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 would-be victim won $1K at the Auburn, Wash. gaming property on August 30. He took the payout in cash and stuffed the money into his wallet.

At about 3:16 a.m., he was walking back to his vehicle that was left in a parking garage. when he was approached by a woman who started to flirt with him.

Suddenly, a man appeared and pulled out a tire iron, ordering the victim to hand over his wallet, according to the Auburn Reporter.

Responding quickly, the victim was able to reach a hammer that was inside his nearby truck.

As the confrontation escalated, the male suspect dropped the tire iron and pulled out a knife. The victim, sensing danger, turned over his wallet.

The two suspects quickly fled in a car. The victim wasn’t injured.

The couple had tailed the man on the gaming floor after he won the money and the woman’s flirting appeared to be part of the robbery scheme.

Earlier this month, officers charged the suspects, Tahiri C. Ponce, 31, of Winlock, Wash., and Arturo Alejandro Perez-Nava, 32, of Elma, Wash., with first-degree robbery.

They were arrested at Tacoma, Washington’s Emerald Queen Casino on September 6. It wasn’t clear if they were planning a similar scheme at that casino.

Both remained in custody as of earlier this week. Bail for Ponce was set at $25K. Perez-Nava’s bail was set at $250K. Ponce has confessed to her role in the Muckleshoot casino robbery, police said.

The casino is located about 30 miles south of Seattle.

Prior Charges

A records check by local police revealed that Ponce recently was convicted of burglary and theft, and is facing a pending assault case. Perez-Nava has a pending burglary and theft case, a report from Washington TV station KIRO added.

Those convictions and potential convictions could lead to more time in prison for both of the defendants.

The post Robbery of Washington State Casino Winner Leads to Couple’s Arrest 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.”

The post Sands Long Island Casino Plan Draws ‘Environmental Racism’ Critique 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.

GambetDC was previously the lone mobile sports wagering application in the US capital city. However, due to a spate of controversies and disappointing performance, Intralot outsourced the operation of its app to Flutter Entertainment’s FanDuel, which took control in April. FanDuel paid a $5 million conversion fee to the Office of Lottery and Gaming (OLG) to take over for Intralot.

That set the stage for FanDuel to explore terminating its contract with the OLG, and for the likes of Caesars Sportsbook and BetMGM to offer mobile sports wagering in the city. As a result of that expansion, Caesars was able to land the kiosk business.

Caesars Familiar to DC Bettors

While Caesars doesn’t operate a land-based casino in Washington, DC, bettors are familiar with the gaming company and its brand. Before offering mobile sports wagering there in July, the company opened a retail sportsbook at Capital One Arena in 2021 – the first sportsbook in a US professional sports team’s home court or stadium.

Our self-service betting kiosks are an excellent addition to our sports wagering options in DC,” said Caesars Digital President Eric Hession in a statement. “Whether sports fans prefer a traditional ticket-in-hand wagering experience or want to simply deposit cash for their mobile app account, our kiosks enhance the premier sports betting experience we offer through the combination of options and convenience that supports dozens of small businesses locally.”

In addition to being able to use the kiosks to place wagers, bettors can also use the machine to add funds to their Caesars Sportsbook mobile accounts. Bets placed via kiosks are also eligible for rewards credits in the Caesars Rewards program.

The kiosks are located throughout the city and are found in bars, taverns, restaurants, and at official lottery retailers.

Caesars Branding Could Help Allay Kiosk Concerns

When the city opted to expand its mobile sports betting market, retailers that are home to the kiosks expressed concern that the move would diminish the appeal of the devices, thus pinching an important revenue stream.

In its press release, Caesars didn’t touch on that issue, but it’s possible the gaming company’s well-known brand and iconic logo will entice bettors to continue using the kiosks.

Financial terms of the gaming company’s deal with the OLG weren’t disclosed.

The post Caesars Takes Control of Washington, DC Sports Betting Kiosks appeared first on Casino.org.

Xaviar Michael Babudar, 30, was a familiar sight at Chiefs games where he was often picked up by TV cameras because of his gray wolf costume. He had an online following under the social media handle “@Chiefsaholic.”

He was also a troubled individual who had a difficult upbringing and lived a nomadic existence around the Kansas City metropolitan area, according to federal prosecutors.

His crime spree began in March 2022 when he robbed a Great Western Bank in Clive, Iowa. On Dec. 16, 2022, he was arrested while fleeing on a bicycle from a robbery at Tulsa Teachers Credit Union in Tulsa, Okla.

On the Run

Babudar was released on bond in February 2023. He was ordered to remain in Oklahoma and wear a GPS monitor on his ankle.

Shortly after, he won $100K from bets placed in June 2022 on his beloved Kansas City Chiefs winning the Super Bowl. He sawed off his ankle bracelet, withdrew the money, and took off.

Babudar remained at large for almost four months, robbing banks in Sparks, Nev., and El Dorado Hills, Calif., as he went. He was arrested on July 7, 2023, in Lincoln, Calif.

All in all, Babudar stole $847,725 from 11 banks and financial institutions, most of which remains unrecovered.

From April to December 2022, he bought more than $1 million in chips from casinos in Missouri, Kansas, and Illinois, redeeming a similar amount through the casinos, a pattern indicative of money laundering, according to prosecutors.

‘Addiction to Fame’

In a court filing, Babudar’s attorney, Matthew Merryman, argued the robberies were driven by his client’s gambling addiction.

“It’s not an addiction to gambling. It’s not an addiction to the Chiefs,” Patrick Daly, senior litigation counsel at the US Attorney’s Office, countered. “It’s an addiction to fame.”

In a post-sentencing statement, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Kansas City Field Office Stephen Cyrus agreed with that sentiment.

Babudar terrorized bank employees throughout his multistate crime spree, while relishing his celebrity status,” Cyrus said. “Today’s sentencing speaks to the severity of his actions and the significant law enforcement assistance and resources utilized across multiple states to hold him accountable for his violent and criminal behavior.”

Babudar was ordered to pay $532,675 in restitution to financial institutions he robbed and give up an autographed painting of Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes that was seized by the FBI.

The post KC Chiefs Superfan Gets 17.5 Years in Prison for 11 Bank Robberies 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.

Betsson had been offering online sports betting in Colorado under the Betsafe brand for two-and-a-half years through a partnership with Dostal Alley Casino. That was the only state in the US in which Betsson operated, and it will halt that business at the end of this month. Betsson launched in Colorado two years after it legalized sports wagering.

Before launching Betsafe in Colorado, Betsson executives noted that when working with prospective clients on the B2B front, they were frequently asked where else they operated in North America, so it made sense for the company to have some consumer-facing presence on this continent. The operator later brought Betsafe to Ontario, Canada.

Betsson Joins Long List of Colorado Departures

Colorado fast became an enticing market for sportsbook operators because it has a favorable tax rate on that form of wagering and because it opened to a slew of competitors. Today, it’s one of the fastest-growing sports betting states in the country.

However, the state has followed a similar trajectory to others in that while there are more than a dozen gaming companies offering sports wagering services there, the market is largely dominated by the biggest names, including DraftKings and FanDuel.

Westgate’s SuperBook recently said it will cease offering mobile sports betting outside of its home state of Nevada, meaning it’s also leaving Colorado.

Betsson Just Latest ‘Victim’

Since the 2018 Supreme Court ruling on the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), some trends have emerged that contribute to explanations regarding why so many operators have thrown in the towel on US sports wagering.

In addition to Betsson, recent departures among foreign operators from US sports betting, either by way of acquisition or closure of US operations, include Betfred, Betway, PointsBet, and Tipico.

The post Betsson Latest Sportsbook to Depart US Market 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.

Jason Penrod is the owner of Family Elder Law, which closed its three branches without warning in Lake Wales, Fla., Lakeland, Fla., and Sebring, Fla. in July, The Ledger reports.

