The Massachusetts Gaming Commission began its hearings into applicants seeking a license to operate a sportsbook in the state. Beginning with Plainridge Park Casino, owned by Penn Entertainment, they proved not to be a rubber stamp body for its Barstool sports book brand, where controversial president Dave Portnoy (l.) is a principal.

The two entities pitching a casino project in the heart of Times Square brought in a third partner: hip-hop legend Jay-Z and his Roc Nation company, who will program entertainment. SL Green provides the space, Caesars oversees the casino.

Manny Villar (l.), the richest man in the Philippines, will start construction on what has been described as a “Las Vegas-style casino resort” in the country in 2023. The complex will be known as Gold Coast Entertainment City in Manila.

Gaming appears to be gaining momentum in the Lone Star State, as a poll conducted by PlayTexas showed that 65 percent of Texans would support a ballot measure to legalize casinos and sports betting in the state.

The Greens New South Wales political party has proposed a plan to phase out poker machines from the state’s bars and clubs. The plan, called “Pull the Pin on Pokies,” is centered around imposing extremely high tax rates that would increase annually. Greens MP Cate Faehrmann (l.) recently said that the reforms are needed because gambling in the state is “out of control.”

Ireland has finally joined the rest of the EU in modernizing its laws pertaining to gambling. The island has been operating under a grab-bag of jurisdictions and laws going back nearly a century. The Minister For Law Reform James Browne (l.) called the Gambling Regulation Bill a milestone.

The World Cup betting at Las Vegas sportsbooks has not been as robust as it was in 2018, when the tournament was held in the summer in Russia, but operators said there has been more interest than they expected.

After failing to get a bill passed to legalize sports betting in Missouri, lawmakers, including state Senator Denny Hoskins (l.), have filed priority legislation for the subject to be worked on after the first of the year.

The federal Bureau of Indian Affairs announced new proposed regulations to improve the processes of fee-to-trust gaming and Class III gaming compacts.

This week, the GGB Podcast features a discussion with Demecina Beehn, the curator and manager of MGM Resorts’ art collection, on how the company uses fine art to attract a wide variety of guests.

JP Morgan analyst DS Kim predicts that Macau’s beleaguered gaming industry could recover almost completely by 2024 on the back of mass market play. The city pledges to follow Beijing’s lead on Covid prevention.

Four Macau casino operators are pursuing civil cases against former Tak Chun junket chief Levo Chan (l.), claiming his alleged illegal gaming business deprived them of millions in revenue.

A verdict in the criminal trial of Suncity junket boss Alvin Chau (l.) is expected December 18. In final statements before Macau’s Court of First Instance, Chau denied running a syndicate and apologized to his staff.

A crackdown on illegal online gaming operations in Sihanoukville, Cambodia has led to the detainment of several hundred foreigners, mostly Chinese nationals, accused of taking part in the industry.

A second auction for gaming equipment from the shuttered Imperial Palace Saipan (l.) casino will be held December 9, in efforts to help pay off debts owed by the casino’s operator, Imperial Pacific International.

Foreigners-only casinos on Jeju Island, South Korea, are targeting customers outside Mainland China in the wake of that country’s Covid restrictions and a crackdown on cross-border gambling.

SkyCity Adelaide (l.) has been taken to Federal Court by the financial crimes agency known as AUSTRAC over breaches of anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism regulations. The exact charges and penalties sought are unknown, but some analysts have posited that fines could be in the tens of millions.

The de Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), which regulates Dutch gaming, was the subject of a report commissioned by the government. The report said KSA was “too limited” to effectively combat illegal online gaming. Operators say the KSA should do more to limit offshore operators.

The authority that regulates gaming in Denmark has issued a policy that makes it illegal to reactivate bonuses for a lapsed player. According to the rule, “Bonuses may therefore not be given on the basis of a player’s inactivity.”

The U.K. Gambling Commission has launched a consultation for proposed rules for remote customer interactions. The rules became official in September, but the UKGC wants feedback on implementing them from operators and stakeholders.

Gaming Bill Supporter Joins Brazil’s Presidential Transition Team

Casino earnings in Puerto Rico’s 17 casinos grew 38.89 percent during the most recent fiscal year. Earnings were $355 million compared to $256 million last year. This likely indicates a rebounding of the island’s economy from the worst effects of the pandemic.

India’s sole gaming company, which operates three properties in Goa, including the Deltin Royale (l.), has sued the state government over being dunned for taxes during the period when casinos were closed due to Covid-19. That period includes between April 2020 and September 2021.

The Chamber of Deputies of Chile (l.) has approved a ban on advertising of online betting during events or at sports clubs. The bill now goes to the Senate. Currently 11 of 16 first division soccer teams in the country have sponsorships with sports betting operators.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford (l.) criticized Auditor General Bonnie Lysyk for a sting she authorized to see if casinos would write checks to undercover agents to show that money laundering was possible.

The Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma is partnering with Lady Luck Games to create a metaverse-based online casino tied to its Indigo Sky Casino & Resort (l.).

As sports betting expands in the U.S., so do the advertising pitches for customers offering free bets and other bonuses. New York state Senator Pete Harckham (l.) introduced a bill to regulate such practices.

