That’s the take of CBRE Credit Research Colin Mansfield and Connor Parks who in a new note to clients said the gaming company bolstered its financial flexibility with the recent sale of $850 million of corporate debt. Some proceeds from that transaction will go toward eliminating the operator’s 2025 maturities, meaning it now has no debt coming due before 2026.

The issuance clears out the 2025 maturities at MGM’s domestic box, with the next maturity being the $400 million due in late-2026,” according to the analysts. “Lease-adjusted consolidated leverage at MGM remains low at 4.3 times pro-forma for the issuance.”

The CBRE duo noted that MGM has the resources to work on multiple large-scale projects, including MGM Osaka in Japan, and potentially, converting Empire City Casino in Yonkers, NY to a traditional casino while also possibly pursuing gaming licenses in Thailand and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

MGM Has Big Ambitions

Each of the projects mentioned above would likely be a multibillion-dollar venture. MGM has a 42.5% stake in the Osaka integrated resort scheme, which carries a price tag of $8 billion, and it could take several billion more to transition Empire City into a Las Vegas-style gaming venue if the operator wins one of the three downstate casino permits New York regulators could award next year.

“Each development would require multibillion-dollar investments and sizeable equity checks, though MGM can fund these via FCF (free cash flow) depending on their ultimate timing,” observed the CBRE analysts.

The analysts added that MGM “has balance sheet flexibility” should it need to issue more debt to deal with the possibility of overlapping timelines on various projects. The gaming company added $175 million to its already sizable cash-on-hand position via the aforementioned bond sale.

Where Dubai Fits in for MGM

MGM executives have consistently said the company would be interested in bidding for a gaming license in the UAE if that opportunity presents itself. Its MGM-branded hotel in Dubai is currently structured as a nongaming venue, but CEO Bill Hornbuckle told analysts and investors earlier this year that the operator said aside space for a casino, indicating it could quickly pivot if need be.

The operator has 150,000 square feet to work with at the Dubai property when it comes to adding a casino, but the company hasn’t commented on the cost of such an addition.

The post MGM Has Capital to Execute Big Projects, Analysts Say appeared first on Casino.org.

The New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) revealed Monday that the nine Atlantic City casinos combined to win $294 million on their physical gaming floors in August. That’s a 4.9% year-over-year improvement, or about a $13.7 million increase.

Slot win climbed 5.3% to $221.6 million while tables won $72.4 million, a 3.8% increase. James Plousis, chair of the New Jersey Casino Control Commission, which oversees the DGE, said last month was the casinos’ best August in over a decade.

Monthly casino win finished the summer well, achieving its best August result in 10 years. Year-to-date casino win was relatively flat compared to last year, but it was still the second-best result in 11 years,” Plousis told Casino.org.

Through eight months, 2024 brick-and-mortar casino gaming revenue totaled more than $1.92 billion, a 0.2% decline from the same period in 2023. Both slot win ($1.42 billion) and table revenue ($495.2 million) were 0.2% lower.

iGaming, Sports Betting Growth

In-person casino gambling was flat through three quarters of 2024, but that wasn’t the case for online slots, interactive table games, and sports betting.

New Jersey’s iGaming sector continues to blossom, with internet gross gaming revenue (GGR) totaling more than $1.52 billion through eight months. The online win represents a 22.7% surge from 2023.

iGaming and sports betting were responsible for the state gaming industry expanding by 10.5% from January through August. 2024 marks the fastest that New Jersey GGR has eclipsed the $4 billion mark.

Overall business in Atlantic City remains stable, with operators gaining competitive advantage from a unique combination of impressive gaming options and first class in-person experiences. There is great opportunity for continued momentum in the fall season,” Plousis concluded.

Casino reps argue that the industry remains troubled as inflation and overall higher operating costs eat into their bottom lines. The DGE disclosed second-quarter reports last month that revealed that profits declined almost 2% despite a 1.3% increase in revenue.

iGaming Record

Online gamblers lost more money in August than they had in any month before, as the $198.3 million in iGaming GGR marks a new monthly record.

Internet slots and tables generated online win of $195.8 million. Online poker rake generated almost $2.4 million.

That brings total online gaming revenue in August 2024 to approximately $256 million, or $43 million less than what the physical casinos won.

The post Atlantic City Casinos Heat Up in August as Gaming Win Climbs Nearly Five Percent appeared first on Casino.org.

Wynn Resorts invested $2.6 billion to build an integrated resort casino in Everett. Encore Boston Harbor opened in June 2019 and has since become the top revenue-earning casino in the commonwealth.

Boston’s request for proposals (RFP) deadline is 11:59 pm EST this Wednesday, September 18. The city’s Office of Human Services will review the submissions and select a vendor to carry out the review. The winning bidder will be compensated no more than $177K for the contract that is to run from Oct. 15, 2024, to Oct. 15, 2025.

Study Focus

Jose Masso, the chief of the Human Services Office, says the focus of the casino study will be to determine if the existence of Encore Boston Harbor has shaped young people’s perception of and interest in gambling. The probe is also to conclude what sort of attitudes young people, defined as aged 14-25, have toward the Wynn complex.

A 2022 study commissioned by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) found that the state’s allowance of three casinos has normalized gambling for younger people. The Charlestown probe will seek to solidify those findings and develop ways to make sure such normalization doesn’t lead to higher rates of problem gambling.

What role can the City play in protecting youth from being harmed or exploited by gambling?” the RFP asks in the project summary.

The younger the age at which a person first gambles has been proven to correlate with greater severity of gambling problems later in life, the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health concluded in a March 2023 report.

Gambling Prevalence?

It’s been several decades since commercial casinos were largely confined to Nevada and Atlantic City. Today, more than half of the adult population in the Northeast lives within 25 miles of a casino.

“The review found that urban casinos are typically placed in low socio-economic communities with some existing gambling culture, socio-economic improvements are promised to existing disadvantaged communities prior to the adoption of casinos, but modest economic benefits realized in urban casino neighborhoods are unsustainable, and increased accessibility and availability of urban casinos due to proximity could increase casino participation, which in turn could potentially increase gambling-related problems,” O’Gilvie wrote in her report titled, “The Impact of Casino Proximity on Northeast Urban Communities.”

Boston’s RFP for the Encore study says the majority of patrons who visit the Wynn casino come from nearby communities, including Charlestown.

“As the casino works to make itself even more enticing and accessible, the impact this will have on young people is not well known,” the RFP concluded.

The post Boston to Study Encore Boston Harbor’s Impact on Nearby Youth appeared first on Casino.org.

The state’s highest court ruled the lawsuit challenging the exemptions included in the 2006 Smoke-Free Air Act that allow tobacco use inside casinos and parimutuel wagering facilities “shall proceed in the ordinary course.” Plaintiffs argue that the 2006 loopholes violate casino workers’ rights to a safe workplace afforded to them under the New Jersey Constitution.

“Applicant’s request for emergency relief in the form of a temporary injunction is denied,” the application response signed by a clerk for Justice Anne Patterson read. “The matter does not warrant adjudication on short notice. The applicant’s appeal shall proceed in the ordinary course unless subsequently ordered accelerated by the Appellate Division.”

Case Continued

The UAW represents table game dealers and slot machine attendants at several Atlantic City casinos. CEASE began as a grassroots coalition of casino workers opposed to indoor smoking, but has since grown to become a powerful ally of the nationwide movement for clean indoor air.

The ANR has helped CEASE expand and organize chapters in Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, Kansas, Nevada, and Mississippi. Those states are among the 14 that allow cigarettes and cigars inside casinos.

In the Atlantic City casino lawsuit, Mercer County Judge Patrick Bartels ruled in August that the case should be dismissed. Bartels said the plaintiffs’ allegations that their rights to a safe workplace are being violated are meritless because the 2006 smoking law doesn’t impede their freedom to find employment in a smoke-free environment.

Legislative Solution?

Gov. Phil Murphy (D) remains supportive of eliminating the indoor casino smoking exemptions but wants the change to come through the legislature instead of the courts. New Jersey Republicans last week said they’d get a bill to the governor’s desk if Democrats, who control both legislative chambers, want to amend the 2006 smoking law.

Local 54 represents employees like food and beverage staff, housekeepers, and bellmen.

The New Jersey Supreme Court typically determines whether to grant a petition review within 30 days, meaning its decision regarding the UAW and CEASE appeal should be issued within the next two weeks.

The post New Jersey Supreme Court Rejects Emergency Request to Halt Casino Smoking appeared first on Casino.org.

At an event earlier this week celebrating the venue’s first anniversary in the Illinois town, General Manager Jahnae Erpenbach reiterated that a hotel is still part of the long-term plans for the venue, but evaluating demand is critical when it comes to deciding when to make large-scale additions to the property, which is one of the newest casinos in the state.

We need to make sure we balance the demand in our ability to do that,” she said at the event.

The casino is a joint venture between the Wilmot family and Tilman Fertitta, whose Fertitta Entertainment Inc. (FEI) controls the Golden Nugget brand.

Strong Start for Golden Nugget Danville Without Hotel

Casinos and hotels are often joined at the hip, but there are dozens of examples of gaming venues across the US that don’t feature guestrooms. That’s often the result of market factors, including population and the ability of the surrounding region to attract conventions and tourists.

Those are financial boons for Danville, which was banking on the gaming venue to lift it out of a public pension liability mess. Wilmot added that about half the visitors to Golden Nugget Danville since doors opened hailed from outside of Illinois.

That’s important because the property could face competitive pressure from Churchill Downs’ Terre Haute Casino Resort in Indiana, which is about an hour’s drive southeast of the Golden Nugget. Erpenbach acknowledged there was some impact to the Golden Nugget when Churchill opened the Indiana casino hotel in April, but that property won’t disrupt long-term plans in Danville.

Sportsbook Off Table Over Near-Term

Erpenbach added that the hope is Golden Nugget Danville will eventually have a retail sportsbook, but that appears unlikely over the near- to medium-term because DraftKings already has a land-based presence in Illinois and would be required to shell out another $10 million for a license to run a sportsbook at Golden Nugget Danville.

With the gaming company grappling with higher taxes in the state, that licensing fee isn’t economical, particularly when accounting for the fact that in Illinois, like the rest of the US, the bulk of sports wagers are placed online, not in person.

DraftKings and Golden Nugget have a relationship by way of the former’s 2022 acquisition of Golden Nugget Online Gaming (GNOG), which made Fertitta one of the largest shareholders in the online sportsbook operator.

The post Golden Nugget Danville Hotel Possible, Sportsbook Prospects Murky appeared first on Casino.org.

The decision arrived three years after the two companies struck an accord to develop a “mini casino” in what was previously a Macy’s department store at the Nittany Mall — a shopping venue located just five miles from Penn State’s campus. Bally’s wasn’t eligible to bid on the license when the auction was held four years ago, but Ira Lubert — the sole owner of SC Gaming — was eligible due to his stake in Rivers Casino Pittsburgh. He was the winning bidder and later partnered with Bally’s, agreeing that the gaming venue would bear the regional casino operator’s brand.

Amid Bally’s shifting corporate priorities, the agreement was scuttled and Lubert is making clear to state regulators that he has the financial resources to advance the project on his own.

As a part of the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board’s application and approval process, I demonstrated to the Board my resources and capability to independently develop and operate this casino project without reliance on a third party, including Bally’s,” he said in a statement.

Lubert developed the Valley Forge Casino Resort during the global financial crisis and has a 3% stake in Rivers Pittsburgh.

