He was a dedicated — addicted? — gambler who tethered himself for hours at a time to high-stakes video poker slot games known for their 99.17 percent “hold.” He was also a heavy drinker, known to demand high-end cognac and… [continue reading]

It is a nightmare for any casino operator. Security goes to evict someone on the property. Maybe the patron has been drinking, gets belligerent., and refuses to leave. Security grabs him, he pushes back, and the next thing you know… [continue reading]

The 1980s popular icon, Pac Man is coming to Las Vegas.  On display for the first time as a gambling device at G2E, Pac Man is bringing hope to the casino industry.  The industry needs a new generation of slot… [continue reading]

With the company expected to emerge from bankruptcy later this year, financial analysts are again hailing Caesars. In August, the Nevada Gaming Commission approved the merger of Caesars Acquisition Company into its main operating unit, Caesars Entertainment Operating Corporation (CEOC). That… [continue reading]

Any resident of the DC-area has undoubtedly seen from afar or been in the new billion-dollar MGM National Harbor Casino. When I see it, I am reminded of how it was only a few decades ago that an overlapping array… [continue reading]

Churchill Downs and Keeneland announced a partnership to expand gambling into eastern and western Kentucky and promised they’ll “create hundreds of new jobs, stimulate economic growth and generate funds to increase purses and breeder incentives.” But if the deal ends… [continue reading]

LONDON – Sunday, on the way to an NFL game, fans can step into one of the numerous betting parlors that dot each city block here. They can wager on that afternoon’s game (or any NFL) game, such as whether… [continue reading]

BUFFALO — This was to be a year of celebration for New York’s booming gambling industry, with gleaming new casinos opening, rapturous bettors flocking in and a win-win for the state, and a torrent of new taxes pouring into government… [continue reading]

“This is going to be bigger than bingo,” James Billie told CNN over the summer. A former chief of the Seminole, whose company MCW gives financing and legal counsel to American Indian tribes to help them grow and sell marijuana… [continue reading]

The city of Bethlehem has a gambling problem. With 12 percent of the city’s general fund budget coming from an $8.8 million host fee supplied by Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem, anything that interrupts the revenue stream bogs down the city’s… [continue reading]

It wasn’t surprising that two of Southern Nevada’s gaming titans — MGM Resorts International and Caesars Entertainment Corp. — jumped on President Donald Trump’s decision last week to wind down the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival program, which has provided… [continue reading]

Last week, investors from the Witkoff Group and New Valley LLC purchased the Fontainebleau site from Carl Icahn for $600 million. It launches a new chapter for a piece of land that has long been an ego check for the… [continue reading]

The news last week that Kevin Costner’s Midnight Star casino had suddenly closed in the heart of downtown Deadwood after 26 years generated headlines nationwide since it was owned by a movie star with wide name recognition. It doesn’t mean,… [continue reading]

Welcome back from the Labor Day holiday. As we gear up for a busy and consequential fall 2017 for the gaming industry, I wanted to reiterate AGA’s priorities and highlight notable activities. These activities will further our efforts to cultivate… [continue reading]

Americans may have bet more than $100 million on the most-anticipated fight of the year between Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor. But anyone who decided to take some action outside of Nevada was probably doing so illegally, although many may… [continue reading]

The calendar is about to flip from August to September. Football is starting and the kids are headed back to school. And, if your casino is like many others, there’s a Labor Day car giveaway. Of all the holidays and… [continue reading]

Bollard is a 19th century word that is being re-purposed in the 21st century.  The word used to refer to a short, thick post on the deck of ship or a wharf.  But it is now being used to describe… [continue reading]

On Wednesday night, Chicopee, Massachusetts, resident Mavis Wanczyk won the $759 million Powerball jackpot. Her first act was to call into work to say she wouldn’t be coming in the next day. Or ever again. Before she starts celebrating beating… [continue reading]

Gambling and football are as American as beer… and football. When Delaware lawmakers advocate “sports betting,” they’re not talking about tennis or hockey or even baseball. The only game in town is football. This week, Gov. Carney signed legislation allowing… [continue reading]

In its own way, doing business with China is like playing a game of croquet with the queen of hearts.  The rules are not quite clear and they are subject to change at a moment’s notice.  And if the queen… [continue reading]

Two simultaneous lottery jackpots of over $350 million would have drawn widespread national attention ten years ago. Not any longer. Last week the top jackpots of both Powerball and MegaMillions crossed that dollar threshold. It was the first time that… [continue reading]

In June, the Supreme Court of the United States announced it will hear New Jersey’s appeal challenging the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), which bans sports betting outside Nevada. The case is a nail in the coffin to… [continue reading]

