Raiders to be among hardest hit in ticket revenue loss in 2020 Mick Akers, Las Vegas Review-Journal · August 6, 2020 at 3:17 am With a sold-out Allegiant Stadium set to sit fanless for the 2020 NFL season, the Las Vegas Raiders are poised to take one of the largest financial sacks in the league. Michael Ozanian, Forbes’ executive editor who helped create the publication’s annual professional sports team valuation lists, predicts the Raiders will be in the top third of money losers this season, while Ticket IQ, a ticket … [Read more...]
Responsible gaming advocate Amani Toomer is another frustrated Michigan fan Matt Schoch, PlayMichigan · August 6, 2020 at 2:45 am Some of the fondest memories for Amani Toomer from his time at the University of Michigan involved beating the Buckeyes. That’s not happening nowadays in Ann Arbor, and there’s not much he can do about Ohio State dominating his Wolverines year after year. But in his post-playing days, Toomer is preaching about one of his first memories from college. It’s a subject that was drilled into him, … [Read more...]
Encore Boston Harbor finished second quarter $53.8 million in the red Steph Solis, MassLive · August 6, 2020 at 12:25 am After months of ramping up the Everett casino, Wynn Resorts reported that Encore Boston Harbor finished the second quarter $53.8 million in the red as it remained closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The $2.6 billion resort casino’s losses highlight the financial hit Wynn Resorts took as it retained its employees while it was shut down for part of the first quarter and for the entire second … [Read more...]
Maryland casinos generate cver $130M in first full month after reopening 13 CBS Baltimore · August 5, 2020 at 11:11 pm Despite operating at 50 percent capacity due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Maryland’s six casinos generated over $130 million during their first full month after reopening. Maryland casinos had been closed for three months due to the pandemic. The total represents a decrease of $9,408,361 (-6.3%) from the July 2019 total of $149,328,379. Three of the six – Hollywood Casino, Live! Casino & … [Read more...]
Coronavirus stifles AGS in Q2 but gaming equipment maker’s revenue tops forecasts Matthew Crowley, CDC Gaming Reports · August 5, 2020 at 10:20 pm The coronavirus left a red-ink trail across the second-quarter earnings for Las Vegas-based gaming equipment provider AGS. But the company jumped right back into the game as casinos began to reopen across the nation following their COVID-19 closures. AGS CEO David Lopez said Wednesday the company began reviving its field service, research and development, and manufacturing operations. New … [Read more...]
Investment plans by new Caesars could boost Atlantic City’s appeal David Danzis, Press of Atlantic City · August 5, 2020 at 10:17 pm Caesars Entertainment Inc.’s commitment to spend hundreds of millions on capital investments over the next several years will revitalize one of the Boardwalk’s oldest casinos and could become a catalyst for the market’s post-coronavirus recovery, according to one public policy group. As part of a lengthy list of conditions imposed by state gaming regulators for approval of the $17.3 … [Read more...]
The 2020 SEMA show in Las Vegas is finally canceled Caleb Jacobs, The Drive · August 5, 2020 at 9:08 pm Despite virtually every major automotive event taking 2020 off or running without fans, the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show was holding on to hope. While it'd be nice to have crazy, one-off builds to take our minds off the disaster that is this year, it doesn't look like that's in the cards. SEMA officially announced Wednesday that the Las Vegas Convention Center will be … [Read more...]
IGT ADVANTAGE selected by new Crown Sydney Resort CDC Gaming Reports · August 5, 2020 at 8:59 pm International Game Technology announced today that its IGT ADVANTAGE casino management system has been selected by Crown Sydney Hotel Resort in New South Wales, Australia, which is scheduled to open in early 2021. The IGT ADVANTAGE system will connect live and electronic table games at the tables-only VIP casino in the Barangaroo precinct on the foreshore of Sydney Harbour. As part of the … [Read more...]
