Rhode Island’s Twin River to Buy Dover Downs
Rhode Island casino operator Twin River Worldwide Holdings will acquire Delaware’s Dover Downs Gaming and Entertainment in a stock-swap deal that will take Twin River public. Twin River owns and operates two casinos in Rhode Island and owns the Hard Rock Biloxi in Mississippi and a racetrack in Colorado. Dover Downs (l.), which sits alongside a harness racing track and a NASCAR track, is the only casino owned by a public company in Delaware.
NCAA Officials Talk Sports Betting
The commissioners of two of NCAA Division 1 conferences offered reactions to the coming of legalized sports betting in respective Media Day comments. The chief legal officer of the National Collegiate Athletic Association said the organization must “evolve and expand” to meet the challenges posed by legal sports betting.
MGM Springfield Opens in a Month
The $960 million MGM Springfield (l.) will open August 24. The casino is in high gear to complete hiring the 3,000 staff members it will need, to meet its diversity hiring goals, and to gin up an expensive ad campaign. The casino will be aiming “to roar” as it goes after players within a 150 mile radius.
Ohio Sports Betting Bills Introduced
Ohio’s lawmakers are looking at legalizing sports betting in the Buckeye state. Ohio state Senator Bill Coley (l.), president of the National Council of Legislators from Gaming States, predicts passage within six months.
MSG, LVS Seal Arena Deal
The Sphere (l.), as it’s called, will seat 18,000-plus in a futuristic dome-like setting on the Las Vegas Strip rippling with immersive lighting and special effects. If all goes to plan it will open in late 2020.
New Casinos Struggle in New York
The four new casinos that have opened in New York in the last two years are still struggling, but improvements are coming. Resorts World Catskills (l.) is ready to ramp up a marketing and branding effort now that most of the in-house amenities have opened.
West Virginia Sports Betting Expected By Football Season
Despite an 18-day delay waiting for approval of emergency sports betting rules, officials at West Virginia’s five casinos are confident sports betting will be available by football season, though probably not online or via mobile apps. Casinos may operate sports books out of temporary locations for 90 days.
New Casino Headed for Fremont Street
Las Vegas City Council has given an enthusiastic nod to the Stevens brothers’ plan to build the first ground-up Downtown gaming resort in decades. There will be 777 hotel rooms, more than 117,000 square feet of gaming—and a brand new home for Sassy Sally, and includes land formerly holding the Las Vegas Club (l.).
World Series of Poker Sets Attendance Record
The World Series of Poker drew 123,865 players for the 50-day tournament event setting an attendance record for the sixth straight year. Prize pools for the events totaled more than $266 million.
The WSOP Main Event 2018 got a boost from online players
The WSOP Main Event 2018 saw increased attendance, successful online tournaments and the first online winner ever playing from New Jersey. Here’s a rundown of how the entry of online players boosted this year’s tournament.
Saratoga kicks off its 40-day meet on July 20 with $150K events
Saratoga’s Race Course launches its 40-day meet with 69 stakes races and $18.8 million in purses on July 20. Here’s a rundown of the key race events at Saratoga and other tracks around the country.
Pennsylvania’s Online Lottery Off to a Strong Start
Just a couple of months since launching instant-win online tickets, the Pennsylvania Lottery has seen 45,000 players sign up and $21.6 million in wagers. This signals that strong growth could be ahead.
