Macau’s newly relicensed casino concessionaires will begin their second concession terms on January 1. Under the new rules, they must double foreign visitation (non-Chinese or Hong Kong) and invest some $12.5 billion into their properties for the 10-year period, according to Secretary for Administration and Justice André Cheong (l.). New game caps and junket rules will take effect, too.

With a “groundbreaking” for renewed construction on the Fontainebleau Las Vegas more than a year old, the owners of the property last week revealed they had received the final $2.2 billion financing to finish construction of the property, scheduled to open in late 2023.

A coalition of more than 20 New York City restaurants, businesses and labor unions has released a statement in support of Caesars Entertainment’s plan for a Times Square casino (l.).

Philippine Senator Grace Poe (l.) says it’s time for lawmakers to craft a formal policy on iGaming operations given its association with crimes including kidnapping. Poe alleges that an acquaintance was victimized.

A former CEO of Osage Casinos, Byron Bighorse (l.) and his extravagant expenses will be the subject of an investigation by the Osage Nation Congress. During his tenure, Bighorse would expense rare whiskey, huge meals and golf clubs.

U.K. Minister Paul Scully (l.), who has been put in charge of updating the law on horse racing and gambling is warning: “Nobody is going to get everything they want.” But he’s also assuring the sectors that he will do what he can “to make sure that horseracing and the betting sector can thrive.”

The Massachusetts Gaming Commission completed licensing its three in-person sports betting casinos. The sometimes lengthy hearings ended up with lingering concerns for MGM Springfield (l.) and Plainridge Park, which must submit to an investigation of the Penn-owned Barstool Sports.

Hard Rock International has now completed its acquisition of the operations of Las Vegas’ Mirage from MGM International, a year after it was first announced. The iconic Strip destination will now begin a multi-year, multibillion-dollar transformation.

The betting public at bet365 had been losing pretty steadily in the opening round of the World Cup, but made some of the losses back in the final between Argentina and France.

When looking for winners in the gaming market for 2023 , the big names don’t have nearly the same growth potential as Full House Resorts, a regional operator with innovative new properties and proven leadership.

This week, the GGB Podcast sits down with David Rebuck, the director of the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement, on his future with the agency and a review of all the regulatory milestones he’s achieved over his term at the DGE.

The Japanese city of Tomakomai may pursue an integrated resort development in the next few years. An IR bid is part of the city’s public policy plan, with public comment invited in January.

The yearly land lease to be paid for an integrated resort on Yumeshima Island in Osaka, Japan has been estimated at $18.3 million per year, assuming the Japanese city’s bid for an IR is approved in 2023.

Halil Falyalı (l.), a Cypriot crime boss murdered two years ago in a hail of machine gun fire, had connections to illegal money laundering and illegal betting based in Malta. The facts came to light recently when Turkish police investigated his homicide and found links to Maltese operators.

Norway has paused fining the Unibet operator Kindred for targeting Norwegians. It had been charging the operator $116,930 every day it didn’t withdraw from the Norway market. Now it has conceded that it is allowed to take passive bets from the country.

A study done by the Belgian Gaming Commission (GC) has revealed that about a quarter of those who have self-excluded from gambling are still able to gamble. The statistic came from a survey of 272 players who had self-excluded using Excluded Persons Information System (EPIS). GC Chairman Magali Clavie (l.) wants to expand the EPIS technology.

Dutch regulator KSA has begun investigating gaming operators that it believes are allowing some players to “lose excessively.” KSA Chairman René Jansen (l.) says such operators are failing to implement a “duty of care” of its consumers.

Ukraine’s Gambling and Lotteries Regulatory Commission (KRAIL) has pulled the licenses of three operators: Play Fan Investment, a casino and sports betting operator; and casino operators Alphagme and Joker UA. An investigation showed they were “controlled by residents” of Russia.

The European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) says that a list of standardized harm markers for EU jurisdictions is “essential.” It is urging the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) to adopt its proposed list.

The NSW state government and Treasurer Matt Kean (l.) recently revealed plans to increase tax rates on poker machine and table game winnings, in order to fund state programs. Star Entertainment, however, was surprised by the announcement, and not in a good way.

The Kambi Group plc has signed and online sportsbook partnership with Brazil’s leading daily fantasy sports operator Rei do Pitaco to leverage Kambi technology to offer sports betting to its growing customer database which has amassed more than 3.4 million app downloads

The Rank Group has failed in its appeal of a £5.8 million fine (€6.7 million/$7.2 million) imposed last year by the Great Britain Gambling Commission over social responsibility and anti-money laundering issues.

A panel of financial experts are working on a plan for taxation of the iGaming industry but they have been meeting for several weeks and nothing concrete has been decided.

BetMGM has had its share of problems in 2022. Maryland fined the company for its premature launch of a sportsbook. A hack of customer data has also sent BetMGM scrambling for damage control.

In 1951, Congress passed an excise tax on sports betting in Nevada. Though small in percentage, the revenue adds up, especially since the expansion of sports betting. Nevada Rep. Dina Titus (l.) is spearheading efforts to end the tax.