Wayne Williams was 89 years old when he died on August 2nd.   He was a member of the Tulalip Tribes of Washington and a very good person.  Wayne spent the majority of his life working for his tribe.  He was… [continue reading]

We pore over our P&L statements to analyze our performance and figure out where we need to improve, but we won’t find the number that will have the biggest impact on our bottom line anywhere in that report. The number… [continue reading]

South Florida racetrack casino owners merely shake their head when they asked how they can compete with the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood. My recent calculations illustrate why. The Seminole Hard Rock’s haul for the fiscal year… [continue reading]

It happened again last month for the umpteenth time: a fresh Fontainebleau sale rumor. The conveyor of the rumor: none other than MGM Resorts International CEO Jim Murren, who shared what he knew with Wall Street analysts who called in… [continue reading]

Many elected officials in the Kentucky General Assembly boast that they are the party of personal freedom. They claim no other virtue is higher in their political dogma. While many claim this as their mantra, they also vote their personal… [continue reading]

During Responsible Gaming Education Week (RGEW) the industry is dedicated to raising awareness around our responsible gaming programs. The American Gaming Association (AGA) and our members understand that it’s more than a week-long event: It’s Our Commitment. Every Day. RGEW… [continue reading]

Sometime last month, if you were watching “CBS This Morning” while getting ready for work, you might have seen and been surprised by a graphic: 65.2 percent of the jobs in Las Vegas could be lost to automation. You may… [continue reading]

Fans of blackjack, baccarat and specialty games such as Three Card Poker play an increasingly important role in the success of Pennsylvania casinos. While casinos still make most of their money from slot machines, the share from table games is… [continue reading]

Ever since Japan’s parliament approved legislation that would establish some form of casino gambling in that country, companies worldwide began angling for some way to get a piece of the action. The National Diet determined that it would work through… [continue reading]

As we approach Responsible Gaming Education Week (RGEW), recognized by the industry July 31 – August 4, the American Gaming Association (AGA) and its members understand that it’s more than a weeklong event: It’s our commitment. Every day. We encourage the… [continue reading]

The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent announcement that it would review a New Jersey case on sports wagering and the American Gaming Association’s continued push to repeal the law forbidding state-authorized sports gambling are clear indicators that sports betting is on… [continue reading]

The circus is returning to the Strip. Of course, the circus has never left Las Vegas. Going back to the 1940s, the Strip’s revue shows featured the kinds of animal acts that would have fit into touring circuses. The Strip… [continue reading]

As Springfield’s revival takes shape with downtown development and other activity, the city faces competition from the west and south. In Worcester, a pedestrian skybridge between the DCU Center and Hilton Garden Inn is on its way to coming true…. [continue reading]

Should betting on sports, or any other form of gambling, be legal? The first question is: Who decides? Until a few decades ago, no one would have thought the decision-maker was the federal government. In fact, for the first 150… [continue reading]

“You want to see something really cool?” a gaming investment friend of mine asked me one day back in around 1994. My friend offered to take me up to the top of the Stratosphere Tower, still under construction at the… [continue reading]

Most of us have seen economic cannibals in action at local shopping malls and cities, where new Starbucks and Gap stores are built too quickly and too close together to their existing stores. Thus, the new stores don’t gain sales… [continue reading]

If a non-advantage player beats the house for an extended period of time there are usually two significant consequences, especially if the player is a high-roller. First, the player will most likely believe he has a system to beat the… [continue reading]

The past few weeks have offered a good perspective on the dance between old Vegas, new Vegas and new old Vegas that characterizes our times. In particular, two incidents involving Downtown casino owner Derek Stevens that could only have happened… [continue reading]

This week, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) agreed to hear New Jersey’s challenge to the failing federal sports betting ban. This follows AGA’s filing of an amicus brief with the Court in 2016 and encouragingSCOTUS to take the case. To stay informed… [continue reading]

LAS VEGAS (AP) – Jimmy Vaccaro has been taking bets in this gambling town for more than 40 years, so there’s not much he won’t put a price on. That includes the chances of the U.S. Supreme Court opening the… [continue reading]

Is Japan’s $40 billion casino industry about to be strangled in its cradle? That’s one way of looking at proposed regulations that would effectively ban junket operators from the gambling resorts the country is due to start opening early next decade. Activities such… [continue reading]

When it comes to conventions and meetings business, MGM Resorts International is all in. Last week’s groundbreaking for a 250,000-square-foot expansion of the MGM Conference Center at the MGM Grand was the latest in a series of investments to vault… [continue reading]

Gambling is the opioid of Harrisburg lawmakers. It comes with all the hallmarks of addiction: compulsive need, increasing tolerance, and the drive to continue to consume despite negative consequences. Lawmakers got their first real taste when they legalized gaming in… [continue reading]