Danville council passes resolution requesting casino referendum on November ballot John R. Crane, Danville Register & Bee · August 5, 2020 at 8:33 pm Danville City Council voted to pass a resolution requesting that a referendum be held in November on whether a casino will be allowed in the city. Council voted 6-0 for the resolution during its regular meeting Tuesday night. Councilmen Madison Whittle and Sam Kushner were absent. Councilman Larry Campbell Jr. attended the meeting but did not vote because he has not yet been sworn in since … [Read more...]
North Carolina: Tribe engages firm to pursue expanded casino holdings Holly Kays, Smoky Mountain News · August 5, 2020 at 8:26 pm As states throughout the Southeast consider allowing or expanding commercial gaming in their jurisdictions, Tribal Council has voted to enter into a contract with investment bank Innovation Capital that will allow the company to serve as the tribe’s exclusive financial advisor as it seeks to diversify its holdings in the gaming industry. “Over the course of the next five to seven years, there’s … [Read more...]
Massachusetts jobs bill likely to progress without sports betting, but legalization push isn’t dead yet Steph Solis, MassLive.com · August 5, 2020 at 8:16 pm After the Massachusetts Senate passed an economic development bill without a sports betting provision, lawmakers in support of legalization are looking to revisit the issue in the fall, according to people familiar with Beacon Hill negotiations. Sports betting proponents seem increasingly skeptical of whether the sports betting language in the House bill will survive as lawmakers in conference … [Read more...]
ZenSports inks deal with Strategic Gaming Management for Nevada sports betting expansion CDC Gaming Reports · August 5, 2020 at 8:11 pm ZenSports' peer-to-peer sports betting product, which has focused entirely on the international market since launching in March 2019, has taken its first step toward licensing in the United States. Through a deal inked with Strategic Gaming Management, ZenSports has acquired an option to purchase the Big Wheel Casino located in Lovelock, Nevada, with an additional option to operate the sports … [Read more...]
Century Casinos selling its property in Calgary for $7.5 million CDC Gaming Reports · August 5, 2020 at 8:04 pm Colorado-based Century Casinos said Wednesday it was selling Century Casino Calgary to 2267166 Alberta for $7.5 million (10 million in Canadian dollars), plus a three-year quarterly earn-out as specified in the agreement. In a statement, Century said the $7.5 million was non-refundable. Century, through a subsidiary, will continue to operate the sports bar, bowling, and entertainment at the … [Read more...]
Relief: Southern Nevada shuttered restricted gaming locations can temporarily add upright slots Howard Stutz, CDC Gaming Reports · August 5, 2020 at 8:00 pm Las Vegas-area tavern owners, whose slot machines were turned off last month, will soon get back a portion of their games, albeit in a different format. The Clark County Commission on Wednesday unanimously approved a resolution that allows taverns to temporarily add up to seven upright slot machines to replace shuttered games embedded into bar tops. Nevada’s governor closed standalone bars … [Read more...]
German DSbV demands actions on illegal online gambling transactions Ted Menmuir, SBC News · August 5, 2020 at 6:02 pm The German Casino Association ‘Deutsche Spielbankenverband’ (DSbV) said that payment blocking orders of unlicensed online gambling operators should be at the ‘top of the agenda’ for German lawmakers. The DSbV made its statement following the aftermath of the Wirecard AG’s multi-billion euro scandal, which it stated has rocked confidence in German banking and payment processing laws. In its … [Read more...]
Ireland lockdown: Pubs will not reopen as Phase 4 move cancelled, Varadkar says Kate Ng, The Independent · August 5, 2020 at 6:01 pm Ireland will not move forward to Phase Four of the country’s coronavirus exit plan, it has been announced. This means pubs and bars, nightclubs and casinos will remain closed, and the current restriction on indoor and outdoor gatherings “will remain unchanged”. Taoiseach Michael Martin acknowledged the news would come as a “bitter disappointment to many people”. Officials announced a new … [Read more...]
SMF proposes major overhaul of UK gambling regulations Hayley Grammer, Gambling Insider · August 5, 2020 at 5:58 pm Cross-party think-tank Social Market Foundation (SMF) today announced a comprehensive new framework for gambling regulation, including recommendations for stiffer taxes on offshore gambling operators and a £100-a-month spending cap to limit financial harm, where customers wanting to spend more are subject to strict affordability checks by an independent gambling ombudsman. The report proposes … [Read more...]