In an article, the U.K.'s Betting and Gaming Council trade group has leveled charges against FIFA and anti-gaming forces for spreading misinformation about gambling harm. The accusation comes during the World Cup.

Incoming Kansas Republican House Speaker Dan Hawkins (l.) has said he is unwilling to revisit a law that deals with the sports gambling fund, but the governor wants to see it occur.

Sportradar can now add Ohio to its growing list of states with a license for sports betting technology. The state will get to see the company in action come January 1 when sports betting launches.

Entain has relaunched the online sports betting platform Unikrn in Brazil and Canada one year after acquiring the brand, with plans to expand in regulated markets.

Station Casinos recently completed two land deals in the Las Vegas Valley, one being a 67-acre purchase and the other being a 21-acre sale. The company continues to be aggressive in the area in its pursuit to double its foothold by the end of the decade.

Wynn Resorts has completed its sale of the real estate assets of its Encore Boston Harbor property (l.) to Realty Income, a real estate investment trust

Bally’s officials told attendees at the final community engagement meeting that the $1.7 billion Chicago casino (l.) plan will offer more green space and additional traffic congestion solutions, in response to area residents’ requests.

Genting Malaysia Bhd has increased its investment in Empire Resorts, operator of two casinos in New York state, increasing its stake in the company from 49 percent to 76.3 percent.

Hard Rock International’s $400 million Hard Rock Hotel & Casino recently held a groundbreaking ceremony (l.) for the permanent facility, expected to open in spring 2024. A temporary casino is operating in the former Bristol Mall.

Virginia has sought to ban skill games that have proliferated in truck stops, convenience stores and sports bars. But Greensville County Circuit Court Judge Louis Lerner’s recent ruling will prevent the state from enforcing the ban as the case moves through the courts.

The sale of Magic City Casino (l.) in Miami to the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, may be delayed. The Florida Gaming Commission is holding up approval of the sale and license transfer over an issue of transparency. Much information is redacted from the application due to issues of trade secrets.

Hollywood Casino slot play dropped. So did the number of racing days at Penn National Race Course (l.). It’s a recurring pattern of late for a variety of competitive reasons.

The site of the former Tahoe Biltmore casino will soon be revitalized, as Hilton has announced plans to develop a new hotel-casino on the 15-acre plot, to be known as the Waldorf Astoria Lake Tahoe (l.)

Tilman Fertitta has added to his casino collection, recently acquiring the Wildwood Casino and Hotel (l.) in Cripple Creek, CO for a reported price of $43 million.

Ground was broken on Century Casinos’ new $51.9 million land-based venue in Caruthersville (l.), expected to open in late 2024. A temporary casino will open in an adjoining riverboat and barge by the end of the year.

The problem of illegal gambling is costing states millions of dollars, according to the American Gaming Association and the Michigan Gaming Control Board is taking steps to curtail it.

A Florida resident, Larry Dayton, was sentenced to three years in federal prison for his part in an illegal gambling business in the Canton, Ohio, area.

The five American Indian tribes in North Dakota agreed with Governor Doug Burgum (l.) on a new gambling compact for the state that came with some major changes.

The Catawba Nation and managers of its Two Kings Casino (l.) in Kings Mountain, North Carolina, have received notices of violations of federal law and regulations from the National Indian Gaming Commission.

Retiring Alabama U.S. Senator Richard Shelby (l.) is sponsoring a bill that would grant the MOWA Band of Choctaw Indians federal recognition. But 141 other tribes oppose the move which would bypass the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ application process.

Washington’s Cowlitz Tribe employed as consultants a team whose job was to discreetly do everything in their power to discourage Oregon gaming tribes from building casinos. Now, with the consultant fired, tribal leaders are criticizing the fact that it was ever hired.

Arizona Native American tribes are sharing sports betting with large-scale operators such as DraftKings and FanDuel and are coming to the realization that they can’t compete with them. At left is the BetMGM sports book at State Farm Stadium in Glendale.

Cedrick Cromwell (l.), the former Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe Chairman, is appealing his three-year prison sentence for bribery and extortion relating to the tribe’s First Light Resort and Casino project.

Missouri state Rep. Jeff Knight (l.) has pre-filed a constitutional amendment authorizing a commercial casino at the Lake of the Ozarks. However, the Osage Nation also has applied to the Interior Department for permission to operate a Lake-area casino.

Industry veteran Kim Barker Lee has been appointed as executive vice president and chief legal officer of Bally’s Corp., the company announced. Lee, an accomplished attorney, most recently served as global vice president of diversity and inclusion for IGT.

Byron Bighorse has announced his resignation as CEO of Osage Casinos after eight years. Kimberly Pearson (l.), former COO of Osage, has been named as his successor.

The AGEM Index, which follows the stocks of gaming suppliers, increased by 7 percent in November compared to October, though it is down by 5.6 percent year-over-year.

GAN and Internet Vikings have expanded their partnership from two U.S. states to 15 states, extending operations to emerging online sports betting markets.

SoftSwiss Jackpot Aggregator is partnering with Curacao-licensed Spinago to launch Spinago’s worldwide jackpot campaign for the online gaming sector.

Konami’s Konetic app has been honored as an outstanding digital tool in this year’s MarCom Awards. The app performs many jobs on the gaming floor including jackpot processing and TITO redemption.