Illinois Casinos Reopen Under Tough New Rules
Illinois’ 10 casinos reopened July 1 after being closed since March 16 due to Covid-19. At Rivers Casino in Des Plaines, visitors stood in a long line before the casino opened at 11:00 a.m. By mid-day, nearly 1,000 guests—half the venue’s regular occupancy—were on the gaming floor, officials said. General Manager Corey Wise said, “We’re […]
Churchill Downs Closes Florida Casino—Again
On July 3, Churchill Downs Inc. (CDI) announced it had “temporarily suspended” operations at its Calder Casino in Miami, just three weeks after the property reopened. The closure followed Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez’ emergency order requiring casinos and other entertainment venues in the county to close in an attempt to control the spread of […]
PA Bans Smoking in Casinos Due to Mask Requirement
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board, responding to a directive from Governor Tom Wolf requiring face coverings in all indoor public spaces to protect against the Covid-19 virus, has temporarily banned smoking inside the state’s casinos. PGCB spokesman Doug Harbach told the Penn Live news site that the mask order, signed by Health Department Secretary Dr. […]
Lockdown Drags On for N.Y. Casinos, Racinos
New York’s commercially owned casinos and racinos were hoping for good news from the state about when they can reopen. Last week, those hopes were dashed. Shuttered since mid-March, the four full-scale casinos, located in the Catskills, Schenectady, the Finger Lakes and the Southern Tier and the eight racinos, whose operations stretch from Queens to […]
Pennsylvania to Revive Mini-Casino Auctions
Gaming regulators in Pennsylvania, seeking to boost state gaming taxes ravaged by more than two months of shutdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic, announced they will again try to auction off the remaining five licenses for satellite mini-casinos. The satellite casinos, limited to 750 slot machines and 40 table games, were created under the state’s […]
Kenya Does About-Face on iGaming Tax
Earlier this month, Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta signed legislation to remove the 20 percent excise tax on mobile sportsbook stakes—a tax doubled from 10 percent when last year’s finance bill was signed in September 2019. The tax hike caused Kenya’s two largest operators, Sportpesa and Betin, to leave the market. That in turn motivated the […]
Michigan Invites iGaming, Sports Betting Applications
The Michigan Gaming Control Board recently began accepting applications from commercial and tribal casino operators for online gaming and sports betting operator licenses. The casinos’ online technology partners also may submit vendor registration applications. Prior to final approval, each applicant must submit to an investigation of their internal controls, technical standards, lab certifications and other […]
Nevada, Indiana Gives Go-Ahead to Eldorado-Caesars Merger
Eldorado Resorts’ $17.3 billion acquisition of Caesars Entertainment has sailed to approval in Nevada at a special simultaneous hearing before the state Gaming Control Board and the Gaming Commission. Both the three-member Control Board and the four-member Commission voted unanimously to approve the mega-merger, which will create an industry giant with nearly 60 properties in […]
New York’s Oneida Nation: Setting A High Bar for Safety
New York’s Oneida Indian Nation is beefing up the health and safety rules at its three casinos, which went back into business on June 10. Masks for all have been mandatory since the reopening of Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, the tribe’s flagship, and its two smaller Syracuse-area properties, Yellow Brick Road Casino in […]
West Virginia Online Casino Could Launch Soon
An online casino could launch soon after the West Virginia Lottery Commission meets July 22. “We have had discussions with all of our casinos,” said Lottery Director John Myers. “We expect one could be in a position to launch in July if their suppliers achieve licensing approval.” The lottery submitted emergency rules for online casinos […]
G2E Cancelled Due to Covid-19
The American Gaming Association (AGA) last week announced the cancellation of this year’s Global Gaming Expo (G2E), the industry’s largest annual trade show and convention, due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the travel restrictions that resulted. The organizers plan to hold a series of virtual G2E events throughout 2020. The event had been planned for […]
Has Gambling on Esports Finally Arrived?
When U.S. states first implemented stay-at-home orders back in March, Americans had to adjust to the age of social distancing. Workplaces went fully remote, meetings switched over to video chat, and people gathered for virtual happy hours. But noticeably absent from all of this? Live sporting events, with a notable exception: esports. What began as […]