“I would gamble until I exhausted our family’s savings, my law firm’s profits; all the while avoiding reality and any type of feeling (which is the only way I can explain not fearing the consequences of my irrational and immoral behavior),” Penrod allegedly wrote in the letter, a copy of which was filed in court. “And then, once I received more money, I would gamble and lose those monies.”

‘Traumatic Stress’

Penrod was hired in 2014 to draft a living trust for a client named David D. Anderson, who died in 2021. Penrod was a designated successor trustee. Anderson’s children, Charles Anderson and Sherry Prevoznik, the plaintiffs in the case, were sole beneficiaries.

Charles Anderson met with Penrod in June to discuss winding down the administration of the trust, at which point Penrod passed Anderson the confessional letter he had written, the lawsuit states.

In it, he admits that from October 2023 to January 2024, he transferred money from the trust into his personal account until it was depleted, according to the complaint.

He viewed these transactions as temporary loans that he would pay back with interest, he claimed. But he soon began to realize he would not be able to repay the money and “hit rock bottom,” understanding that he would lose his license to practice law and go to prison, according to the letter filed in court.

Shot at Redemption

Penrod has filed a petition with the Florida Supreme Court asking it to grant “disciplinary revocation.” If granted, this would terminate his privilege to practice law while allowing him to retain the option of later applying for readmission to the Florida Bar to resume his legal career.

It would also mean that the Florida Bar’s disciplinary action against him would be dismissed, but it would not, of course, protect him from any criminal prosecution.

He said chose this route because he believes his ability to work in the future is the only shot he has to repay the money.

“I humbly ask that you allow me to continue to work and pay you back,” Penrod wrote in the letter. “This is obviously self-serving, since it keeps me from going to prison and allows me to be with my family. And while I know God’s grace is real, as I wouldn’t be here were it not, I cannot control […] whether you forgive me.”

The post Lawsuit Claims Attorney Stole $1.8M from Client’s Trust Fund, Gambled Money Away at Hard Rock Tampa 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 deal includes the land, building, and select other operating assets. It’s a two-pronged deal in which the buyer will pay $7 million for the real estate assets and $2 million for the operating rights. The property part of the transaction is expected to close later this month. After that, Full House will pay monthly rent of $50K to Clarity until the sale of the operating rights is finalized. When that part of the deal is completed, all operating responsibilities will be transferred to Clarity.

Stockman’s Casino has more than 10K square feet of gaming space and two restaurants. It’s one of three casinos in Fallon, a town of about 9,300 in Churchill County. The other two are the Bonanza Casino and the Fallon Nugget.

Sale Part of Full House Transition

The sale of Stockman’s Casino is part of Full House Resorts’ transition — one that’s seeing the regional gaming operator focus on newer, glitzier venues.

As we have continued to grow in size, we find it prudent to focus on our larger properties in our portfolio, including our newly-opened Chamonix and American Place casinos. We are proud of our transformation of Stockman’s Casino over the years,” said Full House CEO Daniel Lee in a statement.

Chamonix is the operator’s newest property in Cripple Creek, Colo. It opened last December and is widely viewed as the most upscale gaming venue in that town. American Place refers to the Full House venue in Waukegan, Ill., where the operator currently runs a temporary version of the casino while it works through some legal challenges brought by rival bidders.

Including American Place, Chamonix, and Stockman’s, Full House runs seven gaming venues. The others are Bronco Billy’s in Cripple Creek, Colo., the Silver Slipper Casino and Hotel in Hancock County, Miss., Rising Star Casino Resort in Rising Sun, Ind., and the Grand Lodge Casino in Lake Tahoe, Nev.

Clarity, Full House Neighbors in Cripple Creek

Before the Stockman’s sale announcement, Clarity Game and Full House were neighbors and rivals in Cripple Creek. Last December, Michael Gaughan and a group of partners formed Rocky Mountain Gaming to acquire two casinos in the Colorado town.

Gaughn, who also owns the South Point Las Vegas, and his Rocky Mountain Gaming partners are behind privately held Clarity Game LLC.

Gaughn also owns the operating rights for the more than 1,400 gaming machines located inside Harry Reid International Airport.

The post Full House Resorts Sells Fallon, Nev. Casino for $9.2 Million 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 Alabama Attorney General’s Office has now charged five men with stealing the machines after they were found last week in Jay’s Charity Bingo in the city of Lipscomb, more than 80 miles north of Selma.

The terminals disappeared from the backroom of Selma Charity Bingo after the Attorney General’s Office conducted a raid last month and served a temporary restraining order on the business. The machines remained at the Selma venue while authorities waited to obtain a seizure order.

Brazen Theft

Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall told AL.com his agents knew they had found the missing machines when they raided the business in Lipscomb because they still had the evidence stickers on them.

“The brazen nature of stealing something that has an evidence sticker on it just shows you how far some of these people will go,” Marshall marveled.

Marshall said his office received a report from Dallas County’s Sheriff’s Department, which covers Selma, that the machines were missing. It’s unclear how they were traced to Jay’s Charity Bingo.

The businesses are not believed to be connected. It’s likely the thieves realized the machines would be locked up in the shuttered Selma Charity Bingo because they had read about the temporary restraining order in the news.

The vehicle in which we shut these businesses down was through a civil order enjoining the business from operating while we prove through litigation that those in fact are gambling machines,” Marshall told AL.com. “In essence, it’s not the historic go in and raid and seize the machines and carry them off,” he said.

Court records show that Charles Allen Robinson, 52, Charles Vanderford Jr., 61, Eric Daniel Hurt, 39, Michael Ray, 56, and William Patrick Humphries are all charged with third-degree burglary in the case.

Marshall said it was ironic that the suspects are facing a felony charge while the owners of Selma Charity Bingo will only be charged with a misdemeanor.

Legal Battles

The legality of electronic bingo machines was the cause of years of legal disputes in Alabama. Operators said the machines conformed to the state’s bingo laws while aping the look and feel of Vegas-style slots.

The matter was settled in October 2022, when the state’s Supreme Court determined that only traditional bingo games were legal.

Marshall, who had long seen the machines as “a?menace to public health, morals, safety, and welfare,” began enforcing the prohibition shortly after. Multiple gaming halls offering illegal gambling were shut down on the same day as Selma Charity Bingo.

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The tribes claim the card clubs offer games that violate their own exclusivity on house-banked casino games. But they have previously lacked the legal recourse to challenge the clubs. That’s because, generally speaking, state courts lack jurisdiction over tribes, which are sovereign nations. And meanwhile, federal courts prefer not to interfere with California’s internal gaming laws.

The Senate approved the Tribal Nations Access to Justice Act by a resounding 32-2 on the final day of the legislative session. The bill authorizes the tribes to seek limited declaratory and relief action to determine whether the card clubs’ games violate their rights. They cannot claim monetary damages.

California Games

California Nations Indian Gaming Association (CNIGA) Chairman James Siva described the legislation’s passage in a statement as “a new day in California history in regard to the civil rights of this state’s tribal nations.”

For over a decade, California tribes have engaged in considerable efforts to defend our exclusive gaming rights guaranteed in the California Constitution,” Siva added. “The Tribal Nations Access to Justice Act gives tribes access to justice that has been denied not only in this case, but throughout California history.”

At the heart of the matter are so-called “California games” offered by the state’s cardrooms. These are versions of popular casino table games that circumvent the ban on house banked games by taking a rake from each hand while allowing players to play in a rotating dealer position — just like in a regular poker cash game.

But the cardrooms also hire state-licensed third parties to “shill” in the dealer spot because players don’t always want to act as the dealer. The tribes argue that these companies, known as TPPPs, are a de facto “bank.”

Jobs on Line, Say Cardrooms

Cardroom advocacy group the California Gaming Association (CGA) has said the bill could cost the industry around 32,000 jobs. That’s because an unfavorable court ruling stemming from the bill would force many of the clubs to downsize or shut down.

