Star Entertainment CEO Matt Bekier says two multibillion-dollar expansions (Sydney property above) could make Star “Australia’s leading IR company.” The operator’s chief rival, Crown Resorts, may have helped put that goal within reach.
Players will be the judges for the new awards program organized by iGamingPlayer.com, destined to make them the most meaningful awards in online sports betting, poker and casinos.
Florida sports betting bills are more enticing than ever in the Covid era, as the state struggles for revenues. The legislation faces several obstacles: opposition from the Seminole Tribe and Disney (l.), and fluid definitions of gambling.
In Arizona, questions swirl around a plan by Governor Doug Ducey (l.) to make sports betting available to tribes and sports franchises, but omit bars and taverns. One newspaper called it “a massive giveaway to pro sports teams.”
Las Vegas Sands Corp.’s $6.25 billion exit from the Vegas Strip market, where its fortunes were launched, promises to be a transformative move for VICI and Apollo. For LVS, it raises a host of questions.
Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont and Mohegan Chairman James Gessner Jr. (l.), reached an agreement on sports betting and iGaming in the state. The deal excludes the Mashantucket Pequot tribe, operators of Foxwoods casino, who are not happy about the outcome.
Chinese leaders gathered in Beijing last week for the National People’s Congress. Macau lawmakers and government officials came too, hoping to persuade the powers-that-be to help boost tourism to the territory.
The executive exodus at Australia's Crown Resorts continued last week as another director, John Poynton (l.), the leader of the company[s Perth casino, resigned. The embattled casino operator is facing a new investigation in the state of Victoria.
Washington state is taking the first steps to creating a system for taking applications to operate sports betting at the state’s Indian casinos. Currently only tribal casinos may offer sportsbooks.
Michigan’s Little River Band of Ottawa Indians plans a $180 million casino at the former Great Lakes Downs racetrack. But a House resolution opposes “any off-reservation” project barring compact amendments.
Two Chile gaming rivals will reportedly merge, according to Bloomberg Law. Together Enjoy and Sun Dreams will form the largest gaming company in the South American market.
Gaming revenues were down more than 43 percent compared to pre-pandemic January 2020. Visitation for the month, normally the second best on the Strip’s conventions calendar, was down more than 63 percent.
Some Prince Edward Island lawmakers are questioning the government’s intention of allowing Atlantic Lottery Corp. to operate an online casino. Critics say iGaming would target the “most vulnerable” citizens but Premier Dennis King (l.) defends the program.
Italy’s new prime minister, Mario Draghi (l.), has decreed that casinos, betting shops and other gaming halls in the country will remain on lockdown until April, at the earliest.
This week, the GGB Podcast sits down with Joe Carlon, the director of digital engineering for GLI on how the company has been handling the certification of sports betting and iGaming technology.
After four years of delays, SJM’s long-awaited arrival in Macau’s Cotai resort district was finally supposed to happen this month. But the debut of the Grand Lisboa Palace (l.) has been delayed again.
A new state-of-the-art 430,000-square-foot convention center is set to debut at Galaxy Macau (l.) this year. It’s the centerpiece of a $1.16 billion expansion, the Cotai resort’s third, that also will feature a multipurpose arena.
Cambodia's NagaWorld casino complex (l.) shut down last week after 11 employees tested positive for Covid-19. The cases were discovered when workers were screened in late February.
As Covid-mandated flight restrictions continue, Vietnam's casinos are asking the government to let locals enter and play. The petition came from leading travel destinations including Quang Nam (l.) and Ba Ria-Vung Tau.
Saipan’s scandal-plagued casino operator, Imperial Pacific International, contends it will not oppose the suspension of its gaming license. IPI is millions of dollars in arrears in government payments and payroll.
More than 5,000 Germans have signed a petition in support of a fair state gambling law in the state of Baden-Württemberg, home of the famous Baden-Baden casino (l.). Most licensed gaming venues in the state are due to close at the end of June.
Danish casinos and gaming halls won't reopen until April 5 at the earliest due to extended Covid-19 restrictions, the government has announced. Related travel restrictions also will remain in place until then.
The government of Ukraine has approved a flat gaming tax rate of 10 percent across all verticals. A variable tax rate was originally proposed when gambling became legal in 2020.
The U.K. will pay betting shops and other small businesses recovery grants of at least £6,000. Casinos, hotels and the like will receive £16,000. The Betting and Gaming Council welcomed relief for a beleaguered industry.
