Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) signed the Garden State’s 2013 iGaming Act into law in 2013. The bill amended the New Jersey Casino Control Act to permit Atlantic City casinos to partner with iGaming firms to operate interactive slot machines and table games over the internet.

Article 6C of the 1976 Casino Control Act was designed to assist the casinos down the shore.

The State and New Jersey’s general public possess a vital interest in the success of tourism and casino gaming in Atlantic City,” the bill justified.

iGaming has certainly achieved the economic benefits that lawmakers and the gaming industry hoped for. Since the first regulated bet was facilitated online in New Jersey on Nov. 26, 2013, internet casinos have generated about $6.3 billion in gross gaming revenue (GGR). The revenue is split between the physical casinos and their third-party iGaming operators.

Five-Year Extension

Article 6C permitted iGaming to run for 10 years. The statute said the online casino privileges for Atlantic City casinos are to expire after 10 years “unless reauthorized by law.”

State lawmakers in Trenton began working on an extension last year, but more pressing matters took precedence. The identical bills, Senate Bill 3075 and Assembly Bill 2190, were shelved in 2022. The legislature reintroduced the bills and gave them committee assignments earlier this month.

The bills now say that lawmakers are moving forward with a five-year extension. The statutes propose amending Article 6C to read:

“The authorization to conduct games through the internet … shall expire 15 years following the operative date.”

SB 3075 and AB 2190 have each cleared several committees and could move for full floor votes at any time. New Jersey’s legislative session runs through the end of the year.

iGaming Needed, Casino Execs Say

Atlantic City casinos have voiced frustrations in the past for media outlets highlighting the state’s monthly gaming revenue numbers showing big year-over-year jumps.

iGaming is nonetheless critical to the overall health of Atlantic City, the casino industry says. Mark Giannantonio, president of Resorts and the Casino Association of New Jersey, told the Associated Press this week that lawmakers not extending online casino privileges would be devastating.

The reauthorization of the internet gaming bill is vital to the continued success of the gaming industry in New Jersey and the programs that are supported by the taxes collect,” Giannantonio said.

New Jersey taxes GGR from iGaming at an effective rate of 17.5%. The state’s share last year from iGaming was $249.1 million.

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Pent-up demand following COVID-19 was cited for the initial record run. But the rally has persisted long after life returned to normal.

Michael Lawton, the Nevada Gaming Control Board’s senior economic analyst, says that gaming remains steady, though the state’s monthly revenue reports might relay some year-over-year declines.

May 2023’s GGR win of $1.298 billion is a 0.84% year-over-year decline. But relative to May 2019, it represents a 38% improvement. GGR in March also represented a year-over-year revenue drop.

The state has recorded decreases in two of the last three months. Over the next year, every monthly comparison will be up against the highest monthly total for that particular month or the second highest total for that specific month,” Lawton explained.

“Needless to say, the comparisons are going to be the most difficult the state has ever faced,” Lawton continued.

Statewide slot revenue in May was $877.8 million. Tables and sports betting accounted for $411.2 million. While slot and table wins were down from May 2022, oddsmakers fared better on a strong 5.7% hold rate. The roughly $30 million won by the books was on a handle of more than $527.4 million.

Strip Mixed Bag

On the Las Vegas Strip, the most critical market of the Nevada gaming industry, May 2023 GGR came in at $715.9 million. While that’s a more than 2% year-over-year drop, it represents a 15% increase from April.

The Strip benefited from increased visitation, as the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) said nearly 3.5 million visitors arrived at the destination last month. That’s a 1.5% bump on May 2022.

The visitor increase was led by the ongoing return of conventions. Convention attendance jumped 16% last month to approximately 453,900 travelers.

John DeCree, a senior gaming analyst at CBRE Equity Research, said the convention market still has a ways to go.

“Convention attendance was still 12.8% below May 2019, leaving plenty of more room to recover,” DeCree explained. “Occupancy on the Strip rose 150 basis points year over year to 87%, but is still 520 bps below the same month in 2019, likely due to the gap in convention attendance.”

Record Year

Nevada’s 2022-23 fiscal year has just one month left in what will be the state gaming industry’s all-time best 12 months. GGR from July 2022 through May 2023 totaled $13.9 billion, up almost 4% on the state’s 2021-22 fiscal performance.

In 2022, Nevada casinos won $14.84 billion off gamblers, marking a banner year for the world’s richest gaming market.

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Encore Boston Harbor employees represented by the Local 26 chapter of Unite Here last week voted to authorize a strike at the $2.6 billion integrated resort. That would happen as early as July 1 unless a new collective bargaining agreement is reached. Union officials said 98% of the votes cast were in favor of authorizing a walkout should Wynn Resorts not meet the trade group’s demands for a “five-star contract.”

Union reps announced Thursday morning that such an arrangement has been tentatively reached. The contract needs final approval from the casino’s union members, with that vote set for Friday, June 30.

Our bargaining committee is happy to report that this agreement achieves our goals of reaching a five-star contract equal to or better than the union standard at hospitality employers in Boston,” said Local 26 president Carlos Aramayo. “I am also happy that Encore Boston Harbor did the right thing by bargaining an agreement that guarantees jobs at the casino will be excellent jobs.”

Encore Boston Harbor is the richest casino in Massachusetts in terms of annual gross gaming revenue (GGR). The casino won nearly $729.7 million off gamblers in 2022. MGM Springfield was a distant second at $259.1 million.

Increased Wages

Unite Here Local 26 agreed to a temporary contract with Wynn Resorts for Encore Boston Harbor during the COVID-19 pandemic that saw workers’ wages set slightly below union contracts in place elsewhere in Boston.

While neitheer the union nor Wynn Resorts commented on specifics of the tentative agreement, it’s expected that the new terms bring Encore Boston Harbor employees in line with similar union contracts.

Wynn spokesperson Michael Weaver said it’s part of the company’s culture to provide strong, livable wages to its employees.

Our company is built on the fundamental philosophy that only talented and empowered employees, working in an environment in which they feel valued and well compensated, can deliver our signature Wynn and Encore guest experiences,” Weaver said. “Therefore, we are very pleased that we were able to reach an agreement with Unite Here Local 26 and Teamsters Local 25 that fulfills our company’s goal of providing outstanding benefits and overall compensation, among the highest for our industry in the state of Massachusetts.”

Along with Unite Here Local 26, some workers at Encore Boston Harbor are represented by the Teamsters Union.

Only the Beginning

Encore Boston Harbor’s market share in Massachusetts continues to increase, and the Las Vegas-based company has big plans in store for the resort’s future. Wynn officials are seeking state and local approval to expand the casino’s footprint south across Broadway.

The proposed $1.7 billion project would occupy a 13-acre parcel of land. The blueprint includes a WynnBet Sportsbook, 20,000 square feet of new restaurant space, a 999-seat theater, a 2,200-space parking garage, and a new “Memoire” nightclub. The expansion would be connected to the main resort via a pedestrian bridge.

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Lady Luck is located at Nemacolin, a luxury resort in Western Pennsylvania just north of the West Virginia border. The resort was founded by 84 Lumber magnate Joseph Hardy and today encompasses more than 2,000 acres. The resort has been privately owned by Hardy’s daughter, Maggie Hardy, since 2002.

Hardy hasn’t been happy with her latest gaming partner and is taking matters into her own hands. Instead of renewing its Churchill Downs pact, Nemacolin, effective immediately, is managing the casino.

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) this week agreed to renew Lady Luck’s Category 3 resort casino license for five years, with Woodlands Fayette, LLC, the operator. Woodlands Fayette, LLC, is Hardy’s company that operates the Nemacolin resort.

Lucky Streak Cools

In a brief statement, Churchill Downs, Inc., said it sold its Lady Luck operational assets to Woodlands Fayette, LLC, “for an immaterial sum.” The casino’s 167-person workforce has been retained by Woodlands.

Management of Lady Luck Casino Nemacolin was recently transferred from Churchill Downs, Inc., to self-management with the assistance of gaming consultant RRC Gaming Management,” a statement from the PGCB read. RRC is a Las Vegas-based casino consultant.

From its opening in July 2013 through May 2023, the casino has won $289 million from its slot machines and table games. The casino delivered the state $139.9 million in gaming taxes during that period.

Lady Luck currently features 600 slot machines and 26 table games. The casino doesn’t operate a sportsbook.

While Lady Luck has been profitable for Hardy, the businesswoman is hoping to turn around the casino’s fortunes after revenues declined in recent years. Lady Luck generated gross gaming revenue of $35.2 million in 2015, but gaming revenue last year totaled just $22.2 million.

Casino Overhaul

With Churchill Downs being shown the door, Lady Luck’s new gaming management has big plans for the resort casino. Lady Luck representatives, in applying for the casino’s license to be renewed, presented improvement plans to the PGCB.

Lady Luck is separate from the actual Nemacolin resort. The standalone casino is about 1.5 miles south of the resort lodge along National Pike.

The casino is open daily from 9 a.m. until 2 a.m. Wednesday through Sunday. The casino is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. The casino is served by a resort shuttle for Nemacolin’s overnight guests.

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The NCAA has for years mandated that all of its student-athletes refrain from betting on any sport that the NCAA sanctions. College athletes who violated the directive in the past have faced severe punishment, including the potential loss of a full season of eligibility.

This week, however, the NCAA Division 1 Legislative Committee endorsed new criteria for how the association will go about penalizing sports betting rules violators in the future.

The association said change is needed, as sports betting continues to expand across the US. Sports betting is legal in 34 states, plus Washington, DC.

These new guidelines modernize penalties for college athletes at a time when sports wagering has been legalized in dozens of states and is easily accessible nationwide with online betting platforms,” said Alex Ricker-Gilbert, athletic director at Jacksonville University and chair of the Division I Legislative Committee.

“While sports wagering by college athletes is still a concern — particularly as we remain committed to preserving the integrity of competition in college sports — consideration of mitigating factors is appropriate as staff prescribe penalties for young people who have made mistakes in this space,” Ricker-Gilbert added.

Bans Eased

Under the new NCAA sports betting rules, student-athletes will continue to face a loss of a season of eligibility when it is determined that the student-athlete engaged in “activities to influence the outcomes of their own games or knowingly provided information to individuals involved in sports betting activities.”

For bets of $200 or less, the student-athlete will face only remedial education classes.

For bets between $201 to $500, a 10% loss of a season of eligibility is on the table. For bets ranging from $501 to $800, a loss of 20% of a season of eligibility will be considered.

For bets in excess of $800, the student-athlete could lose 30% of a season of eligibility. For cumulative wagering activities that greatly exceed $800, the NCAA said reinstatement staff will consider whether the additional loss of eligibility, including permanent ineligibility, is appropriate.

Rules and prevention classes are required for all tiers.

NCAA Sports Betting Benefits

The NCAA easing its penalties on student-athletes who violate the association’s sports betting protocols comes in conjunction with the organization recently expressing its intent to better capitalize off the expanded gaming. Earlier this month, NCAA President Charlie Baker said the NCAA has “a major opportunity to get into the sports betting space.”

But Baker says maintaining the integrity of its competitions is paramount. The NCAA boss explained that high sports betting participation rates among college students — an NCAA-commissioned study finding that nearly 70% of students living on a college campus have gambled on sports during the past 12 months — “puts student-athletes in a very difficult position.”

