Operating a casino comes with many unique challenges—unfortunately, dealing with crime such as human trafficking is one of them. Thankfully, the experts at the American Gaming Association have released new resources for operators to help curb this centuries-old practice.
At the recent SBC Summit North America, the panel “Tribal-led iGaming−Is Michigan the Blueprint for Online Casinos?”(l.) praised the successful relationship between state and tribal governments regarding iGaming.
The New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement feels an obligation to deal with responsible gaming issues as part of its mission. This includes requiring limit setting for online gaming among other obligations, according to Director David Rebuck (l.).
Legalized sports betting has not eradicated illegal sportsbooks as much as officials and regulators would have hoped. So the Congressional Gaming Caucus wrote a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland (l.) asking him to crack down on illegal operations active in the U.S.
Lim Kok Thay (l.), executive chairman of Genting Singapore, acknowledged last week that he was approached by MGM Resorts International with an “unsolicited” offer for his stake in the Malaysian casino operator. He did not pursue it. Stock values see-sawed on the news.
Last week, the Macau government announced that casinos in the market could reopen for a two-week “consolidation period” starting July 23. It marked the end of the city’s most recent Covid-19 lockdown, but the situation remains fluid, and could change again in the event that viral cases surge.
Peru’s Congress July 15 voted 91 to 0 to legalize online gaming and sports betting. The law will be enforced by the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism (Mincetur). Gaming will be taxed at 12 percent of the operator’s tax base. A maintenance tax of 2 percent of monthly income will also be levied.
Of 143 gaming license applications filed in Cambodia, only 13 have been issued to date this year. Pre-pandemic, the country had about 200 licensed operators. Meanwhile, tourism is on the rebound, led by visitors from Thailand.
The U.K. Culture Minister Nadine Dorries (l.) won’t be following the recommendations of the U.K. Gambling Commission to ban loot boxes in non-gambling games when the country’s gambling laws are revised. Dorries said the government should work with gaming manufactures to seek protections against problem gambling.
The U.S. Court of Appeals released a schedule for briefs in the Florida tribal compact sports betting case this fall. Oral arguments won’t occur until next year. The bottom line: no sports wagering is likely until 2025 at the earliest.
A Superior Court Judge said he would rule in the next 30 days whether the state owes money to Atlantic County over an amendment to the PILOT law. The amendment reduced the county’s entitlement.
California’s competing sports betting measures, Proposition 26 and Proposition 27, could end up as the subjects of court challenges. If both measures pass the 50 percent mark, it might be up to a judge to determine if they can coexist. Or if only one can be the law of the land.
The House of Representatives has passed a bill championed by Rep. Jared Golden (l.) that would restore federal rights to Maine’s Indian tribes, after they were relinquished in a previous land claim settlement. The state’s tribes are currently the only federally recognized peoples that do not receive federal benefits.
In many ways, Monarch Casino and Las Vegas Sands lie on opposite ends of the spectrum, but the two also have some interesting similarities, which makes for a good comparison as we prepare to dive deeper into 2Q earnings.
This week, the GGB Podcast sits down the Derek Mooberry, the CEO of Zitro US, on that company’s plans for entering the North American market with its unique and innovative Class III gaming machines.
The Parliament of Romania has approved large tax hikes for gaming players’ winnings. Romania’s Remote Gambling Trade Association contends that the new tiered rates will drive players to illegal sites. The government is also more than doubling the cost of license renewals.
Espen Jorstad (l.) won the $10 million first place prize in the No-limit World Series of Poker World Championship. Jorstad, a resident of Norway, beat the second place winner, Adrian Attenborough, in a match that lasted 19 hands and 90 minutes. The $10,000 buy-in tournament had a record 8,663 entrants.
Gaming regulators in Ontario, Canada, have fined the owners of Rideau Carleton Casino (l.) $227,250. The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario alleges that HR Ottawa LP, owned by Hard Rock International, failed to follow anti-money laundering requirements and violated numerous regulations.
Union workers of eight casinos in Ontario owned by Great Canadian Gaming Corp., including the Woodbine racino (l.) were set to go on strike Friday, July 22. The strike was called by the union Unifor, which is seeking higher wages, benefits and pensions. It also wants to convert some part-time jobs to full time.
A small but highly-anticipated trial of cashless gaming machines is set to begin soon at Wests Newcastle in New South Wales. Advocates believe these systems will help curb money laundering and problem gaming, two huge areas of concern in the Australian market.
