With 2018 almost over, it’s time to consider just what the biggest news-makers were for the casino industry in that year. 2018 did not lack for either headlines or significant changes in the gaming industry, which continues to adapt to changing social and economic realities. Steve Wynn exits Wynn Resorts. He’s widely hailed as the man who created modern Las Vegas. Certainly without the … [Read more...]

According to Wikipedia, speed dial is a function available on many telephone systems; it allows a person to place a call more quickly and with much less effort.  It is a great idea, a person no longer has to laboriously push all those buttons or touch numbers on a screen.  In an act of absolute genius a lawmaker in Michigan has found a way to put paying taxes on speed dial. The tax is not an … [Read more...]

The mayor of Las Vegas attended the Major League Baseball Winter Meetings in 2004 with a showgirl on each arm and an Elvis impersonator behind him. This is not an exaggeration. Oscar Goodman was a former mob lawyer who represented “Tony the Ant,” the inspiration for Joe Pesci’s character in Casino, but in his second life, from 1999 to 2011, he was a wildly popular mayor of Las Vegas. His mission … [Read more...]

It’s a tale right out of “First Wives Club” – except better . . . way better. He can’t keep his hands off the hired help (“The manicurist, oh for god’s sake, what are you thinking!”) But times change and the help doesn’t have to put up with that kind of behavior any longer, and woe to the billionaire who hasn’t figured that out. So she ends up calling the shots for the business he was forced … [Read more...]

Splash one arena deal. Phoenix Mayor Thelda Williams and Councilwomen Laura Pastor and Debra Stark have asked for a postponement of this afternoon's City Council vote on whether to spend $150 million upgrading the Suns arena. This, because the deal will go down in defeat if it's put to a vote. Whether they get a continuance or not could mark the beginning of a showdown between the city and … [Read more...]

Two top executives from casino equipment provider AGS met recently with investment managers in San Francisco and Denver. Union Gaming Group analyst John DeCree went with them. The Las Vegas-based manufacturer wasn’t seeking money. The non-deal road show allowed AGS – which has been on fire in the eyes of investors since its initial public offering in January – to highlight its growing business … [Read more...]

It came as no surprise that a recent WalletHub study named Las Vegas the most sinful city in the United States. After all, “Sin City” has to be more than just marketing fluff, right? Las Vegas definitely is sinful, at least according to the parameters of the study, but not because it’s any different from the rest of the country—just a little more honest and accommodating than virtually everywhere … [Read more...]

The long-delayed casino near the sports stadium complex in South Philadelphia received another extension from the often-acquiescent Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. This casino has gone through changes in names, locations, and owners since the license was awarded in 2006 to Foxwoods Casino Philadelphia, which failed to get financing. The latest developer – who has close ties to President … [Read more...]

The house always wins. They know that in Las Vegas. But in Massachusetts, well, not so much. And right now the Massachusetts Gaming Commission — which faces a $2.6 billion decision on the Wynn Resorts Casino rising in Everett — is playing the game like a bunch of country rubes. The commission, which has been letting its staff and investigators basically run the show for months, is … [Read more...]

Thanksgiving has become the busiest travel and shopping holiday of the year.  It is a great time for retail sales and travel destinations, but it is not without its potential liabilities.  In the long-term, those who benefit today may suffer and in the short-term other businesses are suffering now. Regardless of the implications, Thanksgiving has become a culture changing phenomenon.   An … [Read more...]

Earlier this year, I published Tales from the Slot Floor, a collection of edited interviews with casino slot managers, part of a larger project that captured how the discipline of casino management has changed and continues to evolve in the face of ongoing technological and demographic shifts. Based on a series of interviews with veteran slot management professionals, the book presents insights … [Read more...]

Whether they are exploring the strip in Vegas or touring the virtual world on a smartphone, when it comes to the games people play, they generally have two questions fairly close to the front of their mind. What are the chances of winning and what are the rewards from doing so. Of course there are other considerations too. A game is so-called for a reason and needs to be one the player will … [Read more...]

Florida’s gubernatorial and Senate races are not the only ballot items from Election Day that are undergoing re-examination. It turns out that the ballot question on the future of casino gambling in the Sunshine State is likewise the subject of some post-election intrigue. Amendment 3, which passed with more than 70 percent of the vote (considerably higher than the 60 percent threshold needed for … [Read more...]