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Virginia legalized commercial casino gambling in 2020 in five cities, including Richmond, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Danville, and Bristol. Casinos, whether they be permanent or temporary gaming facilities, have since opened in Bristol, Portsmouth, and Danville.

The 2020 casino law additionally brought sports betting into the regulated environment, with oddsmakers allowed to take bets both in-person and online.

Virginia lawmakers previously expanded gaming in 2018 by authorizing historical horse racing (HHR). The pari-mutuel wagering machines can be found at the Colonial Downs Racetrack in New Kent and at six off-track betting parlors.

The statute specifically states that “a comprehensive program for the prevention and treatment of problem gambling in the Commonwealth” be established through the creation of the Problem Gambling Treatment and Support Fund. The account is funded with gaming taxes from casino gambling and sports betting.

Agency Readies Work

The Virginia General Assembly earlier this year forwarded Senate Bill 836 to Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s (R) desk, which he signed. The statute formally created the Problem Gambling Treatment and Support Advisory Committee. The act becomes law on July 1.

Anne Rogers has been appointed the chair of the Problem Gambling Treatment and Support Advisory Committee. Rogers is the problem gambling prevention coordinator at the Virginia Office of Behavioral Health Wellness.

Other committee members include Dr. Carolyn Hawley, who is the executive director of the Virginia Council on Problem Gambling. The agency is a nonprofit that’s supported by several gaming companies invested in the commonwealth, including Caesars Entertainment, DraftKings, Barstool Sports, and Colonial Downs.

The Virginia Council on Problem Gambling works to increase education about the potential harms of excessive gambling. The organization maintains a neutral stance on gambling.

Additional committee members include Virginia Lottery Executive Director Kelly Gee, Virginia Racing Commission Executive Secretary David Lermond, Rivers Casino Portsmouth Director of Compliance Colleen Carraccio, and Julie Hynes, senior manager of responsible gaming for DraftKings.

Problem Gambling Data

The National Council on Problem Gambling says about 1% of the US adult population is estimated to meet the criteria to be considered to have a severe gambling problem. The DC-based nonprofit believes another four to six million people have a mild or moderate gambling disorder.

With gaming expansion continuing at a rapid pace in Virginia and across the US, responsible gaming officials are concerned about possible rate increases. As sports betting and iGaming continue to proliferate, NCPG Executive Director Keith Whyte said earlier this year that “youth gambling has emerged as a significant and growing public health issue.”

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State lawmakers are expected to pass a bill that will extend the 2013 iGaming law, but the clock is ticking.

Senate Bill 3075 and Assembly Bill 2190 were introduced last year, but have recently been taken back up. The legislative clones initially sought to lengthen New Jersey’s permittance of online casino gambling by 10 years until November 2033.

The legislation would amend the state’s iGaming law to allow online gambling to persist for 20 years following the initial launch of online casinos in the state. The first legal online casinos commenced their operations on Nov. 26, 2013.

Committee Amendments

SB 3075 and AB 2190 must first be considered in committees in their respective chambers before receiving full votes. But while there is thought to be little opposition to extending iGaming in New Jersey, the Associated Press reports that the Assembly version has been amended by the chamber’s Budget Committee to cut the extension from 10 years to only two years.

AB 2190 has found support in four Assembly committees. Before the Assembly Budget Committee passed the statute following its amendment, the bill was reported favorably out of the Assembly Tourism, Gaming, and the Arts Committee, the State and Local Government Committee, and the Appropriations Committee.

New Jersey’s 2013 iGaming law allows for extensions, but only through legislative action.

“The authorization to conduct games through the internet … shall expire 10 years following the operative date … unless reauthorized by law,” the 2013 bill signed into law by Gov. Chris Christie (R) mandates.

iGaming Business

Online casinos have provided Atlantic City casinos with a new revenue channel. Since the first interactive slot machine was played, New Jersey iGaming sites have generated nearly $6.3 billion in gross gaming revenue (GGR).

iGaming activity has ballooned greatly over the past five years and experienced significant growth during the COVID-19 pandemic. iGaming GGR has gone from less than $300 million in 2018 to more than $1.6 billion last year, a 433% surge in just five years.

Though Atlantic City casinos say online gaming revenue isn’t as beneficial as its brick-and-mortar business, as a considerable portion of the online play is split with third-party online gaming operators like DraftKings, the state’s tax benefit is more robust.

Atlantic City land-based GGR is taxed at an effective rate of 9.25%, with 8% allocated for the state and the remaining 1.25% for the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority. Online gaming is taxed much higher, with iGaming GGR subjected to a 17.5% tax, with 15% going to Trenton and the other 2.5% set aside for community investments.

In 2022, New Jersey’s GGR tax receipts totaled $249.4 million from iGaming and $179.1 million from the nine physical casinos.

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A little after midnight on March 27, 2022, an Australian man named Tyson Armstrong, now 28, unprovokedly attacked Luke Francis inside the Crown casino. Surveillance video showed the two men exchanging words on the casino floor. Francis walked away toward the foot court when Armstrong rushed him and sucker punched him in the jaw from behind.

Armstrong, the casino footage showed, then put his hands around Francis’s neck before pushing him into a railing. Francis collapsed.

“You can’t handle me. I’m too big for you,” said Armstrong, according to bystanders.

Francis was taken to a hospital where he was found to have bleeding on his brain. He was later deemed brain-dead and was taken off life support two days later.

Brawler to Bawler

In a newly released video of Armstrong’s interrogation just hours after the attack, he can be seen weeping and wondering why he committed such an assault.

I just wish I walked the f*** away,” Armstrong can be heard telling police in the interview released this week during his presentencing hearing. Armstrong has pleaded guilty to manslaughter and is facing up to 25 years in prison.

“I feel selfish because I just want to see my family but I just feel like he might not see anyone again from my hands, and that’s what I can’t deal with,” Armstrong continued to police. “No matter what happens it has changed my life in a blink of an eye. I’m never going to be able to forgive myself if he passes away.”

But Francis did pass, and that prompted Armstrong to later claim that Francis had challenged him to a fight and called him a “f***head” and a “little dog.” The video footage, however, didn’t support those allegations.

Supreme Court Justice Andrew Tinney, who is handling Armstrong’s sentencing, said further casino surveillance after the attack showed Armstrong joking with a friend.

He was behaving as though he had no concerns in the world,” Tinney said during the Monday hearing.

Armstrong admitted to drinking heavily before the altercation. His attorney said her client isn’t a monster but grew up in a dysfunctional household where violence and physical fights were common.

“Mr. Armstrong is not a monster, but generally someone who has certainly become something resembling a monster when two significant factors are present — alcohol and a male who he perceives, through his warped perception, as instigating violence or stepping towards him in some way that he perceives to be threatening,” his attorney, Carly Marcs, reasoned.

Family Refuses Apology

Armstrong has expressed remorse for his fateful actions, but Francis’ family isn’t hearing it. The family has reportedly refused to read an apology letter from Armstrong.

I gave him life and it was taken away in seconds for no reason at all,” Michelle Harris, Francis’ mother, told the court. “What I don’t understand is how can someone have so much rage and anger over someone you don’t even know? It’s disgusting.

“A senseless, unwarranted, unprovoked, and cowardly act,” Harris said.

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The CRDG consists of local businesspeople who believe bringing a casino to town would provide the Iowa town with an economic spark. City officials were supportive of the project when it was last presented in 2022, but the development was halted after the Iowa Legislature and Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) a year ago this month passed a two-year moratorium on new casino licenses. The stoppage prevents the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission from issuing new commercial gaming licenses until July 1, 2024.

The two-year moratorium signed by Reynolds came in response to new casinos opening in Nebraska, and further claims by Iowa’s gaming interests that a Cedar Rapids casino would hurt their operations.

City Pitch

During the Cedar Rapids City Council meeting on July 11, representatives from the CRDG will go before the council to make their case as to why the city should enter into an option-to-purchase agreement for a roughly 25-acre site currently owned by the city. The land is located between F and I Avenue NW and First and Fifth Streets NW.

In the proposed agreement, CRDG would pay $165K to the city to establish the agreement and possess the rights to purchase the lot at a fair market value.

The option-to-purchase deal would run through Dec. 31, 2025. If the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission is considering a Cedar Rapids casino but hasn’t yet approved the project, the CRDG deal would allow a one-time extension through Dec. 31, 2026, for an additional $55K fee to the city.

Peninsula Pacific Entertainment (P2E) is CRDG’s gaming partner. Jonathan Swain, president of the California-based gaming firm, told The Gazette that the company simply wants a chance to make its pitch to the state as to why such an undertaking is warranted.

I’m perpetually optimistic both about the commission and the legislature,” said Swain. “All we ask for is the opportunity to present our case before both bodies and make this opportunity for Cedar Rapids come to life.”

PGA Tour star Zach Johnson, who was raised in Cedar Rapids, was part of the 2022 casino pitch. One of the town’s most recognizable and celebrated names, Johnson’s involvement was to include a sportsbook and taproom called “The Clubhouse by Zach Johnson.”

Casino Details

The option-to-purchase agreement going before the Cedar Rapids City Council would require that any casino project include a minimum investment of $150 million.

The developers have also agreed to direct 2.25% of the casino’s gross gaming revenue to a local fund that would be used to support economic development, affordable housing, trails, and infrastructure in Cedar Rapids.

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Casino.org reported in March that the cruise ship operator had replaced the “Jazz on 4” clubs with smoke-free gaming spaces aboard the company’s Oasis of the Seas and Harmony of the Seas ships. “Jazz on 4” are dedicated lounges for nightly jazz music. But according to rumors, they are being phased out across Royal Caribbean’s Oasis class.

Royal Caribbean’s Oasis class consists of six ships, which are among the world’s largest. Along with Oasis of the Seas and Harmony of the Seas, the class ships include Utopia of the Seas, Wonder of the Seasons, Allure of the Seas, and Symphony of the Seas.

Wonder of the Seas, which went into operation just last year, is the world’s largest cruise ship, with a gross tonnage of 236,857 across 18 decks. Four bow thrusters with 7,500 horsepower each power the massive ship, which cruises at 22 knots. The ship has 2,867 staterooms and can accommodate more than 7,000 passengers.

Smoke-Free Casinos

Each of Royal Caribbean’s 25 cruise ships features a casino called Casino Royale. The slot machines turn on and table games get cards in the air once the vessels sail at least 12 nautical miles off the US coastline.

The Casino Royale aboard the Wonder of the Seas is a Las Vegas-style casino featuring 456 slots, 27 table games, and a high-stakes poker room. Smoking is allowed in Casino Royale venues, one of the few places aboard a Royal Caribbean vessel where cigarettes are permitted indoors.

Trimline workers transformed the former jazz spaces into smoke-free casinos while the ships were in service. The projects took about two weeks to complete.

Trimline’s team of demolition and removal experts, joiners, electricians, decorators, and laborers worked closely with data, IT, and casino commissioning specialists to ensure that their work was completed efficiently and with minimal disruptions to guests and crew,” the company explained.

“The team has worked tirelessly to ensure that the work is delivered to the highest standards, and we are delighted with the results,” added Trimline Project Manager Billy Morton. “We’re confident that these new smokeless casinos will provide an enjoyable experience for the guests on board.”

Royal Caribbean hasn’t commented on a time line as to when the Jazz on 4 clubs aboard Utopia of the Seas, Wonder of the Seas, and Symphony of the Seas might be swapped out for a smokeless casino.