“This bill will only throw government budgets into uncertainty and make a mockery of our judicial system,” according to an August 20 statement by the CGA editorial board. “Weaponizing the legislative process so that one special interest group can try to drive out perceived competition is silly on its face.”

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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.”

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New Jersey’s 2006 Smoke-Free Air Act banned indoor tobacco use in most indoor places other than private residences. The law provided some exemptions, with licensed casinos in Atlantic City being allowed to designate up to 25% of their gaming areas for tobacco use.

“Because of the publicly known risks of secondhand smoke, that smoking has never been banned in casinos except for a short period during COVID-19, that the Smoke-Free Air Act’s exceptions only affect a few industries, and that the Smoke-Free Air Act does not hinder or affect a person’s ability to seek work in a smoke-free environment, 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,” Bartels wrote in his opinion published Friday.

Each of the nine casinos in Atlantic City takes advantage of its smoking allowance. Critics say smoke knows no boundaries and dangerous, toxic secondhand smoke permeates the casino areas.

Odds Favor Appeal?

Attorney Nancy Erika Smith argued on behalf of CEASE and the UAW. She said an appeal to the New Jersey Supreme Court is forthcoming.

While the rest of the nation moves away from poisoning workers for profits, New Jersey shames itself,” Smith said. “As long as the governor, the legislature, and the courts allow the extremely rich casino industry to poison its workers, we will continue our fight.”

CEASE cofounder Lamont White said the “fight is far from over.” White hopes the court ruling will bring more enthusiasm to Trenton for state lawmakers to support bipartisan legislation to amend the Smoke-Free Air Act to rescind the casino smoking exemption.

However, after retaining their majority in both chambers, the smoking bills still didn’t progress. Some of the 2023 support was subsequently lost after the casino industry, as well as a union that represents casino workers in nongaming roles, said a smoking ban would cost thousands of jobs and possibly result in a casino closing.?

Casinos Celebrate

For now, Bartels’ ruling is a win for the nine Atlantic City casinos. The retaining of smoking comes as Atlantic City’s casinos last week revealed that their operating profits slid nearly 2% in the second quarter despite increased revenue.

We are gratified by the court’s decision to dismiss the plaintiff’s complaint and deny its attempt to change the Smoke-Free Air Act outside of the legislative process,” said Mark Giannantonio, president of Resorts Casino and the Casino Association of New Jersey. “We look forward to continuing to work with stakeholders towards a solution that addresses the health concerns of our employees, while also protecting the collective interest and well-being of the entire Atlantic City workforce.”

Commercial casinos/racinos operate in 28 states. Seventeen allow indoor smoking.

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In a media session earlier this week following a Cowboys practice, Jones said he thinks the Lone Star state will eventually have sports betting, but until then, Texas is missing out on an opportunity to generate significant tax receipts.

I think ultimately you’ll have sports betting in the state of Texas. Until that time, the state does lose an opportunity for huge amounts of revenue,” the Cowboys boss said.

Jones didn’t speculate as to when the state could approve mobile sports betting, but it appears that is highly unlikely to happen prior to the 2027 legislative session. If it happens then and the matter is approved by voters later that year, it’s possible Texas would have mobile sports wagering in advance of the 2028 football season.

Jones Wants Transparency in Texas Sports Betting

Jones and other owners of professional teams located in Texas have been vocal supporters of regulated sports wagering coming to the state because it’d be a money-maker not only for the state, but for their franchises as well.

“I think that properly, properly supervised, by the people that play the games and people that have the teams that play the games and the individual athletes — you’ve got to make sure that the perception is and the reality is that there’s just no compromising on it all being very competitive and up-and-up,” he told the press. “I think that takes some time in some places more than it does others.”

Jones has some gaming investments, including ties to an Arkansas casino plan. Along with several other professional team owners, he was an early investor in DraftKings (NASDAQ: DKNG).

Texas Sports Betting Outlook

In 2023, both casino gaming and sports wagering made more progress than the issues previously had in Texas, but both ultimately perished because there wasn’t momentum in the state Senate to take up the related bills.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R) controls what bills are heard in the Senate and his opposition to gaming expansion is well-documented.

Due to this being an election year, the Texas legislature had a brief schedule, making it difficult to consider gaming issues. The legislature is scheduled to reconvene in January, but the prevailing wisdom in sports betting circles is that politicians there won’t prioritize sports wagering.

The post Jerry Jones: Without Sports Betting, Texas Missing Out On Big Revenue appeared first on Casino.org.

The state commission that regulates casino gambling, sports betting, and horse racing picked The Innovation Group, a Colorado-based global gaming consultancy specializing in market analysis and feasibility, and Marquette Advisors, a Minnesota-based real estate consulting firm that has a hospitality division with a focus on casino gaming.

Four consultancies bid for the opportunity to examine how a casino in Linn County, specifically, in Cedar Rapids, would impact the state’s current 19 commercial casinos. A group of local businesspeople in Iowa’s second most populated city has been seeking a gaming license for a resort development for more than a decade.

Moratorium Lifted?

The IRGC heeded calls from Iowa’s riverboat and brick-and-mortar casino industry in both 2014 and 2017 to deny gaming concession bids for Linn County. The industry argued that Iowa’s gaming market was already oversaturated.

Iowa lawmakers in 2022 placed a two-year moratorium on the IRGC’s ability to grant additional licenses after neighboring Nebraska authorized racetrack casinos. Iowa’s two-year moratorium, however, expired at the end of June.

The investment group is partnered with Peninsula Pacific Entertainment (P2E), a Los Angeles-based gaming operator. Anne Parmley, president of the Linn County Gaming Association, the project’s charitable arm that would collect 8% of the casino’s gross revenue and direct that money to nonprofits and community organizations throughout the region, says the 2024 Cedar Crossing Casino bid is its best yet.

This application only builds on past applications, all the time and commitment that the operating partner, Peninsula Pacific, has had to Linn County and Cedar Rapids over the years,” Parmley said. “It’s an opportunity to refine and improve. It’ll be a great contribution to the vitality of Cedar Rapids and Linn County entertainment.”

Iowa’s gaming law requires that casinos only be licensed with a qualifying sponsoring nonprofit charitable organization that benefits from the gaming operation with a minimum of 3% of the facility’s gross casino win.?

Bid Timeline

The IRGC gave The Innovation Group and Marquette Advisors a Dec. 30 deadline to submit their Cedar Rapids market feasibility studies so commissioners can review the results over the holidays.

State lawmakers representing counties where casinos are operating are expected to reignite their fight to reimplement the moratorium on new gaming licenses when the Iowa Legislature convenes on Jan. 13, 2025. There would be just 16 session days for a new prohibition on gaming concessions to become law before the IRGC would vote on the Cedar Rapids project, assuming the market feasibility conclusions come back favorably to the development.

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The Rockford Mass Transit District (RMTD), the public transportation provider for the fifth-most populated city in Illinois, will begin serving the newly opened Hard Rock Casino on Sunday, September 1. RMTD officials say several bus routes will undergo slight reroutes to serve the casino, as well as Rockford University and the AMC movie theater along E. State St.

The service changes are a result of ongoing rider and community feedback that RMTD has received. RMTD anticipates the changes will improve access to employment, educational, health, and retail opportunities for the community, while further helping to eliminate transportation barriers for those who are challenged with them,” an RMTD release explained.

The Hard Rock entertainment destination will be served by several bus lines, including the #11 E. State St., #18 Bell School Rd., #19 CherryVale Mall., #32 E State St., and #42 E. State St. routes. ?

Grand Opening?

Hard Rock International, owned by the Seminole Tribe of Florida, is officially opening Hard Rock Casino Rockford today. The casino will open to the public around? 3 p.m. local time.

While Hard Rock Casino Rockford doesn’t have an on-site hotel, it features six restaurants and bars, a Rock Shop with Hard Rock memorabilia and swag, and the 23,000-square-foot Hard Rock Live concert space that can accommodate up to 2,000 guests for live entertainment. The Hard Rock Live room is also available for meetings and events rentals.?

