MGM Resorts signs sports betting deal with Major League Soccer
by Todd Prince
MGM Resorts International has signed a wagering partnership with Major League Soccer as it seeks to widen its reach to potential sports bettors.
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Japan Casino Resort Helpful Wakayama Makes Its Case
by Muhammad Cohen
Integrated resorts in Japan’s largest cities promise to be spectacular successes. But most action on the IR front right now is in the so-called regional sector, areas that have been losing population and relevance as economic power becomes more concentrated in major urban centers. Hokkaido, north of main island Honshu, held an IR showcase in January with seven IR operators participating. Last month, Wakayama, east of Osaka, hosted 300 people for an IR forum.
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William Hill takes over sportsbook operation at M Resort
by Todd Prince
CG Technology has lost its contract to run M Resort’s sportsbook to its largest competitor, potentially signaling a tough road ahead for the company in Nevada.
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Reversing the Reversal: Creating Wire Act Chaos
by Brendan Bussmann
Late in the afternoon of January 14, 2019, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) released a new memo reversing its stance on the Interstate Wire Act of 1961. This 23-page memo, issued by the DOJ’s Office of the Legal Counsel (OLC) and dated November 2, 2018, stressed that the Wire Act applies to all forms of gaming. The memo reversed an earlier DOJ memo issued in 2011 which stated that the Wire Act only applied to sports betting.
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Pennsylvania’s Big Gamble
By Marjorie Preston
For total gaming taxes, Pennsylvania is No. 1 in the U.S., surpassing even Nevada. No wonder lawmakers love it.
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Sports Betting Across America: A 2019 Legislative Review
by Brendan Bussmann
As 2019 begins, states across the country are looking at their legislative agendas. Every state’s legislature will meet in 2019 and there will be several issues that will be discussed, some of which will revolve around gaming and lottery. One thing that will likely be discussed in every state is the potential for sports betting. This is an important opportunity for state lotteries to expand their portfolio of games and connect with the next generation of players.
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Lessons from the Casino Industry
by Andrew Klebanow
The casino gaming industry has long been perceived as a competitor to state lotteries. While it can be argued that the country’s adult population has a limited budget for all kinds of wagering, lotteries and casinos have, in fact, long operated in harmony. Casino expansion across the United States has not impeded growth of lotteries and lotteries did not affect the growth of casino gaming. The reality is that lotteries and casinos do not so much compete as share gamers. People buy scratch cards and draw tickets from budgets that are exclusive of casino gaming budgets. This is most evident during periodic events of lottery frenzy, when mega-jackpots attract widespread consumer and media interest. In those states that offer both casino gaming and lotteries, casino gambling doesn’t not decline during mega-jackpot events.
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The Road to Sports Betting
by Andrew Klebanow
When the Supreme Court struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) last May, casino operators across the United States were euphoric, envisioning crowds of enthusiastic bettors flocking to newly constructed sports betting lounges, holding exciting events during major games, and attracting a younger clientele to their properties. Several states moved quickly to permit sports betting in some form. While casinos in some states were able to quickly build betting counters and initiate sports betting activities, most others, particularly in Indian gaming, have come to realize that they must first navigate through a maze of obstacles before taking their first bet.
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Francis Lui Is The Unlikely New Face Of Macau Gaming
by Muhammad Cohen
Galaxy’s evolution from a company that “didn’t deserve” a gaming concession, according to Macau’s casino liberalization chief, to market leader reflects Macau’s evolution from a VIP gambling destination toward the “world center for tourism and leisure” that Macau and Beijing authorities prescribe. It also reflects Galaxy deputy chairman Francis Lui filling the void left when Stanley Ho, Mr Macau, then chairman of casino operator SJM Holdings and the face of local gaming since the 1960s, collapsed at home in July 2009, effectively ending his business career. You would have expected someone with casinos in their blood, or at least more prominent on their resume than Lui, a Cal-Berkeley trained engineer with no prior gaming experience, to assume Ho’s role and make their company as Macau’s unofficial local champion in its most prominent industry. Lui’s ascent was all the more unlikely given three billionaire contenders for the role from Ho’s family circle.
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What Turner Deal With Caesars Tells Us About Sports Media Partnerships
by Grant Lucas
As sports betting in America continues to expand, it seemed inevitable that casinos and media conglomerates would begin pairing off.
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