Casino Details

Royal Caribbean owns and operates the world’s five largest cruise ships: Wonder of the Seas, Symphony, Harmony, Oasis, and Allure. And the casinos aboard the vessels are also some of the largest ship casinos in the world.

Budget gamblers can also find a seat inside a Royal Caribbean casino, as table minimums are as low as $5 per hand.

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The 1,700 employees are represented by the Casino de Montreal-CSN workers group. Union President Riccardo Scopelleti said collective bargaining negotiations have reached an impasse with the government-controlled gaming entity.

Loto-Quebec’s casino portfolio consists of six resorts and gaming halls, including Casino de Montreal, Casino du Lac-Leamy in Gatineau, Casino de Mont-Tremblant, Hotel-Casino de Charlevoix in La Malbaie, Salon de jeux de Quebec, and Salon de jeux de Trois-Rivieres.

Quebec’s crown-run lottery dates back to the late 1960s, but the current Loto-Quebec enterprise was established in 1992 to govern casino gambling. It was 31 years ago that Quebec lawmakers legalized land-based casinos to improve “Quebec’s world-class tourism infrastructure, create jobs, generate new income for the government, and repatriate significant sums spent by Quebecers in casinos outside of Quebec.”

Union, Casinos Reach Deadlock

The casino workers’ union represents workers employed in nongaming functions such as housekeepers, cooks, servers, and bellhops. The union’s casino members do not include table game dealers, slot attendants, or pit supervisors.

The union is arguing that business post-COVID-19 has been strong, and Loto-Quebec should disperse some of the increased revenue to its workers. The union cited Loto-Quebec issuing more than C$650,000 in annual bonuses to its executives in its plea for higher union wages.

Loto-Quebec reps say the union’s demands “are more than double” the increases the company has afforded its nonunion staffers.

Last week, the union authorized an “unlimited general strike” that commenced on Friday. The strike is set to continue until new a new contract is reached.

Modified Business Hours

Quebec’s provincial-owned casinos remain open for business, but with adjusted hours and services.

Casino Montreal is open daily from 2 p.m. to 2 a.m. Casino Mont-Tremblant and Hotel-Casino Charlevoix are closed Monday through Wednesday, but open Thursday through Sunday from 2 p.m. to midnight.

Casino Lac-Leamy, Salon Quebec, and Salon Trois-Rivieres are open daily from 9 a.m. to 3 a.m.

While gaming remains available, Loto-Quebec says many casino restaurants have been forced to temporarily shutter or only offer takeout because of the labor dispute. Casino nightclubs and other entertainment venues are also on hold.

Hotels, however, remain open, though room service and bellhops aren’t currently available. The company says other hotel amenities, such as pools, gyms, and spas, are open as usual.

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PNP officials said the operation targeted numerous businesses engaged in offshore gaming, known locally as Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs). Police said 2,714 people believes to be in forced labor were rescued in Manila’s Las Pinas City.

All rescued persons are documented for booking and possible repatriation,” read a statement from the National Capital Region Police Office.

POGOs were authorized under the Rodrigo Duterte presidency, which ran from June 2016 through June 2022. The online gaming sites aren’t allowed to accept players from inside the Philippines, but instead  target players in other countries, most specifically in China, where most forms of gambling are illegal.

Slaves Freed

Philippines police said of the more than 2,700 workers thought to be working in forced labor, 1,528 are Filipino residents. Six hundred were from China, 183 were from Vietnam, and 137 were from Indonesia.

Rescuee Origins

• Philippines — 1,528
• China — 600
• Vietnam — 183
• Indonesia — 137
• Malaysia — 134
• Thailand — 81
• Taiwan — 21
• Nigeria — 7
• Yemen — 4
• Pakistan — 2
• South Africa — 2
• India — 1
• Somalia — 1
• Sudan — 1
• Cameroon — 1
• Iran — 1

POGOs have been criticized by foreign governments, most importantly China’s Communist Party, for marketing online gambling websites to people who are prohibited from accessing such games via the internet. Duterte considered ending the trade, but decided the tax benefit from such online casino sites was too important.

I decided we need it to benefit the interests of my country,” Duterte said in 2019.

Duterte’s successor, Philippines President Bongbong Marcos, has so far allowed the POGO industry to continue. But this week’s crackdown on enslaved workers suggests the industry is coming under more law enforcement scrutiny.

Hiring Notice

The US State Department this month cautioned travelers that casinos throughout Asia are being increasingly used for human trafficking, sometimes referred to as “modern slavery.” The federal agency’s “2023 Trafficking in Persons Report” detailed an example of a 26-year-old female from the Philippines who responded to an online job listing to work in a call center in Cambodia.

After traveling to Cambodia, the woman, who was pregnant at the time, was enslaved and forced to work for a fraudulent cryptocurrency scheme. She later lost her unborn child before managing to escape.

“The job postings, usually looking for prospective customer service representatives with experience in cryptocurrency trading, entice unsuspecting victims with high-paying jobs and numerous attractive benefits only to find themselves being used in scam activities,” the notice read. The gaming operator-regulator encourages Filipinos to “be vigilant and cautious of these job advertisements.”

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The destination marketing organization’s Compensation Committee this week made the recommendation that Hill’s salary be increased by 7.5% and his bonus be elevated by a whopping 40%. The six-member committee highlighted Hill’s performance over the past 12 months in concluding that better compensation for the agency’s leader is warranted.

The Compensation Committee endorsed increasing Hill’s base pay by $33,570 to bring his salary to $481,179. The panel additionally backed a meaningful hike to his bonus, bringing the annual award to $179,043.

The LVCVA is primarily funded by Clark County’s nightly hotel room occupancy tax. With Las Vegas casino resorts charging higher rates over the past year because of inflation and increased overhead, the LVCVA has seen its revenues surge. The LVCVA also generates income by owning and managing the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Pedal to the Metal

Hill and the LVCVA were instrumental in bringing Formula 1 to Las Vegas, with the inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix set for November. The tourism agency is a major sponsor of the F1 race.

LVCVA officials are also playing a critical role in trying to find the Oakland A’s a home ballpark should the MLB franchise formally decide to relocate to Las Vegas. Hill’s leadership of the LVCVA also resulted in landing the 2024 Super Bowl LVIII and the NCAA March Madness Final Four in 2028.

This year would have been easy to come out here as a leader and talk about F1, the Super Bowl, the Final Four, and do a mic drop,” said Compensation Committee member Scott DeAngelo. “But you didn’t take your foot off the gas. In fact, you pushed harder.”

Hill told the Compensation Committee that there remains much work ahead. Among his top goals for 2023 and beyond are driving visitation to record highs, keeping the Las Vegas Convention Center booked with marquee events, and seeing the $600 million renovation of the North, Central, and South halls to completion.

Hill also said the authority will continue to improve the culture and work environment at the LVCVA.

LVCVA Compensation Committee members reasoned that in order to continue Las Vegas’ reign as one of the premier destinations for tourism and major events, the city marketing agency must be willing to shell out big bucks for the best executives in the business. The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported that even after Hill’s proposed compensation increases, his pay package would still “leave him below the average pay rate given to top leaders of destination marketing organizations nationwide.”

Lofty Convention Segment Goal

The LVCVA has set the goal of attracting 8.3 million convention attendees to the destination by the calendar year 2026. The current record for conventioneers in a single year is 6.6 million businesspeople, which was set in 2019.

Only five million people arrived in Southern Nevada last year primarily to attend a convention.

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US Attorney General Merrick Garland earlier this month announced a federal investigation into the Minneapolis police force. It determined that the MPD has engaged in a pattern of misconduct against Blacks and Native Americans. The Justice Department said the MPD has been found to use excessive force, unlawfully discriminated against, and violated the rights of Black and Native American populations.

The patterns and practices of conduct the Justice Department observed during our investigation are deeply disturbing,” said Garland. “They erode the community’s trust in law enforcement.”

The DOJ probe was in response to the May 2020 death of 46-year-old George Floyd. Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was later convicted of causing Floyd’s death by kneeling on his neck for more than nine minutes, during which Floyd was heard repeatedly saying that he was unable to breathe.

Investigators concluded that the MPD “patrols differently based on the racial composition of the neighborhood, without a legitimate, related safety rationale.”

Garland said the MPD and the city cooperated fully with the Justice Department’s investigation.

Minneapolis Natives

Minnesota is home to 12 federally recognized tribes that own 40 tribal casinos. Only Oklahoma (136) and California (82) have more casinos owned by Native Americans.

The Minnesota casinos collectively have more than 20K gaming machines. The state’s tribal interests, according to research conducted on behalf of the American Gaming Association (AGA), delivered Minnesota an economic impact of $3.72 billion last year. That supported more than 29,000 jobs.

The tribes win more than $2 billion per year on their casino floors and generate more than half of a billion dollars in tax revenue for the state.

The two tribes in the Minneapolis-St. Paul region have more than 1,000 tribal members and collectively employ about 2,000 area residents.

Mystic Lake, Minnesota’s largest casino, features 4,000 slot machines and 100 table games. The resort comes with a 766-room hotel, making it the third-largest hotel in Minnesota.

Treasure Island features about 1,800 slots and 50 table games. The hotel has 788 rooms, making it the largest hotel in the Twin Cities and the second-largest in the state, behind only the Hilton Minneapolis’ 826 occupancies.

Racial Tensions

DOJ officials said the city has already taken some remedial steps to improve policing. But the federal law enforcement agency plans to meet with members of the Minneapolis community to address the report’s findings in the coming months. In the interim, an independent monitor has been appointed by the DOJ to keep tabs on the MPD and its operations.

The DOJ probe into the Minneapolis Police Department is one of eight ongoing investigations into law enforcement agencies. The reviews are being carried out by the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.

The post Minneapolis Police Discriminate Against Blacks, Native Americans – DOJ appeared first on Casino.org.

Police on June 11, 2021, responded to the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City after a housekeeper found an unresponsive woman. Law enforcement said a woman was found deceased underneath a bedsheet with a knife, presumed to be the murder weapon, laying on top of the sheet.

Video footage showed the two entering a guest room on the 34th floor of the Hard Rock. No one exited or entered the room until Lane left the occupancy the following morning carrying a small bag. Police said Lane purchased a bus ticket and traveled back to Philadelphia that day.

Sentence Imposed Following Plea Deal

Authorities apprehended Lane in Philadelphia and charged him with murder and weapons offenses. Lane said he was in a relationship with Whaley.

His attorneys eventually managed to strike a plea deal with the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office after Whaley’s family agreed to the resolution. Lane admitted to stabbing Whaley multiple times following an altercation in the room.

Police said the bag Lane was seen carrying upon exiting the Hard Rock was not with him once he arrived at the Atlantic City Bus Terminal. Law enforcement located the bag in a trash can near the public transit site, but its contents weren’t made public.

Prosecutors encouraged the court to impose a 20-year sentence. A judge in the Atlantic County Municipal Court agreed on the sentence.

Lane won’t be eligible for parole until he serves at least 85% of the sentence under New Jersey’s No Early Release Act. Enacted in 1997, the state law requires that offenders found guilty of violent crimes be required to serve at least 85% of their imposed sentence.

With Lane’s prison sentence set at 20 years, he won’t become eligible until he serves 17 years behind bars.