The sales of three properties, Greektown in Detroit, Atlantic Club Casino in Atlantic City and Kentucky Downs in Kentucky, were announced in the same week.  Terms were not disclosed on the Atlantic Club or Kentucky Downs, but Greektown was reportedly sold for $1 billion to Penn National and VICI Properties.  Penn is paying $300 million for the casino operations and VICI $700 million for the real … [Read more...]

There are certain years that, at the end of which, the world moves closer to the future than the past, years that mark major shifts in how we see the world, or a small part of it. It’s possible that Las Vegas is experiencing one of those years now, which has profound implications for how Las Vegas casinos are owned, developed, and operated. First, some history to put 2018 into context. Some … [Read more...]

When the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a federal law earlier this year banning sports gaming in most states, justices made it clear that states should decide the issue, not the federal government. “The legalization of sports gambling requires an important policy choice, but the choice is not ours to make,” Justice Samuel Alito wrote in the majority opinion. “Congress can regulate sports gambling … [Read more...]

Whew, the mid-term elections are in the rear view mirror.  It brings an end to incessant political advertisements and speeches, to a daily stream of emails soliciting support and the harassing robocalls.  The campaigning was intense, the rhetoric inflamed and the emotions strong - but it worked.  A record number of people voted in a mid-term election in many states; at least two states had more … [Read more...]

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. -- On a Saturday afternoon in October, the race and sportsbook at the Borgata Hotel Casino is packed with horse racing enthusiasts cheering on the ponies. No one is paying attention to what's hanging on the wall, but it's a big deal, a sign of a monumental shift in the American sports landscape. In the front-right corner of the sportsbook, above the betting windows, the … [Read more...]

The action is coming fast and heavy. A bettor in New Jersey used his mobile app to win $325,000 on a $500,000 wager on Boston to win the World Series. Another DraftKings bettor hit a longshot money line parlay on longshots Oregon State and Kansas to collect $4,313 on his $50 bet. Many others, surely, will be scrambling to pay the rent next month after their can't-miss bets somehow … [Read more...]

Biloxi, MS - Capitalizing on opportunities, it's how games are won in sports. A multi-billion dollar opportunity in sports gaming is presenting itself nationwide. So far only one southern state is capitalizing. "It's been so well received here and it's so long overdue," said Will Hall, the Race and Sports Book Manager at the Beau Rivage in Biloxi, Mississippi. It's another busy Saturday … [Read more...]

SHREVEPORT, La. - On Election Day, Arkansas voters will cast ballots for or against Issue 4. It would amend the Arkansas Constitution to authorize four casinos to operate in the state. Susanne Brunner went to Shreveport Louisiana to learn more about the impact casinos have in the city and what that could mean for Arkansas. A city rich in history has seen its fair share of various businesses pop … [Read more...]

On October 23rd an article in the Becker Hospital Review reported on a casino-themed, charity fund raiser called the Founder’s Ball held in Brooklyn, New York.  The event was attended by 850 people and raised $1.5 million for the hospital.  The attendees wore formal attire and played blackjack, roulette, craps, poker and slot machines.  The event is not really news, except in an historical … [Read more...]

One of the most contentious and expensive items on Idaho’s November ballot centers around a piece of electronics the size of a fridge. This machine — a “historical horse racing” terminal — could either boost Idaho’s horse racing industry and economy, or send the state down a path of gambling and casinos, depending on whom you ask. And how the machine’s appearance and operations stack up … [Read more...]

After years of lobbying and legal maneuvering, the Supreme Court in May rescinded the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992, which had kept most forms of sports betting confined to Nevada. States from Mississippi to New Jersey have since legalized sports betting. New Jersey is under particular scrutiny because it has a large casino industry and is the state that launched the legal … [Read more...]

There are 38 casinos located in seven states between Boston and Washington, D. C.  The long line of casinos might easily be called a strip, not unlike the Strip.  On the Atlantic Strip, the casinos are being built as close to population centers as possible. Nearly all recent legislation has required a casino licensee to build a resort, not just a gambling hall.  Legislators believe a resort will … [Read more...]