Community Partner?

The United States Census Bureau reports that Rockford, home to about 147K people, has a poverty rate above 21% despite the city being home to several affluent neighborhoods. Hard Rock has hired about 400 people to run its newest casino, which should help ease the city’s high poverty position.

Hard Rock is still seeking a few more bandmates for its Rockford operation. Among the remaining 33 available positions are a casino cage supervisor, bartenders and servers, table game dealers, cashiers, a poker room supervisor, security officers, floor attendants, and an assistant manager of casino operations.

One of Hard Rock Rockford’s notable investors is Cheap Trick guitarist Rick Nielsen, an Illinois native who co-founded the band in Rockford in 1973.

The casino’s entrance includes the title of one of the band’s iconic tracks, “I Want You to Want Me.” Hard Rock Rockford additionally welcomes guests with a 62-foot guitar that honors Nielsen and Cheap Trick.

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The property developer and the gaming giant added that the plan to bring an integrated resort to the Western Rail Yards area includes 1,500 new housing units, including 324 affordable apartments, as well as a new K-8 public school. Critics of the project claim that when Related reached an agreement with New York City in 2009 to develop Western Rail Yards, it promised to deliver between 3,454 and 5,700 housing units.

The proposed casino hotel plan, which includes a tower bearing the Wynn name, has drawn opposition from a newly formed community group, the High Line, which wants to protect the historic New York neighborhood and its famed views while drawing rebuke from politicians who believe their constituents see a gaming venue as a nonstarter in that part of the city.

Wynn, Related Highlight Selling Points

Related and Wynn are emphasizing the upside of their project, economic and otherwise. That includes the pitch for the aforementioned park, which would be known as Hudson Green.

In a statement, the two companies said the park would feature “a dog run, over 300 trees, 500 shrubs, flower beds, and various native plantings throughout the active landscape.” The companies added the property would be designed by Wynn Design and Develop, the team behind the posh designs of the gaming company’s casino hotels. The firms compared their park proposal to the city’s iconic Bryant Park.

Wynn New York City will anchor the development, completing a decades-long revitalization of Manhattan’s West Side,” according to the press release. “This new vision for Hudson Yards West adheres to the approved uses in the 2009 zoning, but has also evolved to reflect the city’s current landscape and economic infrastructure needs. Wynn New York City is the economic engine supporting the development and will create careers for thousands of New Yorkers while offering significant benefits to all sectors of the community.”

New York regulators have made no progress on opening the bidding window for the three downstate casino permits that will be awarded. It’s expected that process will drag well into 2025, if not beyond.

Wynn, Related Tout Economic Benefit

If there’s one way to get politicians behind a new casino project, it’s to tout economic perks, including job creation. Related and Wynn are doing just that, and their efforts could be meaningful in New York, which is grappling with budget issues.

“It’s easy for leaders to talk about wanting to create jobs and invest in the economy and infrastructure, but our proposal to develop Hudson Yards West would actually do it, which is why it continues to garner important support from unions, trade organizations, and small businesses,” said Related President Bruce Beal in the statement.

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The Hall County Board of Commissioners continues to finalize its 2024-25 budget. The commission most recently suggested using $819K in funds received from the temporary Grand Island Casino Resort at the Fonner Park horse racetrack to reduce homeowners’ property taxes.

Fonner Park is located on the southeastern side of Grand Island, a city in central Nebraska roughly 80 miles west of Lincoln that’s home to approximately 53K people.

Provisional Casino Delivers

The interim Grand Island Casino Resort opened in December 2022 inside the Fonner Park grandstand. The provisional casino houses more than 300 slot machines, several live dealer blackjack, roulette, craps tables, electronic table games, and an Elite Sportsbook.

Iowa-based Elite Casino Resorts is behind the Grand Island Casino project. The $100 investment to construct a permanent casino resort that will connect to the Fonner Park grandstand will significantly expand the gaming offering when it opens early next year.

Once the permanent property opens, Hall County is expecting to field many more gaming tax dollars from Grand Island’s operations, which will be used to further relieve property taxes on homeowners. ?

Nebraska’s gaming law requires that casinos share 20% of their gross revenue, or win, with the state. Of the tax, 25% is returned to the casino’s host county and city, split equally with each local government entity collecting 12.5%. Nebraska’s Property Tax Credit Cash Fund takes 70% and the remaining 5% is divided between the Nebraska General Fund and the Compulsive Gamblers Assistance Fund.

Online Betting on Hold?

Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen (R) remains steadfast in his campaign commitment to reduce property taxes. The first-term governor called the Nebraska Legislature back for a special session last month to focus on ways to cut homeowners’ tax bills.

State lawmakers agreed to slash spending by $117 million and use $46 million in state cash reserves to reduce property taxes. The state also plans to raise more than $20 million by increasing fees on certain programs and services.

There were more opponents than supporters, however, as the unicameral legislature folded on the online sports betting referendum pitch. As a result, online sportsbooks will remain on hold in Nebraska until at least late 2026.

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Andrew J. Osborne, 35, of Philadelphia, will be forced to live behind bars for 21 years before he can be considered for parole, prosecutors said.

He must serve 85% of his sentence under New Jersey’s No Early Release Act before he can appeal to the parole board for release, prosecutors said.?

The sentence was handed down last Thursday by New Jersey Judge Bernard E. DeLury, Jr.

Stabbing Details

The incident began when Osborne stabbed Brian Wilkinson, 47, of Egg Harbor Township, NJ. The two were in Wilkinson’s guest room at the Ocean Casino Resort.

Wilkinson was wounded in the head and neck and his naked body was found on the floor of the hotel room hours after he was stabbed. A T-shirt and underwear were found near the body, according to BreakingAC.com.

Local news reports never revealed a motive for the deadly attack.

Osborne was apprehended three days after the Sept. 23, 2022 attack, and charged with first-degree murder and third-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.

Earlier this year, he was convicted of aggravated manslaughter after he admitted stabbing Wilkinson to death inside the hotel room. The Ocean Casino Resort hotel has 1,860 guest rooms in a 20-acre complex situated along the Atlantic City boardwalk.

A former professional MMA fighter, Osborne retired from the ring in 2017 with a record of 7-11-1 over several years of fighting.

Remembering the Victim

Wilkinson was a bookkeeper and previously worked for a construction company, according to NJ.com.

An obituary released by the family on the site said “Brian’s death was very tragic and sudden and will be sadly missed by everyone that knew him.”

One acquaintance, Heather L., shared that sentiment, posting “Condolences to Brian’s family and friends. I went to school with Brian and he was truly a good person. He will be missed by many.”

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The regional casino operator completed a $200 million sale-leaseback deal on the home of the Chicago Tribune printing facility in November 2022. The newspaper vacated the premises in May. Rhode Island-based Bally’s has been operating a temporary gaming venue at Medinah Temple at 600 N. Wabash Ave. for about a year.

To comply with the city’s noise regulations, demolition will be confined to 8 a.m.-8 p.m. each day. Bally’s has consistently said the permanent Chicago casino resort will open in September 2026, and that remains the plan.

Demolition Starting After Bally’s Landed Financing

Demolition of the Freedom Center is starting about six weeks after Bally’s announced that it procured the financing to make the Chicago integrated resort — the operator’s priciest project to date — a reality.

The venue, which will be the lone casino in Chicago city limits, will feature a 500-room hotel, six restaurants, a 3,000-seat theater, and a two-acre public park. The gaming area will have 3,300 slot machines and 173 table games.

The hotel will built on the southern portion of the property. The initial plan called for the hotel to be located at the northern end, but it was later discovered that would damage underground infrastructure, sparking criticism that neither Bally’s nor the city had properly thought out the project.