A Lot’s Changed for Bally’s in Three Years

When? Bally’s and SC Gaming decided to team up on the Pennsylvania mini casino three years ago, the project was inline with the casino operator’s prior ventures. Since then, however, Bally’s rapidly became more ambitious, targeting larger, more expensive developments in bigger cities.

While the future of the Tropicana site is in flux and there are no assurances that Bally’s will procure a downstate permit in New York, the Chicago venture alone requires significant attention from the gaming company, indicating shedding of smaller projects, such as the Pennsylvania mini casino, could be prudent at this time.

Additionally, in July, Bally’s agreed to be acquired by Standard General — the hedge fund that is the gaming company’s largest shareholder. Such a transaction wasn’t on the table three years ago when the operator agreed to work with SC Gaming on the Nittany Mall casino.

Bally’s Has New Vision

Prior to Bally’s accepting the Standard General takeover offer, some shareholders criticized the company for becoming financially strained and placing too much emphasis on expensive projects in Chicago, Las Vegas, and New York. Some investors argued that some or all of those projects should be abandoned in the name of cost savings.

Some cost efficiencies are likely to be realized by dropping out of the Pennsylvania mini casino partnership, but Bally’s didn’t quantify that. With Chairman Soo Kim, the founder of Standard General, likely to take on a larger day-to-day role in Bally’s operations, it’s possible more cost-cutting moves will take place, but that remains to be seen. It is, however, clear that the Nittany Mall casino didn’t fit with Bally’s new vision for its future.

“The termination of the framework agreement aligns with Bally’s long-term strategic goals and allows the company to allocate resources towards other priorities. Bally’s remains confident in its ability to adapt and thrive in the ever-changing market,” said the company in the press release.

The post Bally’s Won’t Participate in Casino Near Penn State Campus appeared first on Casino.org.

The 2006 law banned indoor smoking in nearly all workplaces and public settings. However, state lawmakers nearly two decades ago provided exemptions to the tobacco ban for cigar lounges, horse racetracks, parimutuel wagering facilities, hotels, and motels where up to 20% of the guestrooms can be designated for smoking, and casinos with a minimum of 150 slot machines and 10 table games.

Attorneys with the United Auto Workers (UAW), whose members include table game dealers that are most exposed to secondhand smoke because of the 2006 casino loophole, said in the union’s appeal that the smoking law wrongly favors an industry.

Exclusion of casino workers from safety protections given to other workers is blatant favoritism for a powerful industry located in only one municipality in the State, precisely what the New Jersey Constitution prevents,” the UAW appeal read. “Plaintiffs submit that the State’s decision to allow gambling in Atlantic City did not make it a ‘law-free’ zone or render its workers and residents unprotected by New Jersey’s Constitution and laws.”

Atlantic City casinos can allow indoor smoking in up to 25% of their gaming areas.

Long Shot Appeal?

There are no rules requiring the casinos to physically separate their smoking areas from nonsmoking areas, and as a result, health officials say dangerous secondhand smoke lingers throughout the floors.

The New Jersey Supreme Court, however, isn’t ruling on whether the smoking allowance possibly threatens workers in nonsmoking areas with secondhand smoke exposure but whether the 2006 law was implemented improperly. In August, Mercer County Judge Patrick Bartels ruled that the 2006 Smoke-Free Air Act doesn’t violate employees’ rights to a safe workplace as defined under the state constitution because the law doesn’t prevent a casino worker from finding employment in a business where smoking isn’t allowed.

The New Jersey Supreme Court fields more than 1,000 appeals annually, but accepts only about 100 cases.

The Casino Association of New Jersey and Culinary Union Local 54, which oppose eliminating smoking, have joined the case as intervenors and are expected to submit their briefs in the coming days.

GOP Bailout?

If the New Jersey Supreme Court doesn’t accept the UAW casino smoking appeal, the only way to force the nine resorts in Atlantic City to go smoke-free would be through legislative action.

Murphy has also said that concerns raised by the casinos, including claims that a smoking ban would hurt revenue and lead to thousands of job cuts, should be considered.

The post Casino Smoking Opponents Argue That Workers’ Rights Are Being Violated appeared first on Casino.org.

The robberies of casino cages at both Resorts World Las Vegas and the Gold Coast Casino have brought back a favorite topic of Las Vegas speculation. Is it possible to successfully rob a casino vault, as depicted in the 2001 movie “Ocean’s 11?”

“I don’t even know where to even begin with that,” said Fred Del Marva, an Arizona-based casino security consultant and expert. Over the past 36 years, his clients have included Caesars Palace, The Mirage, and the Golden Nugget.

First of all, according to Del Marva, a criminal would need to know exactly where a vault is. That’s a tall order because every casino keeps theirs in a different, top-secret location. “Somebody has to have the blueprints on how to get in and out,” he said. “Or a very inside source, like the contractor.”

There are, of course, gadgets designed to override a vault’s security measures, Del Marva said. “But there are likely to be too many security systems that require overriding to make robbing a vault achievable.”

An Ocean of Wrong

“Ocean’s 11” got a lot of basic information wrong. For one thing, every casino needs to have $100-$150 million in its vault at any given time, Del Marva estimated, to cover potential big losses on the floor. However, the $150 million in the movie was split among three casinos, leading to another inaccuracy.

“Listen, tomorrow, the newspaper could say that I’m wrong, that a casino vault was robbed, but I don’t think so,” Del Marva said, reasoning that, “if it could happen, someone would have at least tried it already.”

Welcome to Our Valued Robbers!

Both the Resorts World and Gold Coast robberies happened, Del Marva said, because today’s casino personnel are trained not to resist demands made by criminals. Ensuring that a gun is never fired inside a casino is a much higher priority than preventing a robbery, and criminals know that.

The deterrent is no longer the threat of armed response, Del Marva said, but the knowledge that everything that happens inside a casino is videoed from dozens of angles and that every skin cell that falls onto every surface will be analyzed for DNA evidence.

They know that nobody is going to be there to deter them from the time they park their vehicle to the time they get the cage,” Del Marva said. “Whether they get caught afterward is a different story.”

And they usually do. For the 11 post-“Ocean’s 11” robberies we identified below, suspects were arrested in nine of the cases. And none involved vaults.

11 Post-‘Ocean’s 11’ Vegas Casino Heists

Post-“Ocean’s 11,” here are 11 Las Vegas casino robberies we know about. We didn’t include Resorts World or Gold Coast since they just happened. Las Vegas police have already arrested a suspect in the former crime.

2022: El Cortez (unsolved)

On September 6, a man belly-flopped onto a craps table at the El Cortez casino and grabbed more than $19K of chips from the dealer. The thief, who appeared to be unarmed, exited the casino and is still at large.

2021: Rio, Red Rock, Aliante (solved)

On February 27, a Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department officer was arrested in connection with $78,898 stolen during a robbery at the Rio. Caleb Mitchell Rogers was also charged with a Nov. 12, 2021, robbery at the Red Red Resort and a January 6 robbery at Aliante. Rogers was connected to the robberies due to his unique gait. Suffice it to say he no longer works for the police department.

2019 and 2017: Bellagio (solved)

A man who robbed the Bellagio’s poker cage in 2017 and got away with it was shot dead when his second attempt proved far less successful. Michael Charles Cohen, 49, initially made off with $35K on March 15, 2019, but was shot dead by police who opened fire after he refused to surrender. The police were on hand investigating an unrelated case.

2017: Bellagio (solved)

Four thieves wearing animal masks used a sledgehammer to knock out a jewelry store’s glass door and rob handfuls of rings, chains, and other valuables. Sebastian Gonzales was arrested for the crime.

2014: Bellagio (solved)

Michael Belton attempted to rob the Bellagio by swiping casino chips off tables. Police said Belton and another man wore wigs and sunglasses, sprayed a blackjack dealer with pepper spray, grabbed $115K worth of chips, and tried to run. Belton was convicted while his accomplice got away.

2010: Bellagio and Suncoast (solved)

Tony Carleo parked his Suzuki motorcycle near the Bellagio valet stand on Dec. 14, 2010, walked over to a craps table, and robbed $1.5 million in chips at gunpoint. The “Biker Bandit” is currently serving 9-27 years in a Nevada state prison for that robbery and for robbing $18,945 in cash from a Suncoast cashier’s cage on December 9 of that same year

2005: Mandalay Bay (unsolved)

On March 11, 2005, two masked men held up a cashier’s cage at Mandalay Bay. According to witnesses, the men fired warning shots into the ceiling and forced the workers to the ground. The robbers, who stole what remains to this day an undisclosed amount of money, made off in a car parked outside.

Look for “Vegas Myths Busted” every Friday on?Casino.org.?Click here?to read previously busted Vegas myths. Got a suggestion for a Vegas myth that needs busting? Email?[email protected].

The post VEGAS MYTHS RE-BUSTED: The ‘Ocean’s 11’ Casino Robbery is Possible appeared first on Casino.org.

This week, detractors and supporters of the Long Island casino plan made their voices heard to the Nassau County Legislature. Public comment is essential because some opposition groups previously accused the county and the gaming company of operating in backroom fashion. Last year, the New York State Supreme Court ruled the lease transfer agreement on the coliseum between the county and Sands violated state open meeting laws.

While Nassau County is providing more avenues for residents to endorse or voice concerns about the casino plan, some groups it cannot be overlooked that construction of an integrated resort could violate New York’s State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA).

The abounding harmful impacts of this massive casino are clearly unmitigable and should have informed any decisions on land control,” said Say No To The Casino, a civic group that’s long opposed the project, in a press release. “The SEQRA process should not only have been completed prior to entering into any lease with Las Vegas Sands, but also should have included the impacts of the $4B NYU Langone proposal at Nassau Community College.”

The organization added that a recent study noted Long Island’s drinking water supply is being threatened by climate change and over-pumping — scenarios that would be worsened by building a large-scale casino hotel.

Environmental Review to Sands Long Island Casino Plan

The environmental review, which is currently ongoing, is vital to Sands’ Long Island casino ambitions on multiple fronts, not the least of which is that under New York law, the lease transfer on Nassau Coliseum between the county and the gaming company cannot be finalized until the review is complete.

Additionally, should the review turn up issues and vulnerabilities, the county and Sands could work to address those matters assuming the process is completed in timely fashion.

On the issue of time, Nassau County and Sands may have that on their side because it appears increasingly likely that there will be no action on opening the bidding window for the three downstate permits until the middle of 2025 at the earliest.

Charges of ‘Environmental Racism’

Climate and environmental concerns are part of the territory with new casino hotel projects and that’s true regardless of location.

It’s equally as common for groups opposing those projects to leverage environmental worries to drive home their points. Say No To The Casino may be doing that and it’s calling attention to risks to minority communities stemming from the casino plan.

“We find it ironic that the same politicians who claim to want to ‘Save Our Suburbs’ are among the loudest voices in favor of forcing the country’s second largest casino, and the boundless long-term negative environmental, economic, and social consequences, into our community,” according to the group. “The brunt of the impact would be shouldered by the vulnerable minority communities that surround the HUB. Erecting this casino would be nothing short of environmental racism.”

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The first energy from the Escape Solar + Storage project is expected to help power MGM’s needs by 2026.

According to an MGM press release, the Lincoln County facility — which will be operated by Estuary Power of Reno — will generate enough electricity to power more than 28,000 average homes.

MGM said it already uses 90% renewable energy for 11 of its Las Vegas resorts’ daytime needs, and that the boost from this new farm will fill in the 10% gap as well as allow it to store some of the energy needed for nighttime use.