Problem gamblers in Australia will soon be able to register on a self-exclusion platform known as BetStop, according to the Australian Communications and Media Authority. The service is expected to debut in the near future.
FanDuel Group, in partnership with platform provider Evolution, has launched its first-ever FanDuel-branded live dealer studios in Michigan and Pennsylvania.
Vivo Gaming has augmented its live casino game portfolio in Uruguay with the introduction of its Chroma Key technology and has launched a new game from its Bulgaria studio, Teen Patti.
Pragmatic Play has launched two new baccarat variants for its Live Casino portfolio, Fortune 6 Baccarat and Super 8 Baccarat, each with a number of unique side bets.
A new U.K. report details the impact of online casinos and sports betting in the country. Many of the findings could well be applied to the U.S. online results.
Vermont officials see Vermont dollars heading to other states with legal sports betting. They also see how keeping that money in-state could produce up to $10 million a year for the general fund.
Applications flooded into the Ohio Casino Control Commission prior to the July 15 due date. Now the commission will evaluate the applications before tapping licenses.
The top soccer league in the U.K. hopes to convince the clubs to vote in favor of a ban on shirt sponsors rather than leave it to lawmakers. The costly proposal would phase out the practice after three years.
Massachusetts hopes it can resolve differences between the Senate and the House, with the wide differences between the proposals may be too much to overcome, and Governor Charlie Baker (l.) is urging them to come to an agreement.
At least one person sees the glass as half-full when it comes to GambetDC: Frank Saurez, head of the Office of Lottery and Gaming. He says 2022 marked the turnaround for the beleaguered sports betting operator.
After purchasing the operations to the Mirage in December of last year, Hard Rock International has confirmed that it plans to rebrand the property, with an opening set for 2025.
With seven of the nine casinos already on board with the new UNITE HERE Local 54 contract, only Resorts and Golden Nugget remain without a contract. The 1,000 employees in the union authorized a July 30 strike.
Station Casinos has expanded its footprint in Las Vegas by purchasing over 120 acres south of the Strip (l.), not long after it announced that it would close and demolish three of its properties in the city. Meanwhile discussions have begun about what to do with the land once the three shuttered properties now owned by Station are demolished.
Steve Wynn (l.) and counsel have petitioned a U.S. court to dismiss a lawsuit brought against him by the Department of Justice demanding that he register as a Chinese foreign agent. Wynn has maintained that his conduct did not constitute such actions.
Artichoke Joe’s card club (l.) and the city of San Bruno, California, have reached an agreement that allows the card club to pay $900,000 annually. This is in lieu of tax increases the city was contemplating. The casino will continue to pay about $2.3 million a year.
In response to a study indicating 383,000 Illinois residents have gambling addiction problems and another 761,000 are at risk, the state’s 2023 budget includes $10 million for treatment options and other problem gambling services.
Under new regulations, Deadwood, South Dakota casinos (l.) must prove they have established systems for monitoring illegal activity and preventing problem gamblers from placing bets.
A virtual community meeting addressed Chicagoans’ concerns about using the historic 1912 Medinah Temple (l.) as a temporary Bally’s casino while the permanent venue is constructed in River West.
The NBA has long been rumored to be eyeing Las Vegas as a potential expansion site. The league’s commissioner Adam Silver (l.) recently spoke with the Las Vegas Review-Journal about the idea, saying it’s not the cards right now, but the future is anyone’s guess.
Hollywood Casino (l.) in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, expected to complete its move from the Mississippi River onto land earlier this year. But water levels, the supply chain and inflation caused officials to move the opening date.
Two groups on opposite sides of a Pope County, Arkansas casino reported their June finances. The anti-Pope County casino group, Fair Play for Arkansas, which opposes a Pope County casino, raised $1.2 million. The pro-casino Arkansas Tourism Alliance raised $50,000.
Vice President Kamala Harris (l.) came to Atlantic City to participate in an abortion roundtable. Supporters of a ban to close the smoking loophole hoped Harris would say something in solidarity of the cause.
Southland Casino Hotel (l.) debuted 89 new hotel rooms on six floors as part of its $320 million expansion. The rest of the 300-room, 20-story hotel tower will open in September. A new 113,000-square-foot gaming floor was completed last spring.
Walker’s Bluff Casino Resort in Carterville, Illinois could open early next year, officials said. Framework and roadwork, including widening and paving, are nearly complete.
The Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation and the Washington State Gambling Commission have tentatively agreed to an amendment. It would allow the Yakama Legends Casino to add new provisions. Now Washington Governor Jay Inslee and the legislature get to approve or veto the changes.
The Menominee Indian Tribe and Hard Rock International will partner on developing a casino resort in Kenosha, Wisconsin. In 2015, then-Governor Scott Walker vetoed a similar effort.
The Seneca Nation of Indians has launched a campaign designed to spread awareness of the tribe’s history and partnership with the state ahead of compact negotiations.
Change is underway at Foxwoods Resort Casino (l.) in Mashantucket, Connecticut. Officials announced plans to redesign the Golden Dragon, open a new players’ lounge and rebrand and relocate Dunkin’.
The Winnebago Tribe and Nebraska Horsemen broke ground on the $200 million WarHorse Casino (l.) in Lincoln, set to open in early 2024. A temporary WarHorse casino will open September 19 with 440 slots.
The Wilton Rancheria of California has announced that its $500 million Sky River Casino (l.) in Elk Grove will open in September. This is a month earlier than had previously been announced. The casino, built for the tribe by Boyd Gaming, will have 2,000 slots, 80 table games and a food plaza with 17 eateries.
The Coyote Band of Pomo Indians has been fined $207,000 for ignoring a court order by California Superior Court Judge Ann C. Moorman. The tribe has been sued by a former construction contractor for nonpayment in a casino project in 2012. It didn’t produce documents or submit to arbitration when ordered.
Camelot Group and International Game Technology will now be able to appeal the Gambling Commission’s decision to award the National Lottery license to Allwyn Entertainment. The U.K. Court of Appeal’s decision could “present potentially severe consequences for the National Lottery,” the commission warns.
The Ecuador National Lottery has awarded a new 10-year contract to Scientific Games for instant games, lottery systems, retail technology and a draw-based lottery game system. And the company is now Loto-Québec’s primary instant games partner.
The legal battle between PlayUp and former U.S. CEO Laila Mintas (l.) is continuing to unfold, as the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has denied the company’s latest injunction request. It now appears the case, which centers around a failed sale worth $450 million, will proceed to trial.
Former banking executive Scott Wharton has been named CEO of The Star Sydney. Wharton will also head the company’s new Transformation Office, which hopes to increase the company’s regulatory compliance and improve its overall culture.
New Las Vegas Raiders President Sandra Douglass Morgan resigned from the board of directors of Caesars Entertainment. She was named to the board in November and announced as the Raiders’ president in early July.
President Joe Biden has nominated Jeff Gural (l.), owner of Vernon Downs Casino Hotel and Tioga Downs Casino Resort, to serve as chairman of the federal Public Buildings Reform Board.
Ian Brown (l.) has been named as the successor to Flutter UK&I CEO Conor Grant, following Grant’s decision to resign before the end of 2022. Brown is expected to join the company in September.
Foxwoods Resort Casino has appointed Blair Bendel to the role of senior vice president of marketing. An industry veteran, Bendel also held similar positions at Boyd Gaming.
Ginnie Hollis has been appointed as GLI’s director of engineering, after previously serving as senior manager of engineering. Hollis has been with the company for nearly 20 years, first starting as a test engineer level 1 back in 2005.
IGT has launched its new mechanical reel cabinet, DiamondRS (l.), at California’s Yaamava’ Resort & Casino, featuring several stepper games headed by Double Top Dollar.
Cloud-based data management company AXES.ai and fintech payment provider Flexia Payments have announced a new partnership, in which the companies will merge their platforms into a “frictionless” interface. AXES CEO Earle Hall (l.) said he’s “over the moon” about the new deal.
Aristocrat Gaming has launched Lightning Dollar Link (l.), a new game collection that combines the features of hit releases Lightning Link, Dragon Link, Dollar Storm and Buffalo Link.
Kangwon Land, the only locals casino in South Korea, plans to develop a new slot machine manufacturing facility in Gangwon Province. Kangwon Land currently owns a slot brand called KL Saberi.
Alfastreet has named KGM Gaming its exclusive distributor in North America for the company’s line of premium electronic table games under a five-year partnership deal.
Clarion Gaming’s iGB Live! trade event in Amsterdam has set a new attendance record, with more than 5,000 professionals attending the online gaming-focused conference.