AC Crime

Atlantic City doesn’t rank high among the safest cities in the US. According to Neighborhood Scout, an online database of neighborhood analytics, Atlantic City’s 2023 “Crime Index” is a measly 10 out of a possible score of 100.

About 37% of the Atlantic City population lives below the federal poverty line.     

The post Philadelphia Man Who Stabbed Girlfriend to Death Inside Atlantic City Casino Sentenced appeared first on Casino.org.

Owned and operated by the Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians, Seven Clans Casino Thief River Falls is one of the tribe’s three casinos. The sovereign Native American community additionally runs Seven Clans Casino Red Lake and Seven Clans Casino Warroad.

The Thief River Falls casino is just east of US Highway 59 along Center Street. The casino features about 650 slot machines and four blackjack tables. A 151-room hotel and an indoor waterpark complement the gaming space.

Drug Bust

The Red Lake Police Department is responsible for enforcing the Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians’ Tribal Code. The tribal law enforcement agency says it has a sworn force of 38 officers, plus administrative staff.

The tribal police unit recently collaborated with federal law enforcement agencies to infiltrate a suspected drug ring. The Red Lake Indians’ Tribal Council said last week that the joint operation resulted in alleged drug traffickers being apprehended after they were surveilled dropping off drugs and collecting cash from dealers on the grounds of the casino.

This operation demonstrates the Red Lake Nation’s commitment to the health and safety of staff and customers and the nation’s goal of preserving the well-being of the community,” a statement from the Red Lake Tribal Council read. “The Red Lake Police Department, in close coordination with the casino administration, were able to intercept the large quantity of the dangerous drug before it reached the street.”

Tribal leaders said the Red Lake Band recognizes the importance of proactively infiltrating criminal networks to prevent the illegal drugs they often distribute from reaching the streets.

“The tribal council has consistently advocated for a secure and drug-free environment within the reservation and at its gaming properties,” the tribal release continued. “The remarkable success of this operation serves as a clear message to those seeking to compromise the safety of the Seven Clans Casinos and the larger community: illegal activities will not be tolerated and violators will be met with swift, punitive action.”

Details Light

The Red Lake Nation didn’t provide details on the number of individuals arrested in the drug sting, nor describe what sort of drugs were seized. Law enforcement additionally refrained from publicly declaring a street value for the confiscated narcotics.

The US Federal Bureau of Investigations is tasked with investigating the most serious crimes in Indian country, such as murder, child sexual and physical abuse, violent assaults, public corruption, financial crimes, Indian gaming violations, and drug trafficking. The FBI’s law enforcement partners on Indian Country matters include the Department of Justice, the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Indian Affairs, the National Indian Gaming Commission, and the International Association of Chiefs of Police.

The post Seven Clans Casino in Minnesota Assists Law Enforcement in Drug Ring Bust appeared first on Casino.org.

Star Entertainment, one of the leading commercial casino operators Down Under along with Crown Resorts, continues to face government scrutiny and numerous fines for regulatory wrongdoings.

To raise capital to offset the unexpected regulatory costs, Star announced in March that it would sell its 50% position in the Sheraton Gold Coast. This week, a buyer was revealed.

Five-Star Beachfront Luxury

Star Entertainment co-purchased the Sheraton Grand Mirage, a nongaming hotel, in 2017 for AU$140 million. Hong Kong Stock Exchange-listed entities, Far East Consortium and Chow Tai Fook, purchased the other 50%. Marriott International leases the hotel’s operations from the ownership group.

The Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort is a five-star beachfront resort featuring 295 guestrooms, five restaurants, several outdoor pools, and meeting capabilities. Star’s Gold Coast casino and resort is located about five miles south of the Sheraton.

The sale represents a price of more than $650K per room. The transaction also represents a 21x multiple on the hotel’s most recent annual earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA).

We had it in due diligence at AU$200 million last year. It’s still a really good price,” real etstae agent Sam McVay, who co-listed the property, told the Australian Financial Review.

McVay added that the two families beat out a bid from Hawaii-based hotelier Outrigger Hospitality Group. The AFR, in its 2023 “Rich List,” valued the Laundry and Karedis families respectively at AU$1.5 billion and AU$972 million.

Tax Responsibility

Along with the financial penalties levied by state regulators, Star could soon be on the hook for higher taxes, as officials in NSW are working to implement a higher levy on slot machine revenue.

Star owns and operates The Star Sydney in NSW, which generates the most annual gaming revenue in the company’s portfolio. The company’s other asset, along with The Star Gold Coast and the Gold Coast Convention & Exhibition Center, is Treasury Brisbane in Queensland.

Star officials are naturally fighting the proposal.

“If implemented as originally proposed, the additional duty would significantly challenge the economic viability of the Sydney business and put the jobs of up to 4,000 hard-working Sydney employees in jeopardy,” said Robbie Cooke, Star CEO. “We will continue to engage with the new NSW government to guarantee the jobs of our team members while working hard to implement the significant reforms required to restore The Star to suitability and to ensure it remains a valuable contributor to the NSW economy.”

The post Star Entertainment Sells Sheraton Grand Mirage Gold Coast Resort appeared first on Casino.org.

Hochul’s administration and the Seneca Nation earlier this month made a surprising announcement that the two sides had reached an updated revenue-sharing agreement for the tribe’s three upstate tribal casinos.

On June 7, the Seneca Nation stated that a new, 20-year compact with New York had been tentatively reached. After rumors surfaced that the contract language included possibly allowing the tribe to construct a full-scale casino in Rochester, state and local leaders scolded the governor for not including Lake Ontario-area leaders in those discussions and allowing area residents to weigh in with their thoughts on such a project.

Deal Off

The New York Constitution allows the governor to negotiate new compacts with federally recognized tribes. Hochul claimed to have recused herself from the Seneca talks because her husband, William Hochul, is an executive with a Seneca competitor in Delaware North.

Hochul instead appointed close staff members to handle the tribal gaming discussions. While the governor has the authority to represent the state on Class III compacts, gaming agreements can only be finalized through legislative approval.

After the state Senate passed a bill authorizing Hochul to sign a new tribal casino treaty, the Assembly stalled the measure following the Rochester casino rumblings. Neither Hochul nor the Senecas have provided their tentative agreement for public inspection.

After much public backlash, Hochul said through a statement that the State Assembly’s failure to pass a bill authorizing her to sign a new Seneca deal has stalled the process.

“While we have engaged in productive discussions with the Seneca Nation recently, we were unable to reach a final agreement, and the Assembly did not pass the authorizing legislation. We look forward to continuing to work toward an agreement that works for all parties,” Hochul’s release read.

Seneca Statement

The Seneca Nation, which typically prefers to handle its business matters with the state privately, says it has been left no choice but to take its fight public. Tribal leaders said they were willing to further negotiate the contract after hearing the concerns and feedback from Rochester officials and residents.

If the Assembly was willing to take up the legislation, the Nation was willing to make significant concessions from our previous agreement in principle,” Armstrong Sr. said in a statement. “Unfortunately, we were not able to arrive at a revised agreement that met the needs of the Seneca people while also addressing the concerns of the Assembly and the Executive Office.”

The Seneca’s current compact, established in 2002, expires on December 9. The compact requires the tribe to direct 25% of its slot machine revenues to the state.

Hochul’s agreement, in principle, had offered to lower the tribe’s slot tax to 19.5% and potentially allow the Senecas to pursue a casino in Rochester. The tribe argues that a reduced slot tax is warranted, as casinos continue to expand across the Northeast.

The post New York Gov. Says No Deal with Seneca Nation After Rochester Casino Backlash appeared first on Casino.org.

L&W, formerly Scientific Games, spends a considerable amount of money maintaining its roughly half a million slot machines that are currently operating on casino floors around the world.

When slots malfunction, the terminals being offline cost L&W’s clients by way of reduced play. Such breakdowns can also dampen the patron experience, as many gamblers have their game of choice, and sometimes even their specific seat of choice.

L&W Connect gathers and disseminates near-real-time machine health data through a telemetric connection. Using that data, L&W says the company will receive advanced warning of machine breakdowns and will be able to proactively dispatch a service team to further inspect the alert.

For tech-savvy readers, an in-depth breakdown of the development can be found here.

Exploratory Program

L&W cautions that its predictive slot maintenance program is still being perfected and is undergoing further testing with only about 500 machines currently sharing data via Connect.

The nature of the project is highly exploratory — this is the first attempt at predictive maintenance in the gaming industry,” a statement from AWS added. “The Amazon Machine Learning (ML) Solutions Lab and L&W team embarked on an end-to-end journey from formulating the ML problem and defining the evaluation metrics, to delivering a high-quality solution.”

L&W counts most major gaming operators as clients, including Caesars Entertainment, Las Vegas Sands, Hard Rock International, Penn Entertainment, and Golden Nugget.

L&W’s primary competition includes Evolution Gaming, Aristocrat, IGT, Playtech, and Everi Holdings. L&W has a market capitalization of $6 billion, with its shares closing this week on the Nasdaq at $66.12. Of its competitors, only Evolution at $26.8 billion and Aristocrat at $17.3 billion have richer market caps.

L&W reduced its debt burden by selling off its lottery and sports betting units in 2021. The company subsequently underwent a rebranding from Scientific Games to Light & Wonder.

Slot Machine Servicing

Servicing a slot machine today is much different than it was back when Las Vegas was founded. The days have long passed that servicing a slot machine was mostly about cleaning the terminal’s internal working parts, as most games today are nearly fully electronic.

Though there are still plenty of slots in circulation that retain old-fashioned mechanical reels, and those reels frequently break and require repair, today most of the service calls have to do with electronic components. Disabled monitor displays are among the most common troubleshooting needs.

The post Light & Wonder, AWS Develop Predictive Maintenance Program for Slot Machines appeared first on Casino.org.

Officials with Tower Investments, Bart Blatstein’s Philadelphia-based real estate firm, say the Showboat waterpark has finished construction, and the family-friendly attraction is ready for its debut. Dubbed the Island Waterpark at The Showboat Resort, the amusement park is billed as the largest indoor beachfront waterpark in the world.

Guests can also rent out the 30-foot-tall Tree House for private parties, and for younger guests, the Island Waterpark offers the Kids Cove, a play area with interactive water activities.

The Showboat Island Waterpark will officially open to the public on June 30. Daytime admission rates start at $89, with twilight rates set at $69 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. All-access VIP tickets, which include admission to the Paradise Adult Island, Bliss Pool, and a swim-up bar, begin at $119.

Showboat overnight guests can visit the Island Waterpark for free for an hour each morning before the park opens to the public at 10 a.m. The property is also currently running a promotion where customers who purchase three tickets get a fourth ticket for free.

Diversifying Atlantic City

Blatstein acquired the shuttered Showboat in early 2016 from Stockton University for $23 million. He reopened the resort as a nongaming hotel that July.

Blatstein believes Atlantic City doesn’t need more casinos, but does need more to do outside of the gambling halls.

Atlantic City has long been one of the most iconic destinations for entertainment geared for adults, but now the Island Waterpark at The Showboat Resort will open up a whole new world of family entertainment on the Boardwalk,” Blatstein told Casino.org. “When people see this, they will be blown away. It is truly like entering a tropical paradise and the best part is that people — both kids and adults — will be able to enjoy it all year round.”

