WEEKLY FEATURE: Shareholder Wants to Buy Bally’s Corp., Take It Private

Standard General is Bally’s Corp.’s largest shareholder controlled by Bally’s Chairman Soo Kim (l.), but wants a stake greater than 21 percent. The company has offered to buy Bally’s...

Published January 31, 2022

WEEKLY FEATURE: In Short Order, NY Mobile Sports Betting Surpasses New Jersey

That was quick. Mobile sports betting in New York, which began January 9, has already surpassed longtime market-leader New Jersey. GeoComply tabulated the number of transactions in the new...

Published January 24, 2022

WEEKLY FEATURE: Tax Hike Looms for Singapore IRs

Singapore’s two integrated resorts, Marina Bay Sands (l.) and Resorts World Sentosa, are about to be socked with a big tax increase. The tax rate on mass-market revenues up...

Published January 17, 2022

WEEKLY FEATURE: Covid Variant Hammers Casinos

With the global surge in Covid-19 infections, with the latest Omicron variant, casinos in a number of jurisdictions have taken steps to curb the spread and protect patrons and...

Published January 10, 2022

WEEKLY FEATURE: Macau Releases Results of Consultancy Survey

The government of Macau has released the results of the public consultancy it organized in October, well ahead of the six-month deadline. Does this mean that the re-tendering process...

Published January 3, 2022

WEEKLY FEATURE: Chicago Hears Pitches From Casino Bidders

The companies interested in building a Chicago casino made their pitches last week. All the bids were impressive, but each had its drawbacks, including Bally’s plan (l.) for a...

Published December 20, 2021

WEEKLY FEATURE: Thailand to Study Legal Casinos

Thailand’s House of Representatives has created a 60-member “extraordinary committee” to study the benefits and drawbacks of legal casinos in the country. Bangkok is considered a prime location for...

Published December 13, 2021

WEEKLY FEATURE: Golden Nugget SPAC Falling Apart

Golden Nugget boss Tilman Fertitta (l.) last week canceled the planned IPO for his company using a SPAC as the vehicle. But Fast Acquisition says not so fast and...

Published December 6, 2021

WEEKLY FEATURE: Martha’s Vineyard Tribe Seeks Gaming Compact

Tribal Chairwoman Cheryl Andrews Maltais (l.) and the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) has petitioned Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker to enter a Class III gaming company that includes...

Published November 29, 2021

WEEKLY FEATURE: Chicago Casino Bidders Show Their Hands

Last week, the Chicago mayor’s office released long-awaited details of five casino proposals for the city. Bally’s submitted two $1.6 billion plans, and local player Rush Street Gaming also...

Published November 22, 2021

WEEKLY FEATURE: Maddox Departing Wynn Resorts

Matt Maddox announced that he will be stepping down from his position as CEO of Wynn Resorts effective January 31, 2022, to be replaced by President and CFO Craig...

Published November 15, 2021

WEEKLY FEATURE: IGT Legend Mathewson Dies at 93

Chuck Mathewson, who led IGT to sustained dominance of the slot market while serving as the company’s chairman from 1986 to 2003, has died at age 93.

Published November 8, 2021

WEEKLY FEATURE: Five Bids for Chicago Casino

Even though the industry powerhouses declined to enter, there are now five bids for a Chicago casino, two each from Bally’s Corp. (rendering at left) and Rush Street Gaming...

Published November 1, 2021

WEEKLY FEATURE: Gaming Front & Center in New York

New York gaming commissioners last week focused on expanded gaming—three potential casinos in the southern part of New York, and online sports betting. The commission has reportedly set a...

Published October 25, 2021

WEEKLY FEATURE: In Connecticut, Sports Betting Off to a Good Start

Last week, it was a smooth lift-off for sports betting in Connecticut ahead of statewide wagers on October 19. During a limited soft launch, retail and mobile bets were...

Published October 18, 2021

WEEKLY FEATURE: The Industry Returns, Live & In-Person at G2E

G2E returned to Las Vegas last week, filling the halls of the Venetian with thousands of guests, vendors, speakers and educational sessions. Though masks and vaccines were mandatory, optimism...

Published October 11, 2021

WEEKLY FEATURE: MGM Takes Over Cosmopolitan

Blackstone has agreed to sell the operations of the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas to MGM Resorts International, while selling the land to the Blackstone real estate investment trust. It’s...

Published October 4, 2021

WEEKLY FEATURE: What Does Beijing Want in a New Macau?

A tighter grip on Macau casinos by the Chinese government has operators understandably jumpy. Stocks plummeted on the news, then stabilized. Many questions remain, with billions of dollars in...

Published September 27, 2021

WEEKLY FEATURE: Surprise! MGM Wins Osaka Bid

In the runup to the bids to operate an integrated resort in Japan, MGM Resorts and its partner Orix were chosen by the government of Osaka as one of...

Published September 20, 2021

WEEKLY FEATURE: Crown Jilted Again?

This year, three separate entities have tried to buy, take over or otherwise bail out troubled Australian gaming company Crown Resorts. As Crown awaits word of its fate from...

Published September 6, 2021