Bally’s Takeover Unlikely to Affect Chicago Casino Timeline

Last month, Bally’s accepted an $18.25 per share takeover offer from Standard General, the hedge fund helmed by Soo Kim, the gaming company’s chairman. When that bid was floated earlier this year, Kim said acceptance would have no bearing on Bally’s Chicago plans and that he is committed to seeing that project come to life.

That remains the case today and the gaming told some Chicago press outlets that the transaction will not affect its plans in the city.

The Illinois Gaming Board (IGB) said it’s aware of the deal and is monitoring it.

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Two recent efforts to bring mobile sports betting to the state failed, but with neighboring North Carolina surpassing expectations, South Carolina policymakers could be compelled to advance related bills next year. In 2022, legislation to legalize sports betting in South Carolina made it out of the House but failed to gain traction in the Senate.

Last year, two sports betting bills, including one aimed at bolstering the state’s horse racing industry, were proposed and both gained momentum in the House, but both died without even being brought up for votes in the Senate. At that time, Rep. Chris Murphy (R-Dorchester County) said the state was missing out on significant revenue because many residents bet through illegal offshore sites.

Studies have shown that there is about $2.5 billion annually that’s being wagered online in South Carolina illegally,” he said at a March 2023 committee hearing. “The hope of this legislation would be to eradicate that illegal wagering.”

Even if legislators can get a sports betting through the Senate, odds of it becoming law are long because Gov. Henry McMaster (R-SC) opposes wagering expansion — something that a was a core component of his 2022 campaign platform.

In South Carolina, North Carolina State of Mind

While McMaster is unlikely to sign off on sports betting legislation, South Carolina politicians appear likely to try again, drawing inspiration from neighboring North Carolina.

Making North Carolina’s fast start in mobile sports betting all the more impressive is that the state has yet to enjoy the benefits of a football season — relevant because that’s the most wagered on sport in the US.

South Carolina is one of the more restrictive gaming states in the country. It’s one of just a handful with no land-based commercial or tribal casinos, though it has a lottery and a small number of pari-mutuel facilities.

South Carolina Alluring to Sports Betting Firms

Home to an estimated 5.37 million people at the end of last year, South Carolina is a potentially attractive sports wagering market for gaming companies. On the basis of population, the state is larger than several others that offer mobile betting, including Louisiana, Kentucky, Connecticut, Iowa, and Kansas, among others.

Likewise, the state is rapidly growing and many of its new residents hail from regions where sports betting is ingrained at a cultural level, including the Northeast.

And while South Carolina isn’t home to any professional teams from the major North American sports leagues, it is home to devoted fan bases tied to Clemson University and the University of South Carolina. The state also hosts NASCAR and PGA Tour events annually.

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Last year, the Texas House of Representatives passed a mobile sports wagering bill, but that legislation failed to advance through the staunchly conservative Senate. With this year being a presidential election year, there was optimism that lawmakers in the Lone Star State would revisit sports betting in 2025, but Eilers & Krejcik Gaming (EKG) said politics makes that timeline unlikely.

The state Republican Party platform, published in June, instructs lawmakers to oppose (1) any gambling expansion, and (2) any budget that relies on funds from expanded gambling,” observed the research firm.

Legalizing sports betting requires an amendment to the Texas constitution and under state law, two-thirds majorities in both chambers of the legislature are needed before such amendments can be put to voters. Republicans control both houses of the legislature and the governor’s office.

Texas Still Tantalizing Sports Betting Industry

The state’s status as the second-largest by population in the US isn’t the only reason Texas is so coveted by sportsbook operators.

Then there’s matter of slowing legislative progress on sports betting. Currently, 38 states and Washington, DC permit some form of sports wagering and of those that are on the sidelines, only Georgia and Texas qualify as large states that would have competitive markets, but related legislation died in Georgia earlier this year. The near-term outlook in Texas isn’t bright due to the aforementioned GOP platform.

It “explicitly addresses the warmer reception expansion has had in the House — the platform calls on lawmakers to ‘oppose any effort from the House leadership…to pressure members to vote for expanded gambling,’” added EKG.

Why 2027-28 Makes Sense for Texas Sports Betting

While 2027 for legalization and the following year for launch isn’t what Texas bettors and gaming companies want to hear, it makes sense because it’s possible that the 2026 mid-term elections bring change.

Though he has not publicly spoken on the matter, it’s possible that Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R) could opt to not seek reelection. He’ll be 76 years old at the time of the 2026 elections. In his role as lieutenant governor, he controls the State Senate and the House advances legislation that Patrick opposes, such as casino gaming or sports wagering, the Senate simply won’t deal with it.

Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX) has warmed to gaming expansion and the Texas House is on board with sports betting. So are the voters, according to various polls. That leaves Patrick as the “gatekeeper” when it comes to sports wagering implying his decision on whether or not to run for reelection will loom large in sports betting’s future in the state.

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The New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) reports that net revenue for the nine casinos and Caesars and Resorts’ iGaming-only entities totaled $829.7 million, a 1.3% increase from the second quarter of 2023. Despite the higher revenue, the casinos and iGaming businesses saw their gross operating profits collectively decline by 1.7%.

Operators everywhere continue to feel pressure from the increased cost of goods and services that they purchase,” said James Plousis, chair of the New Jersey Casino Control Commission. “All operators were profitable, even though Atlantic City’s quarterly gross operating profits dipped in comparison to the second quarter last year.”

Only four of the 11 entities reported better year-over-year profit margins — Bally’s, Borgata, Hard Rock, and Resorts Digital.

Net revenue includes each casino’s revenue from gaming, hotel stays, food and beverage, entertainment, and retail leases.

Atlantic City Midyear Checkpoint?

Inflation continued to cut into the Atlantic City gaming industry’s bottom line during the first half of 2024. Industrywide revenue climbed 1.5% to more than $1.6 billion, but profits tumbled 4.9% to $333.7 million.

With a strong second quarter from Bally’s, which turned around its financial performance by improving profits by 49% from April through June, all nine casinos were profitable in the first half of 2024.

Hard Rock was the other resort in the black, as its profits soared over 17% to $62 million.

Hard Rock has become the go-to Boardwalk spot for overnight travelers, as the property’s half-year occupancy rate of 86.4% bested its competition by 6.9%. Hard Rock’s 1,973 rooms were occupied on an average nightly rate of $167. The casino sold 309,849 room nights between January and June.

Borgata’s 2,727 rooms were occupied just 71% of the time at an average rate of $175. But with more rooms, the casino counted 352,692 occupied room nights to lead the industry.

Summer Slowdown

The summer is Atlantic City’s busy season, but 2024 hasn’t gone as expected for the gaming resorts.

“While many were hopeful that the summer of 2024 for Atlantic City casinos would see a rebound in drive-in visitors after last year’s trend of people taking their ‘dream vacation’ and flying to destinations, the July in-person gaming numbers suggest that is not the case,” said Jane Bokunewicz, director of Stockton University’s Lloyd D. Levenson Institute of Gaming, Hospitality, and Tourism.

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Three horses died and many more were injured when the category EF-3 tornado hit on May 25, Memorial Day weekend.

But now, the reels are spinning again on the newly carpeted gaming floor and the track will be ready to go when the racing season starts on September 9.

‘Back to Work’

On Wednesday, Cherokee officials, casino employees, and the Claremore Chamber of Commerce all attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the reopening.

“Finishing this project, even in the short period of time, means the workforce that we maintained during this downtime means they can get back to work,” Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. told 2 News Oklahoma.

It means the economic impact that we have through Will Rogers Downs in the community and the Cherokee Nation will continue. So, it’s a very proud day. I am glad to see it,” he added.

Hoskin said that during the downtime, the tribe was able to move all employees to other businesses. The tribe owns 10 casinos on its 7,000 square-mile reservation in northeastern Oklahoma.

“We made sure that people continued to get a paycheck, and that’s the most important thing,” Hoskin said. “Having them back in what is their work home, it is a real family here, it is real special to them.”