Most casino resorts — we’re looking at you, Luxor – use more electricity at night due to the increased loads commanded by exterior lights, shows and in-room air conditioning.

“This agreement is the next step toward the achievement of our climate goals,” said Bill Hornbuckle, MGM’s CEO and president, in a statement. “As we continue the journey toward greater sustainability, we remain dedicated to finding new ways to reduce our carbon footprint, conserve resources and inspire others to join in building a more sustainable world for generations to come.”

In 2023, MGM said, it achieved two of its previously stated carbon emissions goals by reducing emissions per square foot by 45% by 2025, and reducing emissions per square foot by 50% by 2030. This has been achieved since 2016 via renewable Las Vegas energy projects including:

• its 323,000-panel Mega Solar Array, which provides 100 MW to MGM Resorts’ 11 Las Vegas locations,
• the 26,000 solar panels atop the Mandalay Bay Convention Center, which provide 8.3MW to that property, and
• a 100-kW rooftop solar array that helps power T-Mobile Arena.

According to MGM, the new agreement “will help propel the company closer to its goal of procuring 100% renewable electricity in North America by 2030.”

The post MGM Contracts for More Solar Energy from New Farm by 2026 appeared first on Casino.org.

While the Harris-Trump debate fell far short of the record 84 million people who tuned in for Trump’s first faceoff with Hillary Clinton in 2016, Tuesday easily bettered Trump’s June back-and-forth with President Joe Biden that drew in 51.3 million people. Tuesday was also short of the 73.1 million people who watched the first debate between Trump and Biden in 2020.

Political bettors believe Harris won the debate. As a result, her odds of winning the November 5 contest have shortened in days following the event.

Trump’s odds have lengthened from 53% before the debate to 49% as of this writing. Nearly $900 million has been bet on the Polymarket contest.

Costly Outcome

Along with Trump’s 2024 odds lengthening following what many called a bad night for the billionaire, his performance cost him considerable money, at least on paper.

Shares of Trump Media & Technology Group (NASDAQ: DJT) tumbled in the aftermath of the Tuesday spectacle. The parent organization of Trump’s Truth Social media platform, which has plans to launch a streaming subscription service called TMTG+ that will air “non-woke” entertainment and conservative news programming, saw its stock price fall nearly 20% on Wednesday.

Trump owns about 60% of the company’s outstanding shares. DJT is down over 75% since its closing high of $66.22 on March 27. It’s now trading at around $16.

Trump’s media group returned the “DJT” ticker to Wall Street. The stock abbreviation was previously used when Trump took Trump Hotels and Casino Resorts public in 1995.

The DJT ticker was used until 2004 when the company went bankrupt. When Trump created a new gaming entity, Trump Entertainment Resorts, that same year, the company traded under the ticker TRMP.

Harris Favored

William Hill, one of the largest bookmakers in the United Kingdom, reported a flurry of bets on Harris in the debate aftermath. William Hill wasn’t alone, as numerous other high-street sportsbooks adjusted their election odds in Harris’ favor.

The national polling average as of September 12 has Harris at 47.9% to Trump at 46.7% support. The election, however, will come down to several key battleground states, including Pennsylvania, Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, Michigan, and Wisconsin.

In Nevada, the largest union of casino workers is actively trying to get out the vote in Harris’ favor. The Culinary Union’s support of Harris isn’t exactly a surprise, as the union hasn’t endorsed a Republican for president in decades. The union had earlier endorsed Biden until he dropped out of the 2024 race.

The post Kamala Harris and Donald Trump’s Presidential Debate Attracted 67M Viewers appeared first on Casino.org.

In recent years, legislation to close the smoking loophole afforded to casinos in Atlantic City and parimutuel wagering facilities garnered enough support to pass the New Jersey Legislature. A majority of lawmakers in both the Senate and General Assembly issued their backing to amend the 2006 Smoke-Free Air Act to exclude casinos and racetracks from allowing cigarettes and cigars.

GOP members now say they’ll rescue the smoking bills and get them across the finish line, and on to Gov. Phil Murphy’s (D) desk.

Popular Legislation

Assembly Minority Leader John DiMaio (R-Warren) believes it’s time that casino workers are provided the same workplace protections as most other employees.

If Democrats are serious about protecting workers, Republicans are ready to help pass the bill,” said DiMaio. “We need legislative action, not excuses.”

Legislative action is likely the only recourse to end the indoor casino smoking allowance after state courts recently ruled that the 2006 law doesn’t violate worker protections afforded under the New Jersey Constitution. The lawsuit, filed by the United Auto Workers, a union that represents table game dealers at Bally’s, Caesars, and Tropicana, has been appealed to the state’s Supreme Court but its acceptance presumably faces long odds.

This isn’t about politics. It’s about doing what’s right for workers and their families,” DiMaio continued. “With significant bipartisan support, there’s no reason not to get this done.”

The casino industry says there is.

Despite higher revenue, Atlantic City casino profits collectively declined 1.7% in the second quarter. During the first half of the year, resort revenue was up 1.5% but profits dropped almost 5% year over year. Higher operating costs were blamed.?

Casino Workers Hopeful?

While UAW has fought to move smoking outside, the larger Atlantic City casino union — Unite Here Local 54 — has backed the industry and argued that a smoking ban would hurt the health of its members by eliminating jobs. A grassroots coalition of resort workers disagrees.

Casino Employees Against Smoking Effects (CEASE) has been campaigning for years to eliminate secondhand smoke. The group celebrated Republicans’ willingness to join their crusade.

“Clean air is a bipartisan issue, with both sides recognizing the urgent need to protect workers from secondhand smoke,” said Nicole Vitola, a co-founder of CEASE and a longtime casino dealer. “Now the legislature needs to put their words into long overdue action and vote on this immediately.”

The post New Jersey Republicans to Rescue Stalled Effort to Ban Atlantic City Casino Smoking appeared first on Casino.org.

As of 5 p.m. Wednesday, Hurricane Francine had maximum sustained winds of 100 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC).

“After landfall, the center is expected to cross southeastern Louisiana tonight, then move northward across Mississippi on Thursday and Thursday night,” the NHC predicted on Wednesday afternoon.

Coushatta Casino Closure

The nasty weather led Kinder, La.’s Coushatta Casino Resort to be closed for part of Wednesday and Thursday.

To ensure the safety of our guests and associates during Hurricane Francine, Coushatta Casino Resort will temporarily close, effective Wednesday … at 2 am,” the gaming property said in a statement. “We look forward to seeing you when we re-open on Thursday … at noon or when conditions are deemed safe to do so.”

On Wednesday, the Silver Slipper Casino Hotel, located in Bay St. Louis, Miss., temporarily shuttered its table games, the Jubilee Buffet, Blue Bayou, valet service, and the gift shop. Normal operations will likely resume on Thursday.

The Bridges Golf Club at Hollywood Casino, also located in Bay St. Louis, also closed temporarily on Wednesday.

Curfews in Mississippi

In Gulfport, Miss. a curfew was to take effect starting at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, according to Mayor Billy Hewes. It’s likely to be lifted at 6 a.m. Thursday. Restaurants, stores, and other businesses will close their doors.

During this period, people’s movement will be restricted, and no one will be allowed on public streets or property except for emergency personnel,” according to the mayor’s statement.

Also, in Bay St. Louis and Waveland, curfews will be in place between 10 p.m. Wednesday until 5 a.m. Thursday, according to the Sun Herald.

New Orleans may face floods as four to eight inches of rainfall are likely, CNN reported. Flights were canceled at the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport.

A flood watch was put into effect for the Louisiana coastline, too. A storm surge warning was issued for Lakes Borgne and Pontchartrain, both in Louisiana, according to weather forecasts.

Tornado threats were possible in Mobile, Birmingham, Montgomery, and Huntsville, Ala.; Tallahassee, Fla., and Tupelo, Miss., AccuWeather reported.

The post Hurricane Francine Forces Some US Casino Operations to Close appeared first on Casino.org.

Casino.org reported earlier this month that the Pamunkey Indian Tribe, Norfolk’s preferred gaming developer that secured approval from local voters for a casino undertaking along the Elizabeth River during the November 2020 election, had brought in Boyd to help bring its long-delayed dreams to fruition. Those reports surfaced after updated planning documents were submitted to the Norfolk City Council showing Boyd’s involvement.

The development consortium confirmed the speculation this week after Norfolk officials approved a resolution amending the Pamunkey Tribe’s casino agreement. The resolution designates Boyd and the federally recognized tribe as partners in Golden Eagle Consulting II, LLC, the entity that Norfolk reached the original Development Agreement on Jan. 19, 2020.?

New Norfolk Casino Team

Golden Eagle was initially controlled by Jon Yarbrough, a billionaire who amassed his wealth by founding a leading manufacturer of gaming machines specifically made for tribal casinos. Yarbrough, estimated to be worth over $4 billion by Forbes, had been introduced to the Pamunkey Tribe by a colleague before Virginia lawmakers approved commercial gambling in five cities in 2020 and Norfolk was among the designees.

Since a tribal casino so close threatened to jeopardize the economic benefit of becoming a host city to a commercial casino, Norfolk went with the tribe and Yarbrough. The initial concept, a $500 million undertaking called HeadWaters Resort & Casino, has since suffered repeated setbacks due to an array of issues that Casino.org has covered extensively over the past four years.

Yarbrough is departing the project and selling his stake to Boyd, which planning documents suggest will be an 80% position in Golden Eagle. Robert Gray, the chief of the Pamunkey Indian Tribe, says Boyd has the skillset to get the project not only started but finished.

In Boyd, we have found a partner with the national expertise, financial strength, and strong commitment to community,” said Gray. “Together, we will deliver on our tribe’s promise to develop an amazing casino and resort that will attract tourists to Norfolk, provide local residents with good-paying jobs, and generate significant economic benefits for both Norfolk and the entire Commonwealth of Virginia.”

Kevin Smith, president and CEO of Boyd Gaming, said the company’s interest was pegged because Norfolk “is one of the largest underserved gaming markets in the Mid-Atlantic region.” He added that the opportunity will allow Boyd to “further expand and diversify.”

Terms Unknown

The financial details of Boyd Gaming buying a majority stake in Golden Eagle weren’t immediately disclosed, though such information will likely come to light in the future since Boyd is a publicly traded company. The SEC requires public companies that undertake material acquisitions to disclose those acquisitions to the public.

The casino remains slated for a 13.5-acre site located next to the Harbor Park baseball stadium. ?

The post Norfolk Casino Development Confirms Boyd Gaming Involvement appeared first on Casino.org.

Tuesday night’s winning numbers were 1, 2, 16, 24, and 66, with the gold Mega Ball 6. The Mega Millions Consortium revealed Wednesday morning that a lucky play sold in Sugar Land, Texas, overcame the more than one in 302.57 million odds to win the rights to the jackpot.

The winning ticket was purchased at the Murphy USA gas station at 7750 Highway 90. The convenience store is roughly 20 miles southwest of Houston.

The winner can choose the full value of the advertised jackpot paid out over 30 years through an annuity or take a one-time cash sum worth $404.2 million.

Tuesday night’s $800 million jackpot ranks seventh in Mega Millions history and 13th in US lottery history. With the jackpot won, the Mega Millions jackpot resets to $20 million for its next drawing on Friday, September 13.?

Tax-Free Jackpot

Most Mega Millions and Powerball winners choose the cash option over the 30-year annuity. However, the Federal Reserve’s benchmark interest rate, which sets interest rates on the Treasury-backed bonds that Mega Millions and Powerball annuities are based, has made the decision a bit more complex.

