The NFL is king when it comes to sports betting, and the season which just kicked off will bear that out with the Buffalo Bills and Josh Allen dominating the L.A. Rams. According to the American Gaming Association, more than 46 million adults will place a bet, a new record.

After a months-long takeover skirmish, a new board has assumed control of Okada Manila in the Philippines. It’s good news for Jason Ader (l.), head of 26 Capital, who plans to merge the SPAC with the Asian resort operator and list the new company on NASDAQ.

The Ohio Casino Control Commission has issued over 300 sports betting licenses, to pro teams, casinos, restaurants and bars. Some were denied for incomplete applications.

The new head of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. has asked for “time to study” privatization of the agency’s Casino Filipino gaming halls. Critics say PAGCOR should not act as both regulator and operator.

As plans evolve for Bally’s future $1.7 billion casino in downtown Chicago (l.), Mayor Lori Lightfoot has set up an advisory council to gather local feedback on the project. Environmental advocates believe the new facility will help improve the riverfront, creating an area similar to the popular Riverwalk.

The Victorian government has launched a third disciplinary action against Crown Melbourne (l.), after the recent Royal Commission revealed that the casino allowed patrons to exchange checks, both written and blank, for chips and gambling credit. Meanwhile, new Crown CEO Ciarán Carruthers has pledged to clean up the company’s previous mishaps moving forward.

Greenetrack (l.), Alabama’s second-oldest dog track-casino, has closed, and others are expected to follow due to a recent ruling from the state’s Supreme Court that causes the casinos to pay more in monthly taxes than they take in from gamblers.

More than 40 companies submitted letters of intent from a sportsbook or vendor seeking a license from the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (l.). The applicants are big and small, from FanDuel to Suffolk Racecourse.

Horse racing giant Churchill Downs Incorporated (CDI) has partnered with FanDuel in a deal that involves parimutuel wagering, broadcast rights and sponsorships. FanDuel users will soon be able to watch CDI-owned races on FanDuel TV and wager on them via the bookmaker’s betting platforms.

Today, in a special edition of the GGB Podcast we sit down with Daron Dorsey, the executive director of Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers, on his first six months on the job.

On September 1, the Macau government announced it would reopen its borders to visitors from 41 countries, including the United States. Will the resumption of international travel be a lifeline for Macau’s casino industry?

The government of the South Korean island of Jeju is losing patience with five shuttered casinos in the market, and has ordered them to reopen by October 1 to help jumpstart the lagging tourism business.

China’s ongoing zero-Covid policy has some gaming manufacturers and suppliers looking to exit Macau, at least in part. Light & Wonder, for one, is relocating some of its staff to the Philippines.

The U.S. District Court for NMI that lifted the stay on the limited receivership against Imperial Pacific International (IPI) several weeks ago still has not given the go-ahead for Clear Management to conduct an auction. On the block will be slot machines from IPI’s shuttered Saipan casino (l.).

CEOs of the U.K.’s two largest casino companies earned £100 million between them over the last seven years. What is outraging critics of the companies is that they paid out fines for violating gaming laws that were much smaller than the bosses’ salaries.

More than three months after Ontario, Canada opened its sports betting market, a majority of the population hasn’t placed a bet. Furthermore, nearly 50 percent said they have no interest at all in betting on sports.

The newly created NSW Independent Casino Commission has now commenced operations, and Chief Commissioner Philip Crawford (l.) wants the state’s casinos to know that the new agency won’t tolerate any more funny business.

IGT PlayDigital has signed an expanded iGaming content agreement with SKS365 Group, the Italian sports betting and gaming operator of Planetwin365 Casino.

Platform provider Soft2Bet will integrate the casino games and live casino portfolio of table games from leading game developer Stakelogic.

A little late, but the Maryland Sports Wagering Application Review Commission approved an amendment which makes a diversity plan a requirement for licensees. There’s just one problem—operators already have the license.

State Senator Caleb Rowden (l.) lamented that Missouri was unable to approve a sports betting plan while Kansas just debuted theirs. It’s the biggest issue in his state.

When Virginia went live with sports betting, it allowed operators to write off promotional spend. However, the state quickly realized that money was being lost—after closing the loophole July 1, operators are still adjusting to the new landscape.

BetMGM and the Arizona Cardinals have introduced the first sportsbook at a NFL stadium. The two-story venue at State Farm Stadium offers state-of-the-art sports wagering amenities and multiple screens.

Betr isn’t interested in taking wagers on who wins the game or beats the odds. Instead, the micro-betting firm accepts bets on specific in-game actions like a pitch in MLB or Lebron James turnover.

Hard Rock Digital has opened sportsbooks in Indiana and Tennessee with its mobile app and in-person betting. On the horizon are Illinois and Ohio, and then maybe Florida, if the legal hurdles are cleared up.

Fubo Gaming, a subsidiary of live TV streaming platform FuboTV Inc., has launched its Fubo Sportsbook in New Jersey. The launch kicks off just in time for the 2022-23 football season.

Foxwoods Resort Casino’s CEO Jason Guyot has announced that the tribal casino plans to add a sixth gaming space. It’s all part of $85 million in improvements that will start this fall and will include a 50,000 square-foot gaming area and a 250-seat celebrity chef restaurant.