Politicians count on voters having short memories: forgetting, and by proxy, forgiving the bad policy they championed, the bad votes they cast. I seldom forget the battles, and definitely not the big ones, like the Florida Legislature’s recent attempts to expand gambling in the state and Miami-Dade’s courtship of mega casinos. Both attempts, led by the Republicans in charge, could have … [Read more...]

There are rumors floating around Las Vegas that the Rio is for sale.  One rumor says there are several suitors and the property is already scaling back some operations in preparation for new bosses.  Another speculates the property is to be sold and demolished to make room for a major league baseball stadium.  Certainly the current owner, Caesars is undergoing some major restructuring in the … [Read more...]

“I liken sports betting more to Wall Street . . . I don’t believe it’ll be considered a game of chance. I think it will be a game of skill, just like you can be a day trader — you can be at Goldman Sachs, making billion-dollar bets on companies.” - Ted Leonsis, head of Monumental Sports and Entertainment in Washington. The baseball playoffs are at hand. So in the spirit of Goldman Sachs helping … [Read more...]

I read with interest the Sept.18 commentary by community columnist Carson Benn, “Expanding Ky. sports wagering not a wise bet,” As the debate over expanded gambling continues, some facts need to be emphasized. As Benn alludes to, Kentucky is a gambling state, as are 48 of the 50 in the United States. Gambling has become normalized and governments have become dependent on revenue from … [Read more...]

In May, the United States Supreme Court ruled against a federal law banning sports betting.  With that ruling New Jersey, Mississippi, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and West Virginia rushed to pass enabling legislation.  In June, sports betting began in New Jersey and Mississippi and West Virginia joined in August.   In August, casinos and racetracks in New Jersey had 9.2 million in sports betting … [Read more...]

What is it that makes our legislators think that — despite our bourbon, despite our horse racing, despite our lottery, despite our smoking and all the vices that we Kentuckians embrace on a daily basis — their refusal to approve casino gambling will somehow save us all from the fires of hell? And if God really is against gambling, do they think he’s so blind that he doesn’t see that the 900 … [Read more...]

At the end of its last term, the Supreme Court voted to strengthen the Constitution in a 6-3 vote that was a long overdue decision to end a law that said “some states are more equal than others.” The question before the court was a 1992 law that banned states from regulating and taxing sports betting except in Nevada and three other states with more limited betting – Oregon, Delaware and … [Read more...]

Lawmakers in Harrisburg have been on break since June and only have a handful of session days scheduled in the fall. But once the largest "full-time" legislature in the country gets around to considering new bills, one priority is crafting a measure that limits political donations from people involved in the gambling industry. A federal court overturned the state's previous ban on contributions … [Read more...]

Doug Ford, the Ontario premier, remains tight-lipped about his plans for reviving the downtown Toronto waterfront. As recently as five years ago, then-city councillor Ford championed a casino near the waterfront. And Rod Phillips, then-CEO of Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. (OLG), the Ontario monopoly on legal gambling, hoped for a waterfront casino. Phillips is now in Ford’s cabinet, as … [Read more...]

Elliot Harrison works for a multibillion-dollar limited-liability company, where he studies research reports, crunches numbers, and prepares weekly forecasts about how well his organization’s 32 units will perform. Odds are you’re thinking Mr. Harrison’s employer is a blue-chip firm and that his forecasts are for internal use. In fact, he works for the National Football League, and the … [Read more...]

They’ve yet to play a meaningful game, but already the New Jersey Devils and Las Vegas Golden Knights are the big winners of the 2018-19 NHL season. The Devils and Knights both announced this week they have gone where no NHL team had before — signing lucrative sponsorship deals with companies that specialize in sports gambling. That’s big news. As recently as last year, NHL commissioner Gary … [Read more...]

There have been rumors of political corruption in Everett, MA for years. The mayor, Carlo DeMaria has, for the moment, overcome claims of sexual harassment, ties to associates of organized crime and a federal investigation concerning strong-arm tactics used in awarding contracts to builders in the city. Now there is a new claim that could add to the city's woes, Everett's wrongful taking of a … [Read more...]