Caesars Entertainment placed a deed restriction on the Boardwalk resort when it closed the Showboat casino and hotel in 2014. Though the casino was profitable at the time, Caesars decided to permanently terminate gambling at the property to reduce market saturation for the company’s other casinos in town, which at the time included Caesars, Harrah’s, and Bally’s.

Stockton purchased the former casino with plans to transform the resort into student housing. Adjacent casinos voiced concerns about college students living next to their gambling establishments, and those legal issues eventually derailed the university’s plans.

Showboat Showoff

If water isn’t your family’s thing, Blatstein might still have you covered.

As for the Showboat accommodations, the hotel currently features 441 guestrooms and 36 balcony suites. The complex also offers extended stays and long-term leased apartments.

The post Showboat Atlantic City Announces Opening Date for $100M Waterpark appeared first on Casino.org.

Owned and operated by the Tachi-Yokut Tribe, one of the many federally recognized tribes in California, Tachi Palace officials told Casino.org on Friday that the resort is introducing new gaming chips following the completion of the property-wide renovations. The casino will begin dispersing the new gaming chips next month.

As a world-class casino and resort destination, Tachi Palace is thrilled to continue showcasing our exciting renovations, updates, and enhancements,” said Michael Olujic, general manager of Tachi Palace Casino Resort. “The newly designed chips are an example of our commitment to quality.”

Tachi Palace traces its roots back to 1983 when the tribe opened a bingo room in Lemoore, which is about 70 miles north of Bakersfield and 30 miles south of Fresno. After undergoing a major expansion project in 2005, the tribal casino was renamed from Palace Indian Gaming Center to its current Tachi Palace Casino Resort identity.

Today, the 145,000-square-foot Tachi Palace casino floor is equipped with 2,000 slot machines and 38 table games. The resort hotel features 255 guest rooms, a movie theater, a bowling alley, an arcade, and numerous restaurants and bars. The property additionally offers a convenience store and smoke shop.

Chip Swap

Tachi Palace Casino Resort has given its patrons a 90-day notice to redeem any chips they’re in possession of, with the redemption window set to expire on Sept. 29 at 12:01 am local time. Tribal officials say the new chips will carry on the same available denominations of $1, $2.50, $5, $25, $100, and $500.

Come September 29, the casino says it will no longer accept or honor the chips being retired.

In Nevada, for example, state regulations require that casino chips be 1.55 inches in diameter for all games other than baccarat, which can be slightly larger up to 1.6875 inches. All casino chips must be .13 inches thick and “disc-shaped.”

So, why did casinos in the first place move to use chips instead of just dealing with cash? According to Casino.org’s Scott Roeben, the Las Vegas insider who runs the popular social media account Vital Vegas, players tend to gamble more when using chips than they would if they were forced to use cash.

Chip Security

Today’s casino chips have many more features than meets the eye. The circular gaming tokens feature significant security measures through the use of RFID (radio frequency identification) technology. RFID tags allow a casino to keep tabs on its gaming chips.

Most Las Vegas casinos also incorporate RFID readers, which can surveil a bulk of gaming chips to determine their legitimacy. Such RFID readers at table games can also assist casino security in detecting a rogue dealer who might be involved in a cheating scheme.

The post Tachi Palace Casino Gives Gamblers 90 Days to Redeem Retiring Chips appeared first on Casino.org.

Holyoke is just north of Springfield along the Connecticut River’s western bank. The Hampden County city submitted its 2023 Community Mitigation Fund Grant Application in January.

This week, the MGC agreed to award Holyoke the $200K that city officials requested for the promotion of tourism and marketing initiatives. This year marks the 150th anniversary of Holyoke being incorporated in the commonwealth. The $200K grant will help the city, which is home to roughly 39K residents, fund its sesquicentennial celebrations and promote itself in the future.

Other Massachusetts cities seeking 2023 grants through the Community Mitigation Fund include Everett, Malden, Revere, and Foxboro.

Casino Corridor

Along with the aforementioned allocations, Vega says city officials are considering launching a shuttle service that would better link MGM Springfield with Holyoke.

The shuttle service will create more convenient transportation between MGM Springfield and Holyoke that will incentivize residents and visitors of Holyoke to go to the casino,” Holyoke’s grant application explained. “Additionally, it will be a cross-marketing opportunity for both the casino and the City of Holyoke.”

The shuttle is expected to play a critical role in fostering Holyoke’s tourism initiatives and economic goals, Vega explained.

“We’re going to capitalize on the fact that more people are coming to Western Massachusetts because of the casino,” Vega told The Republican.

This marks the second time that Holyoke has received a $200K allocation from the casino fund. In 2019, the city used a similar grant to establish its tourism plan.

The Community Mitigation Fund offers grants for eight distinct causes, which include transportation planning, transportation construction, projects of regional significance, workforce development, community planning, public safety, gaming hard reduction, and specific impacts relating to the operation of a gaming establishment.

Casino Taxes

Massachusetts places a 25% tax on gross gaming revenue generated by its two Category 1 commercial resort casinos, MGM Springfield and Encore Boston Harbor. The state taxes the slots-only facility, Plainridge Park, significantly higher at 49%.

In May, the three casinos reported GGR of approximately $98.7 million. Encore has long been the market dominator, and in May, easily led the way with about $62.5 million. MGM was a distant second at $23.3 million. Massachusetts’ tax share last month came to roughly $27.7 million.

The state also receives 20% of online sportsbook revenue and 15% of the gross revenue from retail bets. In May, oddsmakers won $60.9 million from bettors and directed $12.1 million to the state.

Massachusetts has benefited by more than $1 billion in gaming taxes since authorizing casinos.

The post MGM Springfield Supports Nearby Holyoke with Second $200K Mitigation Grant appeared first on Casino.org.

In 2013, New York lawmakers and then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) authorized up to seven commercial brick-and-mortar casinos in the Empire State. The gaming act included four casinos allocated for upstate, and the other three for the downstate area.

The moratorium is over and state officials are readying the application process for the three coveted downstate licenses. Already there’s a crowded bidding pool. Silverstein joins many well-known gaming developers and operators, including MGM Resorts, Las Vegas Sands, Genting, Caesars Entertainment, Wynn Resorts, Mohegan, Hard Rock, and Bally’s.

Silverstein’s Pitch

In a statement provided to Casino.org on Friday morning, officials with Silverstein Properties say the firm has an ideal, 2.1-acre site of undeveloped land located at 41st St. and 11th Avenue on Manhattan’s West Side. The property is just across 11th Avenue from the Javits Center, the city’s primary convention and exhibition facility, and is fully owned by Silverstein Properties.

The top floor of one of the towers would be a 1,000-seat performance hall. Silverstein said the development would additionally include about 100 affordable housing units located in or around the project site that features a mix of unit types and sizes.

Unlike many of the other casino pitches for downstate, Silverstein officials say their bid would not displace any residents nor require public infrastructure investments. Silverstein would be a newcomer to gaming, which is why the company has brought on the parent company of Parx Casino, Greenwood Gaming and Entertainment, to operate the casino should the project be greenlit.

Parx is located just north of Philadelphia and generated more gross gaming revenue last year than any other casino in Pennsylvania.

Silverstein seemed to suggest his enthusiasm for a casino license has more to do with benefiting New York than himself or his company.

Our city and state face a confluence of historic challenges right now. These include a housing crisis, public safety challenges, budget shortfalls, and a commercial real estate market in transition. We need to work with state and local leaders to do everything we can to make New York the best place to live, work, and visit,” Silverstein said.

“We’ve done it before, and I am confident we can do it again. I’ve always said you should never bet against New York. This city and state will come back bigger and better than ever before,” Silverstein added.

West Manhattan Bids

Silverstein’s casino bid infringes on another presentation being presented by fellow billionaire Stephen Ross. While Silverstein didn’t suggest a price tag for his possible casino investment, Ross’ Related Companies has stated it would spend as much as $10 billion to bring an integrated casino resort to Hudson Yards, which is just south of the Javits Center.

Ross, who owns Hudson Yards, a real estate development between the Chelsea and Hell’s Kitchen neighborhoods, has teamed with Wynn Resorts for the initiative.

The post New York Real Estate Tycoon Larry Silverstein Joins NYC Casino Bidding Pool appeared first on Casino.org.

Biermann, in his divorce filing, alleged that his wife is addicted to gambling. The former NFL player said in court documents that Zolciak spent “substantial time and marital funds gambling” during their marriage.

In a tweet shared in 2020 that was recently brought back up through the divorce proceedings, one of Zolciak’s older children, Brielle Bierman, seems to suggest that her mother does have a gambling problem.

2020 Casino Jaunt

Brielle Bierman tweeted in 2020 that she recalls once being dragged to a casino in North Carolina by her mother when she was 20 years old. Since she was underage, she was not permitted to enter the casino, which she didn’t identify by name.

Brielle recounted her mother telling her to get in the car without telling her where the two were going. She said her mom drove for two hours before arriving at a casino in North Carolina. Brielle claims she was forced to wait in the car for an unspecified time before Kim emerged from the casino around 3 a.m.

North Carolina in 2020 was home to only two tribally owned casinos, Harrah’s Cherokee and Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River. Both properties are in the southwestern part of the state and are operated by Caesars Entertainment.

Driving from Atlanta, where Zolciak lives, north to Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River is an approximately two-hour drive. Driving to Harrah’s Cherokee is nearly three hours from Atlanta.

Zolciak Response

Zolciak and Biermann’s Georgia mansion is reportedly under foreclosure, and the couple is said to owe the IRS more than $1 million in back taxes. Zolciak, however, denies that her gambling hurt her family and that her spouse is simply trying to damage her reputation in the media.

It’s really sad the way Kroy is causing our divorce to play out in the media like this because it could have a profound effect on our children in the long run,” Zolciak said in a statement. “To continuously spread lies in an attempt to paint me as an unfit mother for his own gain is harmful and incredible misleading.”

Her attorney expanded on the allegations being made by Biermann.

“Kim has remained quiet through the divorce process thus far for the sake of the children, but with this most recent filing, she has no choice but to speak up. The emotional and mental abuse Kim has suffered from this man for so many years has taken a toll on her and, most heartbreakingly, their children. Kim has always been an extremely devoted mother to her children; they are her entire world, and she is always there to love and support them every step of the way,” her attorney said.

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Reports recently surfaced that Zuckerberg’s Meta Platforms, Inc., — formerly Facebook Inc., — is developing a social media platform designed to rival Musk’s Twitter. The Facebook Twitter-like app is rumored to be called “Threads” and will operate similarly to Twitter.

Responding to the gossip on Twitter, Musk didn’t seem overly concerned.

“I’m sure Earth can’t wait to be exclusively under Zuck’s thumb with no other options. At least it will be ‘sane.’ Was worried there for a moment,” Musk tweeted.

When another Twitter user cautioned Musk and said Zuckerberg has been known to do jujitsu, Musk fired back.

I’m up for a cage mask if he is lol,” Musk tweeted.

Musk is the world’s richest person with an estimated net worth of $293.5 billion. Zuckerberg ranks ninth with a fortune of about $101.1 billion.

Odds Open

Responding on Instagram, which is owned by Meta, Zuckerberg said in his live story “Send me location” while sharing another Instagram user’s post discussing the Musk fight. That caused a frenzy online about the billionaire bout actually happening.

