In the end, just two prefectures submitted bids for integrated resort licenses in Phase 1 of Japan’s planned casino industry. Following the abrupt withdrawal of Wakayama last month, the prefectural governments of Osaka and Nagasaki (Casinos Austria project at left) filed their proposals with the central government.

The Massachusetts Senate has finally acted on a bill to legalize sports betting. A bill was passed by the House months ago with an overwhelming vote, however the version passed by the Senate is vastly different, under which the MGM Resorts sign at Fenway Park would be OK, but not a BetMGM logo.

Bloomberry Resorts Chairman and CEO Enrique Razon (l.) says the Philippine operator’s second Manila integrated resort, Solaire North, will open as planned in 2023.

Crown shareholders won’t vote on the proposed Blackstone acquisition until later this month. A vote originally set for April has been delayed as Australian regulators size up the U.S.-based private equity firm.

Casino mogul Tilman Fertitta is reportedly close to acquiring a six-acre property on the Las Vegas Strip, directly across from MGM Resorts’ Aria. No official announcements have been made, but Fertitta is expected to build a new resort at the location.

The Northern Indian State of Meghalaya has approved wide-reaching gambling regulations, but only non-residents will be permitted to partake of the games.

The tribal council of the Eastern Band of Cherokees have approved allowing EBCI Holdings CEO Scott Barber (l.) to bid on building two new casinos for a total cost of $90 million, including a $25 million equity commitment from the tribe.

Kansas legislators have approved a bill that would legalize retail, online and mobile sports betting and direct the tax revenue to a special fund used to attract the Kansas City Chiefs across the Missouri state line. Governor Laura Kelly (l.) is expected to sign the bill.

Aristocrat Gaming last week broke ground in Henderson, Nevada on a new manufacturing facility less than two years after it opened a new headquarters in the Summerlin area of Las Vegas.

As gaming companies report their first-quarter results, there are lessons to be learned from the prudent growth strategies of regional firms. But the full story is yet to come, with a lot hinging on consumer confidence.

This week, the GGB Podcast is joined by Richard St. Jean, the chief operating officer for the Morongo Casino Resort and Spa, explaining how the renovation and expansion of his property has turned out.

Sun Entertainment Group will distance itself from its founder, imprisoned billionaire Alvin Chau (l.), by changing the company’s English name to Yeah Group Holdings Ltd.

The Commonwealth Casino Commission of Saipan will hold a hearing May 3 on whether to revoke the casino license now held by Imperial Pacific International. IPI’s casino (l.) on the island remains unfinished.

RHB Research has written in a report that prospects for Malaysia’s gaming industry at Genting Highlands (l.) are “increasingly certain, citing Genting Malaysia and Genting Singapore among strong operators.

Forbes’ recent 2022 Travel Guide was very favorable to Macau. The Chinese city cemented itself as a powerhouse in the global travel market, winning dozens of awards and distinctions.

Last month, Russia’s Primorye government passed an amendment to provide an additional six months of tax relief for gambling operators in its special entertainment zone.

The $41 million Cascades Casino North Bay (l.) opened April 21, featuring 300 slot machines, six live table games and 10 virtual table games, generating 200 new jobs.

Paraguay President Mario Abdo Benitez (l.) has signed a ban on slot machines in public places frequented by children. The venues include pharmacies, markets and fast-food restaurants, to name a few.

Buenos Aires will allow debit cards for casino payments to lessen the risk of tax evasion and money laundering. But some including Casino Workers Association head Roberto “Chucho” Páez (l.) worry it will increase problem gambling.

As Brazilian senators consider a bill to legalize casinos, some members have moved to create an anti-gaming coalition. Senator Angelo Coronel (l.) voted against it, saying it’s time to legalize gambling in the country.

The German state of Schleswig-Holstein has announced details of the application process for its four online gaming licenses, which will be valid for a term of 15 years.

B2B Gaming has acquired Asia Live Tech and its sister company, Start Live Casino, including all intellectual property, games, systems and properties of both suppliers.

Pragmatic Play has launched Spirit of Adventure, an online slot game themed as an archaeological expedition featuring moving wild symbols, multipliers and collection features.

U.S.-based online slot maker High 5 Games continues is now officially live on PlayEagle.com, Soaring Eagle’s new online casino. The iGaming site went live on April 14.

In a recent survey of 650 Minnesota residents, the majority indicated that they supported legal sports betting in the state. The percentage of neutral respondents actually exceeded those who were opposed.

When asked about legal gaming and sports betting in Texas, gubernatorial candidate Beto O’Rourke (l.) suggested he would support both. His position goes against the state’s current anti-gaming regime.

Louisiana lawmakers may make mobile sportsbooks offer self-exclusion. The move follows a probe of former state Senator Karen Carter Peterson (l.) for financial improprieties. Peterson is a self-confessed addicted gambler.

Missouri state Senator Denny Hoskins (l.) led a lengthy argument saying a bill to legalize sports betting also should legalize VLTs and add 5,000 machines. Following a four-hour filibuster, no vote was taken.