If Tuesday night’s winner opts for the cash, their $404.2 million would be reduced by $149.5 million in federal taxes. That would leave the winner with an approximate payout of $254.6 million.

Along with overcoming the life-changing odds, the winner was also lucky in purchasing the Mega Millions ticket in Texas. The Lone Star State is one of only eight states that doesn’t tax lottery winnings as personal income, and therefore, doesn’t take a cut.

Tuesday’s jackpot was the first time that the Mega Millions top prize has been won since June 4 when a ticket sold in Illinois through the lottery’s mobile app won a $552 million payout. Mega Millions’ previous jackpot win came on March 26 when a player in New Jersey won $1.128 billion — the lottery’s fifth-richest jackpot ever — though that prize has yet to be redeemed.?

Tuesday Wins

Along with the jackpot, Tuesday’s Mega Millions drawing produced more than 2.1 million winning tickets across all other prize tiers.

Forty-seven tickets matched the four white balls and Mega Ball to claim $10K each. Ten of those plays had the Megaplier to balloon their prize to $40K.

More than 1,300 tickets matched the four white balls for $500 a piece, with 255 including the Megaplier to push their award to $2,000. More than 1.36 million tickets matched the Mega Ball to win back their $2 bet, though 258,153 tickets included the Megaplier to net $6.

The post Mega Millions Jackpot Hits, $800M Winning Ticket Sold in Texas appeared first on Casino.org.

Recent media reports suggest that new Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra is poised to bring a casino policy statement to parliament as soon as this week, and that the package is likely to include a directive calling for as many as seven gaming venues to commence Thailand’s foray into regulated gaming.

Should related speculation about the creation of seven integrated resorts, including three in Bangkok prove accurate, those numbers would top previous scuttlebutt. Earlier this year, there was chatter that should Thai policymakers approve casino gaming — an increasingly likely prospect — the country would start with five casino hotels. That plan called for two gaming venues in Bangkok, and one each in the Eastern Economic Corridor, Chiang Mai, and Phuket.

Bangkok Could Be an Alluring Casino Center

An article published by The Nation on Monday featured comments from Deputy Secretary-General to Prime Minister Suksit Srichomkwan indicating that the casino legislation under consideration by the Thai cabinet provides for three integrated resorts in Bangkok.

Assuming long-term return on investment in the high teens or low 20s in percentage terms – a common goal in the gaming industry – a $3 billion licensing fee would likely be palatable to numerous gaming companies, including US-based firms Las Vegas Sands, MGM Resorts International, and Wynn Resorts. All three have expressed some interest in Thailand.

The aforementioned legislative package also includes stipulations that casinos command no more than 10% of an integrated resort’s square footage and that gaming venues outside of Bangkok will carry an initial licensing fee of $1.5 billion.

Bangkok Casinos Matter for Other Reasons

The Thai government’s commitment to allowing casino resorts in Bangkok is important for other reasons. First, it’s the most populous city in the country, thus making it desirable for operators.

Speaking of Japan, Thai lawmakers backing the country’s casino ambitions are hoping to speed up the legislative process so that their nation’s first gaming venues open before MGM Osaka does in 2030.

The post Thai Government Eyes Bangkok for Three Casinos appeared first on Casino.org.

Founded in 1985 to bridge relationships between the Jewish community and Republican lawmakers, the RJC became a major political player more than a decade ago when Sheldon Adelson began pouring millions of dollars into the nonprofit’s political action committees. Adelson, who built The Venetian and Palazzo resorts on the Las Vegas Strip, and who is credited for transforming China’s Macau into the world’s richest gambling hub, died in January 2021.

During the RJC Annual Leadership Summit at The Venetian in Las Vegas last week, Adelson said Trump is the Jewish community’s “best friend.”

RJC’s Unprecedented Spending?

With Adelson’s support, the RJC plans to spend a record $15 million this presidential election cycle to defeat Vice President Kamala Harris, with $10 million going to battlegrounds. The RJC believes Trump is an ally to the Jewish community while Harris has sympathized with anti-Semitic rhetoric.

“Kamala Harris embraces and defends the squad even after Ilhan Omar made disgusting anti-Semitic comments,” a narrator claims. “Harris joined the squad in sympathizing with anti-Semitic, anti-Israel protestors.”

The 30-second spot will begin airing in select markets during Tuesday night’s presidential debate between Harris and Trump. While the latest polling suggests Harris has a slight lead, political betting markets have Trump as the front-runner.

Understanding the gravity of this moment … this is, by far, the largest and most comprehensive effort to turn out the Jewish vote for President Donald J. Trump,” the RJC said.

Trump, at the urging of the Adelsons, relocated the US Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. For years, Sheldon Adelson lobbied that the embassy should be located there to recognize Jerusalem as the true capital of Israel.

“I’m a one-issue person. That issue is Israel,” Adelson, whose parents were Jewish immigrants, said in 2017. Adelson added that Palestine exists solely “to destroy Israel.”

Odd Relationship

While Adelson and the RJC work to reelect Trump, her newest business partner is doing just the opposite.

Adelson acquired a controlling stake in the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks last year from billionaire Mark Cuban. The “Shark Tank” star retained a 27% ownership position in the team and remains in charge of the franchise’s operations.

The tech tycoon says he’s offered to serve in the Harris administration, with it being his wish to head up the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The post Republican Jewish Coalition Announces Record Ad Buy to Support Donald Trump appeared first on Casino.org.

Several properties are offering those impacted by the wildfire discounted rates. The Row in Reno is charging evacuees $59 a night and waiving its resort fees.

J Resort and Grand Sierra Resort are also offering discounts to evacuees. In addition, the Nugget Casino Resort, in Sparks, is charging $100 a night with the special code EVAC24.

Fire Began in Davis Creek Park

Called the Davis Fire, the wildfire started at about 2:30 p.m. Saturday in the Davis Creek Regional Park. Flames scorched much of the park and damaged park buildings.

At least 14 buildings were damaged by the wildfire and there was a “moderate” amount of smoke in the Reno-Sparks region, officials added. The threat of fire also led to the temporary closing of the Sky Tavern Lodge and Mount Rose Ski Tahoe ski resorts.

Also, as of Monday, local schools were shuttered while Mt. Rose Highway and Old US Highway 395 between East Lake Boulevard and Bowers Mansion Interchange, were closed.

NV Energy reported that some 17K customers in the region lost power. As of Monday night, that number was lowered to 3,100 customers, according to the Reno Gazette-Journal.

Due to the wildfire, the air quality in northern Washoe Valley, south Reno, and Virginia City was listed as “unhealthy for sensitive groups.” Children, the elderly, and those with chronic ailments are particularly at risk.

Washoe County and the Red Cross of Nevada opened an evacuation center with food and shelter at Washoe County Senior Services, 1155 East 9th St., in Reno. Small animals can be taken to the shelter while larger animals and livestock can be taken to the UNR Equestrian Center at 1290 Valley Road in Reno. The Silver Saddle Ranch in Carson City is accepting animals, too.

Authorities have yet to reveal the cause of the wildfire.

State, Federal Responses

Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo (R), issued a state of emergency in response to the fire.

I implore all residents to follow the directions of local authorities assisting in the evacuations. Our firefighters and emergency management teams are fully engaged and working tirelessly to mitigate this threat and prevent further losses,” Lombardo said in a statement.

“We are praying for the thousands of Americans under mandatory evacuation orders out West,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said on Monday in reference to the wildfires in Nevada and elsewhere. “We urge everyone … in the affected areas to remain vigilant and heed the warnings of local officials, especially those who have been ordered to evacuate.”

The post Nevada Residents Flee From Davis Wildfire, Many Find Housing at Casino Hotels appeared first on Casino.org.

The Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma is trying to stop the referendum that would ask Arkansans to amend the state constitution to only allow the Arkansas Racing Commission (ARC) to grant commercial casino licenses to counties that want them.

The Choctaw Nation is behind the Local Voters in Charge committee that submitted more than 160K signatures from registered voters to push the casino repeal to the 2024 ballot. The Choctaws are seeking to protect their tribal casinos in neighboring Oklahoma.?

Special Report Finds Few Discrepancies?

In June, the Cherokee Nation, doing business as Cherokee Nation Entertainment in Arkansas, was deemed the winner for the gaming license earmarked for Pope County. The tribe plans to build a $300 million destination called Legends Resort & Casino in Russellville.

Last month, Arkansas Secretary of State John Thurston said Local Voters in Charge had met the 2024 referendum requirements and the casino question would go before voters. Thurston’s office validated more than 116K of the 160K signatures submitted.

The Cherokees consequently filed a lawsuit with the Arkansas Supreme Court.

Since time is critical, as Election Day is only 55 days away and early voting in Arkansas begins two weeks before November 5, the state Supreme Court agreed to expedite its review of the Cherokee lawsuit. The high court appointed Randy Wright, a judge in the Eighth Judicial Circuit Court, to serve as a special master on the case.

On Monday, Wright released his “Master’s Report and Findings of Fact” that seemingly improved the odds of the Local Voters in Charge question remaining on the ballot.

Report Findings

Wright said the canvassing claims made by the Arkansas Canvassing Compliance Committee had little to no merit. The judge said there was no evidence that canvassers were compensated based on the number of signatures they collected.

The Petitioners … did not offer proof that Local Voters in Charge or its agents actually paid a canvasser based on the signatures he or she obtained,” Wright wrote.

However, Wright did say that signatures collected from nine canvassers should be disqualified because those agents provided incomplete or incorrect addresses when registering.

The number of signatures to be disqualified totaled 5,966. That still leaves the number of total valid signatures at 110,234 — far more than the 90,704 needed.

Additional briefs from each side are expected in response to Wright’s report in the coming weeks. The Arkansas Supreme Court will likely render its decision in mid-October.

The post Arkansas Casino Referendum Likely to Remain Following Special Master’s Report appeared first on Casino.org.

In September 2021, the Osaka Prefecture selected MGM as its casino resort development partner. After years of planning and the obtaining of necessary approvals, MGM and its local consortium were issued Japan’s first casino license in April 2023.

When MGM Resorts signed its development agreement with the Osaka prefecture and city governments, a condition was included to allow the company to back out of the deal under certain terms. MGM has reportedly canned the clause to signal its ongoing commitment to completing the more than $8 billion project.

Exit Terms

The Osaka casino development agreement with MGM Resorts allowed the Bellagio operator to withdraw from the project if tourism failed to recover to pre-COVID-19 levels, if financing was unable to be secured at fair terms, or if unexpected issues with the construction site on Yumeshima Island arose.

With MGM fully on board, construction is expected to be expedited. Work began on the JPY1.27 trillion (US$8.9 billion) scheme in December 2023.

MGM Osaka is slated to be a six-year construction endeavor. The integrated resort blueprint includes 2,500 hotel rooms across three distinct brands, 730K square feet of convention and meeting space, dozens of restaurants and bars, a theatre, and a shopping mall.

MGM hasn’t specified the scope of the casino, but the gaming floor is limited to 3% of the property’s overall indoor floor space under Japan’s 2018 gaming law.

Solid Foundation?

With MGM Resorts securing its Osaka plan, an unwavering pledge that originated nearly a decade ago, laborers are focused on strengthening the island worksite. Since December, workers have been drilling holes where steel beams will extend some 230 feet deep to reach bedrock.

Yumeshima Island was a former landfill that became a land reclamation project in the early 1990s. Yumeshima is to play an integral role in Osaka’s hosting of the 2025 World Expo.