One offshore sportsbook opened betting on the hypothetical fight with Musk favored at -150 and Zuckerberg the underdog at +110. The odds imply Musk has a 60% chance of winning and Zuckerberg has a 48% of prevailing.

A $100 winning bet on those odds would respectively net $66.67 on Musk and $110 on Zuckerberg.

Another offshore sportsbook has Zuckerberg heavily favored, with the Facebook billionaire at -500 and Musk long at +300.

It’s worth noting that no legal sportsbook operating in the US has yet to unveil actual odds that can be bet on. That won’t happen until the fight is officially booked and the bout is contested under the eyes of a respected regulator such as the Nevada Athletic Commission.

UFC Boss Weighs In

Musk, seemingly becoming increasingly serious about the Zuckerberg fight, has since suggested that the UFC Octagon in Las Vegas would be a most fitting location for the bout. UFC President Dana White said today he has already spoken with the two billionaires and can confirm their intent to actually see the fight through.

I was talking to both Elon and Mark last night. Both guys are absolutely dead serious about this,” White told TMZ.

“Mark Zuckerberg hit me up first and asked if he was serious. I said, ‘I don’t know, let me ask him.’ I asked Elon, and he said, ‘Yeah, I’m dead serious.’ This would be the biggest fight ever in the history of the world,” White declared.

White said such a spectacle would break all pay-per-view records and could raise hundreds of millions of dollars for charity.

“You don’t have to be a fight fan to be interested in this fight,” White added. “Everyone would want to see it.”

The post Elon Musk vs. Mark Zuckerberg Cage Match Prompts Hypothetical Odds appeared first on Casino.org.

The Louisville-based racetrack owner and gaming operator acquired Ellis Park last September for $79 million from Laguna Development Corporation. Ellis Park hosts the Kentucky horse racing circuit’s Summer Meet.

HHR terminals are slots-like machines but instead of spins being determined by a random number generator, the outcomes of historical racing devices are based on previously run horse races. Bettors are shown the pari-mutuel odds for the race, with critical information such as the race location, date, horses, jockeys, and trainer information withheld. Bettors typically choose an auto-bet option that puts their wager on the race favorite.

Limited Details

Churchill Downs didn’t say much in a release confirming the company’s intentions to carry on with Laguna’s planned HHR property in Owensboro. Churchill acquired the development rights to the Owensboro project through its purchase of Ellis Park.

The company has secured a site in eastern Daviess County, outside of the Owensboro city limits, to build its previously announced historical racing machine entertainment venue as an annex of Ellis Park,” a Churchill Downs statement read. “This new facility will support purse funding for Ellis Park race meets.”

The Churchill Downs statement added that additional information, including an investment budget for the Owensboro facility, will be released in the coming months.

Laguna had targeted the Towne Square Mall for its HHR venue. But Churchill Downs’ statement saying it has secured a site outside of the Owensboro city limits suggests that the company is focusing on a new, unrevealed project location, as the Towne Square Mall is within the Owensboro city limits.

HHR Legality

Historical horse racing machines have found favor in states where pari-mutuel wagering is legal but commercial casino gambling is not, as is the case in Kentucky. The HHR devices have helped stabilize the struggling horse racing industry, which has faced much criticism of late for a slew of horses dying at several tracks, including at Churchill Downs’ namesake facility in Louisville.

Revenue from HHR gaming has supported tracks and horsemen by way of increased purses. The Kentucky Supreme Court in early 2021 ruled that the machines were illegal, determining that the machines don’t constitute pari-mutuel betting.

State lawmakers provided a fix in February 2021 by passing an HHR bill that provides the machines with legal footing. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D) signed the historical racing bill into law that same month.

P2E’s acquired assets included Colonial Downs and the racetrack’s six off-track HHR gaming venues that operate under the Rosie’s Gaming Emporium brand.

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BetMGM revealed to Casino.org this week that there’s been heavy action on Michigan to win the 2023-24 College Football Playoff National Championship. The title game for the upcoming season is set for Jan. 8, 2024, at NRG Stadium in Houston.

Along with the NFL, college football is one of the most popular sports to bet on in the US.

Georgia, the heavy betting favorite, made quick work of TCU on its way to a dominating 65-7 win. The championship marked the second in a row for the Bulldogs out of the SEC.

Michigan a Favorite for 2023-24

The last time the Michigan Wolverines won the college football national championship was under coach Lloyd Carr who, in 1997, led the team to an undefeated 12-0 record that was capped off with a 21-16 Rose Bowl win over Washington State. More than a quarter-century later, many bettors believe this upcoming season is primed for another Michigan title.

The Wolverines will almost certainly be ranked in the AP top three to begin the year, and it’s likely they’ll be favored in every single regular-season game on the schedule,” opined Christopher Breiler, who covers the Wolverines for Sports Illustrated.

Coach Jim Harbaugh returns for his ninth season leading his alma mater. Michigan also returns the most starters in the Big Ten and nearly in all of NCAA Division 1 FBS football.

The Wolverines return quarterback JJ McCarthy and four offensive linemen to protect the budding star. Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards highlight the Michigan backfield, arguably the top running back duo in the country.

On the other side of the ball, the Wolverines return one of the top cornerbacks in the country, Will Johnson, to complement a veteran secondary. Michigan’s leading tackler, linebacker Junior Colson, additionally returns for his junior campaign.

Big Bets

BetMGM says the bulk of its college football futures have been with the Wolverines. The sportsbook says Michigan is responsible for 16.5% of the NCAA football futures money and 16% of the overall tickets.

Georgia is seeking a nearly unprecedented three-peat. Only the Minnesota Golden Gophers have won three consecutive college football championships, but that feat came back during the 1934 through 1936 seasons.

Georgia has the shortest 2023-24 title odds at +210 (21/10). Alabama, always a popular futures bet, has the second-shortest title odds at 6/1. BetMGM also cut the Crimson Tide from 7/1 after Alabama accounted for nearly 11% of its futures tickets and almost 12% of the handle.

Ohio State is next at 7/1, with rival Michigan trailing closely at 9/1. No other school has odds shorter than 10/1.

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Unite Here Local 26 officials on Wednesday tallied a vote from members who work at the $2.6 billion integrated casino resort to determine if they want to allow a walkout should Wynn Resorts not meet the union’s demands for its next collective bargaining agreement. Union leaders and Wynn reps have been negotiating new terms since March 9 to no avail.

The local Unite Here chapter announced Wednesday night that 98% of the votes cast were in favor of permitting a strike at Encore Boston Harbor. The union is seeking a “five-star contract with five-star wages and five-star job security,” though more specific terms regarding what sort of pay increases the union is seeking haven’t been made publicly available.

We’re looking to have the same wages, benefits, and work rules that exist in other hospitality employers around Greater Boston, whether that’s the Ritz Carlton or Courtyard Marriott at North Station” Unite Here Local 26 President Carlos Aramayo told the Boston Herald. “We’re not looking for anything more than what other folks who do this kind of work earn in this area.”

Encore Boston Harbor opened in June 2019. The casino is the dominant player among Massachusetts’ three commercial casinos, with MGM Springfield and Plainridge Park being the Wynn competitors.

Bargaining Deadline

After the strike authorization vote was tallied, Aramayo revealed the results and put Wynn Resorts on the clock to meet its bargaining terms. He says if Wynn cannot meet the demands by the end of the month, the union’s approximately 1,400 members who work at Encore Boston Harbor will strike.

Wynn spokesperson Michael Weaver says the casino has been negotiating in good faith and expects a deal to be reached in the near future.

While we are disappointed that the union is instead moving to hold a strike vote, we have indicated to the union that we remain ready to continue our discussions,” Weaver said in a statement.

Weaver explained the company is determining how to best achieve its goal “of providing our employees with competitive wages, benefits, and a working environment that reflects our high standards and the experiences we strive to create.”

Record Quarter

The union negotiations at Encore Boston Harbor come after Wynn Resort experienced its best year ever for its operations in North America in terms of earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA).

For the full year of 2022, these properties generated $1.04 billion of adjusted property EBITDAR, a record for us by a wide margin. These impressive results are a testament to our team’s relentless focus on delivering five-star hospitality, which continues to elevate our properties above our peers as the destinations of choice for luxury guests in both Las Vegas and Massachusetts,” said Craig Billings, CEO of Wynn Resorts.

Encore Boston Harbor accounted for $243.3 million of the adjusted property EBITDA. The resort’s performance was propped up by its casino floor, which generated gross gaming revenue of $624.7 million. The property actually won significantly more money in the casino, nearly $730 million, but about $105 million of that was wagered through free play and other player incentives.

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The SBA helped bring legal sports betting to the Old Line State by spearheading the pro-sportsbook campaign in 2020. Maryland’s path to legal gambling on sports had to go through voters, as dictated by the state constitution.

The SBA encouraged state lawmakers to promote the legalization of sports betting. A separate political action committee (PAC) called Vote Yes on Question 2 also produced and ran television, radio, and social media advertisements that hyped the benefits regulated sports betting would deliver.

The SBA consists of four member sportsbook partners, including BetMGM, DraftKings, FanDuel, and Fanatics.

Record Fine

One of the many responsibilities of the Maryland State Board of Elections is compiling campaign finance reports for political committees and disclosing those summaries to voters.

The state election agency recently completed a four-year audit that included the 2020 election cycle. The probe resulted in the discovery that the SBA failed to properly disclose its fundraising and associated activities in a timely manner.

This was simply a filing error by our compliance team,” a spokesperson for the Sports Betting Alliance told Maryland Matters. “As soon as we realized the mistake, we immediately filed the missing form and worked with the Maryland State Board of Elections to correct the error.”

The recent audit, however, showed that the SBA’s amended filing in 2020 came 48 days after it was originally due. The Maryland State Board of Elections subsequently implemented a $1,000 per day fine for the compliance mishap for a total penalty of $48K.

Protecting the Public

Jared DeMarinis, the Maryland State Elections Board’s director of campaign finance, told Maryland Matters that since there is no fundraising cap on independent expenditure committees such as the SBA, swift filings are required so the public has adequate time ahead of casting their ballots to know where the money supporting such campaigns is coming from.

The whole point is that these penalties are here because of the impact independent expenditure committees have on the [election] process,” explained DeMarinis. “They usually come in the last possible second and do some political ads or disseminate campaign material that could possibly affect the election and you need to have very timely disclosure to ensure that individuals are making informed choices at the ballot box.”

DeMarinis, however, acknowledges the severity of the SBA penalty.

“We’re cracking down hard on disclosure with independent expenditure entities and that was the biggest one that was collected so far,” DeMarinis revealed.

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Encore Boston Harbor opened four years ago this week across the Mystic River from downtown Boston. Wynn spent $2.6 billion bringing the integrated resort envisioned by Steve Wynn, the company’s founder and former CEO, to life.

The five-star resort has since dominated Massachusetts’ three-casino gaming industry. Last year, Encore Boston Harbor generated nearly $730 million in gross gaming revenue.

Workers at the Wynn property say they deserve a bigger cut of the casino’s riches and they’re threatening to walk off the job unless casino management agrees to increase their compensation.

Strike Vote Underway

About 1,400 workers employed at Encore Boston Harbor are represented by Unite Here Local 26. The union’s casino members include housekeepers, cocktail servers, cooks, dishwashers, and bellhops. The union doesn’t represent gaming workers such as table game dealers or slot attendants.