As a boss, “Dirty Carl” was nearly the ideal kind of guy to run a bar in DC. Well dressed and older than the staff, he commanded a level of respect because of his age and he knew the business. He’d sit at the end of the bar, stay out of your way and hand out sage life advice to the bartenders and waitresses. He’d disappear into his office for hours at a time, but it didn’t seem weird at all. We … [Read more...]

If I were a betting man looking for a sure thing, I’d probably wager that our men’s lacrosse team wins the Ivy League again. If I wanted a bit of an underdog, I’d take a good hard look at our men’s soccer squad — no, seriously, they’re going to be really good this year. And in 2019, it just might be legal to wager on Ivy League games. Over the summer, the Supreme Court struck down the federal … [Read more...]

Estimates of the illegal sports betting market in the U.S. range anywhere from $60 to $400 billion a year, creating massive potential for states interested in generating tax revenue from a new, legalized betting market. And that’s precisely why states across the country have been mobilizing to regulate and tax sports betting since the Supreme Court cleared the way in mid-May of this year by ruling … [Read more...]

If a casino moves into the York Galleria, it's expected to have a positive impact on tourism in the township, according to a local impact report. It also will require some traffic improvements and water and sewer upgrades. Penn National Gaming Inc. has chosen the York Galleria as the site for a mini-casino in York County. The company intends to file an application on Sept. 12 with the … [Read more...]

It’s one of those insider Vegas tricks that’s actually right in front of your face in big letters: If you’re talking about the hotel casino that Evel Knievel made famous and The Hangover reminded us of, you never use an apostrophe. It’s Caesars, not Caesar’s Palace. Some Vegas gaffes are hard to live down, like splitting tens at a crowded blackjack table. Inserting an apostrophe into “Caesar’s” … [Read more...]

Interested in a sure bet? Forget the lottery. Put your house on the Pennsylvania Legislature. How so. Simple. Every time the Keystone State finds itself in a financial pinch – and when was the last time the state did not need more revenue? – it turns to its favorite vice. Yes, instead of reforming government programs, cutting costs, or considering new sources of revenue (as in new … [Read more...]

Atlantic City Casinos See Revenue Soar in July: That was the headline from the Press of Atlantic City on August 15th. It screamed out a phoenix-like rise of Atlantic City from the depths of decline that began a decade ago.  According to the Press, the nine casinos operating in Atlantic City took in $299.8 million in July, an increase of 12.8 percent over July 2017.  The increase was not unexpected … [Read more...]

In covering politics, it often takes a lot of work to connect the dots. I might suspect one guy is running a stealth campaign attacking another guy. But if the schemer is using shell corporations, LLCs and shady political committees to cover his tracks, it can be hard to prove. That’s why I really appreciate this year’s campaign behind Amendment 3 — the anti-casinos initiative — because it’s … [Read more...]

Wall Street can be a ruthless taskmaster.  Public companies hold earnings calls each quarter to discuss and explain the company’s revenues, profits and the extenuating circumstance-effected results.  Analysts and reporters are on the call to ask questions and probe into sensitive areas.  Before the earnings have been made public, analysts using their own sources and analytics to predict the … [Read more...]

In 2026, when North America hosts the World Cup, experts predict more than half of all U.S. states will be in the bookmaking business. And by that time, bookies, bettors and the regulators who monitor them will be playing an entirely different game -- a cat-and-mouse battle featuring cutting-edge technology and fueled by high-speed data, some of which will be coming from inside an athlete's … [Read more...]

(THE CONVERSATION) To call gambling a “game of chance” evokes fun, random luck and a sense of collective engagement. These playful connotations may be part of why almost 80 percent of American adults gamble at some point in their lifetime. When I ask my psychology students why they think people gamble, the most frequent suggestions are for pleasure, money or the thrill. While these might be … [Read more...]

Buffalo Wild Wings is looking at getting into sports gambling. The local B-Dubs has always been an attractive choice for sports TV excitement, but someday you may be able to add the possibility of losing money on the Chicago Bears? Well, that is a whole new level of excitement. Why are you not going to college this year? Well, Dad went to Buffalo Wild Wings, bet big on the Bears, and… Say no … [Read more...]