Yumeshima is targeted to become a “smart resort city” by the city government that serves Osaka as a “global tourism hub.” The long-term development plan includes zones for business, tourism, and logistics, plus green space.

MGM told Asian gaming media outlet GGRAsia over the weekend that it continues to target a mid-2030 opening for MGM Osaka.

The post MGM Resorts Doubles Down on Japan Commitment, Strikes Termination Clause appeared first on Casino.org.

The evacuation began at 1 p.m. Officials found nothing suspicious at the property and was allowed back into the Islandia, NY gaming property at about 2:45 p.m.

Three employees were checked out at a local hospital as a precautionary measure, according to Newsday.

The three employees had taken part in what was described as a “welfare check” of a hotel room when they noticed the strange smell.

Emergency crews were alerted and searched the property. Responding units included Suffolk County police officers, firefighters, and EMS staff.

Nothing hazardous was located, according to News 12 Long Island and there’s no word on what caused the suspicious odor.

Out of an abundance of caution, the hotel and casino were evacuated by local law enforcement,” Michael Bonakdar, general manager of Jake’s 58 Casino Hotel, said in a statement.

“After a brief evacuation, it was determined that there was no threat to the public, and all patrons were able to re-enter the casino.”

Dizzy Feeling

One guest, Matthew Morano, 49, of Fire Island, NY told Newsday, he had felt a little dizzy. An EMT crew examined him.

They just wanted to check me out,” Morano said. “They offered me to go to the hospital, but I don’t need to take up a spot. I’m OK.”

At about noon, he had checked out of his seventh-floor hotel room.

He remained in the lobby until 1:30 p.m.

“All the sudden, medics started coming in with stretchers,” Morano recalled. “There was a big scene around here.”

The post New York State Casino Evacuated Temporarily After Chemical Smell appeared first on Casino.org.

Mercer County Judge Patrick Bartels last month dismissed a lawsuit against the state that alleged New Jersey’s 2006 Smoke-Free Air Act that provided carveouts for indoor smoking at casinos and parimutuel wagering facilities violates employees’ rights to a safe workplace.

“It is past time to allow casinos the exclusive right to poison their workers for claimed profits,” said attorney Nancy Erika Smith, who filed the appeal on behalf of the UAW and CEASE.

The appeal seeks “emergent relief,” or an expedited review of the matter since the lawsuit claims personal health and worker safety is involved.

Judge Finds Law Constitutional?

Bartels ruled against the UAW and CEASE after concluding that the state’s smoking law doesn’t prevent a worker from seeking employment elsewhere.

“The act places no parameters on a casino worker’s ability to seek work in a smoke-free environment,” Bartels wrote in his ruling. “It cannot be said that the New Jersey Legislature’s actions in providing exceptions to the Smoke-Free Air Act restricts the casino workers’ right to pursue safety under the New Jersey Constitution.”

Attorneys defending the nine casinos in Atlantic City, which want to retain indoor smoking on claims that a smoking ban would cost revenue and jobs, argued that only the legislature can change the smoking law — not a judge.

Our elected officials struck what they believed was the most appropriate balance and have had the opportunity every year for 18 years since the act was passed to strike a different balance. If the Legislature changes its collective mind and decides to strike a different balance, then the law will change. If not, the law must stand, and plaintiffs’ complaint must be dismissed,” attorney Chris Porrino said on behalf the casinos.

Porrino added that the legislature’s justifications for including the casino smoking loopholes were understandable.

“The simple facts are that many people who gamble like to smoke. If the smoking exemption is stricken, jobs will be lost and employees will be out of work, medical, and other benefits,” Porrino said.

Odds Long

The Atlantic City casino smoking appeal faces long odds of being taken up in the New Jersey Supreme Court. The court in Trenton receives over 1,000 petitions each year but accepts only about 100 cases.

To be accepted, the petition must convince the court that the appellate judges made a legal error in deciding the case,” the New Jersey Supreme Court website explains.

New Jersey’s latest Health Assessment in 2022 found that about 10% of the adult population smokes cigarettes. That’s down from 17% in 2012.

The post Atlantic City Casino Smoking Lawsuit Appealed to New Jersey Supreme Court appeared first on Casino.org.

The Mega Millions drawing for Friday, Sept. 6, resulted in no jackpot winners. It marked the game’s 27th consecutive drawing without a ticket matching the six winning numbers.

Tuesday’s $800 million prize trails only seven Mega Millions jackpots won that were each in excess of 10 digits. At $800 million, the jackpot ranks as the 13th-richest in U.S. history.

Top Mega Millions Jackpots

• $1.602B — 8/8/2023 — 1-FL
• $1.537B — 10/23/2018 — 1-SC
• $1.348B — 1/13/2023 — 1-ME
• $1.337B — 7/29/2022 — 1-IL
• $1.128B — 3/26/2024 — 1-NJ
• $1.05B — 1/22/2021 — 1-MI
• $800M — 9/10/2024 — ?
• $656M — 3/30/2012 — 3-IL, KS, MD
• $648M — 12/17/2013 — 2-CA, GA
• $552M — 6/4/2024 — 1-IL

Friday Night Highlights

Though the jackpot dodged players on Friday, the night wasn’t a total loss, as six tickets matched all five white balls but not the gold Mega Ball to claim Mega Millions’ second-tier prize of $1 million. One of those gameplays purchased the optional $1 add-on Megaplier that doubled their win to $2 million after the Megaplier landed on 2x.

Forty-nine tickets matched four white balls and the gold Mega Ball to win $10,000. Ten of those plays had the Megaplier to double their prize to $20,000. More than 1,000 tickets hit four of the five white balls for $500 prizes, with 223 including the Megaplier.

In total, 1,699,484 tickets won a prize during the Friday drawing. Approximately 1.12 million of those tickets matched the Mega Ball to win back their $2 bet.?

Mega Millions Anniversary

Friday night marked the 28th anniversary of Mega Millions. Though the game originated as The Big Game when it was first drawn on Friday, Sept. 6, 1996, the interstate lottery operation has consistently run ever since.

The original six participating lotteries 28 years ago were Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Massachusetts, and Virginia. The Mega Millions logo with the gold Mega Ball displaying six stars represents the original six participating lotteries. Today, Mega Millions is played in 45 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The game was most recently overhauled in October 2017 when the price to play was doubled to $2 and the number of Mega Balls was increased from 15 to 25. The number of white balls was reduced from 75 to 70, which led some to think that hitting the jackpot might be easier.

The opposite was true, as the jackpot’s odds lengthened from one in 258.89 million to one in 302.57 million.

The post Mega Millions Hits 28 Years, But Doesn’t Celebrate With Jackpot appeared first on Casino.org.

Bilzerian is parting ways with his Las Vegas mansion in the gated Spring Valley neighborhood. The 5.2-acre, 40,000-square-foot Spanish Colonial-style estate features seven bedrooms, 14 baths, a 16-car garage, and an array of odd and quirky amenities fit for a hedonistic lifestyle.

At $25 million, Bilzerian’s estate is currently the costliest residential real estate listing in Nevada.

Trust Fund Baby Turned Poker Pro, Socialite, Philanderer

Bilzerian inherited a fortune from his father Paul, a corporate takeover specialist, who in 1989 was found guilty of securities law violations and ordered to pay more than $30 million in illegal profits to the SEC. It’s unclear how much the younger Bilzerian and his brother inherited.

Bilzerian claims the primary source of his wealth has been his successful gambling career, chiefly high-stakes poker. Many Las Vegas poker pros, most notably Doug Polk, have disputed those claims and allege that Bilzerian is simply a trust fund baby.

The Hendon Mob, the online poker database, puts Bilzerian’s all-time live cash earnings at just $36,626. Not exactly the kind of money that affords one a mansion in Las Vegas to complement his pads in Los Angeles, a private jet, and a luxury yacht.

Bilzerian claims he plays most often in private high-roller games that aren’t discussed publicly. His company, Ignite International Brands, also sells CBD oils, e-cigarettes, spirits, and apparel.

Bilzerian likely makes a nice living through his social media accounts, specifically Instagram, where he has 32 million followers.

That same year, Bilzerian was sued by a porn star after he threw her off a roof for a Hustler photoshoot. She landed short of the pool and broke her foot.

Anti-Israel Rhetoric?

Bilzerian more recently caused a stir after he seemingly made anti-Semitic remarks about the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict.

Bilzerian’s family roots trace back to Armenia, a West Asia country that supports Palestine. The Armenian people of the Ottoman Empire underwent systematic destruction from 1915 to 1917 when an estimated 600K to 1.5 million people were killed in what became known as the Armenian genocide.

The estate of Kirk Kerkorian, the founder of MGM Resorts, fulfilled his wishes six years after his death by producing a film recognizing the genocide. “The Promise” starred Academy Award-winning actor Christian Bale and was directed by Oscar-nominated Terry George.

The post Playboy Dan Bilzerian Lists Instagram-Worthy Las Vegas Mansion for $25M appeared first on Casino.org.

Ira Lubert won the rights to a Category 4 casino license on Sept. 2, 2020, when he was the high bidder during an auction round conducted by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB). Lubert submitted a bid of $10,000,101 that narrowly edged Baltimore-based Cordish Companies.

This week, Lubert, a 1973 Penn State graduate whose real estate firm, Lubert-Adler, has a deep portfolio in office, industrial, residential, retail, and hospitality across the nation, announced a $10 million gift to the Beaver Stadium Revitalization. The donation will result in the Lubert Family Welcome Center, a new “landmark space” at one of the stadium’s entrances. The renovation project is to be completed in 2027.

Coming to Penn State set me on a path that has led to professional success and personal fulfillment, and I am honored that the Lubert Family Welcome Center will offer a fresh, exciting first impression for future Penn Staters as they discover all that the university offers,” Lubert said.

The Penn State Board of Trustees approved a $700 million renovation of Beaver Stadium in May. While most of the investment will be financed and no tuition money will be used, private donors continue to help reduce the amount of interest the school will pay by lessening the principal. With Lubert’s contribution, the renovation has now received $55 million in donations.

Nearby Casino Saga

The renovation of Beaver Stadium has faced significant scrutiny as the $700 million project comes as the school continues to try and reduce its costs by offering some employees buyout packages. Another high-profile controversy in Centre County is Lubert’s plan to open a casino.

Cordish raised allegations in litigation that Lubert violated bidding protocols by orchestrating an investment group that helped him fund the $10 million bid. Lubert’s investors, who were detailed later, were not eligible to bid since they didn’t hold “an ownership interest in a slot machine license” as Lubert did with his 3% stake in Rivers Casino Pittsburgh.

Cordish argued it should have been the only qualified bid that September, but the case, which made its way to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, came down in Lubert’s favor. The state’s highest court in July upheld lower courts’ rulings in deciding that Lubert, while he might have organized an investment group to build the casino, had retained 100% control of SC Gaming OpCo, the entity he bid as, during the auction and subsequent remission of the $10 million fee.

PSU Steers Clear of Casino Controversy

After years of legal delays, Bally’s, which will operate the State College casino, told investors during its second-quarter earnings call that construction at the Nittany Mall is targeted for the first half of 2025.

Marcus Glover, the chief financial officer of Bally’s, said the company and Lubert’s team are “going through the process and obtaining the appropriate approvals.”

In July, Bally’s accepted a takeover from Soo Kim’s Standard General hedge fund. Bally’s has recently faced several credit downgrades, concerns about its financial outlook, and worries that the company could be overleveraged. ?