The union’s Wynn workers are today voting on whether to authorize a strike at the property, which union officials say could result in a 24/7 walkout until the company agrees to a new contract.

Encore Boston Harbor is a Forbes Five-Star luxury resort that promised to bring good-paying jobs to the residents of Everett and surrounding towns,” a Unite Here Local 26 statement to Casino.org explained. The title of the release read, “Encore Boston Harbors Workers Continue Their Fight for a Five-Star Contract.”

Union leaders cite the fact that Encore Boston Harbor last year won more money from gamblers than any other casino in the US outside of Las Vegas. Only MGM National Harbor near Washington, DC reported higher GGR.

Unite Here officials say should today’s vote go in favor of a strike, union brass would be authorized to initiate a walkout at any moment during the ongoing contract talks until a deal is signed.

Voting Deadline

Unite Here is holding its Encore Boston Harbor vote at its chapter at the Teamsters Local 25 building in Charlestown.

Unite Here Local 26 casino members have authorized strikes in the past, including one just a year ago this month at Bally’s Twin River Lincoln Casino Resort in Rhode Island. Bally’s and the union eventually found common ground, and a new bargaining agreement was executed soon after the walkout was approved.

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Nebraska’s commercial gaming bill approved by state voters during the 2020 election authorized the state’s licensed racetrack facilities to become Las Vegas-style casinos with slot machines, live dealer table games, and sports betting.

Hastings Exposition and Racing’s Fairplay Park was one of the six tracks authorized to incorporate a casino. The other tracks are Horsemen’s Park in Omaha, Lincoln Race Course, Agricultural Park in Columbus, Fonner Park in Grand Island, and the shuttered Atokad Downs in South Sioux City.

Becker initially partnered with the Chickasaw Nation in Oklahoma, a wealthy tribe with strong expertise in casino gaming operations. The partnership proposed a casino resort with a new horse racetrack on the northern edge of Hastings.

After a group of residents levied a campaign against the project, the Hastings City Council rejected the development in March 2022 before agreeing in November to reconsider its decision. Becker, however, had already found a new gaming partner and new host city by way of Ogallala.

Relocation Plans

On Tuesday, Becker announced a new partnership with Iowa-based Elite Casino Resorts, a leading gaming operator in the Midwest. Hastings Racing and Elite hope to construct a casino resort with a racetrack in Ogallala.

The $100 million pitch would encompass a 174-acre site and feature a casino floor with 650 slot machines, 20 live dealer table games, and a dedicated poker room. The resort would be highlighted by a 180-room hotel, an event center, numerous dining options, an RV park, and a pool and spa.

Brian Jorde, a spokesperson for Hastings Racing and Exposition, an entity that will likely undergo a rebranding should its relocation be approved, said the overall plan is to create a quarter horse racing circuit with a new track in Ogallala and a second new track in Gering sometime in the future.

Western Nebraska always gets shut out,” Jorde said. “Our plan is to get this up and going in Ogallala and then get up and going in Gering and have a Quarter Horse circuit between the two locations.”

Becker said Elite is an attractive partner because, like his Hastings Racing, the gaming company has been around for decades.

“It is a perfect partnership to help grow the quarter horse racing industry,” Becker commented.

Move Approval

Elite Casino Resorts already has one Nebraska casino project secured in its partnership with the Hall County Livestock Improvement Association for its Fonner Park in Grand Island. Elite is investing $100 million there to construct a 37,000-square-foot casino that will also feature about 650 slot machines and 20 tables.

Jorde said Hastings seeking state approval to relocate to Ogallala is “doing everyone a favor.”

That state approval must come from the Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission. Jorde said the group on Tuesday submitted its relocation plans to the state racing and gaming regulator. There’s no timeline on when the state might vote on the move.

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The decline was mostly felt on the tables, as dealer games saw poorer win rates for the house. Retail tables at the state’s 17 casinos totaled $81.6 million, a 7.8% drop from May 2022. Slots tried to cover the table losses with more than $210.8 million in coin-in hold, but the 2.5% premium on May 2022 wasn’t enough to bridge the gap.

Individual casino GGR includes income from retail, iGaming, and sports betting.

After Hollywood Penn National and Valley Forge, Parx Casino near Philadelphia was third at $58.8 million, Rivers Casino Philadelphia was fourth at $50.2 million, and Wind Creek Bethlehem rounded out the top five at $46.3 million. All but Wind Creek, which posted a 5% year-over-year decline, saw improved revenue in May 2023.

iGaming, Sports Betting Increases

Though in-person play cooled a bit in May, something not unique to Pennsylvania, but also experienced in neighboring Atlantic City, online casinos and sportsbooks continued to experience growth.

iGaming, inclusive of online slots, table games, and poker rake, totaled more than $140.9 million. That’s a 24% surge on May 2022 or an increase of about $27.7 million.

Interactive slots won $100.6 million, up nearly 29%, while online tables generated $37.8 million or 17% more than a year ago.

Oddsmakers kept $41.1 million of the $495.6 million wagered, which respectively, represent year-over-year increases of 17% and 0.5%. As the numbers show, oddsmakers fared significantly better against their bettors last month than they did during May 2022.

Notable events last month included the Kentucky Derby, the PGA Championship, the Indianapolis 500, and the start of the French Open.

Video gaming terminals inside truck stops added about $3.6 million in revenue, and daily fantasy sports operators reported $1.2 million in contest fees. When GGR from all verticals is combined, Pennsylvania’s gaming industry reported May 2023 revenue of approximately $479.37 million, which is up 7%.

Bridge Concerns

iGaming and sports betting bridged the in-person reductions at the Pennsylvania casinos last month. The online verticals will likely have more work to do in June, as some retail play is expected to be hampered by the I-95 bridge collapse in Philadelphia.

State and federal officials say the nine-mile closure of I-95 will reopen as soon as this weekend. But the traffic and backlogs surrounding the area are presumably keeping some would-be gamblers away from the three casinos in the area, Parx, Rivers, and Live!

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In April, Bailey announced he would remove himself from a lawsuit brought by gaming manufacturer Torch Electronics and Warrenton Oil that accuses the Missouri State Highway Patrol of harassment and a “concerted campaign of threats” against video gaming operations. The slots-like gaming machines offer cash prizes.

Players bet on spins that they know will lose in order to reach the next outcome. The slight difference in the operations, Torch officials say, renders the games immune from Missouri’s gambling laws.

AGA Scolds AG

Bailey cited an unspecified conflict of interest in recusing himself from the Torch lawsuit. Torch games are found in dozens of convenience stores owned and operated by Warrenton Oil. The state will instead need to hire a private law firm to defend the state police in the litigation.

Bailey’s critics say the state attorney general’s withdrawal from the litigation is because he’s received significant campaign contributions from Torch and Warrenton. Miller agrees.

Why does Attorney General Bailey balk at his duty to protect Missourians from these bad actors? Either he fails to understand the severity of the problem, or — more likely — he is letting campaign donations from special interests get in the way. As the St. Louis Post-Dispatch has reported, Bailey has accepted tens of thousands of dollars from PACs (political action committees) that are funded in part by the owners of these unlicensed machines or their lobbyists,” Miller argued in an op-ed published this week in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Miller argues that Bailey’s position requires that the interests of the Missouri people come before his political ambitions. The nation’s chief gaming lobbyist, who represents the legal gaming industry in Washington, DC, says gaming machines such as the ones in question aren’t regulated and provide no tax benefit.

Miller added that the unlicensed gaming terminals in Missouri typically come with worse odds than regulated slots found aboard one of the state’s 13 licensed commercial riverboats. Miller cited research conducted on behalf of the AGA that found riverboat slot machines keep, on average, seven cents of every $1 wagered, while unregulated machines keep nearly 25 cents.

Gateway to Crime

Somewhat ironically, Miller in his op-ed seemingly takes a page out of the anti-gambling playbook. He declares that unregulated gaming often leads to heightened crime and drug activity.

More than just illegal gambling operations, these machines often further endanger communities by funding additional illicit activity like drugs, weapons, money laundering, and bringing crime to communities,” Miller said.

Miller referenced a 2020 account that saw a 7-Eleven employee murdered by criminals who were tipped off that the convenience store regularly held significant quantities of cash to pay their No-Chance Games prizes.

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The NFL is seeking to better educate the approximately 17K people who fall under the scope of its gambling policy. The policy allows such individuals to gamble on sports other than the NFL when not at work. The document prohibits them from betting on NFL games.

US Rep. Dina Titus (D-Nevada), who cochairs the Congressional Gaming Caucus, has also requested that the NFL share specifics of how it’s educating players and league personnel about its sports betting rules.

Mike Florio, one of the most popular and respected NFL reporters, founder of PFT (ProFootballTalk), and a contributor for NBC’s Sunday Night Football, this week raised another concern regarding the league’s gambling protocols. Writing for PFT, Florio said nothing in the gambling policy prevents a former coach or team staffer from betting on NFL games while not employed by one of the league’s 32 franchises.

Coaching Loophole

There are just 79 days until the kickoff of the 2023-24 NFL season. And yet there remains some confusion about the NFL’s sports betting mandates.

Since coaches, managers, and team personnel such as trainers and equipment managers aren’t typically part of a union, the NFL gambling policy presumably doesn’t apply to them while they’re unemployed. Florio presented an eyebrow-raising example of how this could threaten the integrity of the league and its games.

Florio discussed the Miami Dolphins firing coach Brian Flores in 2019. Flores later raised allegations that the team’s owner, billionaire Stephen Ross, had asked him to tank midseason for the team to improve its NFL draft position.

“What if the coach resists and the owner makes it clear he’ll find an interim coach who will do what the owner wants? The fired head coach could then bet against his former team each and every week without violating the NFL’s gambling policy, as long as he doesn’t take another job with the NFL or one of its teams,” Florio explained.

Benefit Too Great

Florio believes the NFL, if it truly wants to protect the league from sports betting influence, should have “completely and totally” shunned all involvement with gambling and sports betting. That includes profiting from allowing casinos and sportsbooks to sponsor and partner with teams, and from advertising during the league’s television broadcasts.

“The NFL takes gambling seriously. But not seriously enough. How can it? With so much money being made from sportsbooks, and with owners actually owning pieces of sportsbook companies, the inherent hypocrisy necessarily takes some steam out of the process for the proper creation, education, and enforcement of the rules,” Florio continued.

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In the State Department’s “2023 Trafficking in Persons Report,” federal officials say the Asian gaming industry is progressively playing a more prominent role in the illicit movement of captured individuals.

TIP and human trafficking are umbrella terms whereby traffickers exploit and profit by compelling individuals to perform labor or engage in commercial sex. Human trafficking is sometimes called “modern slavery.”

The State Department groups human trafficking into two categories. The first is sex trafficking, which involves an individual being induced by “force, fraud, or coercion” to perform sex acts. The other category involves the recruitment, harboring, and transportation of a person for labor through the use of force, fraud, or coercion.

Casino Vehicles

State Secretary Antony Blinken says his department has determined that casinos in Asia, specifically ones in border towns, have become frequent venues for traffickers to commit their illegal operations.

Casinos and shell companies operating in unused hotels and other rented and bespoke commercial spaces have become hotspots for this growing criminal activity — especially within remote special economic zones, border towns, and other jurisdictionally complex geographic areas known for human rights impunity and minimal law enforcement penetration,” the State Department report read.

