Good News for Macau: China to Loosen Travel Restrictions
Relief for Macau’s virus-ravaged casino industry could be on the way, according to a news report suggesting the Chinese government might resume granting visas for individual travel from the mainland this month. The Macau government reportedly has been in talks with Beijing about reopening the borders, which effectively have been closed since late January to […]
Australia, New Zealand Won’t Reopen Simultaneously
The Australian government is taking a cautious approach to the reopening of businesses and industry, with a three-phase plan that should be complete by July. New Zealand, by contrast, has already begun to ease its restrictions on travel and public gatherings. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said that country’s return to normal would be gradual. […]
Virginia Fast-Tracks Sports Betting
When Virginia lawmakers drafted sports betting legislation, they included an aggressive deadline: wagering by the end of the year. The timeline calls for a public-comment period on proposed regulations in July and August, rules approved by September 15, and operator applications available by the end of September. The Virginia Lottery will have 90 days to […]
Premier Lacrosse League Inks Betting Deal
Unlike most sports leagues where clubs are based in individual cities, the Premiere Lacrosse League has seven teams with no municipal affiliation. Instead they all gather in specified locales to play their games. Last summer, the teams played each other in 13 different cities. That’s one of the oddities about the slice of professional sports. […]
OK Governor: No More ‘One-Size-Fits-All’ Compacts
Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt’s new gaming compacts with the Otoe-Missouria and Comanche nations illustrate how he’d like to proceed with future compacts: by expanding gambling through new casinos and new types of gambling like sports betting, and basing fees paid to the state on geography, not a flat rate statewide. “No longer are we going […]
Louisiana Sports Betting Faces Uphill Battle
In 2018, Louisiana lawmakers put the decision to legalize daily fantasy sports to the voters. Residents still can’t play. A two-thirds majority of Louisiana lawmakers must approve any tax bill, and that’s been too high of a bar to clear so far on the daily fantasy front. Legal sports wagering may be headed in the […]
Pennsylvania Casino Applies for Sports Betting License
Wind Creek Bethlehem has applied for approval to operate both a casino sportsbook, along with mobile and internet betting. The application, filed April 29, follows a deal in January between Wind Creek Hospitality and Betfred to operate the sportsbook. The filing release issued by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board provides little in the way of […]
Churchill Downs Moves Forward and Backward
Churchill Downs on April 29 announced a Newport horse racing and gaming center just as demolition of the grandstand at Turfway Park in Florence in Northern Kentucky moves ahead, CEO Bill Carstanjen said in an earnings call with investors April 30. But in Louisville, a $300 million project at Churchill Downs has been halted because […]
Oregon Collects Taxes for Shut Down VLTs
The Oregon Lottery is collecting taxes on thousands of video lottery terminals (VLTs) that are owned by hundreds of taverns and restaurants that are closed and not allowed to turn the machines on. One restaurant owner among 550 in the state was forced to pay $2,082 on six VLTs that have been turned off since […]
NJ Bills Promise Help for Casinos
New Jersey lawmakers have introduced legislation to bolster an industry decimated by the coronavirus pandemic. Assembly Bill 4031 lets casinos borrow interest-free loans from the state to cover property tax payments. The money would come from the Property Tax Relief Fund, a pot of money that provides tax breaks to lower-income and senior citizen residents. […]
PA Casino May Offer Gambling by Appointment
Pennsylvania’s Wind Creek Bethlehem casino hotel, which has been closed since March 15 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, has revealed details of a phased plan to reopen the facility, although the exact reopening date has not been determined. The plan includes distancing precautions such as limiting the number of guests, limiting players and times on […]
N.J. Approves Luxor to Run Ocean Casino
Luxor Capital Group has succeeded where others failed: generating a profit at Ocean Casino Resort, the beleaguered Atlantic City property formerly known as Revel. Luxor also lowered Ocean’s debt and improved its finances. These successes went a long way in persuading the New Jersey Casino Control Commission to grant final authorization for the New York […]