Speedy Recovery

The local horse racing industry praised the speed at which the Nation worked to get the track back up and running, a feat that required significant manpower, according to Hoskins.

“I think we had major concern initially,” Krissy Bamberg, executive director of the Oklahoma Quarter Horse Racing Association, told News on 6 Oklahoma. “When you looked at the damage, there was no way you could really fathom that they would have it back so soon.”

“This is the livelihood for our guys,” she added. “Most of our guys are Oklahomans and want to stay in Oklahoma. So, without Will Rogers running this time of year, they have to go to other states like Louisiana and Texas.”

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Last week, the Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB) said it is examining financial penalties against Resorts World Las Vegas (RWLV) — Genting’s lone Nevada property — over that venue’s role in allowing known illegal bookmakers to wager there. Nevada regulators alleged that Resorts World Las Vegas not only knowingly allowed those bookies to bet there, but also didn’t scrutinize the source of their cash. That could call into question the veracity of the integrated resort’s anti-money laundering protocols.

We think another risk is that a negative review by the commission could jeopardize Resorts World New York City’s bid,” wrote CIMB analysts in a recent report to clients.

Genting-owned Resorts World New York is a slots-only venue in Queens. The venue has been operational for about 13 years, and over that time, it’s delivered more than $4 billion in taxes for the state. That coupled with its status as one of the highest-grossing regional casinos in the country, despite having no table games, has led to speculation that Resorts World New York is almost a lock to win one of the three downstate permits.

Genting Could Face Hefty Fine in Nevada

CIMB Securities observed that Resorts World Las Vegas could have to answer for as many as 300 separate violations, which could result in fines totaling $75 million.

“Some industry experts say that this is rare and the commission is unlikely to go that far, due to the uncertain long-term impact from taking such a drastic measure,” noted the brokerage firm.

Scott Sibella, the former MGM Resorts International and RWLV executive at the heart of the scandal, pleaded guilty in January to violating the federal Bank Secrecy Act, and in May, was tagged with a $9,500 fine and a $100 special levy. In Nevada, he could face loss of his gaming license and up to $750K in fines.

Genting NY Casino Bid Could Withstand Controversy

To date, no New York regulators have commented on whether or not the goings on at Resorts World Las Vegas could endanger Genting’s Empire State ambitions. In New York, the current emphasis is on finding some way to expedite the start of the bidding process for the three downstate casino licenses — something that appears unlikely over the near term.

However, that’s just speculation and no New York regulator has publicly said the Genting and MGM bids there are in jeopardy due to controversies in Nevada. With both operators already established and known to New York policymakers, and with both pledging billions of dollars in enhancements to their existing venues and the creation of thousands of new jobs should they win traditional casino licenses, it’s possible their New York ambitions can withstand the Sibella-related imbroglio in Las Vegas.

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Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen (R) signed legislation on Tuesday that provides $185 million in tax relief to property owners. It was a trimmed-down compromise from what Pillen asked for, as the $185 million in relief represents just 3.5% of the $5.3 billion in local property taxes that was collected last year.

This is a first step forward,” Pillen said. “More needs to be done. Together we can, and together we will.”

Under the new law, municipalities and county governments are limited to increasing property taxes based on the inflation rate or 0%, whichever is greater. The legislature agreed to fund the relief through $117 million in budget cuts, $46 million in state cash reserves, and $22 million from increasing fees on state programs and services.

Online Sports Betting Left Out

Pillen called the state Legislature back for a special session to find ways to offset skyrocketing property taxes for homeowners. The Lincoln lawmaking body mulled expanding sports betting to the internet, currently limited to in-person wagering at the state’s racetrack casinos.

The online sports betting push was led by Sen. Eliot Bostar (D-Lincoln). His LR3CA was a proposed legislative referendum that sought to ask Nebraskans during the November 5 election if they support internet sportsbooks, so long as the associated tax benefit would be allocated for property tax relief.

LR3CA passed the Unicameral General Affairs Committee by a 5-2 vote on August 12. The full chamber opted not to take up the matter during the special session.

The many opponents to online sports gambling said the state shouldn’t be in a rush to further expand gambling, as it was only November 2020 when Nebraskans approved three constitutional amendments to allow licensed horse racetracks to become commercial casinos with slot machines, table games, and retail sportsbooks.

2026 is Next Opportunity

The Nebraska Constitution limits statewide ballot referendums to even-numbered elections. That means online sports betting will remain offline until at least November 2026.

Such tasks typically take six months or longer, meaning the earliest Nebraskans will be able to place a sports bet legally inside their state is presumably around mid-2027.

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Last week, Ashcroft rejected a proposed ballot measure by the group, the Osage River and Gaming Convention (ORGC), because it didn’t have enough valid signatures.

The group claimed it submitted more than 320K signatures — more than enough to meet the ballot threshold — which requires the support of 8% of legal voters in each of two-thirds of the state’s eight congressional districts. Ashcroft said the campaign fell short by 2,031 signatures in the 2nd Congressional District.

‘Mistakes Happen’

In its complaint, the ORGC implies that the Secretary of State’s Office may have been mistaken and claims to have identified more than 2,500 valid signatures, which it says were wrongly rejected.

“Verifying every signature on multiple initiative petitions this summer has been a very long process for election officials and we realize mistakes happen,” the ORGC said in a statement.

ORGC has always been confident their initiative petition contained a sufficient number of valid signatures from legal voters to qualify for placement on the November 5, 2024 general election ballot and are now asking the Court to do so,” the statement continued.

Signatures can be rejected for numerous reasons, such as because the signee isn’t actually registered to vote, they entered false information, or they signed the petition more than once.

Bankrolled by Bally’s

The ORGC, which is bankrolled by Bally’s and local property developer Gary Pruitt, would ask the electorate whether Missouri’s constitution should be amended to expand casino gaming. Currently, it only permits casinos on the Missouri and Mississippi rivers. The proposal would create one casino license for the Lake of the Ozarks.

If it ever gets off the ground, the proposed project will create 500 construction jobs and 700 permanent jobs once it opens, according to the ORGC. Tax revenues from the casino would go to early childhood literacy programs in public schools.

Eyes On the Ozarks

The ORGC isn’t the only entity with its eyes on a casino in the popular tourist destination. The Osage Nation, which owns seven casinos in Oklahoma, has applied to the Department of the Interior to have land in the area taken into trust for the purpose of building the state’s first tribal gaming facility.

To approve the application for a casino so far from the tribe’s official reservation, the Interior Department will have to agree that the tribe has ancestral ties to the region.

The Osage Nation’s historical lands once encompassed most of what is now Missouri, and the tribe gave its name to the nearby Osage River. Nevertheless, the application could take years to process.

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The unscheduled bout took place shortly after the two watched Friday’s Professional Fighters League (PFL) match in the casino’s Hard Rock Live arena.

Vettori, 30, of Italy, initially attempted to punch UFC light heavyweight Tuco Tokkos, according to a report from MMA Mania. Allen, 28, of South Carolina, and Vettori then got into a struggle and repeatedly threw punches, including a few blows to each other’s face.

Fell Onto Roulette Table

At one point, Vettori appears to have fallen onto a roulette table, according to news reports.

The violent outburst attracted a large crowd of onlookers, many of whom recorded the exchange on their cell phone cameras.

Neither of the fighters suffered significant injuries, according to news reports, and no arrests were made.

Here’s one summary of the night’s incident.

Vettori tried to swing at Tuco Tokkos and missed. Michael Johnson then moved everyone out of the way and then Brendan Allen stepped in and hit Vettori with a 1-2, which made him fall into a roulette table,” MMA Mania reported.

The fight later was commented on by Las Vegas-based UFC CEO Dana White, who said on X, it “had to be [the] fight of the night if it was at PFL.”

Later on Friday night, Vettori said in a social media post, “One armed Vettori is unbeaten. Ain’t never missing s**t.”

