Author: IGP Staff

Virgin Hotel Las Vegas Remodel Will Begin Next Year

Beginning next February, the Hard Rock Las Vegas (l.) will undergo a $200 million remodel and be transformed and rebranded as Virgin Hotel Las Vegas. Completion is targeted for November 2020, right after the presidential election. Hard Rock Las Vegas will begin its $200 million remodel and rebrand as Virgin Hotel Las Vegas next February, […]

On the Track

In the run-up to the Kentucky Derby, Dave Bontempo picks the races and runners to watch, shares baseball’s losers and winners, and drops the puck on hockey play.

West Virginia OKs Online Gambling

West Virginia recently became the fifth state to legalize online casinos and poker, since Governor Jim Justice let the deadline pass for vetoing the West Virginia Lottery Interactive Wagering Act. Justice owns the Greenbrier Hotel & Casino (l.), and also allowed sports betting to be legalized without his signature.

Sports Betting Tax Revenue Less than Expected in Most States

An analysis by the Associated Press found that many states that rushed to introduce sports betting have seen tax revenue far below what was projected. Many were hurt by a predictable outcome in the Super Bowl where the favored New England patriots won easily. New Jersey and Delaware, however, the first two states to implement sports betting, have been meeting tax projections.

Americans Say Pro Betting OK, College Not So Much

A new AP-NORC poll suggests that while most people favor legal sports betting, they’re less comfortable with it when it comes to college athletics. The results were released in the midst of the NCAA “March Madness” Basketball Tournament, which some believe could attract more wagers this year than the Super Bowl.

New Hampshire Wire Act Challenge Could Be Decided by May

The executive director of the New Hampshire Lottery expects the state’s challenge of the U.S. Department of Justice’s new legal interpretation of the 1961 federal Wire Act could be decided as early as next month. Arguments are set to begin this week and deliberations could take between 30 to 40 days.

Virginia Gambling Bill Becomes Law

Casino and online gambling and sports betting are coming to Virginia—but not until at least next year, according to legislation recently signed by Governor Ralph Northam (l.). The bill first requires a comprehensive study of casino regulations, then calls for voter referendums in Danville, Bristol and Portsmouth by January 1, 2021.

DOJ Seeks to Dismiss New Hampshire Lawsuit on Wire Act

The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a memorandum in support of their motion to dismiss the lawsuit filed by the state of New Hampshire and its lottery challenging the DOJ’s new legal interpretation of the 1961 Wire Act. While a dismissal is unlikely, the memo shows the DOJ does intend to fight the lawsuit.

Buenos Aires Approves Online Sports Betting

Provincial Governor María Eugenia Vidal has signed a regulatory decree that legalizes and regulates online sports betting in Buenos Aires in Argentina. The new law regulates casino games, eSports betting, lotteries and horse racing. It allows betting on sports and non-sporting events that are not political. The province can approve up to seven online licenses for sports betting.

William Hill, NHL Announce Partnership

William Hill US and the National Hockey League have announced a strategic partnership agreement that will make the bookmaker the official betting partner of the league. William Hill will be promoted in relevant NHL markets and will leverage branding opportunities in connection with the league’s calendar of marquee events.

Card Rooms Proposed in Alaska

Republican lawmaker Colleen Sullivan-Leonard (l.) has introduced a bill to legalize tables-only casinos featuring both poker and house-banked games. The GOP controls both houses of the Legislature, but with the session set to end later this month, the bill’s future is uncertain.