Riverboat casino owners will need to shell out for a few extras — a hotel or conference center, say — to get permission from the state Gaming Control Board to move operations onshore. Board chairman Ronnie Jones this week explained why: “The idea was not just to move the slot machines onto land. This is about building new resorts with new amenities and gambling.” There is a word for this and it … [Read more...]

Phil Satre has a new job; he is the chairman designate of Wynn Resorts.  Satre has a long and storied career in gaming.  After law school, Satre joined the law firm of Vargas and Dixon; Mead Dixon was an attorney for Bill Harrah’s and Harrah’s Casino.  In that capacity as an advisor to Bill Harrah, Mead was always on the lookout for people and ideas that would improve Harrah’s.  Harrah valued … [Read more...]

It probably won’t be long before you can order a caffe macchiato at Starbucks and then tell the barista to put down a few sawbucks on Rams-49ers and Raiders-Judases. I’m not overly excited about either. I have a coffee maker, and while I’m fascinated by gambling, I’m also fascinated by outer space, and I’m not going. Some of the wonderfully crotchety sportswriters I first met growing up in … [Read more...]

LAS VEGAS (AP) - As revenue goes it barely registers on the books. The NBA probably gets more from the contract with its frozen daiquiri vendor than it does the new deal it inked with casino giant MGM Resorts International. With good reason. The deal announced with such fanfare Tuesday is arguably little more than a branding exercise - at least for now - and a chance to take baby steps into a … [Read more...]

In Australia slot machines are called Pokies.  The name is derived from poker machines, although the name predates gaming machines that actually offered poker.  In 1953, Len Ainsworth started to use his dad’s company and machinery to manufacturer slot machines. The company was called Aristocrat.  Ainsworth’s process was more efficient than other small manufacturers.  He offered to make the games … [Read more...]

There, beyond Costco and the Texas Roadhouse restaurant, it looms: The golden tower, rechristened “Encore Boston Harbor,” to erase the name of Steve Wynn from the $2.5 billion casino project the now disgraced mogul personally championed for Everett. A recent trip to a discount wine store located in the strip mall that currently abuts the casino development put me close to metro Boston’s coming … [Read more...]

Following the Supreme Court decision to overturn The Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) in Murphy v. NCAA, in June Delaware became the first state to take advantage of the new ruling. Delaware governor John Carney placed the state’s first legal single-game bet: $10 on the Philadelphia Phillies in their game against the Chicago Cubs, and within 24 hours, Delaware drew more than … [Read more...]

Every NFL season has its signature image, the way that year will be remembered forever. 1985 has the Super Bowl Shuffle Chicago Bears. 2001 has U2 singing at the Super Bowl right before Bill Belichick and Tom Brady shocked the St. Louis Rams and the football world. 2009 has hundreds of thousands of giddy Saints fans parading through once-flooded streets to celebrate a championship for their … [Read more...]

European investors are getting excited about sports betting in the U.S. They should place their wagers carefully. When Mr. Burns draws up plans for a casino in “The Simpsons,” he thinks he’s found the perfect business: “People swarm in, empty their pockets, and scuttle off.” Investors in the real world seem equally bullish. Shares in British betting companies GVC Holdings Plc and William … [Read more...]

In a move that could pump more life into the south Strip, Israeli hoteliers this month bought the 1960s-era Motel 8 and plan to tear it down to build a casino. They can only hope the project turns out better than past attempts to build big in the area. Like practically everywhere else in the Las Vegas Valley, the south Strip has a long track record of developers pitching massive projects and … [Read more...]

On Monday, July 23, 2018 officers of the Robeson County Sheriff’s office, Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Department of Homeland Security, North Carolina and Virginia National Guard raided three casino locations in North Carolina.  They arrested 26 people and confiscated weapons, cash and over 200 slot machines.  All of those arrested were members of the Tuscarora … [Read more...]

When companies hold ceremonial groundbreakings to announce facility openings or expansions, oftentimes surrounded by community leaders and public officials, many believe it is a mark of better things to come for local residents. For the gaming industry, we take the responsibility to be stewards of the communities we are a part of very seriously. The American Gaming Association is the leading … [Read more...]