Kim has remained quiet about what Bally’s future might look like once he takes full control. Under Standard General, Bally’s is expected to direct much of its focus on its $2 billion Bally’s Chicago undertaking, and possibly, a new resort in Las Vegas. That could prompt the company to fold on smaller regional operations like the one coming to State College. ?

The post State College Casino Developer Gifts Penn State $10M for Football Stadium Renovation appeared first on Casino.org.

The initial winner played a Dragon Link machine at about 6 p.m. on August 24. That person collected $1,191,881 at the Wynn. Some 18 hours later, another person sat down at another Dragon Link slot at the Wynn on August 25. That player collected $1,005,405.

Both players chose not to release their names. The casino did say that both are regular visitors at the Wynn.

Neither winner revealed how they will spend their newly found fortunes.

This is the second time Wynn Las Vegas has paid out two jackpots totaling more than one million dollars within a 24-hour period, the first time occurring in 2023,” according to a Wynn statement quoted by the Sacramento Bee.

Dragon Link slots are made by Aristocrat Gaming.

Michigan Casino Player Hits $630K

A visitor from Michigan won more than $630K on a slot machine at Michigan’s Island Resort & Casino on Thursday.

Deanna Juday of Wautoma, Wis. collected $630,084.36 on an International Game Technology’s Whitney Houston Slots game after making a $3 bet.

Juday claimed she had a hunch she was going to win a jackpot this week, according to a company statement. Some of the money will go to helping others, she added.

With this win, Island Resort & Casino is the first US casino to pay out a top-level, wide-area progressive jackpot on IGT’s Whitney Houston Slots.

Whitney Houston Slots are located in 38 US properties, which share the wide-area progressive.

Rampart Casino Player Wins $454K

A local player visited the Rampart Casino in Las Vegas on August 28 and left with a $454K jackpot won on a Monopoly Cash Wheel wide-area progressive machine.

The unnamed visitor was playing the machine for about 10 minutes when she won.

There’s no word on how the money will be spent.

Grand Lodge Casino Player Wins $1.1M

A mystery guest from San Francisco recently won $1,137,093.42 at Nevada’s Grand Lodge Casino at the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe.

The lucky player went to the casino on August 22 and bet $10 on the Five Times Pay version of the Wheel of Fortune Gold Spin Deluxe.

The gaming property is located in Incline Village, near Lake Tahoe.

Casino Winner Collects $255K

A California woman named Ginger T. hit a $255,422 jackpot at a Mesquite, Nev. gaming property last month.

She was playing a Wheel of Fortune slot machine on August 19 at the Casablanca Resort, Casino, Golf & Spa and hit a gold spin jackpot.

Justin Moore, CEO of Mesquite Gaming, recalled in a statement that “everyone in the casino could feel her excitement when she realized how much she’d won.”

The post Jackpot: Two Players Win $1M on Dragon Link Slot at Wynn — On Same Weekend appeared first on Casino.org.

The 10 p.m. incident began at the Mulvane, Kan. gaming property when a lithium battery in a radio malfunctioned, according to Kansas TV station KWCH.

The explosion led to smoke, which was noticed by a casino security guard who alerted Mulvane Fire Rescue.

The sprinkler drenched the fire and pretty much put it out,” Mulvane Fire Rescue Deputy Fire Chief Lowell Ester told KWCH.

The radio was located on a chair in an office and contained “Enough combustibles in it that it got hot fast enough that it kicked the sprinkler head [on],” Ester explained.

The incident caused water damage to the casino offices, but no injuries were reported.

The casino is owned and managed by Boyd Gaming.

Rental Truck Crashes into Casino

A U-Haul rental truck was driven into a wall at Arizona’s Vee Quiva Casino following a Thursday night police chase.

Police apprehended the two occupants of the truck after they jumped out and began to run.

The incident began on US Route 60 in Mesa, Ariz. after authorities spotted a woman who was wanted by police for a pending arrest warrant. Officers tried to stop the vehicle but it sped away before it came to rest after crashing into the casino building.

The names of the suspects weren’t immediately available. Their charges weren’t released by police on Thursday night.

The woman had been incarcerated before the incident.

The Vee Quiva Casino is located on the Gila River Indian Reservation.

Armed Man Allegedly Chases Victim

A man was arrested earlier this month after he allegedly pulled out a knife and ran after a woman at a Montana casino.

Tyler Little Dog, 28, was charged with assault with a weapon after he chased his estranged girlfriend at the unnamed Missoula, Mont. gaming property, police said.

Police seized a large knife from the suspect after arresting Little Dog.

The post Casino Crime Roundup: Battery Explosion Forces Evacuation of Kansas Casino appeared first on Casino.org.

They may want to rethink that view because there are emerging signs that momentum is building for the Wynn Al Marjan Island integrated resort in Ras Al Khaimah. For example, Wynn management is hosting an investor day in Las Vegas early next month.

In a new report to clients, JPMorgan analyst Joseph Greff said that could be a positive sign because it could imply UAE regulators are preparing to officially approve casino gaming.

The fact that management is willing to host a three-hour investor meeting could likely imply that regulations and licence issuance are imminent,” wrote Greff. “We don’t look at this as a derisking event, but rather one in which equity investors can start to ascribe the currently discounted equity value related to the project.”

The General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA), the UAE’s first gaming regulatory agency, was formed last year and in July, approved a lottery license for an Abu Dhabi-based company. That sparked hope the authority would sign off on a casino license for Wynn. Some investors are waiting on that approval because the economics of Wynn Al Marjan Island are significantly more attractive when a casino is included.

More Positive Signs for Wynn’s UAE Casino

Potential near-term approval of a UAE-issued gaming license for Wynn could be a boon because competitors are eager to test the region. The Wynn property is scheduled to open in early 2027, indicating that it would have a temporary monopoly should it win a casino permit because it’s further along than any venue that could be considered competition.

“In September 2023, the UAE establishing the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA), signaling the country’s intent to regulate and potentially legalize certain forms of gambling. Since that announcement, public curiosity has surged, with online searches for gambling-related terms increasing by 54.38%,” according to Dubai Casinos.

The research group added that, on average, each marquee news event pertaining to wagering in UAE sparks a 12.54% increase in related internet searches among citizens of the Emirates.

Interest is There for UAE Casinos

While Wynn Al Marjan Island is positioned as a tourist destination with gaming space occupying a scant percentage of overall square footage, it’s clear there’s burgeoning interest among locals in land-based gaming venues.

This is evident in the steady search volume for ‘Casino in Dubai’ and ‘Ras Al Khaimah Casino,’ suggesting that the public is eager to learn more about the possibility of brick-and-mortar gaming venues in these areas,” added Dubai Casinos.

Regulators haven’t commented on whether or not there will be limitations on local visitation to UAE gaming venues, but that could be a difficult, impractical task owing to the vast oil wealth in the Emirates.

The post Wynn UAE Casino Plan Building Momentum appeared first on Casino.org.

No Mega Millions ticket has matched the five white balls and gold Mega Ball since June 4 when a ticket sold in Illinois claimed a $552 million jackpot. There have been 26 drawings since, with tens of millions of tickets sold, without a single one matching the night’s six winning numbers.

The one-time cash option is an estimated $366.3 million. Both amounts are before a federal tax of 37%, the top tax bracket, and possibly state income taxes.

The lump sum if chosen would immediately be reduced by $135.5 million to approximately $230.8 million.

Number Frequency?

Most Mega Millions and Powerball players use the quick pick function to select their ticket numbers. But data suggests you might improve your odds ever so slightly by taking the time to carefully pick your six numbers.

According to USA Mega, an online database that tracks Powerball and Mega Millions draws, wins, and lottery news, the white Mega Millions Nos. 3 and 10 are drawn more often than any other number in the 90-ball pool.

Based on 715 Mega Millions drawings dating back to Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2017, the Nos. 3 and 10 were each drawn 67 times, or 9.37% of the total draws. No. 10 was most recently drawn on Aug. 30. No. 3 was last drawn on July 23.

The No. 17 has been drawn the next most at 64, or 8.95% of the time. Nos. 14 and 31 were drawn 62 times, or 8.67%, to rank tied for fourth.

The No. 24 Mega Ball has come up 36 times, or 5.03%, and the No. 18 Mega Ball was drawn 35 times, or 4.9%.

On the other end, the white No. 49 ball has been the unluckiest Mega Millions ball. The 49 has been pulled just 36 times, or 1.01%. Other unlucky white balls include Nos. 50, 35, 65, and 51. As for Mega Balls, No. 23 has been drawn the least at just 20 times or 2.8%.

For a full breakdown of the Mega Millions statistics, click here.

Lottery Probability

Some lottery players after examining the Mega Millions statistics might be inclined to pick the numbers that have been drawn the least in the thinking that those numbers are due. But mathematicians say there’s no science or strategy in picking lottery numbers.

Nick Kapoor, a mathematics professor at Connecticut’s Fairfield University, explains that nothing in the past or future affects an individual lottery drawing event. He says even utilizing the aforementioned Mega Millions chart showing which numbers are drawn more often improves one’s odds of winning the jackpot by 0.0001 to 0.00002%.

It’s still very, very improbable,” Kapoor said. ?

The post As Mega Millions Grows, Here Are the Most Commonly Drawn Numbers appeared first on Casino.org.

The AFL-CIO, or American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, represents both leading casino unions in Atlantic City. The United Auto Workers (UAW) Region 9 represents Atlantic City table game dealers at the three aforementioned properties, while Unite Here Local 54 represents nongaming workers at all nine casinos in town.

UAW Region 9 Director Daniel Vicente Jr. revealed to NPR on Wednesday that the union’s New Jersey chapter will terminate its AFL-CIO membership after the national trade federation worked against its efforts to extinguish indoor casino smoking in Atlantic City.

I cannot express how furious our institution is at the New Jersey state-level AFL and the other unions that filed an injunction status against us,” Vicente said. “This is a moral, health, and safety issue.”

In April, the UAW helped casino workers file a lawsuit against the State of New Jersey, Gov. Phil Murphy (D), and NJ Health Commissioner Kaitlan Baston challenging the state’s permittance of casino smoking in designated areas. The lawsuit alleged that casino workers’ rights to personal safety in the workplace were being violated.?

Union Bickering

While the UAW wants casino smoking banned to protect its table game union members, Unite Here doesn’t. Local 54 represents resort workers employed as housekeepers, servers, bartenders, kitchen staff, bellmen, and porters. The Unite Here chapter believes a smoking ban would lead to reduced gaming revenue and threaten some 3,000 jobs.

“A total smoking ban would place thousands of jobs at risk, endangering the wages, health, welfare benefits, and retirement benefits of Local 54 members and their families,” the union wrote in the Superior Court filing.

Superior Court Judge Patrick Bartels ultimately ruled in the casinos’ favor on grounds that the state’s smoking carveout for casinos doesn’t violate workers’ protections under the New Jersey Constitution.

Vicente took issue with the AFL-CIO not supporting the UAW’s efforts to provide safe workplaces for its members.

That organization has been actively undermining our efforts to protect the health and safety of our members,” Vicente declared.

The AFL-CIO says on its website that it brings together 60 national and international unions to collectively bargain on behalf of their 12.5 million members for better pay and benefits, worker rights, workplace health and safety, and gender equality.

Casino Smoking Debate?

Anti-smoking opponents in New Jersey aren’t buying what Unite Here and the nine casinos are selling in claiming a tobacco ban would lead to gaming revenue declines. They point to nearby Philadelphia where Parx Casino just north of the city is the top gaming revenue generator among Pennsylvania’s 17-casino industry.