Panama’s casinos and slot halls, including Panama City’s Majestic (l.), reopened Saturday, March 6, a week earlier than originally expected. The venues will operate at 50 percent occupancy with other health and safety protocols in place.
The Halifax casino (l.) operated by Nova Scotia Gaming Corp. is losing money. That makes critics wonder why the government of this Canadian province is mulling allowing Atlantic Lottery to go live with an online casino.
British gaming company Entain has increased its offer to purchase Swedish sports betting company Enlabs AB to US$440.16 million. But this is the final offer, Entain says.
The owner of Canada’s Toronto Star newspaper, a century-old institution, wants to launch an online casino to help fund the newspaper. The plan would require a regulated online gaming market in Ontario.
PayNearMe announced an enhancement to its iGaming solution that allows operators to simplify the player experience with electronic and cash payments from one vendor.
A Kansas Senate committee approved six amendments to SB 84, which would legalize land-based and mobile sports betting. The amendments lowered the tax rate and increased the number of allowable skins per establishment.
The Maryland General Assembly (l.) is continuing to debate legislation that will set up regulations to ramp up the new sport betting business approved by voters last November.
Despite ups and downs, Georgia state Rep. Ron Stephens (l.) expressed confidence his sports betting measure would make it to March 8, the last day bills must pass in their chambers to move over to the other side. “This is politics,” he said.
The earnings report for DraftKings produced a mixed bag. The company didn’t meet share price expectations, but exceeded predictions on revenue. The sportsbook company has forecast $1 billion in revenues for this year.
Nevada approval of IGT PlaySports retail and mobile technology has positioned the company to expand its sports betting position in the state to more operators.
Wyoming Rep. Tom Walters (l.) will introduce a sports betting bill in March, with a goal to have it ready to go by football season. The bill includes a 10 percent tax rate and patterned after the law in Colorado.
Wynn Resorts has agreed to invest $3.5 million in podcast firm, Blue Wire. The partnership includes building a studio in the Las Vegas resort with on-air personalities, athletes, commentators and others talking sports.
Barstool Sportsbooks expects to have an online presence in Illinois by the climax of NCAA March Madness. It would be the sportsbook’s third state after Pennsylvania and Michigan.
DraftKings sportsbook has appointed baseball legend Cal Ripken Jr. (l.) as a special advisor to its board of directors. As part of the deal, Ripken will become a DraftKings equity holder.
BetMGM has announced that it will become the exclusive regional partner in the U.S. for Borussia Dortmund, one of the most successful soccer teams in Germany.
WynnBET has inked a deal with the Detroit Pistons to cross-market Wynn’s online sports betting app. Other partners include the Memphis Grizzlies, NASCAR, Martinsville Speedway and Richmond Raceway.
Most New York voters say they favor full-scale gaming at the two New York City-area racinos, including Resorts World NYC (l.) and Empire City Yonkers. Support for mobile betting also was high.
Under new Covid-19-related orders from the state, more Michigan businesses may now operate at increased capacity, including casinos like Greektown (l.), which can allow 30 percent occupancy.
A Nebraska Senate committee has OK’d a bill that adds details to gaming initiatives voters approved in November. The measure would allow casino gaming at horse tracks, earmarking revenues for property tax relief.
In Alabama, several popular columnists recently commented on state Senator Del Marsh’s (l.) proposed constitutional amendment to expand gaming in the state. Their views run the gamut.
Caesars Entertainment has joined Las Vegas Sands Corp. in being interested in casinos in Texas. The “only” rub is convincing the Texas legislature to agree to put it on the ballot for citizens to vote on.
When Kentucky lawmakers voted to legalize historical horseracing machines, many expressed concern about the low tax rate. Now a 10-member task force will study raising taxes on the machines’ revenue.
Acquisitions have been the centerpiece of Rhode Island-based Bally’s plans to become a major player in U.S. regional gaming. With the addition of Northern Nevada’s MontBleu (l.), the strategy has taken another step forward.
Accel Entertainment, a leading U.S. distributed gaming operator, will acquire Century Gaming, Montana’s largest gaming machines operator, in a $140 million transaction expected to close by the end of the year.
Indiana gaming commissioners have banned former Spectacle Entertainment boss Rod Ratcliff (l.) from the state gaming industry. Ratcliff must sell his shares and have no interest in the new Hard Rock Gary.
In a Pennsylvania House committee meeting on potential business rebounds after the Covid-19 pandemic, casino operators expressed optimism about business, but warned against illegal “skill” machines (l.).
