Allowing sports books to open at stadiums like Wrigley Field (l.) and arenas in Chicago is possibly the worst decision that the Illinois politicians could make. But then again, Illinois has never been accused of understanding how gaming actually works.
Vinny Magliulo (l.) has a long history in sports betting but according to Richard Schuetz, his greatest attributes are his honesty and integrity. If that’s the lesson he could teach to young participants in the industry, that would be the ultimate goal.
On the strength of its integrated entertainment model, Fubo TV has launched Fubo Sportsbook, where sports streaming meets sports betting. CEO Scott Butera says the company’s million-member subscriber pool is a ready-made customer base.
Gaming and Leisure Properties will acquire the real estate under Cordish Companies’ three Live! Casinos, including the one in South Philadelphia (l.). The deal is part of a $1.81 billion agreement that will give GLPI equity in future Cordish expansion and enable Cordish to accelerate growth.
Thailand’s House of Representatives has created a 60-member “extraordinary committee” to study the benefits and drawbacks of legal casinos in the country. Bangkok is considered a prime location for an integrated resort with gaming.
On Saturday, voters in St, Tammany Parish, Louisiana turned thumbs down on Peninsula Pacific Entertainment’s proposed $325 million casino, Camellia Bay. Early returns showed 63 percent of voters were against the idea, following months of controversy and debate.
The crackdown on junkets in Macau has had ripple effects beyond the Chinese gaming hub. Casino operators in the Philippines and Cambodia are also examining their relationship with VIP promoter Suncity.
New York asset manager Jason Ader (l.) has a Jetsons-like plan for a Big Apple casino: a multibillion-dollar resort complete with a cryptocurrency trading floor, an esports arena and a landing pad for flying cars.
A bill in the U.S. House of Representatives would provide the long-sought legislative “fix” to counter the U.S. Supreme Court decision in the 2009 Carcieri v. Salazar case.
After numerous delays, the first sports bets were place in Maryland on Thursday, with Governor Larry Hogan putting money on an all-Maryland Super Bowl with the ribbon cutting on the BetMGM sports book (l.) at MGM National Harbor.
The Illinois Gaming Board awarded “preliminary suitability” status to Full House Resort for a Waukegan casino and to Wind Creek Hospitality for a casino straddling Homewood and East Hazel Crest.
Evolution Gaming, a Swedish company that supplies casinos with live dealers and unique betting shows, is facing charges of dealing directly with countries where gaming is prohibited. It also faces charges of participating in a crypto gambling ring.
Delayed a year by the pandemic, the $31 million Cascades Casino (l.) in North Bay, Canada is moving toward opening early in 2022. Construction by Gateway Casinos and Entertainment Ltd. resumed in April of this year.
Tilman Fertitta (l.) last week paid Fast Acquisitions $33 million to end a deal which would have taken his casino and hospitality holdings public via a SPAC. He said the company would grow the business and remain private.
This week’s GGB Podcast features a discussion with Cynthia Hallett, the president and CEO of the American Nonsmokers' Rights Foundation on why the easing of the pandemic is the right time to ban smoking in casinos.
At a recent talk on urban planning, Deloitte China Vice Chair Norman Sze said Macau should build its future on 12 global trends including green planning, smart mobility and artificial intelligence.
Nagasaki residents who oppose the prefecture’s plan to develop an integrated resort in Sasebo City (l.) have filed a petition asking the government to stop the process in its tracks.
A study of European friendlies football clubs discovered that they are more susceptible to match-fixing. Of 700 players in Cyprus, Greece and Malta, more than a quarter played in clubs suspected of manipulation.
Parimatch Tech, based in Ukraine, has completed the acquisition of Mr.Fish and the online poker room PokerMatch. The company says the acquisitions will enable it to expand its entertainment and marketing portfolio.
KSA, the gaming regulator of the Netherlands, is cracking down on 15 affiliate websites that it says aims at Dutch players. It has warned them all to cease and desist or face monetary fines.
A new casino has opened in the Caribbean, the Casino Royale at Royalton Antigua. A sister property to Casino Royale of St. Maarten, it offers slot machines, gaming tables, big-screen TVs and a bar.
Playtech PLC is invoking takeover rules in the U.K. to make JKO Play affirm a takeover bid that would counter an offer by Aristocrat Leisure Ltd. by January 5.