Unite Here Local 54 President Donna DeCaprio, who celebrated Bartels’ ruling, said the union “has been instrumental in creating a safer environment for both workers and customers” and “will continue to focus on solutions that both improve workers’ safety and protect their jobs.”

The post Atlantic City Casino Union Drops AFL-CIO Membership Over Smoking Saga appeared first on Casino.org.

In a recent report to clients, Deutsche Bank analyst Carlo Santarelli observed that 2024 and 2025 maturities among publicly traded gaming companies “are relatively limited,” adding that of the 12 casino companies the bank covers, just five have debt coming due this year or in 2025. That quintet is comprised of Gaming and Leisure Properties (NASDAQ: GLPI), Las Vegas Sands (NYSE: LVS), MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM), VICI Properties (NYSE: VICI), and Wynn Resorts (NASDAQ: WYNN).

Santarelli added that most of the debt the aforementioned quintet has coming due over the near term is at favorable interest rates, indicating the casino operators wouldn’t materially benefit from refinancing those obligations. That would remain the case even if interest rates decline significantly in the months ahead.

Lower Interest Rates Will Help Casino Debt

While some of the casino operators mentioned above don’t need to rush to refinance outstanding debt, there are benefits to be accrued in the industry from lower base rates.

We do believe the next 6-12 months will likely bring some relief to those with larger variable debt mixes. As evidenced in our analysis, a reduction in base rates will have the most notable and favorable impacts on discretionary free cash flow, based on our current 2025 discretionary free cash flow forecasts,” wrote Santarelli.

Boyd Gaming (NYSE: BYD), Caesars Entertainment (NASDAQ: CZR), Golden Entertainment (NASDAQ: GDEN), Light & Wonder (NASDAQ: LNW), Penn Entertainment (NASDAQ: PENN), Red Rock Resorts (NASDAQ: RRR), and Wynn could all experience increases of at least 3% to discretionary free cash flow if rates fall by 150 basis points throughout 2025, according to Santarelli.

At the high end of that range, Caesars would save $91.1 million in annual interest expenses if interest rates fall by 1.5%. That’s followed by Sands at $42.1 million, according to Deutsche Bank estimates. On a percentage basis of increased free cash flow assuming rates fall 150 basis points, Golden Entertainment is tops at 7.3%.

Casino Operators Facing Biggest Near-Term Maturities

Assuming no refinancing takes place over the near term, Las Vegas Sands and VICI face the largest 2025 maturities. Sands has $2.121 billion in bonds at a blended interest rate of 4.6% coming due next year while VICI has $2.050 billion at a blended interest rate of 4.2% maturing next year, according to Deutsche Bank.

Additionally, VICI’s contracts with gaming operator tenants are long term with gradual rent increases –two traits that provide earnings visibility.

The post Casino Operators Face Limited Near-Term Debt Maturities appeared first on Casino.org.

CEASE, or Casino Employees Against Smoking Effects, debuted two 30-second videos on YouTube Wednesday featuring children of casino workers who are regularly exposed to secondhand smoke. In the first video, Ayana, the granddaughter of CEASE co-founder Lamont White, a table game dealer at the Borgata, discussed the challenges of his job.

When he comes over after work, if we try to hug him he won’t let us because he knows he smells like smoke,” Ayana says. “He doesn’t want us to inhale that. If they want to smoke, they should take it outside.”

In another “Kids of CEASE” video, Nathan, whose parents both work in Atlantic City casinos, said he worries about his mom and dad being exposed daily to secondhand smoke.

I definitely worry for my mom and dad, letting people just smoke in their face. It’s not fair… they are risking their lives for our lives.”

Nathan reveals that his mother is currently pregnant but continues to work to support the family.

Unions at Odds?

CEASE told Casino.org that the anti-smoking videos will air in key legislative districts across New Jersey, including in Assemblyman Bill Moen’s (D) District 5. The deputy majority leader is a primary sponsor of Assembly Bill 2143, legislation that would extinguish the indoor smoking loophole given to casino floors under the state’s 2006 Smoke-Free Air Act.

Despite co-authoring AB 2143, Moen has stalled the bill in the Assembly Tourism, Gaming, and the Arts Committee that he chairs. The bill already has enough Assembly support to clear the chamber by way of more than 40 co-sponsors in the 80-person lower house.

The United Auto Workers (UAW), which represents table game dealers at Bally’s, Caesars, and Tropicana, is supportive of prohibiting indoor casino smoking. But Unite Here Local 54, which represents thousands of Atlantic City casino workers in nongaming functions, does not. Unite Here believes a smoking ban could result in at least one, possibly two, casinos closing which would devastate the local economy.

Videos Follow Court Ruling

The UAW helped CEASE fund a lawsuit challenging the 2006 indoor smoking carveout for casinos and parimutuel facilities in New Jersey. The litigation claimed that casino workers’ rights to personal health safety are being violated.

Last week, New Jersey Superior Court Judge Patrick Bartels disagreed. He said the state legislature didn’t violate the state’s founding framework when it allowed casinos to designate up to 25% of their gaming space for tobacco use.

Bartels reasoned that the Smoke-Free Air Act “does not hinder or affect a person’s ability to seek work in a smoke-free environment” nor does the law restrict “casino workers’ right to pursue safety under the New Jersey Constitution.” CEASE is expected to appeal the ruling to the New Jersey Supreme Court.

The post Casino Anti-Smoking Advocates in Atlantic City Put Their Kids in Campaign Videos appeared first on Casino.org.

The Pamunkey Indian Tribe and billionaire gaming industry veteran Jon Yarbrough were picked by Norfolk government officials ahead of a local ballot referendum in November 2020 to develop a commercial casino resort in the Hampton Roads city. City voters signed off on the casino plan, but numerous delays and a slew of hurdles have resulted in the project still not breaking ground.

The latest timeline suggests that Las Vegas-based Boyd Gaming is entering the picture. Per planning documents submitted to the Norfolk City Council and Architectural Review Board, Boyd is set to become a majority investor in the Norfolk casino undertaking.

Boyd to the Rescue?

Originally to be called HeadWaters Resort & Casino, the project has suffered repeated setbacks.

Questions about whether a temporary casino could operate at a different mailing address than the permanent resort resulted in one outline being scrapped. The federal and state governments’ more recent announcement to embark on a $2.6 billion infrastructure project in Hampton Roads that includes constructing a 17-foot-high floodwall along the Elizabeth River forced the casino developers to go back to the drawing board and scrap a planned marina.

With fewer than 500 members on its 1,200-acre reservation in King William County, the small Pamunkey tribe is incapable of garnering loans for a $500 million scheme. As a result, gaming industry veteran Yarbrough had agreed to help secure financing and to provide expert insight into designing and managing the resort.

Planning documents reveal that Boyd is to assume an 80% ownership stake in Golden Eagle. The tribe would retain the remaining 20%.

No financial terms were disclosed, though that could change because Boyd Gaming is a publicly traded company. Boyd operates 29 properties across the nation in 19 markets.?

New Timeline

With Boyd seemingly entering the development team, the newest timeline for the resort suggests opening a “transitional casino” by early November 2025. The provisional gaming space would operate on the same 13.5-acre site where the permanent resort would stand.

Construction on the permanent casino and resort hotel would begin on Jan. 13, 2025, and would be expected to be ready for guests in September 2027. The latest blueprint includes 200 hotel rooms — 100 fewer than previous scopes.

The casino remains unchanged at 65,000 square feet with 1,000 slot machines, 25 live dealer table games, and a 180-seat sportsbook. The overall budget has been slashed from $500 million to $300 million.

The Norfolk City Council is expected to vote on September 10 on whether to allow the development team to amend its partners to include Boyd. The next progression would be presenting the project to the city’s Architectural Review Board for approval.

The post Norfolk Casino Project Tags Boyd Gaming for Waterfront Development appeared first on Casino.org.

As of April 2, Bally’s no longer has a casino in Las Vegas after shuttering the Tropicana. The Rat Pack-era hotel and casino is scheduled for demolition next month.

“We are thrilled to join forces with Palms in Las Vegas for this exciting venture. Our goal is to provide our Bally Rewards members with unparalleled rewards and experiences, and this partnership with the Palms is a significant step toward achieving that,” said Bally’s Chief Marketing Officer and SVP of Gaming Mike Donovan.

Bally’s Corporation operates 16 brick-and-mortar casinos in the U.S. The Rhode Island-based company recently began construction on its largest project to date in Chicago where it’s investing $2 billion to realize an integrated resort casino in the nation’s third most populated city.

Cross-Marketing Partnership

Bally’s runs casinos in 10 states where Bally Rewards players earn Bally Bucks while gambling on slot machines, table games, and betting on sports. The multi-tiered card program has four status levels — Pro, Star, Superstar, and Legend.

For the higher tiers, players regularly receive comps based on their rewards preferences. Bally’s allows rewards members to redeem their points for free slot and table game play and free stays at three designated properties — Bally’s Atlantic City, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Biloxi in Mississippi, and Bally’s Lake Tahoe in Nevada. Palms becomes another Bally’s travel destination for its rewards members.

Together, Bally’s and Palms aim to enhance the gaming experience for their guests through tier matching, tournament invitations, and annual trips,” the Bally’s website reads.

“We’re pleased to welcome Bally Rewards members to Palms Casino Resort and provide an exciting Las Vegas experience,” added Greg Shulman, Palms’ vice president of casino marketing. “Partnering with Bally’s Corporation allows us to explore new opportunities and introduce Palms hospitality to Bally’s members.”?

Palms Story

Palms was built by the Maloof family and opened in November 2001. The 703-room resort went into financial ruin amid the Great Recession and was sold to two private equity firms.

San Manuel’s acquisition of the casino marked the first time in Las Vegas history that a Native American tribe had full ownership of a casino resort.

The post Bally’s Partners With Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas appeared first on Casino.org.

Borgata announced Tuesday that the Gypsy Bar will close on September 6 to make way for a “reimagined gaming experience” area. The Gypsy Bar is located next to the Old Homestead and Izakaya fine dining restaurants.

The casino floor is also being equipped with a new high-end lounge featuring a curated selection of rare liquors from around the world. A new Asian-themed restaurant concept is additionally in the works.

We couldn’t be more excited about this project as we look ahead to this next phase of Borgata’s evolution,” said Nik Rytterstrom, president and chief operating officer of Borgata. “These enhancements are not just about maintaining our position in the market — they’re about pushing the boundaries of what our guests can expect from a world-class gaming destination.”

The Borgata casino floor update is the resort’s first major project since Rytterstrom took over the Marina District property in March. When he was appointed to the top role at one of MGM’s most critical assets outside of Las Vegas, Rytterstrom pledged to continue to differentiate Borgata in the competitive Atlantic City landscape, where nine casinos are battling to retain customers.

Borgata Rebound

Borgata has long been the most profitable casino in Atlantic City. It’s also long generated the most gross gaming revenue (GGR) in town. However, since Hard Rock and Ocean opened in June 2018, Borgata has seen its market dominance lessen.

In 2019, Borgata’s $709.6 million in GGR represented 26.4% of the market. Atlantic City brick-and-mortar casino revenue totaled approximately $2.68 billion that year. Hard Rock won $324 million for a 12% stake and Ocean won $215.7 million for an 8% position.

In 2024, Borgata has managed to win back some of that lost market share, though Hard Rock continues to improve its position.

Through eight months of the year, Borgata’s roughly $427.8 million in casino win represented 26.2% of the industry. Hard Rock’s $316.9 million accounted for about 19.5%, and Ocean’s share remained stable at 14.5% with GGR of $235.6 million.