What a way to celebrate Independence Day! On July 4, Cirque du Soleil plans to reopen its long-running spectacular, “O” at Bellagio on the Las Vegas Strip.
The Downs Racetrack and Casino near Albuquerque, New Mexico has reopened after almost a year under new health and safety precautions. Among them is a limit on occupancy of one-third.
The owner of the shuttered DiamondJacks Casino (l.) in Bossier City, Louisiana plans to lobby the legislature for approval to move the license to St. Tammany Parish near Slidell City for a $250 million casino hotel.
Borgata (l.) in Atlantic City has amended its complaint against Ocean Casino Resort for poaching proprietary information when it hired former executives. Borgata claims the hires walked away with trade secrets.
The Centers for Disease Control report that more than 200 casinos in the U.S. have reopened as nonsmoking properties. It’s expected that some of those gaming halls will stay smoke-free, even after the Covid threat passes.
MotorCity Casino Hotel (l.) in Detroit is suing its insurer after a claim for more than $270 million in Covid-related losses was denied. MotorCity’s policy covers up to $750 million.
A new $180 million hotel expansion at Cache Creek Casino Resort (l.), owned and operated by the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation, has made it one of northern California’s largest upscale resort destinations.
The Wilton Rancheria Tribe will break ground on a new casino resort (l.) near Sacramento on March 9. Operated by Boyd Gaming, the venue will open in the second half of 2022 and provide 1,600 construction jobs and 1,750 full-time positions.
The Navajo Nation Gaming Enterprise will receive $15 million of the $18.7 million nation recently approved by Navajo President Jonathan Nez (l.) to help its four tribal enterprises address financial impacts of Covid-19.
U.K. Health Lottery boss Richard Desmond has asked Prime Minister Boris Johnson to double the amount of jackpots that can be won by lottery players. Johnson made no assurances.
IGT has named former Aristocrat sales director Brad Robertson as senior director of sales for Australia and New Zealand. He will lead sales strategy for casinos, clubs and hotels in the region.
Virgin Hotels, which will open a new resort in Las Vegas this month, has named James Bermingham (l.) as the company's new CEO. Bermingham has replaced Raul Leal, who announced his decision to step down in January.
Flutter Entertainment has made a number of non-executive changes to its board of directors by adding Holly Koeppel and Nancy Dubuc (l.) to “enhance the gender balance, according to a statement from the group.
Hard Rock Atlantic City has named Nanette L. Horner as vice president of legal and general counsel. Horner previously worked with Empire Resorts and the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board.
Conservative MP John Whittingdale will head the review of the U.K.’s 2005 Gambling Act. The appointment drew concern from gaming critics due to his pro-industry votes on issues like FOBTs.
Empire Technological Group has announced that Carleton Campbell has been named regional sales manager for the Eastern Region, and Nile Konicek as national sales manager for table games.
Australian-based Aristocrat Technologies has settled its lawsuit related to social casino games in Washington State. The deal was approved by a U.S. district court. And Chairman Neil Chatfield (l.) lauded the company’s FY20 performance during the pandemic.
Scientific Games reported a net loss for the fourth quarter and the full year of 2020, but results that were better than expected amid the global pandemic were cause for optimism, says Chairman Barry Cottle (l.).
NRT Technology has partnered with Sightline Payments on a new level of unified user experience to power the “next generation of cashless, mobile and omni-channel payment solution.”
Scientific Games has received regulatory approval to release the third game in the Duo Fu Duo Cai series to Asian casinos, Hurricane Horse, on the Dualos X cabinet.
Aristocrat Gaming has expanded its slot portfolio with the release of Fu Dai Lian Lian Boost Peacock and Boost Tiger. Both are variations on the original Fu Dai Lian Lian Dragon and Panda game versions.
Conscious Gaming has launched an awareness campaign designed to promote responsible gaming and battle illegal gaming with state consumer education initiatives.
Morongo Casino (l.), near Palm Springs, California has introduced a new cashless wagering system. Marker Trax allows the casino to issue markers to thousands of customers using a system perfect over 20 years in Las Vegas.
On March 1, Above the Felt Entertainment launched “a new-age experiential talent and marketing agency” focused on connecting poker players, fans, and businesses across industries.
Sportsbook partner Kambi has announced that it will host a week-long content series, sharing its expertise on issues of interest to the sports betting industry.
The Entain Foundation US and Seton Hall University have joined up to offer a compliance education program for gaming industry workers. The second annual bootcamp will be held September 19-22 at Seton Hall.