“Basically he gets popped right on the spot then hide behind his guys get popped again in the chaos then 10 people in between and I think its over they let him he rushes me get caught again in the end All of this one armed Proper sucker,” Vettori added.

Prior Bout Canceled

Allen and Vettori had been scheduled to fight at April’s UFC 240 before Vettori suffered an injury and had to cancel, MMA Junkie reported.

Instead of fighting Vettori, Allen fought Chris Curtis. Allen won by a split decision.

Vettori decided to lambast him in a social media post.

“Allen wtf u calling for the title man you look like dog s**t got rocked every single round and prayed you were getting the takedown just to hang in there. That s**t was embarrassing.”

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The Boston-based betting giant’s largesse came just three days after the PAC, Winning for Missouri Education (WME), succeeded in getting an initiative on the November 5 ballot.

The proposed measure will ask voters whether they want to approve a constitutional amendment to legalize both land-based and online sports betting.

Under the proposal, the first $5 million a year in state taxes from sports betting would go toward efforts to combat problem gambling, while the rest would be funneled into public education.

Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft (R) announced Tuesday that the signature-gathering campaign had met the threshold to qualify for the ballot, with some 171,592 validated signees.

Will Missouri Vote for Sports Betting?

Will Missourians back sports betting on November 5? The polls are all over the place. A study by Saint Louis University and YouGov found that 60% of respondents are in favor, while another one in June by Emerson College put the figure at just 38%.

Campaign spokesman Jack Cardetti told The St Louis Post-Dispatch that DraftKings’ sudden cash injection would be used for educating Missourians about the initiative.

Now that we are officially on the ballot, we’ll be over the next two and a half months talking to Missourians across the state about why it makes sense to set up a legal sports betting framework that helps public education,” Cardetti said.

If approved by voters, the measure would authorize the Missouri Gaming Commission (MGC) to issue sports betting licenses to the state’s 13 riverboat casinos. Professional sports stadiums and arenas would also be eligible to apply for a license. Additionally, up to two online operators would be permitted to apply.

Pro Sports on Board

It’s clearly enough to have whet DraftKings’ appetite. It’s estimated that a future Missouri sports betting market could be worth $290 million annually. Based on that figure, the blanket 10% tax proposed by the amendment would generate $29 million for state coffers in addition to $11.75 million in licensing fees.

“On behalf of all six of Missouri’s professional sports teams, I would like to thank everyone who signed a petition to get this on the ballot. A vote for Amendment 2 in November is the right thing to do for both Missouri public schools and our favorite sports teams,” said Cardinals President Bill DeWitt III in a statement.

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The New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) on Friday reported that July brick-and-mortar gross gaming revenue (GGR) totaled $272.3 million, a 6.1% decrease from July 2023. Slot win fell almost 5% to $207.3 million while table games saw hold plunge 10% to about $65 million.

June fared a bit better, as in-person casino revenue was $244 million to officially kick off the summer, a 1% year-over-year improvement. But through two months of summer, traditional gaming win of approximately $516.4 million reflects a 2.8% decrease from June and July 2023, or an industrywide GGR loss of $15.1 million.

Industrywide Losses?

Only three of the nine casinos reported year-over-year gaming win increases in July. They were Hard Rock at $54.6 million (up 3%), with the other being two of the smaller retail players in Resorts at $15.5 million (up 1.9%) and Golden Nugget at $14.1 million (up 0.7%).

Caesars’ sister property, Harrah’s, also felt steep losses, as the Marina District casino reported a 24% revenue decline to $19.2 million. Bally’s, long the bottom feeder of the Atlantic City casino industry, saw play further slow by 23% to GGR of just $13.3 million.

The in-person revenue declines were easily offset online and at the state’s sportsbooks to move statewide GGR into positive territory.

iGaming websites and apps, which are tethered to the nine Atlantic City casinos through partnerships with third-party operators, won nearly $195.4 million from remote players. That marked a 26% gain from July 2023.

Sports betting, inclusive of retail wagering at the casino’s physical sportsbooks, three horse racetracks, and online, totaled $80 million, 31% higher than a year ago.

In total, New Jersey gaming revenue hit $547.75 million, an 8%, or $41.6 million increase. Despite brick-and-mortar concerns, James Plousis, chair of the New Jersey Casino Control Commission, says the state’s overall gaming industry remains strong.

Atlantic City’s total gaming revenue reached its highest level for the month of July in over a decade, thanks to near-record internet gaming win and strong sports wagering revenue,” Plousis said in a statement provided to Casino.org.

Plousis blamed a bad calendar on the in-person revenue shortfalls.

“July’s monthly casino win did not keep pace in comparison to recent years, partly due to a calendar with fewer weekend days,” Plousis said. “It fared better over a longer range, ranking as the fifth-best casino win for July in 11 years.?

Casinos Remain Vulnerable

The Atlantic City gaming industry continues to stress that its economic situation remains rattled, as consumer spending concerns linger and a U.S. presidential election approaches. The trade group that represents the nine resorts has asked state lawmakers not to eliminate indoor smoking at this time, a regulatory switch that casino executives say would lead to job cuts.

While overall GGR increased in July, the casinos share a considerable portion of the iGaming and sportsbook money with their partners like DraftKings and FanDuel.

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WarHorse Casino Omaha opened at Horsemen’s Park in Nebraska on August 6. A line of people seeking to be among the casino’s first gamblers rushed the gaming floor to place bets on the facility’s 800 slot machines and 19 live dealer table games. WarHorse Omaha also offers a sportsbook.

Just a little more than a week later, the fun momentarily paused after casino officials forced guests out and shuttered the property to allow heating and air conditioning service people to repair a water-based cooling system that failed. ?

No one was injured, and there was never any danger to our guests or employees,” said Lance Morgan, president and chief executive officer of Ho-Chunk, Inc., the parent company of WarHorse Casino Omaha. “Unfortunately, we needed to temporarily close the casino to prevent damage to some of the electronic equipment in the facility.”

Ho-Chunk, Inc. is the commercial business arm of the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska. After Nebraskans approved commercial casino gambling at the state’s licensed horse racetracks in 2020, Ho-Chunk partnered with the Nebraska Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association (NHBPA) to develop their tracks into casinos.

WarHorse Omaha Reopens

The HVAC repair people didn’t need long to remedy the AC system failure. After about eight hours, WarHorse Casino Omaha reopened Thursday night.

“Great news! WarHorse Omaha has resolved the HVAC issue, and we are now open and ready to welcome you back,” the casino’s social media channels reported. “Thank you for your patience and support. Come on in and enjoy your favorite games — see you soon!”

WarHorse Omaha currently has a quick-service restaurant and bar called Sweetwater. The restaurant is open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and from 8 a.m. to midnight on the weekends.

WarHorse Lincoln Nearing Completion

The second of possibly three WarHorse casinos that Ho-Chunk will open in partnership with the NHBPA comes by way of Lincoln.

Nebraska’s gaming law requires that casinos be 100% smoke-free. That differs from casinos in Nebraska’s neighboring states where tobacco smoking is allowed anywhere in Iowa and Kansas and designated areas in Missouri.

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In an op-ed for Long Island Business News, Joshua Liebamn, a partner at Rosenberg Calica Birney Liebman & Ross LLP in Garden City, NY, opined that the saga of “Waiting for Kathy” is stalling the process through which gaming companies can bid for the trio of downstate permits.

In May, Sen. Joseph Addabbo (D-Queens) and Assemblyman Gary Pretlow (D-Mount Vernon) proposed bills in their respective chambers that if signed into law by Hochul, would have opened the bidding window for the New York City-area licenses as soon as Aug. 31. With that date just 16 days away, the governor hasn’t shown any intent to sign the legislation.

Press reports suggest that her staff never asked for the bill to be sent to her office for review, much less for her approval or, for that matter, a veto. Rather, there appears to have been a conscious decision to ignore the proposed bill and, by doing so, push a regulatory decision far into next year,” wrote Liebman.

