GLOBAL GAMING BUSINESS PODCAST: Jonathan Jossel, CEO, Plaza Hotel Casino, Las Vegas

This week, the GGB Podcast features a discussion with Jonathan Jossel, the CEO with the Plaza Hotel Casino, on how he has revitalized the property to become one of...

Published January 21, 2019

FANTINI’S FINANCE: Government Oversight

No matter where casinos operate they all have one overriding fear: government interference. But when it comes at the federal level, there are unknown implications. That’s what happened last...

Published January 21, 2019

Integrity in Gaming Education

The legalization of sports betting has exposed the lack of understanding that most operators and more importantly, educators, have about the issue. And there are so-called “experts” that have...

Published January 21, 2019

Former Michigan Senator: Veto A Temporary Setback

In a Detroit News commentary, former Michigan state Senator Mike Kowall wrote that Governor Rick Snyder “made a mistake” when he vetoed bipartisan legislation allowing online gambling. However, he...

Published January 21, 2019

Cuomo: Sports Betting at New York Casinos Only

Sports betting looks like a go in New York, but it will be limited, for now, to on-site wagering at the state’s commercial and tribal casinos. Online and remote...

Published January 21, 2019

Massachusetts Governor Names New Commission Chairwoman

Cathy Judd-Stein (l.), advisor to a long list of Massachusetts governors, and current deputy legal counsel to Governor Charlie Baker, has been named by Baker the new chairwoman of...

Published January 21, 2019

Second Sochi Casino Open for Business

A second casino has opened its doors in Russia’s Krasnaya Polyana gaming zone. The Boomerang casino, operated by Domain, the appointed operator of the zone, debuted January 4. The...

Published January 21, 2019

Leong Still Cagey About Macau Concessions

Macau Secretary for Economy and Finance Lionel Leong (l.) continues to dodge questions about the upcoming gaming license retender, set to begin in 2020. Leong says the government is...

Published January 21, 2019

Japan: IR Plans Keep Coming

In Japan, global gaming operators continue to scout possible locales for three multibillion-dollar integrated resorts legalized by the government in 2016. Among the most popular sites are Osaka, Hokkaido...

Published January 21, 2019

WEEKLY FEATURE: Casinos on the Table in Virginia

Virginia lawmakers are working on legislation allowing casinos in Portsmouth, Bristol and Danville. If it passes, voter referendums would be held in each city. Longtime gaming advocate, state Senator...

Published January 21, 2019

DOJ Short Circuits Online Gaming

The federal Department of Justice has reversed its 2011 opinion that opened the door for online gaming within a state’s boundaries. The DOJ now says that the 1961 federal...

Published January 21, 2019

GLOBAL GAMING BUSINESS PODCAST: Charles Cohen, Vice President, PlayDigital Sports Betting, IGT

This week the GGB Podcast sits down with Charles Cohen, the vice president of PlayDigital Sports Betting for IGT, on how the company is well positioned in the burgeoning...

Published January 14, 2019

FANTINI’S FINANCE: States Surprises?

The 2019 National Legislative Preview is out and it contains lots of information about where and how gaming legalization will proceed. It pays particular attention to the rapidly growing...

Published January 14, 2019

In Nevada, a New Chief Regulator

Governor Steve Sisolak has appointed Sandra Douglass Morgan to succeed Becky Harris as chairwoman of the Nevada Gaming Control Board, making her the second woman in the agency’s history...

Published January 14, 2019

Osaka Gets Serious

A frontrunner in the race for one of Japan’s first three IR licenses, Osaka has allocated part of its 2019 budget for an operator selection committee. Small businesses in...

Published January 14, 2019

Icahn Caesars Buy Boosts Stock

Carl Icahn, who has made millions of dollars investing in casino companies, made a splash last week when he invested in Caesars Entertainment stock. The value of Caesars shares,...

Published January 14, 2019

MGM Promises Big Boost to Cash Flow

Investors have been getting restless, and the casino giant has responded with a new corporate strategy aimed at boosting EBITDA by $300 million or more a year. Promoting technology...

Published January 14, 2019

A Renaissance in Downtown Las Vegas

The Stevens brothers last week announced the name and theme of the first new casino to be built in Downtown Las Vegas. The Circa Casino Resort (l.) will honor...

Published January 14, 2019

WEEKLY FEATURE: Sports Betting Surges in New Year

As legislatures return to session, there is an increasing drive in many states to consider the legalization of sports betting. Already legal in nine states, as many as 24...

Published January 14, 2019

Atlantic City’s Ocean Ousts Operating Partner

Atlantic City’s Ocean Resort Casino (l.)—the former $2.4 billion Revel casino which re-opened in June—was taken over by one of its investors last week. Co-owner Bruce Deifik confirmed the...

Published January 14, 2019