The department says the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in elevated human trafficking activity. State officials say traffickers have used fake job listings to recruit vulnerable people from dozens of countries, including Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, China, the Philippines, and Thailand.

Many of the recruits who aren’t sold off to sex traffickers are forced to work in online scams, some of which involve online gambling. Those captured who seek to escape have been known to be “brutally murdered.”

Casino Scam Example

The State Department’s “2023 Trafficking in Persons Report” detailed one example involving a 26-year-old woman from the Philippines. She responded to a job listing posted on Facebook for a call center. She qualified for the position since she speaks English.

The woman, the State Department said, eventually managed to escape, but not before the loss of her unborn child.

“We will continue to improve and adapt our efforts to combat this crime and build stronger partnerships with governments, businesses, survivor leaders, and non-governmental organizations,” Blinken said. “We will ensure survivors of trafficking have access to the services they need to rebuild their lives.”

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Caesars Entertainment is spending $650 million to construct a permanent integrated casino resort on the former grounds of the Dan River Mills textile campus. While the resort is being built, Caesars opened a provisional gaming space inside a pavilion tent adjacent to the construction site.

Casino officials say they’ve been pleased with the early turnout. And guests aren’t just coming from Southside Virginia, sometimes referred to as the “Black Belt,” but from across the Mid-Atlantic and the Southeast.

We’ve seen license plates from places [like] Maryland, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina,” said Ken Larking, Danville’s city manager.

According to data provided to the Virginia Lottery, which regulates all forms of commercial gambling in the commonwealth, Caesars’ Danville Casino won $11,925,361.70 during its initial 14 days. Larking says that exceeded pre-opening GGR forecasts for the temporary casino, but he expects business to cool down a bit following the excitement of the opening.

“This two-week period is a grand opening, everyone’s excited. It’s new, and everybody wants to be there,” Larking said. “That’s not going to be the way it performs throughout the year. But it’s definitely on track to exceed expectations.”

Caesars Virginia Details

Danville is one of five cities that was included in 2020 state legislation. That new law authorized those cities to ask their residents if they thought a casino development could help energize their sluggish economies. About 69% of Danville residents voted in favor of Caesars’ during the 2020 election, with 31% of local voters in opposition.

The forthcoming resort will require 1,300 permanent workers and is expected to provide the City of Danville with around $26 million in annual local tax revenue. Danville also received a one-time $20 million payment from Caesars.

Danville Tax Benefit Begins

Caesars Virginia’s Danville Casino is already providing the city with noteworthy tax money. Lee Vogler, a Danville City Council member, says the casino’s opening weeks have topped expectations in the local government’s eyes.

They’ve exceeded all expectations so far,” Vogler said. “The amount of revenue that we’re bringing in is actually more than what we were anticipating for May and June.”

On the nearly $12 million in GGR, Danville’s cut is roughly $1 million through its local gaming tax share and host agreement with Caesars. Vogler said the city has budgeted about $250K a week from the casino.

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Officials with the Singapore Attorney General’s Office brought charges earlier this year against 27-year-old Silitonga Andri Parulian, an Indonesian resident who was on holiday in the sovereign city-state island country. Silitonga on March 26 admitted to finding eight gaming vouchers worth S$24,000 (US$17,900) on the Marina Bay Sands casino floor.

Silitonga, who said he had just earlier arrived at Marina Bay Sands and was planning to gamble inside the resort’s Ruby Room, instead decided to cash the vouchers and flee the country.

A subsequent investigation determined that a casino manager had accidentally dropped the gaming tickets, each worth S$3,000, just before Silitonga arrived. But Silitonga had long departed the integrated resort and began transferring the ill-gotten gains to his home country through wire transfers.

Fugitive Apprehended

Upon learning that casino cashiers wrongly redeemed the vouchers for Silitonga, the casino notified the Singaporean Central Police Force. The law enforcement agency soon located Silitonga at the Changi Airport as he was attempting to board a plane back to Indonesia.

By the time he was detained, law officials say Silitonga had successfully wired at least S$17,000 of the money to his girlfriend in Jakarta. He refused to tell police where the remaining money is, the South China Morning Post reported.

Tan sentenced Silitonga today to four months in prison. The sentence could have been much longer, as persons found guilty of misappropriating money not belonging to them face up to two years in prison.

Singapore law requires someone who comes across money not belonging to them to make a good-faith effort to find the currency’s rightful owner or to notify law enforcement.

Marina Bay Sands is one of two casinos in Singapore, with the other being Resorts World Sentosa. Sands is owned and operated by Las Vegas Sands.

Singapore Sentences

Singapore’s integrated resorts and the country’s regulatory environment are often cited as the “gold standard” of the industry. But the nation goes to great lengths to assure that its two casinos don’t impose societal harms on the populace.

Last month, three Chinese nationals were sentenced to prison terms ranging from seven to 10 months for their roles in a scheme that stole money from patrons at Marina Bay Sands. Prosecutors successfully argued that the three men placed glue on their hands in order to quickly snag chips from unsuspecting gamblers.

The post Singapore Punishes Indonesian Tourist Who Cashed Found Casino Vouchers appeared first on Casino.org.

Both May 2023 and May 2022 featured eight weekend days, plus the long Memorial Day holiday weekend. But despite the similar comparables, retail play last month tumbled.

Borgata retained its top position in the market with land-based gaming win of approximately $60.5 million. That was a 4.5% loss from May 2022.

Hard Rock, the second-richest casino in town, won nearly $38.8 million on its physical floor, a 6.5% year-over-year drop. Ocean Casino ranked third at $29.8 million, which was a rare bright spot last month, as that represented a 17% improvement.

May 2023 marked the second month in a row where in-person play was lower compared with the same month in 2022. April retail income was also down about 2%.

iGaming Covers Losses

Though in-person play was subdued last month in Atlantic City, online casino platforms easily made up for the declines.

The New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) revealed that online slots and table games won $159.1 million from gamblers last month. Internet poker fees added $2.3 million to bring May iGaming GGR to approximately $161.4 million. The online win represents an 18.7% surge on May 2022.

In total, New Jersey’s gaming industry generated May 2023 gross revenue of $420.9 million. That’s 9.4% higher than the same month last year.

James Plousis, chair of the New Jersey Casino Control Commission, said in a release provided to Casino.org that despite the brick-and-mortar losses, May 2023 was a strong performance for the statewide gaming industry.

Atlantic City’s casino win was lower compared to the same month last year. While most of the casinos won less at the gaming tables and slot machines, it was still Atlantic City’s second-best May in nine years,” Plousis explained. “Internet gaming win and sports wagering revenue continued to be strong, helping push Atlantic City’s total gaming revenue to over $400 million for a third consecutive month,” Plousis added.

Year-to-date, GGR climbed past the $2 billion mark to $2.031 billion following May’s numbers. Plousis said 2023 marks the fastest the state gaming industry has eclipsed the $2 billion mark in any given year.

Not All Revenue Equal

Despite the positive spin, May’s gaming report for Atlantic City’s physical operations presents additional evidence that the New Jersey casino town is struggling. Executives with the casinos, responding to efforts to eliminate indoor smoking, say they keep only a fraction of the iGaming revenue, as much of that income is shared with their third-party interactive partners.

The Casino Association of New Jersey, the lobbying group that represents the casinos’ interests in Trenton, has warned state lawmakers that eliminating indoor smoking would likely hurt in-person revenue by 25%.

The post Atlantic City Casino Revenue Continues Decline, iGaming Continues Growth appeared first on Casino.org.

Alliance Global Group is in the process of acquiring full ownership of the integrated resort casino in the Philippines. Run by Chinese-born billionaire Andrew Tan, Alliance is purchasing Genting Group’s 40% stake in the casino, formerly Resorts World Manila.

To accommodate the predicted rush of inbound traffic, Alliance Global has joined a partnership of commercial conglomerates that are seeking to renovate and expand the Manila International Airport.

Unsolicited $4.8B Bid

Alliance Global Group is one of seven companies that has joined the entity called the Manila International Airport Consortium (MIAC). The collective recently submitted an unsolicited bid to the Philippines government to rehabilitate the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

The second phase would further expand the airport to increase annual capacity to 62.5 million passengers. The second phase would include a new terminal and additional runways.

The Manila International Airport Consortium recognizes the immense task of transforming NAIA to meet the exponentially growing demands of Manila air travel, not only in the here and now but also in the future,” said Alliance Global CEO Kevin Tan, one of Andrew Tan’s four children. “It is because of this that the members of the consortium have pooled together its significant resources, technical expertise, and operational experience to put forward a NAIA Masterplan.”

The consortium’s six other member conglomerates are Aboitiz InfraCapital, AC Infrastructure Holdings, Asia’s Emerging Dragon Corporation, Filinvest Development, JG Summit Infrastructure Holdings, and US-based Global Infrastructure Partners.

How Airports Make Money

According to Aviation Digest, airports generate revenue in a variety of ways through both aeronautical and non-aeronautical/commercial endeavors.

But aeronautical income is naturally the backbone of an airport’s business model. Airports charge airliners landing fees, passenger fees, usage fees for gates and security services, and terminal fees. Airlines build those fees into their ticket prices.

The post Newport World Resorts Owner Seeks Control of Manila Airport, Submits $4.8B Bid appeared first on Casino.org.

Coney Island is being targeted for a $3 billion integrated casino resort by a consortium led by New York real estate giant Thor Equities. The venture includes Saratoga Casino Holdings, the Chickasaw Nation, and Legends Hospitality.

Coney Island has certainly seen better days. The summer beach town has one of the highest unemployment rates in Brooklyn, and about a quarter of the population lives below the poverty rate. In New York City, the poverty threshold for a four-person household is about $28K a year.

Jobs Too Good

Backers of the Coney Island casino say the project would result in the creation of about 4,000 jobs. Robert Cornegy, a former New York City councilmember who is helping the pro-casino campaign, says those jobs could revitalize the Brooklyn neighborhood and help minority populations turn around their financial situations.

​​Being able to bring decent paying, year-round jobs is something that I feel like I am compelled to push and demand,” Cornegy told the Brooklyn Paper. “For people of color, black people in particular, labor has created a pathway to the middle class in a lot of different industries. The hotel trade is one of the more lucrative opportunities.”

But those potential forthcoming jobs, some say, might be too lucrative. Lucy Mujica Diaz, chair of the Community Board 13, one of 59 community boards across New York City that assist their borough councils in an advisory capacity, says a significant portion of the Coney Island population is assisted through the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA). Diaz believes the casino jobs would likely pay too much for those residents to continue receiving their rent vouchers.

Diaz explained that many residents will likely be worried about taking such a job on concerns that their employment might not last, and then their rent subsidies will be gone.

I know for a fact many people that live in NYCHA housing will not take certain kinds of employment because it will cause them to go over their income brackets and then their rent goes up,” Diaz told the Brooklyn Paper.

“It’s not because people don’t want to work. It’s because if you work, they take more from you,” Diaz asserted.

Thor Portfolio

Though Thor Equities might not have the same name recognition as MGM Resorts, Caesars Entertainment, Wynn Resorts, and Hard Rock International — four expected bidders on the downstate licenses — Thor is a globally known real estate giant with more than $20 billion in assets under management.

Thor was founded in 1986 by Joseph Sitt, who was born on Coney Island. Sitt made his early fortune by founding the American retail chain Ashley Stewart.

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