The Addabbo/Pretlow effort could pave the way for decisions to be made on the three winners of the casino licenses by the middle of next year. Without, that process could drag well into late 2025 or beyond.

NYC Casino Process Long Derided

In his op-ed, Liebman clearly noted that neither he nor his firm have any relationship with Sands nor do they have financial interests in the operator’s Long Island venture. The attorney believes the gaming venue could be a driver of economic growth for Nassau County.

“If Rick’s casino in the movie ‘Casablanca’ had been waiting for Governor Hochul’s administration to issue it an operating license, the amoral French Captain Renault would have died of old age long before being presented with his winnings,” wrote Liebman.

Hochul has consistently said she’s not directly involved in how and to whom the licenses will be awarded, but some New York political experts believe there are obvious links between the New York Gaming Commission (NYGC), the New York Gaming Facility Location Board, and political entities.

Sands Casino Could Boost Nassau County Economy

Owing to the sluggish pace at which New York regulators are moving, there’s nothing more than speculation regarding which of the more than 10 bidders will win the three downstate casino licenses. However, the Sands plan is widely viewed as one of the most viable.

Not only is the operator one of the largest gaming companies in the world, it’s already making significant investments in the surrounding community. Plus, Nassau Coliseum is close to Manhattan, but doesn’t a gaming venue at the Coliseum doesn’t pose a traffic threat to the already highly congested borough.

For his part, Liebman believes the LVS casino hotel could jumpstart Nassau County’s local economy while paying dividends over the long-term.

“This governor and her casino siting board need to recognize what the business community has long known. Delay is as much a decision as definitive action,” concluded the attorney. “Our region’s economy can’t be permitted to be deferred into oblivion. The casino decision should be issued ‘letters of transit’ and allow it to fulfill its economic potential.”

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Last Friday night, the teens approached an unnamed man before one of the boys pulled out a large knife and held it up to the victim’s back, according to a statement released Wednesday by the Atlantic City Police Department.

Victim Assaulted

The teens ordered the man to turn over his possessions and assaulted the man before fleeing. There’s no word on the extent of his injuries or details on what was stolen.

Local police were alerted about the robbery at about 8 p.m. Friday. Tropicana security guards and Atlantic City police officers quickly got images of the suspects from casino surveillance cameras, which were distributed to officers.

Each of the suspects was apprehended a short distance from the casino, which is located on the Boardwalk.

Atlantic City Officers William Harned and Julian Monsalve spotted three of the teens on South Texas Avenue. The boys tried to flee, but the officers caught up with them and they were apprehended.

Another teen was apprehended nearby on Atlantic Avenue while the fifth teen was spotted on Arctic Avenue.? He ran away, but the officers eventually stopped him.

Large Knife Found

That suspect tossed a bag after seeing the cops. Inside was a large knife, which Atlantic City Police Department Capt. Kevin Fair said police believe was used in the robbery.

Items belonging to the victim were recovered when police searched the teens.

Their cases will be heard in New Jersey juvenile courts.

None of their names were released by police officers due to their young ages. Each resides in Atlantic City.

It’s not clear if the suspects had targeted the victim or if the holdup was random.

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Baltimore-based Cordish Companies is investing $270 million to overhaul the former Diamond Jacks riverboat into a land-based casino and resort. The former Diamond Jacks hotel is being renovated and upgraded to a more lavish environment, and Cordish wants the interior to vibe with Louisianans.

To assist in that mission, Cordish is calling on local artists to submit their artwork for consideration of placement inside the resort. The open call runs until 4 pm on September 13.

The casino is fielding concept submissions for original works. A release encouraged artists to present ideas that “convey the culture of the state.”

Cordish currently operates three casinos — Live! Casino & Hotel Maryland in Hanover, Live! Casino & Hotel Philadelphia, and Live! Casino Pittsburg in Greensburg. Live! Louisiana is slated to open in the first quarter of 2025.

Local Partner?

Live! Casino & Hotel Louisiana is Cordish’s first renovation of a former casino. Diamond Jacks closed during the COVID-19 pandemic and fell into disrepair in the subsequent years as an array of entities mulled relocation and renovation plans.

The new land-based casino spans 47,000 square feet and will have more than 1,000 slot machines, 40 live dealer table games, and a sportsbook. The casino will be located east of the hotel just inland from where the Diamond Jacks riverboat rested in the Red River.

Cordish has pledged to embed its company and casino into the Bossier City community. Its call for artists’ work is a first step.

Live! Casino & Hotel Louisiana is dedicated to supporting the local community in the Shreveport-Bossier market,” said John Chaszar, executive vice president and general manager of Live! “This region has an impressive roster of talented artists, and we are excited to see how they convey the culture of the state and personify the essence of Live! Casino & Hotel Louisiana through their craft.”

To qualify to submit, artists must be located in Northwest Louisiana and have an active Region 7 account on Culturalyst, an online platform that connects artists and curators in Louisiana.

Live! Art Gallery?

Another component of Live! Casino & Hotel Louisiana is a 25,000-square-foot Event Center. The facility, Cordish says, will be a “state-of-the-art, multipurpose venue for top-name entertainment, meetings, conventions, and nonprofit and social gatherings.”

The Live! Louisiana Event Center is where the 12 commissioned artists’ pieces will hang. The artwork will be displayed in the lobby area of the Event Center.

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Parx Casino in Bensalem aided the family and friends of Joe DeMarco in ringing in his 100th birthday. DeMarco served in World War II in the United States Marine Corps (USMC).

Known to fancy a trip to Parx, DeMarco’s family accompanied him to the gaming venue last Friday where he was surprised with a birthday bash with his many friends and fellow veterans in attendance. The event featured Bucks County’s US Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Bensalem Township Mayor Joe DiGirolamo, and state Sen. Frank Farry (R-Bucks).

It went fast,” the former US Marine said reflecting on his century of life.

Parx’s digital exterior displays welcomed DeMarco by displaying photos of him in the service as well as from his childhood.

Pearl Harbor Prompted Service

After watching the Dec. 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor, DeMarco decided to forge his parents’ signatures so he could enlist in the USMC at the age of 17. A lifelong Philly native, which on Friday he called “the best place around,” DeMarco was sent to Camp Lejeune for basic training.

His father found him at the North Carolina military base and withdrew him from service. DeMarco reenlisted six months later when he turned 18.

DeMarco served in WWII, primarily in the South Pacific. He was later stationed in Panama to protect the canal.

After the war and his service ended, DeMarco returned to Philadelphia and became a presser in a tailor shop. He made his living in the garment industry and worked part-time as a waiter and beer vendor at Phillies games.

DeMarco says he lived well, enjoying Philly sports, Dean Martin, and Nat King Cole throughout his many years. He’s also long enjoyed a bet.

After enjoying lunch at Parx’s Liberty Bell Beer Garden, the 100-year-old shot craps on Friday.

“Never in the history of the world has any soldier sacrificed more for freedom and liberty of total strangers than the American soldier,” said DiGirolamo. “Your service to our country is commendable.”

Veterans’ Partner

Parx Casino is owned and operated by Greenwood Gaming and Entertainment. The casino has long sponsored veterans and is the presenting sponsor of the Bucks County Tour of Honor.

The program provides police-escorted transportation for military veterans from the Parx Casino to Washington, DC, to visit memorials and sites, including Arlington National Cemetery, the WWII Memorial, Korean War Memorial, and Vietnam Memorial Wall. Upon return to Bensalem, veterans are treated to a “Welcome Home” dinner celebration hosted by the casino.

We value our freedom and the rights of being an American, so thank you for protecting that for us,” said Eric Hausler, Parx CEO, told DeMarco.

Parx is the top casino among the 17 brick-and-mortar casinos in Pennsylvania. The casino generated gross gaming revenue (GGR) of $588.2 million on its physical floor last year.

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