A bill to legalize sports betting has passed in the Maine Senate and House and could soon be on the desk of Governor Janet Mills (l.). Complicating the bill’s progress is the larger debate on tribal sovereignty in the state and opposition from the commercial casinos in the state.

The International Monetary Fund says Macau’s gaming-centric economy won’t return to pre-pandemic levels until 2025. The contraction is a reminder of the need to diversify, as demanded by Beijing.

A Reuters report quotes unnamed sources in revealing that legalized gambling in the United Arab Emirates in the form of integrated gaming resorts is close to reality.

Three casino licenses are up for grabs in the New York City area. Two could go to existing racinos, with the other really up for grabs. A handful of names from Las Vegas have considered entering the quest.

Sports betting legislation died on the last day of the Kentucky legislative session. Senator Damon Thayer (l.) expressed disappointment in the outcome, but said sentiment will probably change next year.

As part of its attack on possible player harm, the U.K. Gambling Commission has created a set of rules to intervene with at-risk players. Guidance on how to detect such behavior will be unveiled in June.

The Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria have resubmitted expansion plans for their casino that are larger in scale than originally proposed in 2017. Studies are ongoing, and a public forum is open through May 4.

The Indian Gaming 2022 tradeshow held las week in Anaheim, California, was also the rebranding of the National Indian Gaming Association. The conference and tradeshow was declared a success when almost 7,000 attended, according to IGA Chairman Ernie Stevens Jr. (l.).

Too much confidence in the gaming sector may be unrealistic given inflation, which may cut into consumers’ leisure spend. As first-quarter earnings reports near, it may be time to adjust expectations.

This week, the GGB Podcast sits down the Tom O’Brien, the president of Aristocrat for the Americas and EMEA on his new position and how he’s working with Aristocrat CEO Hector Fernandez.

This spring, Resorts World Sentosa (l.) in Singapore will begin the renovation of three hotels, the Hard Rock Hotel Singapore, the Hotel Michael, and the Festive Hotel. Collectively, the three hotels include 1,200 rooms and suites.

A U.S. report says Macau saw more limits on free speech and assembly in 2021. Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng (l.) upheld freedom of the press, as long as the press adheres to a “love of the motherland” principle.

An extraordinary committee of the Thai House of Representatives will soon issue a report on the pros and cons of an integrated resort in the country. Bangkok (l.) could host the first casino complex.

GamCare support group saw an increase of 6 percent in the number of women seeking help. As many as a million women may be at risk for gambling-related harms in the U.K.

The Armenian legislature is working on laws that will ban the use of cash and eWallets for gambling. The campaign is designed to help stop problem gamblers.

In an attempt to help deal with problem gamblers, the Dutch regulators will crackdown on use of autoplay on online casino play. The function is banned in the Netherlands.

Last week, Tiger Resort, Leisure and Entertainment Inc. announced the soft launch of its iGaming platform. TRLEI operates Okada Manila in the Philippine capital’s Entertainment City casino zone.

Officials in Cambodia and Thailand are training local law enforcement to intervene on behalf of Thai workers who were deceived into working in online casinos in Preah Sihanouk Province.

India’s government has introduced the Online Gaming (Regulation) Bill that would for the first time introduce regulations for online gaming. Currently, India has no laws governing iGaming.

Covid played a role in motivating homebound residents of Ontario to not only bet more online, but to take financial risks. The study was done by two nonprofits whose mission is fighting problem gambling.

Light & Wonder will soon release what the company calls its “flagship” for 2022, Stargate Megaways—the first new title on the OpenGaming platform under the new company name.

Nevada racebooks hope they can take bets on this year’s Kentucky Derby. It hasn’t happened for two years due to a contract dispute over simulcast fees between Churchill Downs and the Nevada Pari-Mutuel Association.

The sides are being drawn in what promises to be a very expensive campaign to decide if sports betting in California is legalized. Opponents began issuing advertisements and press releases this week.

