Eldorado’s CEO Foresees Closing Merger by Next Month
Eldorado Resorts CEO Tom Reeg anticipates completing the $17.3 billion merger with Caesars Entertainment by the end of June or possibly July if one of the state regulatory agencies doesn’t put the transaction on its agenda. When the merger was interrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic in mid-March Reeg told an analyst conference call that he […]
Will Gamblers Return To The Post-Covid-19 Casino Business?
Synergy Blue last week released a new report revealing consumer opinions on casino gambling in a post-COVID world. The company surveyed gamblers to better understand what they will expect from operators in order to return to casinos. While the data shows gamblers’ confidence in casinos—51 percent say they’ll return to casinos once they reopen—it also […]
Valley View Casino Among the First to Reopen in San Diego
Valley View Casino will be among the first of San Diego County’s tribal casinos to reopen first thing in the morning of May 22, almost exactly two months after closing in the wake of the Covid-19 outbreak. Longtime General Manager Bruce Howard says he doesn’t ever remember being more excited. In an interview with GGB […]
More U.S. Casino Markets Poised to Reopen
The U.S. casino market, forcibly closed in mid-March due to the coronavirus scare, are gradually beginning to reopen, many in time for Memorial Day weekend. Some have already reopened, with social distancing, sanitization measures and special equipment in place. Here’s a look at how markets are handling the comeback, which is changing the way casinos […]
Hard Rock Buys Back Vegas Brand
Hard Rock International (HRI) has purchased the Hard Rock Las Vegas name and the intellectual property rights associated with it, paving the way for a possible revival of the iconic brand as a Las Vegas gaming resort. The deal between HRI, which is owned by Florida’s Seminole Indian tribe, and Houston-based private equity firm Juniper […]
Slot Savvy: The Payback Percentage, and What It Means to You
I once wrote a column that riled a lot of readers. All I said was that casinos don’t lower payback percentages on slots because of global events—you know, like economic meltdowns, worldwide plagues, Martian invasions and other catastrophes. A recent zombie apocalypse came and went with absolutely no adjustments on those percentages. The angry emails […]
Premier Lacrosse League Plans Comeback, Inks Betting Deal
The Premier Lacrosse League (PLL) will return for its sophomore season in July. Instead of a full season, the El Segundo, California-based league—which boasts “the 180 best players in the world“—will hold a 16-day tournament to wrap up the Year That Almost Was. The tournament, July 25 through August 9, will be televised by NBC […]
Horse Racing Breaks into A Gallop
They’re off. Again. Horse racing made a pivotal comeback last weekend. Churchill Downs and Santa Anita, two of the sport’s bellwether institutions, resumed live programs without spectators. Lesser-known Golden Gate Fields in the San Francisco Bay area and Charles Town Races in West Virginia also came back. Suddenly, it’s a party for sports bettors. Wagers […]
Awesome Foursome: Quartet of Sports Superstars Tee Off for Charity
Talk about star power. This Sunday, four sports legends will play 18 holes to support Covid-19 charities. There’s not a marquee big enough to hold these legendary names. Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Tom Brady and Peyton Manning will tee off Sunday, May 24 in The Match: Champions for Charity at Medalist Golf Club in Jupiter, […]
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 […]
