The Masks Are Back For Las Vegas

Why don’t more casinos us Halloween as an attraction each year? It is tailor-made for a casino event, allowing the guests to experience the true “what happens here stays here” Vegas moment.

Protect your Alternative Card Games: Know the Strategies

Blackjack isn’t the only card game in town that can threaten a casino’s profitability. How much does your supervisory team know about the strategy of card games more related to poker than to blackjack? If your answer is “not much,” it’s time for a refresher course, says table game guru Bill Zender.

Regulators and ESG

Discrimination is something that is frowned upon, indeed unethical, in most corporations these days, including those that operate in the gaming industry. Yet for women, it still persists. Why, then, do not regulators address it in any meaningful way, asks Richard Schuetz.

Star Pleads to Stay Afloat in Sydney, While Acting CEO Hogg Departs

Pressures are building for Australia’s Star Entertainment—while the company scrambles to save face and keep its license in New South Wales, acting CEO Geoff Hogg (l.) has announced his resignation, presumably to get ahead of other troubles looming in Queensland, the region he was previously in charge of.

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Renewed Travel Good News for Macau Gaming

Macau gaming operators hope for increased footfall and revenues as China makes plans to resume individual and group travel from the mainland. The doors could open by the end of the month.

Gaming Industry Group Hails U.K. Growth Plan

A U.K. gaming industry group has endorsed plans of the new government of Prime Minister Liz Truss (l.) to encourage growth and improve the economy. The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) calls the plan “ambitious.”

Cherokees Explore Possibility of Tax-Free Casino Distributions

North Carolina’s Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians is exploring a program called GenWell that would allow members to exclude casino distributions from their taxable income. If all goes well, members could begin enrolling in the program as early as next March.

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Denmark Blocks 82 Unlicensed Sites

Spillemyndigheden, the Danish gaming regulator, has blocked 82 unlicensed gaming sites—a record. The courts have rejected any challenges to the actions, although the regulator had to appear in court eight times.

Kindred to Stay in Norway, Appeal Fines

Malta-based operator Kindred refuses to leave the Norwegian market, despite fines levied by the regulator Lotteritilsynet. Kindred is appealing the fine, saying that EU law gives it the right to operate in Norway. CEO Henrik Tjärnström (l.) said the company wants to “see how it pans out.”

3 U.K. Charities Call for Greyhound Racing ban

Three animal rights charities have called for the banning of greyhound raising in the U.K. within five years. The Greyhound Board of Great Britain called the charities’ about face “ill-conceived” and “misguided.”

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Ontario Sportsbooks: 20 and Growing

Ontario, Canada’s regulated online gaming market now includes more than 20 sportsbook operators. Most recent is BetVictor, based in Gibraltar. Others are poised to join as they sign agreements with iGaming Ontario.

Little Progress Being Made in Alberta Sports Betting Market

The Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission previously said it planned to issue two sports betting licenses by the end of the year, but little progress appears to have been made thus far, as the application window expired all the way back in February.

Uruguay to Fine Conmebol for Gambling Ads

Uruguay’s Director of Lotteries and Pools, Ricardo Berois (l.), has aimed his regulatory guns against the South American Soccer Confederation (aka Conmebol) which twice illegally broadcasted sportsbook ads. Conmebol has an agreement with sportsbook operator Belfair.

ONLINE GAMING More

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Nevada Fines William Hill $100,000 For Sports Betting Failures

William Hill has been fined $100,000 by the Nevada Gaming Commission for system flaws that resulted in numerous duplicate bets over a period of seven years. A large number of patrons who lost bets with the operator during that time actually lost twice.

GeoComply: NFL Bets Pouring in From Inside Stadiums

Cybersecurity firm GeoComply has released a new report which shows that NFL fans are placing bets at stadiums like never before. Even though the season is less than a month old, there have been multiple games thus far that have registered over 60,000 location checks.

Tulalip Resort, Quil Ceda Creek Casinos Open Sportsbooks

The two sports dominating the headlines this time of year were represented at the grand opening of DraftKings sportsbooks in two Seattle area casinos. Randy Johnson (l.) represented baseball and Steve Largent on the football side.

Kambi to Provide Sportsbook to ilani

Kambi Group and ilani Casino (l.) have penned an agreement to provide sportsbook services to the Washington state casino. The services will be developed by the tribe and Salishan-Mohegan to integrate with Kambi’s sportsbook.

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New Jersey PILOT Amendments Upheld; State Seeks Stay

Will the PILOT battle ever end? The state of New Jersey is seeking a stay of the decision favoring Liberty & Prosperity, the organization led by Atlantic City activist Seth Grossman (l.), to eliminate the legislative amendments. The appeal appears to be headed for the state Supreme Court.

Nevada Regulators Mulling Increased Cybersecurity Obligations

Cybersecurity has become a huge topic of conversation for all businesses, including casinos. In lieu of multiple damaging attacks to tribal casinos in recent years, the Nevada Gaming Control Board and Chairman Brin Gibson (l.) are proposing increased regulations to ensure that patrons’ data is protected moving forward.

Caesars Still Yet to Sell Strip Asset, Including Flamingo

The third quarter of 2022 is nearly complete, and Caesars Entertainment still appears to be a long way off from selling one of its Las Vegas Strip properties, which has been speculated for months now. Most believe the Flamingo (l.) is the one for sale, but no progress has yet been announced.

Richmond Casino Deal Voided for Urban One

A court decision that pulled a referendum vote from this year’s November ballot has voided a contract previously won by Maryland’s Urban One to build a casino resort (l.) in Richmond, Virginia.

Developer Proposes New Casino in New Hampshire

Concord, New Hampshire could have a new casino with an entertainment center, hotel and restaurant. The proposal was brought to Concord’s planning board by former lawmaker and businessman Andy Sanborn (l.).

Newburgh to Host New York’s Newest Casino

Resorts World Hudson Valley (l.), operated by Genting America, is slated to open sometime before the end of the year. It is going up in the renovated former retail space in the Newburgh Mall.

Staten Island Official Promotes Casino

Staten Island Borough President Vito Fosella (l.) held a press conference to call on the New York State Gaming Commission to consider a Staten Island casino.

Maverick Sells Washington Property, Triples Money

Maverick Gaming, based in Kirkland, Washington, has sold one of its Washington properties, Macau Casino (l.) for $22.1 million. It had purchased the casino for $6 million after the previous owner lost its gaming license.

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Schmalzer Named Novomatic VP of Global Sales

Last week, Novomatic announced that Vice President of Product Management Thomas Schmalzer (l.) has become the company’s new vice president of global sales. He will hold both titles going forward.

GOODS & SERVICES More

Allwyn Backs Out of SPAC Deal

Allwyn AG has backed out of a proposed merger with Cohn Robbins Holding Corp, a special purpose acquisition company, citing unfavorable market conditions.

Playtech Keeping B2C Business

Playtech is abandoning plans to sell its B2C Snaitech business after earnings reports showed that the business will be profitable as part of the iGaming supplier.

Paradise Expects Greater Slot Demand in Macau

Paradise Entertainment expects increased demand for electronic games as Macau gaming phases out its VIP market. In a report, the group said there’s also room for growth outside Macau, including in North America.

Gamstop Launches Self-Exclusion Campaign

Gamstop has launched a campaign in partnership with professional football clubs, player associations and others to promote self-exclusion to battle gambling addiction.

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QUOTABLE QUOTES

Outrageous pronouncements, simple statements and words of wisdom.