A sports betting bill allowing retail and mobile wagering is on its way to the Missouri Senate, which is expected to increase the House bill’s 8 percent tax rate to 21 percent in a bill sponsored by Sen. Denny Hoskins (l.), and include $500,000 for problem gambling services.

The Mid-American Conference wants some clarity on Section 10.3 of the NCAA Division 1 manual. The section deals with gambling bans and may come into play with respect to data distribution deals.

In 2017, the Golden Knights team debuted by making it to the Stanley Cup Finals. Maybe it was the unexpected start, but the Raiders moved from Oakland, the WNBA got a franchise and MLB, and the NBA are looking.

Ontario gaming operators were given an April 4 deadline to comply with new licensing regulations, but some companies continue to operate sans licenses, such as Malta-based BetRegal (l.). Local authorities have been slow to crack down.

The Saginaw Chippewa tribe’s Soaring Eagle Gaming launched Eagle Casino & Sports, Michigan’s 15th sports betting and online casino platform, in partnership with GAN.

Better Collective, a sports betting media group, has acquired popular FIFA-based esports website Futbin in a $113 million deal. The company is looking to expand its growing footprint in the esports industry.

Circa Sports and Olympia Gaming have announced that Circa will build and operate a sportsbook inside of Olympia’s new Legends Bay Casino project in Sparks. This will be Circa’s first location outside Las Vegas.

Colorado Rockies outfielder Charlie Blackmon (l.) is baseball’s first active sportsbook ambassador, signing a promotional deal with MaximBet. The deal is permitted under the league’s new collective bargaining agreement.

The American Gaming Association’s Industry Outlook report says gaming CEOs are maintaining a positive business outlook for 2022, with 67 percent saying conditions are good.

After 11 years, the owner of Magnolia Bluffs Casino and Hotel (l.) in Natchez, Mississippi has sold the property to Saratoga Casino Holdings LLC. The sale came as a surprise to the mayor of the city, Dan Gibson.

A Virginia circuit court judge has dismissed the Cordish Companies’ lawsuit against the city of Norfolk, which partnered with the Pamunkey Indian Tribe to build a casino. Cordish claimed it also had a deal to build a casino (l.).

The Louisiana Gaming Control Board said the long-shuttered DiamondJacks Casino (l.) in Bossier City may be sold by owners Peninsula Pacific Entertainment to Foundation Gaming of Mississippi.

The South Jersey Transportation Authority has some positive news to report. Traffic on the Atlantic City Expressway rose in the first quarter on 2022 as did the number of passengers using the airport.

John Keeler (l.), former executive at New Centaur and Spectacle Entertainment, has pleaded guilty to filing a false tax return in a scheme to funnel casino funds to Republican political campaigns.

Ground was broken for the Golden Nugget Casino in Danville, Illinois, which will create 300 jobs and offer a 41,500-square-foot gaming floor with 500 slots, 14 table games, two restaurants and a sportsbook.

Chicago officials including Alderwoman Pat Dowell (l.) are concerned about traffic and safety issues that may come with a proposed new casino. Residents also spoke their minds at recent community meetings.

Residents of Plymouth and Plymouth County, Massachusetts will have the chance to voice their opinions on a proposed $500 million thoroughbred racetrack in a non-binding ballot question and community forums.

Pace-O-Matic, supplier of unregulated “skill games” to locations around Pennsylvania, has sued the state’s Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement over opposition to the games.

The Live! Casino in Pittsburgh announced last week that it will open a new 7,000-square-foot event and entertainment space called the Venue in June. The space was created for meetings, weddings, concerts and special events.

When some of its employees were targeted by high-interest payday loan firms, the Scarlet Pearl Casino Resort in Mississippi created an alternative plan, giving workers early access to already earned but unpaid wages.

The Fontainebleau hotel and casino in Las Vegas, an on-and-off project for close to 15 years, could finally open in late 2023. The resort has changed hands a number of times, but will be completed by the original developers.