Legislators in the province of Córdoba, Argentina presented a bill that would legalize online gambling including slots, table games, sports betting and lotteries. Profits would fund the province’s lottery.
MaximBet has selected the iGaming solutions of Global Payments Gaming Solutions to provide a funding function allowing players to fund gaming via their smartphones.
Ontario Auditor General Bonnie Lysyk (l.) has issued a report listing her concerns with the soon-to-open internet gaming and sports betting market. They include a number of what she calls “legal risks.”
Following its restructuring, Codere Online debuted on the Nasdaq stock exchange December 2. It is the first gaming firm for the Latin American market to be listed on the Nasdaq.
DraftKings and the National Football League Players Association have signed a licensing deal that will enable the sportsbook to expand its blockchain offerings.
BetMGM is offering Pittsburgh Steelers-themed roulette and blackjack games, developed in partnership with Evolution Gaming to theme the games in a 3D-rendered Heinz Field suite.
Chicago city council members led by Alderman Greg Mitchell (l.)unexpectedly blocked Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s plan to offer sports betting at five stadiums, taxing the revenue at 2 percent. One said it wasn’t “a sufficient reward for the risks.”
After last-minute compromises, the Ohio legislature passed a sports betting bill that will allow wagering by the end of 2022. Governor Mike DeWine (l.) is expected to sign the measure, which passed with a bipartisan majority.
Europe has taken a stern approach to the proliferation of sports betting ads and sponsorships. The U.S. hopes to avoid such elements as whistle-to-whistle ad bans by voluntarily cutting back on ads like the omnipresent Caesars JB Smoove ads.
Madison Square Garden and the teams that play there—the Knicks and Rangers—have signed up for the American Gaming Association’s responsible gaming campaign. Fans have access to educational resources.
Faced with more money going out than coming in, DraftKings is going through a rough patch. They need to up marketing costs to acquire new customers. The SEC is investigating the company.
Connecticut’s sports betting market produced $1.7 million in state revenue in its first three weeks. Operators DraftKings, FanDuel and SugarHouse took in more than $54.6 million in wagers.
Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley (l.) thinks wagering on a Reds game should be as easy as buying a lottery ticket. Whether that’s the plan for Ohio lawmakers remains to be seen. Not enough oversight, one lawmaker says.
Missouri has tried for sports betting since 2018, when the federal government overturned PASPA. In 2022, it will try again in 2022 to get to first base with a bill introduced by Rep. Phil Christofanelli (l.).
As the 2022 racing season approaches, NASCAR will develop new ways fans and bettors can engage with racing events, says Joe Solosky (l.), manager of sports betting.
Churchill Downs Inc., the parent company of the Kentucky Derby, is considering a sale of TwinSpires, its betting division. The sale could bring in some $1.5 billion to the company.
Colossus Bets has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against DraftKings, alleging that DraftKings’ “Cash Out” feature infringes on seven Colossus patents.
Sportradar and Kambi announced a five-year extension of their partnership deal, under which Sportradar is Kambi’s exclusive data supplier for professional and college sports in the U.S.
Rez Sportsbook at Louisiana’s Coushatta Casino marked its grand opening December 1. The ceremony included NFL stars including Rickey Jackson. Coushatta Chairman Jonathon Cernek called it a “sports lover’s dream.”
Northern Quest Resort & Casino in Washington State opened its sportsbook December 4. Retired L.A. Lakers great Robert Sacre placed the first bet at the Turf Club Sports Book.
MGM Resorts, the biggest casino operator on the Las Vegas Strip, could soon get even bigger. Chief Financial Officer Jonathan Halkyard (l.) recently said the company is planning more developments on the Strip.
The American Gaming Association has sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Justice, urging the federal government to crack down on illegal gaming machines.
So-called skill games have restarted in Virginia following a circuit court judge’s temporary injunction blocking a ban against them. The legislature shut down the games in July. A trial date has been set for May.
Hard Rock, Ocean Casino and Resorts Casino have something in common besides their proximity to one another. They have a collective with other attractions known as North Beach. And a marketing campaign to match.
In Bristol, Virginia, Hard Rock Bristol casino developers submitted plans to demolish the former Bristol Mall. In Portsmouth, ground was broken (l.) for Rush Street Gaming’s $300 million Rivers Casino.