Last month’s Japan Gaming Congress in Tokyo was fantastic in every sense of the word. Ticket sales were cut off at 500, and I gave my opening remarks as first day chairman of the first day to a standing room… [continue reading]

Late in the recently concluded Nevada legislative session, lawmakers revisited and modified policy from an era of our state’s storied gambling past. And by all accounts, it’s a positive step for the state and the industry. In the 1940s and… [continue reading]

It sounds like a little thing. Maybe even a little silly. A proposal in the New Jersey Legislature would allow betting at racetracks on horse races that have already happened. But in light of a recent report on the high… [continue reading]

In the mad rush to pass a casino bill, lawmakers glossed over one detail that could have a big effect on the state budget. The General Assembly didn’t fully debate and resolve whether the state would charge the Mashantucket Pequots… [continue reading]

Last week the Pennsylvania House passed the biggest expansion to gaming in over a decade. Ironically, the bill was originally introduced to provide for better gambling addiction treatment, yet it now authorizes fantasy sports gaming, online gaming, online lottery, airport gaming,… [continue reading]

The retro Sigma Derby gaming machine, in theory, is a poor product to have on a casino floor. It takes up valuable real estate. Compared to the roll of the dice or the push of a slot, it is incredibly… [continue reading]

There are more ways to beat blackjack than any other casino game. It’s amazing the game can survive at all given its multitude of game protection conundrums. In this article I will share a few of these ways. Before I… [continue reading]

Asked after a meeting this month for a prediction about how the vote would go on the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority board of directors’ consideration of the $1.4 billion Las Vegas Convention Center expansion and renovation, LVCVA board… [continue reading]

Here are a few of The Innovation Group’s takeaways from Juegos Miami last week: There is a push for regulation. Regulatory bodies are becoming more sophisticated and adding legitimacy to managing what has been a fragmented industry in much of… [continue reading]

The American Gaming Association joined Congressman Lacy Clay (D, MO-1) outside St. Louis last week in the second stop on our nationwide American Gaming Small Business Jobs Tour. These activities are critical to our efforts to develop new Congressional champions… [continue reading]

Back in January 2015, the Stratosphere launched a marketing campaign aiming to capitalize on people who miss the old Las Vegas. “Take Vegas Back,” declared a series of billboards. Since then, the casino has amplified that message, promoting an alternative… [continue reading]

The Innovation Group came away with countless invaluable takeaways from our time at G2E Asia. Our top lessons learned include: 1. All things related to the emerging Japanese gaming market were on the minds of virtually every conference attendee. While… [continue reading]

First it was supposed to open in 2016. Then 2018. Then 2019. Now, 2020. Resorts World Las Vegas, the supersized, Chinese-themed casino project on the Strip, got a new boss this week, another expected opening date, and another promise of… [continue reading]

Dear Gaming Colleague, While the main focus of the American Gaming Association (AGA) remains in the U.S., we continue to capitalize on unique opportunities to strengthen American companies abroad. Over the last 10 days, AGA hosted the most successful Global… [continue reading]

When the Nevada Gaming Commission meets Thursday, members will consider tinkering with Regulation 22, the state’s rules governing race and sportsbook wagers. Under scrutiny will be a section that would require new record-keeping requirements on all wagers that pay out… [continue reading]

International Game Technology recently announced that it is selling its social gaming division, Double Down Interactive, for $825 million. The sale could offer a glimpse into how casinos will be working with social games in the future. First, these kinds… [continue reading]

If Massachusetts amends its liquor laws to enable casinos to serve later than 2 a.m., Foxwoods Resort Casino would be interested in following suit. Mohegan Sun would have to consider it, too. In the gaming world, it’s all about staying… [continue reading]

As proposals for legalizing online casino gambling in Pennsylvania lurch from one bad idea to another, one thing becomes apparent: Legislators need a better sense of the business and attraction of gambling. Debates in Harrisburg about online gambling are nothing… [continue reading]

Sports betting’s popularity is soaring to new heights. In February, nearly 50 million Americans wagered on the NFL’s grand finale an estimated $4.7 billion—but only a little over $100 million of that was legally wagered in Nevada. In March, Americans… [continue reading]

For more than 40 years, New Hampshire legislatures have debated the merits of legalizing casino gambling, and for 40 years they have rejected it. On Thursday, when it next convenes, the New Hampshire House will debate and vote on it… [continue reading]

The next big design innovation within a casino is likely to come from the perspective of a woman. The reason is simple — it’s never really been done before so it makes sense to mine that perspective for fresh ideas…. [continue reading]