D.C. Council Rejects Sports Betting Bids
The District of Columbia council is pushing ahead with a controversial bill allowing it to avoid taking bids for a sports betting vendor. It also extends the contract with the current D.C. Lottery vendor, Intralot. Executive Director Beth Bresnahan (l.) said an open-bid process would take at least 27 months and cost millions of dollars.
Report: Ladbrokes Pushing Online Accounts in Face of Shop Closures
UK bookmaker Ladbrokes is telling employees to push online account sign-ups to avoid being part of 5,000 planned layoffs as it closes about 1,000 retail betting shops, according to a report in the UK paper the Guardian. The company plans to close the shops as the UK drops the maximum bet on fixed odds betting terminals to £2. Redundancies to decide which shops close will be done through a ranking system. Part of the ranking system will involve how many new sign-ups an employee brings in, the paper said.
A Banner 2018 for Nevada Gaming
The $11.9 billion in win was the state’s third-best annual total ever. The Las Vegas Strip was up 2 percent to $6.56 billion. Reno was up 4 percent to $636.9 million. Sports books handled more wagers than ever, $5 billion worth, and won a record $301 million.
Casino Bill Moves To Virginia House
In a 28-12 vote, a casino bill passed from the Virginia Senate to the House for the first time in the state’s history. It would allow casino referendums in Bristol, Danville and Portsmouth, but not before 2020. The delay would allow a comprehensive study of the state’s gambling industry, due by January 1, 2020. Senator Tommy Norment (l.) wants a tax rate between 13 percent and 15 percent.
Bridgeport Officials Renew Calls for Casino
Officials of Bridgeport, Connecticut and the city’s delegation to the legislation are renewing calls for a casino in the city. MGM has proposed a casino in Bridgeport (l.). The only thing standing in the way is the existing gaming tribes.
Eureka Casino Buys Seabrook Greyhound Park
Employee owned Eureka Casino Resort has purchased Seabrook Greyhound Park (l.) in New Hampshire. The company may be Nevada-based, but two top executives will be returning home when they start work to renovate the acquisition.
Goodbye Stratosphere, Hello STRAT
The Las Vegas casino famed for the 1,150-foot-high observation tower has a new name—The STRAT Hotel, Casino and Skypod—to go with the $140 million owner Golden Entertainment is investing in an entirely new look. Upgrades include new restaurants and bars, remodeled rooms and a redesigned casino floor.
New Jersey Legislature Votes to Restore Horseracing Subsidy
The New Jersey legislature has passed a bill that would restore government subsidies for the state’s horseracing industry. The state’s Assembly and Senate gave final approval to a bill providing $20 million a year for five years to the racing industry. The bill now goes to Governor Phil Murphy.
Raiders Relocation Would Need NFL Nod
A San Francisco reporter last week reported that the Raiders NFL team would be playing their 2019 season in that city, a year before landing in Las Vegas. Complicating that reports is the fact that the San Francisco 49ers would have to give their permission, and so would the NFL. Neither has done so.
WSOP.com hosts exciting tournaments throughout February
WSOP.com’s Online Poker Championships include 47 different online tournament events through February 24. WSOP.com is also running online circuit events, featuring 13 different tournaments from February 26 to March 10.
Michigan Lottery hosts two February giveaways: Cash for a Year, Let’s Play
The Michigan Lottery is hosting two online promotions through the end of February. With the Cash for a Year Giveaway, get an entry to win $500 a week for a year when you register in February. Let’s Play is offering the chance to win $100 in-store free play plus $5,000 in cash by playing or scanning February’s select games.
Daily play promotions give players a consistent shot at bonus dollars
Several online casinos in New Jersey offer consistent promotions, giving players a regular shot at bonus dollars every day of the week. We have an overview of some of the most exciting daily promotions.
