A slew of states are debating legalizing sports betting, but where they are in the process is vastly different—while some look to be on the precipice, others still have a long way to go.

Online casino bills have stalled in New York’s state legislature, and efforts to authorize five downstate casinos including three in New York City are proceeding at a snail’s pace.

Wynn Resorts will soon break ground on its integrated resort in the United Arab Emirates. Wynn CFO Julie Cameron Doe made the announcement on the resort that will have 1,000 luxury hotel rooms. It will be built on Al Marjan Island.

Paul Vallas and Brandon Johnson (l. to r.), both running for Chicago mayor, support legalizing video gambling machines. The games are banned in city limits. Meanwhile, Bally’s is moving forward with its $1.7 billion downtown casino.

Okada Manila (l.) and Universal Entertainment are trying to get out of a longstanding deal to merge with U.S.-based 26 Capital Acquisition Corp. and list the merged entity on the NASDAQ. The parties are suing.

Hard Rock International’s proposed 660-foot guitar-shaped hotel tower (l.), which will take the place of the famed Mirage volcano, was recently approved by the Clark County Commission.

The U.K.’s Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) is warning that a possible ban on free bet promotions could drive many bettors underground. BGC CEO Michael Dugher (l.) cited a survey that shows that “small free bets” are very popular with betting customers.

It’s crowded at the top. Five sportsbooks control more than 92 percent of the market share in the U.S. The top two—FanDuel and DraftKings—are ahead of the next three: BetMGM, Caesars and Barstool.

As states legalized sports betting one after another, promotions followed, just as night follows day. Sportsbooks and regulators only had to look at the U.K. to see the future here. Operators failed to act; regulators will act.

Now that we’ve gleaned every last drop of analysis from 2022, it’s time to take what we’ve learned and apply it to the rest of 2023 and beyond.

The GGB Podcast today meets with Todd Haushalter, the chief product officer of Evolution Gaming, the world’s largest supplier of online games, and gaming shows.

Despite newly reopened borders, a bounce in tourism and the end of strict Covid prevention requirements, Macau casino concessionaires continue to be challenged by labor shortages.

Bloomberry Resorts Corp., parent company of the Solaire Resort in Manila, has terminated a deal to buy into PH Resorts Group’s integrated resort plans in Cebu and Clark, Philippines.

A study of junkets operating in Philippine casinos revealed multiple instances in which operators failed to report transactions covered by the country’s anti-money laundering laws.

The pending acquisition of Credit Suisse by the UBS Group should have no impact on the former’s participation as a potential “financial arranger” for a planned multibillion-dollar casino resort in Nagasaki, Japan.

Sweden’s gaming regulator Spelinspektionen has begun issuing its first licenses to gaming suppliers. The five-year licenses are required for any provider doing business with gaming operators. Oddly, the licensing process has begun even though the enabling legislation still rests with the Riksdag.

Star Entertainment recently pleaded guilty in Queensland court, under Attorney General Shannon Fentiman (l.), to seven charges of allowing patrons to use credit cards to fund gambling in its Brisbane and Gold Coast properties. The company is also reportedly shopping one its largest hotel assets, presumably to help pay for its growing list of fines.

Men and women increased their gambling during the COVID-19 pandemic with different games and trends.

According to a recent report from the Western Australian, Crown Resorts is currently mulling its options for upgrades to its Crown Perth (l.) and Crown Melbourne properties, and a decision may be reached within the next two months.

Coolbet, a division of GAN, announced it is leaving the Ontario, Canada, market and they could be the first of several to pull out of the province because of overcrowding.

It’s called a handle tax, a mere 0.25 percent excise tax paid on bets. Rep. Dina Titus (l.) and Rep. Guy Reschenthaler have worked for years to eliminate it. This year they are optimistic it will work.

February was a slow month for sports betting in spite of the Super Bowl. That was the only big game. So New Jersey and Louisiana saw a decline in handle. But revenues increased for the month.

The North Dakota Senate voted against the removal of schools from a sports betting resolution that would give voters the opportunity to approve wagering.

Casino self-exclusion lists are well established and well known in jurisdictions around the country. Massachusetts produced a sports betting self-exclusion list, which works the same way.

The Nevada Gaming Control Board held a public workshop in response to Governor Joe Lombardo’s earlier comments that “concerns have surfaced” about the board’s testing lab and slow approval process.

Class action lawsuits are not uncommon in the gaming industry. Recent class actions against notable gaming operators not only damage their reputations but have led lawmakers to tighten regulations.

Bally’s Corp struck a deal with Sinclair Broadcast Group for the naming rights of a collection of regional sports networks. Diamond Sports Group, which ran the network, filed for bankruptcy under a mountain of debt.

Funding has been interrupted for the $575 million Dream Las Vegas (l.)on the Strip. This has brought construction to a screeching halt. Bill Shopoff, chief executive officer of Shopoff Realty Investments says he’s working to uncork the money flow and promises his group will honor all its agreements.

The group of residents of Taunton, Massachusetts that lost a lawsuit to block construction of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe’s First Light casino (l.) have filed a new lawsuit likely to further delay the project.

The Mississippi Gaming Commission (l.) recently gave approval for the South Beach casino in Hancock County, Mississippi for its site and now must line up a casino operator. The venue would be the 13th on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

Hard Rock International has become a presenting sponsor for the upcoming Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix, which will be held November 16-18.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs has issued new proposed rules for tribal gaming that include controversial provisions. Critics of the new rules say the BIA’s process lacked transparency. They are calling for the rules to include all sides of the issues and have asked that they be withdrawn.

A tribal state compact reached two years ago between Arizona and its gaming tribes is enabling the Phoenix-metro area casinos to up their game by adding table games, increasing bet limits and offering more entertainment. This is making them more competitive against Las Vegas.

Nebraska legislators held a hearing on a bill allowing the sale of lottery tickets through vending machines. Retailers support the measure but opponents said it would lead to expanded gambling.

It’s been a rough two years for Star Entertainment, to say the least. However, the beleaguered operator is hoping that it has finally found the man who can turn the ship around, as it recently announced the appointment of banking veteran David Foster (l.) as chairman.

Richard Bosworth (l.), CEO of J.C. Hospitality, owners of Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, has announced his intention to resign at the end of March to pursue other ventures.

Scientific Games is expanding its digital and sports betting teams to better serve its lottery clients, including the naming of Amy Bergette (l.) as senior vice president of digital solutions.

Incredible Technologies announced it has hired Brad Splear (l.) as its new chief financial officer and promoted Dave Stone to the role of vice president of gaming sales.

Kent Nicaud (l.), president and chief executive officer at Memorial Hospital Gulfport, was nominated to the 3-person Mississippi Gaming Commission. He will complete the remainder of Alben Hopkins Sr.’s 4-year term.v

The Hann Casino Resort, which broke ground in the Philippines last year, has appointed Dennis Andreaci as its new senior vice president of casino operations.

Ainsworth Game Technology has named Dr. Haig Asenbauer (l.), who is deputy chairman of Ainsworth majority shareholder Novomatic AG, as a non-executive director on the Ainsworth board.

Hard Rock International and Seminole Gaming have partnered with Quick Custom Intelligence to deploy its QCI Enterprise offering at all Hard Rock casinos.

Incredible Technologies has announced it will showcase a slew of new products at IGA 2023, including the first-ever ETG for Class II markets, a new cabinet and more.