A combination of a lawsuit by a losing bidder and numerous negative comments from local residents will weigh on regulators’ decision on a license for a casino near Penn State University. Investor Ira Lubert (l.) and Bally’s would own and operate the property.

A public policy research group in Massachusetts studied patterns in layoffs in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic. It found that women, people of color and low-wage workers bore the brunt of layoffs.

The New Hampshire Lottery could end up losing hundreds of thousands of dollars from an unlicensed app used by bettors placing wagers on horse races. The app is owned by Churchill Downs Inc.

Many employees from Bally’s Twin River Lincoln Casino (l.) in Rhode Island may join a lawsuit alleging labor law violations by the company, including discrepancies over overtime benefits and hourly wages.

After sitting down the Redding Rancheria CEO Tracy Edwards (l.), the Shasta County Board of Supervisors reversed a previous decision to oppose the Win-River Casino relocation proposal by a 3-2 vote. The board will send a formal endorsement to the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

Mohegan Sun (l.) in Connecticut will invest $15 million in new amenities for the casino’s high-end clientele, including a new VIP lounge as well as hotel suite and golf course renovations.

Former Mashpee Wampanoag tribal Chairman Cedric Cromwell (l.) went to trial last week on federal charges of bribery. For years, Cromwell led the Massachusetts tribe’s efforts to build a casino in Taunton.

On April 12, Lynn Valbuena (l.) was reelected chairwoman of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians for the fifth time. She and newly chosen tribal council members were sworn in and began their terms in office.

BMM Testlabs’ technology company BIG Tech has appointed Amit Sharma as its chief executive officer. BIG Tech provides cyber-defense systems, regulatory technology and media solutions.

Holland Casino has promoted Malinda Miener to the position of chief compliance officer. The former Royal Netherland Navy officer joined the company last year as director of compliance.

OpenBet has appointed Stewart Groumoutis as its new VP commercial, Canada, part of the company’s commitment to extend its footprint in Canadian sports betting.

Indianapolis sports and entertainment attorney Milt Thompson has been appointed as chairman of the Indiana Gaming Commission. Thompson will serve in the role through at least September 2023.

Light & Wonder, Inc. has retired a $4 billion term loan and redeemed $3 billion of its secured and unsecured notes, reducing its long-term debt by half using proceeds from the sale of its lottery business.

The newly renovated high-limit rooms at San Diego’s Jamul Casino (l.) just got more comfortable with chairs from Gary Platt Manufacturing. The manufacturer and tribe collaborated on a custom design for the VIP space.

Aruze Gaming America last week introduced its new Muso Curve 55 Midnight Edition Cabinet. Along with the cabinet, Aruze also announced the debut of two exclusive game titles.

Win Systems, a leader in gaming and entertainment software technology, has installed its WIGOS casino management system at the Madill Gaming Center in Oklahoma, run by the Chickasaw Nation.

Novomatic Americas has announced a multi-year distribution agreement with top Canadian distributor R2 Gaming, Inc. R2 will make Novomatic products available throughout Canada.

White Hat Studios, the content division of iGaming platform provider White Hat Gaming, has struck a content partnership with Tipico U.S. The deal will give Tipico customers access to White Hat games.

Everi Holdings has acquired strategic assets of XUVI, a privately owned platform provider—in particular, the BeamStudio marketing platform.

Zitro has supplied its Altius Glare cabinets, the new Wheel of Legends game and other top products to Cocamatic Group’s Arcadia gaming salons in Madrid, Spain.

Light & Wonder has extended an existing agreement to supply terminals for Entain’s Coral and Ladbrokes licensed betting parlors in the U.K.

Sycuan Casino Resort has become the first property to deploy the Slot Optimization & Data Analytics software package to improve the guest experience for customers.

JCM Global has partnered with Cassida Pro on transaction and payment technology, including its Cassida Pro Zeus two-pocket currency discriminator.

OKTO, a payment provider in the gambling sphere, has signed a deal with the European Casino Association to bring innovation to the group with digital payments. Such advances are among the fastest in the sector.