William Hill closes 119 betting shops Hayley Grammer, Gambling Insider · August 5, 2020 at 5:56 pm William Hill today announced that, due to profit falls, it will go ahead with the permanent closure of 119 betting shops as a result of COVID-19. The betting operator runs more than 1,500 shops around the UK and has stated that while it isn’t clear how many jobs will be affected, the majority of its colleagues will be redeployed within the estate. Despite the closures, the chain said it was … [Read more...]
Online gamblers should prove they can afford losses, report finds Rob Davies and Alex Mistlin, The Guardian · August 5, 2020 at 5:50 pm Online gamblers should not be able to lose more than £100 a month without proving they can afford it, according to a report that will also call for betting websites that base themselves offshore to face stiffer taxes. Proposals from the Social Market Foundation (SMF) thinktank build on growing clamour for the government to make sweeping changes to how the industry is regulated, following a … [Read more...]
Nevada gaming regulators file complaint against the Sahara Las Vegas for violating COVID-19 protocols Howard Stutz, CDC Gaming Reports · August 5, 2020 at 4:47 pm Nevada gaming regulators filed a two-count disciplinary complaint against the Sahara Las Vegas this week alleging the Strip resort had four instances where the property violated state-mandated health and safety guidelines implemented to combat the coronavirus pandemic. According to the Gaming Control Board, the Sahara allowed a local trade organization to hold a luncheon in the property’s … [Read more...]
Mississippi Choctaws bear deadly brunt of coronavirus outbreak Associated Press · August 5, 2020 at 4:21 pm When Sharon Taylor died of coronavirus, her family — standing apart, wearing masks — sang her favorite hymns at her graveside, next to a tiny headstone for her stillborn daughter, buried 26 years ago. Fresh flowers marked row after row of new graves. Holy Rosary is one of the only cemeteries in this Choctaw Indian family’s community, and it’s running out of space — a sign of the virus’s massive … [Read more...]
Virginia: Pamunkey Tribe pays $4M for Manchester property Mike Platania, Richmond BizSense · August 5, 2020 at 4:13 pm The Pamunkey Indian Tribe continues to reclaim what was once theirs. Last week an entity tied to the tribe purchased 12.4 acres at 1120 Gordon Ave. in Manchester for $4 million, city property records show. A Pamunkey spokesman confirmed the deal. The seller was an entity tied to local development firm RJ Smith Cos. The deal comes about six months after the Pamunkey announced their plans … [Read more...]
North Carolina: Cherokee will delay budget hearings, adopt baseline budget Holly Kays, Smoky Mountain News · August 5, 2020 at 4:11 pm In a resolution passed last month, Tribal Council decided that it will not hold budget hearings this year but will instead delay them until January 2021, after the first quarter of the new fiscal year has passed. The decision comes in response to decreased revenues and increased uncertainty caused by the Coronavirus Pandemic. “This is just delaying for one quarter the budget hearings, and if … [Read more...]
DraftKings set to go live today in Illinois Jill R. Dorson, SportsHandle · August 5, 2020 at 3:59 pm DraftKings will become just the second live mobile/online sports betting app in Illinois today when it launches at 1 p.m. CT. DraftKings will launch its DraftKings at Casino Queen digital app and take the first bet at its retail location in East St. Louis, according to a company press release. DraftKings has been advertising in Illinois for a few weeks in anticipation of the launch, but it had … [Read more...]
After refusing to pay taxes for years, Florida tribe suing for a bigger share of COVID relief money Ron Hurtibise, South Florida Sun Sentinel · August 5, 2020 at 3:52 pm For years, members of the Miccosukee Tribe in South Florida didn’t pay federal taxes on their earnings from the tribe’s lucrative casino, then fought in court for years to avoid paying its $1 billion IRS bill. Now, the wealthy tribe is suing the United States, saying it deserves a bigger share of $8 billion in COVID-19 relief funds that were distributed among 574 tribal governments. In a … [Read more...]