Anti-smoking advocates gathered in Trenton December 9 to once more ask lawmakers to close the loophole that allows smoking in part of nine Atlantic City casinos. Prior efforts failed. Will this year be different?
Opposing groups backed by the Las Vegas Sands Corp. and the Seminole Tribe met in court December 8 to air out accusations of intimidation. The Sands says the Seminoles are strongarming them over petitions.
Electronic pull tabs are setting records in North Dakota. They look a lot like slot machines. Maybe that’s why they are so popular. All other forms of gambling are on the decline, including at the tribal casinos.
In a 51 percent to 49 percent vote, Richmond, Virginia voters rejected the proposed $565 million One Casino and Resort (l.). Now a survey and petition drive may possibly offer a second chance for a casino in the area.
After talks between the governors of California and Nevada, California’s Department of Transportation found a solution for traffic gridlock near the common border. It will begin adding lanes on five miles of Interstate 15.
The A’s have reportedly narrowed their potential stadium sites to the Tropicana site (l,) on the Strip. The team still hasn’t decided to leave Oakland. Major League Soccer puts Vegas at top of list for a team.
FaNeisha Yavette Mosley, a problem gambling services counselor, has sued the Arkansas Racing Commission for not establishing gambling addiction services as required by Amendment 100 of the state constitution.
Wynn Design & Development, the creative arm of Wynn Resorts, has signed a lease at 1700 Pavilion (l.), a new 10-story office complex under development in Downtown Summerlin, Nevada.
Kyle Kirkland (l.), longtime owner of the Club One Casino in Fresno, California, has gotten the go-ahead to add 20 tables, bringing the total to 51. This ends a long regulatory ordeal with the local city council.
Officials from the Ho-Chunk Nation and Bureau of Indian Affairs will review the land-trust status of the tribe’s Beloit, Wisconsin casino resort. Governor Tony Evers approved plans for the project (l.) March 24.
Oregon’s Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians is hoping to garner support for its proposed casino (l.) in Salem. One of its biggest selling points is the 2,300 construction jobs it would generate.
The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to rehear a case brought by neighbors of the Jamul Indian Village in Southern California. The Jamul Action Committee has been fighting the tribe’s casino for years.
Pechanga Resort Casino in Temecula, California has announced it will increase the minimum wage for all hourly tipped and non-tipped employees and also double its annual yearly bonuses.
A debt sale of approximately $3.5 billion could enable Brookfield Business Partners to close the deal on acquiring the lottery business of Scientific Games Corp.
IGT’s lottery operations have been recertified for the World Lottery Association’s Corporate Social Responsibility Standards and Responsible Gaming Framework for Suppliers.
Richard Schwartz, CEO of Rush Street Interactive, which operates the BetRivers and PlaySugarHouse online casino and sportsbook brands, was named Leader of the Year at the SBC Awards North America 2021.
Craig Clark is the new chief operating officer for the Seneca Gaming Corp. He’ll be in charge of financial elements for three upstate New York casino resorts and work with the corporate president on a strategic plan.
Aristocrat Leisure Ltd. has announced that Chief Financial Officer Julie Cameron-Doe will leave the company in 2022 and join Wynn Resorts in a similar capacity. Cameron-Doe joined Aristocrat in 2013.
Gaming tech provider Eminence Holdings has appointed Lisa Karran as the company’s chief operating officer. Karran has worked with a number of gaming companies as well as the government of the Isle of Man.
Better Change (Gibraltar) Ltd. has announced the appointment of Lee Willows (l.) to its board of directors as a non-executive director. Willows has three decades of experience in the gaming industry.
Galaxy Gaming has appointed Cheryl Kondra to its board of directors. Kondra has worked at Pinnacle Entertainment and Caesars Entertainment, and now is vice president of internal audit at Tractor Supply.
Last week, Sightline announced that IGT will deploy its proprietary mobile loyalty platform, Joingo, as the preferred mobile app solution for casino operators leveraging IGT casino management technology.
Tangam Systems has signed an agreement with Grosvenor Casinos, the largest casino operator in the U.K. o provide its table-games management system at Grosvenor locations.
Gary Platt Manufacturing has supplied hospitality chairs to Johnny Mac’s Sports Bar & Grill in Henderson, Nevada, which picked the patented Monaco chair.