Recent Upgrades

Borgata’s investment in improvements to its casino floor comes after the resort spent $55 million to renovate the Water Club hotel tower, which was subsequently rebranded to the MGM Tower at Borgata. Each of the more than 700 guest rooms and suites were refreshed with cool, light tones.

With the main Borgata hotel, the destination offers 2,727 rooms. During the first half of 2024, Borgata reported that the rooms were occupied 71.1% of the time on an average nightly rate of $175.29.

Along with the hotel and casino, Borgata in recent years revitalized its Long Bar on the gaming floor, expanded the outdoor pool, and opened the 9,060-square-foot Overlook event space on the 32nd floor. The venue has 28-foot floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Marina District and Atlantic Ocean.

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The company told shareholders on Friday that it would halt trading and publish its full-year results later in the day. That’s while it “considered the implications” of a damning report by New South Wales (NSW) regulators that found it was still unsuitable to hold a gaming license for its flagship Star Sydney property.

The report by the New South Wales Independent Casino Commission (NICC) concluded the operator had not sufficiently addressed the “governance and cultural concerns” highlighted in a 2022 inquiry that initially found it unfit for licensing.

It has only very recently turned its attention to dealing with challenges that should have been prioritized earlier,” NICC chief commissioner Philip Crawford said.

“It was unclear whether The Star could feasibly operate under less supervision, when it was exhibiting past behaviors with its license still suspended,” he added.

Secret VIP Room

The 2022 inquiry determined that The Star Sydney had failed to protect itself from being used by criminal gangs to launder money in private high-roller junket rooms.

Star allowed Macau-based junket operator Suncity to secretly operate an unbranded VIP room, referred to as “Salon 95.” This was despite Australian authorities having identified Suncity as having links to organized crime.

Salon 95 continued to operate even after then-Star CEO Matt Bekier told regulators his company had severed business links to Suncity.

The casino also allowed Chinese high rollers to withdraw a total of $900 million for gambling using China UnionPay (CUP) credit cards while disguising these transactions as “hotel expenses” to avoid breaching CUP’s no-gambling transaction rules. Star subsequently lied to CUP and the National Australia Bank in an effort to conceal the deceit.

Crown Passes Test

Star’s competitor, Crown Resorts, faced similar accusations of cultural shortcomings and was also found unsuitable for licensing in NSW following a 2021 inquiry. But last April, the NICC determined that the company had successfully addressed its failings.

The report, published last Thursday, came just two days after Star opened its AU$3.8 billion (US$2.5 billion) Queens Wharf in Brisbane, Queensland. It also runs The Star Gold Coast in Queensland.

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That according to recent estimates by Stifel analyst Jeffrey Stantial. DraftKings and FanDuel have long held a duopoly in the US sports wagering scene in which they account for more than 70% market share. On a month-to-month basis, the two frequently rotate occupancy of the top spot with neither ever dropping below second place. That trend remained in place in the seventh month of the year.

FanDuel appears to have regained market share in July with OSB handle share up +0-3% month-over-month in most states – consistent with seasonality observed last year, though potentially also a function of higher promo reinvestment,” wrote Stantial.

The analyst added that as measured by handle, DraftKing was the biggest loser in July, shedding as much as 3% in some markets. BetMGM and Caesars Sportsbook ceded modest handle share in July while market share in the iGaming arena was steady.

It’s That Time of Year Again for Promo Spending

College football commenced in earnest over the weekend and the 2024 NFL season starts on Thursday. So with football being the most wagered on sport in the US, it’s not surprising that there’s evidence of increased promotional spending by sportsbook operators.

“Based on the three ‘mature’ and competitive states that have reported July OSB promotional figures, reinvestment by operator ranged 1-6% of handle – up +10 basis points month-over-month and flat year-over-year on average. Interestingly, the data shows FanDuel reinvestment up ~80 basis points year-over-year (as a % of handle) on average, with DraftKings up a more modest ~40 basis points,” observed Stantial.

In recent months, BetMGM has been one of the biggest promotional spenders, according to Stantial and the analyst forecasts large expenditures from ESPN Bet over the course of the 2024 football season.

Upside Drivers, Lingering Risks

Stantial left his state-level iGaming and sports wagering forecasts unchanged, but acknowledged the segments have both positive catalysts and risks.

“Healthy underlying user acquisition and monetization (increasingly weighted to the former), 2) increasing competition boasting wider user bases (ESPN Bet; Fanatics), 3) improvements to product from omnichannel operators, 4) incremental customer acquisition tools, and 5) continued product-driven improvements to hold-rate,” he wrote.

On the risk side, the analyst sees the possibility of more smaller players exiting the US market, lethargy on the legislative front, regulatory changes, the possibility some states will raise gaming taxes, and consumer fatigue when it comes to high hold wagers as issues to monitor in the months ahead.

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Quinn, now the chief executive officer of Women in Need (WIN), a non-profit group, endorsed the gaming venue because she believes it can be a jobs creator will driving revenue that could be used to ameliorate New York’s homeless problem. The former politician said Wynn New York City could generate tax receipts needed to address homelessness among families and women.

I am supporting Related and Wynn New York City’s bid for the Hudson Yards because it is the one that most recognizes that the biggest problem facing this city is that of homeless families with children,” said Quinn in a video posted on the Wynn New York City website. “I am ready for thousands of jobs for homeless moms working with Wynn New York City.”

Last week, Related and Wynn released updated renderings of the proposed $12 billion project on the West Side of Manhattan, noting it would likely create 35,000 construction jobs and 5,000 permanent union roles.

Wynn New York Casino Faces Plenty of Opposition

As is the case with nearly all of the other New York City-area casino bids, the Related/Wynn proposal faces opposition. Quinn, who started her career in Big Apple politics in 1999, didn’t comment on objections to the West Side gaming venue, but it is there.

More recently, the High Line, a non-profit group named after the historic park, said it objects to the Related/Wynn pitch because it could threaten the views in the Western Rail Yards area and also because the promised number of housing units is far less than hoped for. In 2009, Related reached an agreement with the city under which it would build between 3,454 and 5,700 housing units as part of its ongoing development of Hudson Yards. The plans released last week call for 1,500 units, including 324 affordable apartments.

The project also calls for a new K-8 public school, which has elicited concern about its proximity to casino. As for park space, Related and Wynn are looking to allay those fears, promising a 5.6 acre park that the two companies compare to the historic Bryant Park.

Quinn Sees Wynn Casino as Help for Homelessness

For her part, Quinn believes Wynn New York City could go a long way towards improving the city’s homeless problem. By some estimates, New York’s current rate of homelessness is as high as it’s been at any time since the Great Depression.

Whether or not a new gaming venue on the West Side will put a positive dent in that problem remains to be seen, but data confirm Quinn is right to call attention to homeless issue among families and women.

“In June 2024,?71 percent of those in shelters were members of homeless families, including?45,745 children,” according to the Coalition for the Homeless. “119,320?NYC schoolchildren experienced homelessness at some point during the 2022–2023 school year, representing?more than 11% of all NYC public school kids.”

The post Ex-NYC Council Speaker Quinn Backs Wynn Casino Plan appeared first on Casino.org.

The Virginia Lottery recently disclosed that it sold a record $5.521 billion in tickets during its 2024 fiscal year that ended June 30. Ticket sales surged almost 20% from $4.612 billion in 2023.

Lottery officials told the Lottery Post, an online news site focused on the U.S. lottery industry, that more than $3 billion of the sales came online. About $2.45 billion originated at brick-and-mortar lottery retailers.

The Virginia Lottery debuted internet games and ticket sales on July 1, 2020. Virginia Lottery spokesperson John Hagerty said annual internet sales have increased in each of the past four years to a record high in the 2024 fiscal year.

Online lottery gaming is legal in only nine states — Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, New Hampshire, North Dakota, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. Washington, DC, allows iLottery, too. Massachusetts is readying to launch its online lottery market late next year.

Virginia is the first iLottery jurisdiction to report higher annual online sales than in-person purchases. While the online numbers might be concerning for lottery retailers, Hagerty said in-person sales have grown in line with internet increases. The Virginia Lottery has roughly 5,300 businesses that serve as in-person lottery retailers.

Public Benefit

The Virginia Lottery primarily benefits K-12 public education. The lottery generates approximately $2.3 million per day for public schools.

Since the Virginia Lottery’s debut in 1999, lottery profits to the tune of more than $13.6 billion have gone to support primary and secondary public education. Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) celebrated the lottery’s latest fiscal performance.

Over the course of my administration, we have been able to achieve record funding for K-12 education, allowing for increased opportunities in the classroom,” Youngkin said. “I am so thrilled these record profits will help provide the necessary support and resources for Virginia’s students.”

About 10% of Virginia’s K-12 education budget comes from Virginia Lottery profits. The $5.5 billion in FY24 game sales led to a record lottery profit of more than $934 million. ??

$1M Wedding Gift

One recent Virginia Lottery winner who won $1 million on Cash4Life during the Aug. 3 drawing is using the money to get his son out of his basement.

Andrews’ father’s luck in overcoming the one in more than 7.28 million odds gave him the option of collecting $1,000 a week for life or taking a one-time cash option of $1 million. The elder Andrews chose the $1 million pre-tax option and gifted the money to his son.

I have a great father who has done nothing but look out for me,” Aaron told the Virginia Lottery while redeeming the ticket last week. “This was the best way to get him out of the basement,” his dad said jokingly.

Along with the $1 million cash being subjected to a federal tax of 37%, Virginia taxes lottery winnings at 5.75%. After taxes, the younger Andrews will keep about $572,500.

The post Virginia Lottery Online Sales Outpaced Retail in 2024 Fiscal Year, a First in U.S. History appeared first on Casino.org.

The victim was discovered in recent days at the casino. He also was linked by police to the prior killing of a woman in a Yuba City, Calif. apartment.

The woman, identified as Catalina Aceves of Live Oak, 38, was found dead on August 25.?Local police located Aceves during a welfare check following a request from Reno police officers, who investigated the man’s death.

The man was identified but police were withholding his name until family members were notified.

Our initial investigations suggest that this is a murder-suicide,” the Yuba City Police Department said in a statement released last week. The case remains under investigation, according to California TV station KCRA.

“The relationship between the two people and the circumstances leading up to the event are currently under investigation,” Yuba City police were additionally quoted by California’s Appeal-Democrat news outlet.

Officers are “actively working to gather more details,” Yuba City officers added in the statement.

No one else was involved in the deadly incident, according to the Sacramento Bee. There is no threat to the wider public, officers added.

It appears both the woman and man underwent autopsies. Details hadn’t been released as of this week.

No official word on Aceves’ cause and manner of death.

Reno is located about 133 miles east of Live Oak.

GoFundMe Fundraiser

A GoFundMe page was set up recently by Aceves’ family.

“Cathy was a cherished mother, daughter, sister, aunt and best friend,” Aceves was eulogized on the site. “She was a happy, soulful, and spiritual woman who was a guiding light to everyone that had the pleasure of having her in their life.”

As of Saturday, the online fundraiser raised $19,750. The initial goal was $5K.

“This [fundraising] page has been created to raise money for the funeral services, as well as any extra going to her son, Isaac,” the site added. “She was taken from us far too soon at only 38 years old.”

Suicide Prevention

Nationally, a 988 suicide and crisis lifeline, provides round the clock free and confidential support for people in distress. It offers prevention and crisis resources for individuals and health care professionals. It’s made up of a national network of local crisis centers.

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