Betly.com, Arkansas’ first online and mobile sportsbook, recently launched. The app can be downloaded to Apple iPhones and allows bettors to place a wager from any location in Arkansas.

A South Carolina Republican and a Democrat have introduced House Bill 5277 to legalize online and retail sports wagering and allow cryptocurrency as an account funding and payout option.

Ohio bar and restaurant owners question newly published sports betting rules like limiting establishments to two kiosks and requiring them to pay prizes up to $599 in cash. The rules could change before they’re adopted.

The 2022 NFL Draft was in Las Vegas last week, and both league and city officials expected record-breaking attendance and revenues that could put Vegas on the map as a go-to city for future NFL events.

The Las Vegas Golden Knights will wear a patch from sponsor Circa Sports on home-game jerseys for the 2022-23 season. The patch should add more than $1 million to the team coffers.

Bally’s Interactive has teamed up with the Cleveland Browns as the official sports betting partner. The agreement includes a Bally’s branded lounge at FirstEnergy Stadium. And Ohioans will be allowed to bet in 2023.

FanDuel expanded their relationship with the New York Yankees on April 25. The new agreement gives the sportsbook VIP accommodations in the iconic Yankee Stadium, signage in right field and more.

News Corp is entering the Australian sports betting market through a joint venture with Tekkorp Capital and CEO Matt Davey (l.), utilizing the sports betting platform of BetMakers Technology Group.

Football player and broadcaster Mike Golic Jr. (l.) has joined DraftKings Inc. as a brand ambassador. Golic will partner with former teammate Brandon Newman on “GoJo,” a new daily podcast debuting May 2.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot (l.) reportedly wants $75 million upfront from the winning developer of a downtown casino. Bally’s, Rush Street Gaming and Hard Rock are competing for the license for the multimillion-dollar project.

Richmond, Virginia officials are floating plans for the estimated $30 million in annual taxes that could be generated by the proposed ONE Casino and Resort (l.). The casino plan was revived despite voter rejection last November.

Resorts World Las Vegas President Scott Sibella (l.) is under investigation by the Nevada Gaming Control Board after the defendant in a fraud trial made damaging claims about their relationship in a deposition.

About 80 employees of Rhode Island’s Bally’s Twin River Casino (l.) are suing the company. They claim in a class action lawsuit that overtime payments have been unlawfully miscalculated.

Regulatory approval for the Midnight Rose Hotel is moving forward in Cripple Creek, Colorado. The 101-room luxury hotel is proposed by Triple Crown Casinos, which would have until 2024 to build it.

The Grants Pass Downs racetrack has canceled its 2022 racing meet. The owners says it was forced to when the Oregon Department of Justice ruled it couldn’t operate 225 Historical Horse Racing (HHR) machines.

A judge will rule May 2 whether New Jersey can remove online gaming and sports betting from calculations on what Atlantic City casinos owe the state. If Atlantic County prevails, those revenues will be included in the formula.

Northern California is a very competitive market for tribal casinos. Not only are the 15 Bay Area casinos, including Graton Resort (l.), competing for consumers, they’re also competing for employees. The stakes are very high.

Canada’s Jackpot Casino (l.) is expected to request a relocation and merger with nearby Cambridge Hotel due to space constraints. Both Alberta properties are owned by the O’Chiese First Nation.

The International Center for Responsible Gaming has appointed Lauren Vosloo, Ellen Whittemore, Trevor Croker of and Bobby Soper to its new Advisory Council.

Thor Gjermund Eriksen has been appointed CEO of Norwegian betting and lottery operator Norsk Tipping. Eriksen is the former director-general of the Norwegian Broadcasting Corp.

888 Holdings has named former Bleacher Report CEO Howard Mittman as its U.S. president. Mittman is joining the company as it prepares to launch its SI Sportsbook in the country.

Fintech firm AXES.ai has named Rosalinda Van Rooyen (l.) as chief product officer, Ian Brown as chief information officer, Danielle Parson as chief operating officer and Jacob Verret as chief information security officer.

JCJ Architecture has welcomed JoyceLynn Lagula, associate AIA, to its Las Vegas office as senior associate and project director. Lagula will help design teams turn client visions to actionable plans.

Last Monday, Galaxy Gaming, Inc. announced that Bill Zender, a member of the company’s board of directors since 2015, will resign the post effective July 1.

Valley Forge Casino Resort in Pennsylvania last week announced the appointment of Jeffrey George as director of food and beverage and Remi Oduyebo as director of hotel operations.

Tangam Systems, a leader in business intelligence software for gaming, recently installed its new Slot Optimization & Data Analytics software at Sycuan Casino Resort in El Cajon, California.

Payment platform company Nuvei Corp. has extended its partnership with Novibet, a leading European sports betting and online casino operator, to accept payments as it expands globally.

Dealers Club Roulette, just released by Real Dealer Studios, is iGaming’s first RNG casino game where dealers switch at regular intervals to keep the action fresh, just as they would in a land-based casino.

Beau Rivage has become the first Mississippi Gulf Coast property to create a “Buffalo Zone,” featuring 50 slot titles in Aristocrat’s Buffalo franchise, including Buffalo Chief and Buffalo Gold.