hidden camera investigation at three storefront casinos in Ohio found
the venues paying out cash prizes for their so-called “games of skill.” The state gaming board insists the games are actually illegal slot machines.
A Louisiana appeals court rejected District Judge John Keller’s ruling that a Slidell casino referendum be held. Keller subsequently set two dates to consider a way forward for the proposed Camellia Bay resort (l.).
When smoking was banned as part of Covid-19 restrictions, the financial results weren’t as punitive as expected. But New Jersey lawmakers have yet to make the ban permanent, and it probably won’t under lame duck Senate President Steve Sweeney (l.).
The New York Racing Association objects to a bill in the state legislature that would redirect VLT money. Funding that now goes to horse racing would instead go to education, agricultural grants and more.
At least 1,500 workers at Missouri and Kansas casinos will file a class action lawsuit against Penn National. The workers allege the company illegally charged them a monthly surcharge because they are smokers.
Effective November 23, employees and guests at Detroit’s three casinos, regardless of their vaccination status, are required to wear face masks. The mask mandates are in response to a surge in Covid-19 cases in the city.
Under a new five-year agreement, Caesars Entertainment will offer Caesars Rewards members Sun Country Airlines charter service at Gulfport, Mississippi and Laughlin, Nevada, starting March 2022.
People who work at Citizen Potawatomi Nation businesses must be vaccinated against Covid-19 by December 31 or “face termination.” The rule applies “without exceptions,” said Chairman John “Rocky” Barrett (l.).
A sexual harassment lawsuit against Steve Wynn (l.), dismissed in July 2020, will move forward following a decision last week by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
The Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey has appointed Felicia Grondin executive director of the agency. Grondin is a board member and has been acting director since July.
The government of Victoria, Australia has appointed former Department of Health Secretary Fran Thorn as the first head of the state’s new Gambling and Casino Control Commission.
Macau-based IGamiX Management and Consulting has established a Cambodian unit to be headed by Regional Director Daniel Li (l.). The new office will be based in Phnom Penh.
Casinos Austria AG has appointed Holland Casino CEO Erwin Van Lambaart (l.) as its new general director. He will officially join the board next March and become general director on April 1.
Aquis Entertainment Ltd., which operates Casino Canberra in Australia, has appointed Russell Shields as chairman of the board, pending regulatory approval.
Global sports betting and iGaming supplier FSB has appointed Mike Van Ermen to the position of vice president of business development for North America.
New Zealand’s SkyCity Entertainment Group has named current director Julian Cook as its chairman-elect. He will assume the role in January, when current Chairman Rob Campbell retires.
The European Casino Association has awarded four EDP Diversity Scholarships, honoring recipients from Casino de Monte-Carlo, Casino Cosmopol, Olympic Casino and Casino Mond.
The U.K. Gambling Business Group has convened a new board; Chief Executive Peter Hannibal (l.) said the group “is among the most influential in U.S. land-based gaming.”
TCSJohnHuxley has committed to acquiring all shares of Midwest Gaming Supply Inc. Based in Missouri, Midwest Gaming serves an international market as a leader in dice manufacture.
Lady Luck Games has committed to buy Revolver Gaming for €750,000 in cash and shares. The U.K.-based company develops games in HTML 5 and distributes 15 distinct games in Europe, Asia and South America.
Live-dealer game provider Ezugi has released Blackjack Salon Privé, a live casino title for high rollers. The new product allows customers to play one to a table, at their own pace and in complete privacy.
Scott Sibella (l.), president of Resorts World Las Vegas, will open the International Casino Conference, ICE VOX, to be held in London on January 31, 2022.