The Nevada Gaming Control Board and Nevada Gaming Commission have confirmed that they are arranging further disciplinary hearings against former casino executive Steve Wynn (l.) over allegations of sexual harassment. Wynn has maintained that state regulators hold no jurisdiction over him now that is no longer affiliated with the gaming industry and has no intention of rejoining it.

A small town in Pennsylvania neglected to opt out from being a possible future home to a mini casino before a 2017 deadline. Now, the council of College Township is looking into ways it could stop said casino from coming to its Nittany Mall (l.).

Red Rock Resorts will shutter its Wild Wild West casino in Las Vegas (l.) and demolish it, allowing the company to conjoin the site with an additional 80 acres for a bigger project down the line. This marks the fourth Las Vegas-area location that Red Rock has tagged for demolition this summer.

Colorado’s gaming market is finally getting some respect. For the first 20 years, the market was considered too measly for Nevada’s biggest gaming companies to pay it much mind. However, with the lifting of betting limits and legalization of sports betting in recent years, that has changed for the three towns, including Cripple Creek (l.).

California-based REIT Prologis will not purchase the harness track Rosecroft Raceway (l.) in Towson, Maryland from the Maryland Jockey Club. Prologis made an unsolicited offer to buy the track for an undisclosed sum.

The Illinois Gaming Board said Hard Rock can start site preparation for its future casino resort (l.) in Rockford, Illinois. Earth-moving, foundations, grading and more will begin September 15 and last through the rest of the year.

Bally’s Corp. is one step closer to finalizing its deal with Penn Entertainment to acquire the Tropicana Las Vegas (l.) following initial approval from the Nevada Gaming Control Board. Bally’s President George Papanier said the casino has the potential to be the company’s West Coast flagship property.

A new luxury retail center called 63 (l.) is expected to complete the first phase of construction in October, after which tenants can move in. A public opening is expected sometime in the first quarter of 2023. The complex is in close proximity to other Strip landmarks, such as the Aria resort and the Shops at Crystals mall.

The Seminole Tribe and state of Florida filed briefs supporting the 2021 gaming compact, allowing the tribe to take online sports bets from anywhere in the state. Groups such as No Casinos and others filed briefs opposing the compact and expanded gambling.

The Catawba Nation debuted its new 24-hour sportsbook inside the temporary Two Kings Casino in Kings Mountain, North Carolina (l.). It features 30 betting kiosks and voucher redemption services.

The Oneida Nation will break ground on its largest expansion in 20 years at Turning Stone Casino Resort in Verona, New York (l.). The multi-year, multi-million-dollar project will include a second 250-room hotel tower.

Ho-Chunk announced its temporary WarHorse Casino (l.) will open in Lincoln on September 19 with 400 slots. The permanent facility will be completed within two years with 1,200 gaming positions, a 196-room hotel, event space, spa and dining options.

Camelot, which lost its contract to operate the U.K. National Lottery to Allwyn, has dropped its legal challenge to the granting of the license to its rival.

A Pennsylvania Lottery report showed the state has lost $650 million since 2017, when so-called skill games began proliferating in bars, fraternity clubs and retail outlets statewide. Officials said each dollar spent on a game harms a senior citizen.

Matt Sunderland has been appointed senior vice president of iGaming for Caesars Entertainment, the company announced. Sunderland has decades of experience in the online gaming industry, having held similar positions at BetMGM and GVC.

Gaming and finance veteran Alex Gersh is the new chief financial officer for Paysafe. Previously, Gersh was also CFO for multiple other gaming and non-gaming companies, including Paddy Power Betfair, Sportradar and NDS Group London.

Star Entertainment has appointed Zhan Spalding as general manager of surveillance, Queensland, which is a new role created by the company in efforts to revamp its security operations. Spalding has experience in numerous countries around the world, including England, Venezuela and Morocco.

The Washington State Gambling Commission has appointed Chris Wilson (l.) to the role of deputy director, and promoted interim Assistant Director Gary Drumheller (r.) to permanent status.

The Venetian Resort Las Vegas has named Tony Yousfi chief sales officer. Yousfi most recently served as senior vice president of sales, catering, and conference services for Fontainebleau Las Vegas.

The AGEM Index, which tracks stock prices of the major suppliers to the gaming industry, announced that the index saw a 3.7 percent decline overall in August.

BMM Testlabs announced that Chainlink VRF, the blockchain industry’s widely adopted RNG, has received the GLI-19 compliance certification.

Olympia Gaming has partnered with DiTronics to provide a wide array of financial services for its new Legends Bay Casino in Sparks, Nevada. This includes ATMs, kiosks, check cashing and audit software.

Marker Trax and Koin Mobile have launched the Koin digital wallet, a standalone platform designed to handle all gaming, resort and retail purchases.

Agua Caliente Casinos is the first operator in California to debut Light & Wonder’s new Sinatra Landmark 7000 Wheel (l.), inspired by the iconic singer Frank Sinatra.

Tennessee’s second gambling treatment clinic has opened in Johnson City. It is operated by East Tennessee State University (ETSU). The state’s population of problem gamblers is expected with the increase in legal gaming.