Barstool Sportsbook seems to have a cloud hanging over its head. The company courted controversy in the Plainridge Park Casino License, and Ohio regulators recently fined the sportsbook $250,000 for promotions on campus.

Mark Cuban (l.), owner of the Dallas Mavericks, is looking for a new home for his team and said he envisions something lavish, similar to a Las Vegas-style casino/resort.

BET99 and BetMGM have signed separate deals. BET99 partnered with the NHL, while BetMGM, who already had a deal with the league, signed a sponsorship agreement with the Nashville Predators.

Washington D.C. has a sports betting app that seems to have a monopoly in the district but one outgoing official, Elissa Silverman (l.), would like to see more operators brought in to help stimulate competition.

Caesars Entertainment has become the third company to sign an agreement with Simplebet to utilize its micro-betting technology that will be available in 17 states with mobile apps.

Two new retail sportsbooks have opened in resorts in Puerto Rico. BetMGM partnered with Casino del Mar (l.) while Casino Metro brought in Caesars.

Betting and media company Rivalry released its annual report on esports, and among the highlights were insights on how its customers viewed popular titles and the growth of other games.

Las Vegas officials have created a new court system in which Justice of the Peace Melissa Saragosa (l.) will oversee all crime cases in and around the Las Vegas Strip. The new court, known as the Resort Corridor Court, will take effect at the start of the new year.

Evidence that officials of North Carolina’s Cleveland County, including Commissioner Eddie Holbrook (l.), drew huge campaign donations from supporters of the Catawba Nation’s Two Kings casino project is fueling a scandal.

About 900 unionized workers between Hollywood Casino Toledo (l.) and Hollywood Casino Columbus avoided a strike after the casinos’ unions reached a deal with parent company Penn Entertainment.

The development costs for MSG’s Sphere entertainment venue (l.) are continuing to rise, with the total bill recently surpassing $2 billion. Even though the venue looks to offer one-of-a-kind experiences, will it be enough to turn a profit in one of the most competitive entertainment environments in the U.S.?

A hotel will not be built in the near future at the $300 million Hard Rock Northwest Indiana (l.) casino, which opened in May 2021. Meanwhile officials have invested $7.2 million in the venue, which has become the state’s revenue leader.

Missouri lawmaker Rep. Rasheen Aldridge (l.) is proposing legislation that would ban illegal slot machines in gas stations and convenience stores, but he faces stiff opposition from a powerful lobbying group.

Foundation Gaming, the new owners of DiamondJacks Casino (l.) in Bossier City, Louisiana will invest $2 million to renovate the property, including building the market’s first land-based casino. The property has been closed since March 2020 due to Covid.

Not long after the city of Henderson agreed to purchase the site of the former Fiesta Henderson from Station Casinos, the two sides have switched, as Station recently completed the purchase of 3.76 acres of city-owned land adjacent to another 45-acre plot that the company purchased back in 2007.

Delaware North recently completed the 3-year, $320 million expansion at Southland Casino Hotel (l.) in West Memphis, Arkansas. Officials said the final greyhound race will take place December 31.

The Cayuga Nation opened a new Class II gaming facility (l.) near Seneca Falls on the site of a former casino operated by a rival faction of the tribe, which Clint Halftown, tribal leader, had demolished in 2020.

The Old Pascua Community Land Acquisition Act passed the U.S. Senate and awaits President Joe Biden’s signature, paving the way for the Pascua Yaqui Tribe’s third Tucson-area casino. The site is near Old Pascua, the tribe’s historic homeland.

Oregon’s Coquille Tribe is trying again to get authorization from the Bureau of Indian Affairs to build a small, Class II casino in Medford. The first attempt was in 2020, when the Trump administration and Governor Kate Brown all turned thumbs down to the proposal.

IGT Global Services has extended its contract with the Swiss lottery until 2031, during which time it will continue to provide the lottery technology and deploy its iLottery system.

Sega Sammy Creation has announced a shake-up to its executive-level suite, with Naoki Kameda (l.) being named president and CEO and Koichi Fukazawa appointed as the company’s new chairman.

The European Casino Association has appointed longtime industry executive Tiina Siltanen as its new vice chair. Siltanen currently serves as managing director of Veikkaus Casinos Finland.

Longtime tribal human resources executive Frank Tecumseh has been named CEO of FireKeepers Casino Hotel, after serving as vice president of human resources for nearly 10 years.

Urquhart, Whiteley Appointed COO, CMO of Great Canadian

Gaming Laboratories International has named Lydia D’Amore, a veteran of regulatory compliance issues, as the company’s new director of regulatory compliance.

Bluberi Gaming announced that regulators in Minnesota have approved the company for a gaming license in the state, opening up an important tribal gaming market for the company.

The Seminole Casino Hotel Immokalee in Florida became the state’s first to install a “Lightning Link Lounge,” featuring 50 of Aristocrat’s Lightning Link and Dragon Link games.

Ainsworth Game Technology recently completed installations of its Historical Horse Racing System in three venues in New Hampshire, which is one of five states that currently offer the new game format.

Hosting provider Internet Vikings has announced a partnership with Greentube to help launch its content in Pennsylvania.