Delta Corp. wants a resort casino if Goa regulations change

The only listed casino operator in India, Delta Corp., wants to build an integrated resort (IR) in Goa. It would include a convention center, a water park, retail space and, of course, a casino. However, it isn’t willing to move forward unless the government makes a significant concession.

According to the company’s chairman, Jaydev Mody, the IR could be added to the state’s landscape if the government agrees to a policy change that would see the area’s floating casinos move onshore. In speaking with the Economic Times, he indicated that any plans, as well as the level of investment, for Goa hinge completely on the approval of the policy.

“It is a win-win for everybody, for the government, for the people and for the industry. It makes a lot of sense…I do not see any reason why we cannot keep growing at that pace in the future. The business is there and we will keep growing. We just have to keep innovating and keeping our product and quality of service right up there,” he explained.

The government is said to be contemplating a policy change that would allow the floating casinos to move out of the Mandovi River and into another area. The most likely candidate would be a zone that is close to the airport in Goa, which would facilitate easy international travel.

Delta now owns three floating casinos in the region and has seen compound average growth of between 20-25% over the past decade. It also owns a property in Sikkim and has applied for a license for a casino in a resort in the Union Territory of Daman. The company, which is the parent company of online gambling operator Addd52, is also currently expanding into Nepal.

One of the major issues with any expansion in Goa is centered on taxes. Mody emphasized that casinos are “crazily taxed,” adding, “If the government realises that there is a multi-billion dollar business out there in gaming — but it is all grey market or below the radar — and they tax it appropriately, it would all come into the organised sector and then the business can grow. It already exists. The market is there.”

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New York Jets Join Forces with Casino Giant MGM in “First-of-Its-Kind” Deal

The Jets pen landmark deal with casino operator MGM Resorts International shortly after 888 advertising tie-up

The New York Jets and MGM Resorts International today announced a “first-of-its-kind” integrated gaming partnership that makes the casino and hospitality operator the official gaming partner of the NFL team.

The announcement about the Jets/MGM tie-up arrives shortly after reports emerged that the team has joined forces with online gambling operator 888 Holdings in a sponsorship deal that is yet to be announced officially.

In addition to a traditional casino sponsorship, the Jets’ deal with MGM also involves the I Called It mobile game which allows fans of the NFL team to answer questions about Jets games. The game is sponsored by MGM’s mobile app Play MGM and is available exclusively in the Official New York Jets App. It is free to play and provides Jets fans with the chance to win different prizes. However, it does not allow them to wager money on Jets games.

As part of the deal, MGM will be designated as the official gaming partner of the NFL team. In addition, the casino operator will sponsor and be offered access to the Jets 360 Production Studio, where the team films dedicated digital media and television content. The Jets’ home stadium, MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, will feature MGM signage.

Jets season holders and members of the Jets’ rewards program will be treated to entertainment experiences and hotel rooms at MGM resorts around the nation, including Atlantic City’s Borgata, as part of the newly penned partnership between the football team and the gaming and hospitality giant.

888 Partnership Draws Ire

It also became known earlier this week that the Jets have secured a sponsorship agreement with online gambling operator 888. While an official announcement about the tie-up is yet to be made, 888 banners can now be spotted at MetLife Stadium.

The NFL changed its advertising policies in early September to allow teams to join forces with casino companies and thus boost their advertising revenues. However, under the new rules, the sponsorships should not promote and involve sports betting in any way.

888 currently offers online casino, poker, and sports betting services, and its wagering offering was what drew criticism as the company’s tie-up with the Jets was unveiled. Supporters of the partnership have pointed out that it does not violate the NFL’s advertising rules as 888’s sports betting business is not directly promoted. However, opponents have argued that the deal definitely crosses the line.

The New York Jets are not the only team to have partnered with gambling companies since the NFL relaxed its rules. The Dallas Cowboys joined forces with WinStar World Casino in Oklahoma in early September, while the Baltimore Ravens inked a deal with Horseshoe Casino Baltimore.

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888poker $1M God of the Arena PKO Tournament

888poker has recently launched its first edition of a Gladiator themed PKO tournament – God of the Arena with a $1,000,000 Guaranteed Main Event prize pool. The event took place from 11th to 14th October 2018 and buy-in was only $55. What is Progressive Knockout (PKO)? 888poker is one of the most popular poker sites in the world. Its masterpiece, ...

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Tiny Buy-ins. Monster Guarantees

There's nothing scary about the Monster Series! Back for its fourth instalment, the Monster Series continues to offer incredible value, guaranteeing over $3,000,000 in prize money across 144 tournaments. Two levels...Each numbered event is divided into two distinct tournament levels - Low & High - offering buy-ins from just $2.20 up to $33. There's also a range of formats for you to enjoy, including Mix-Max, PLO and 6-Max, but each tournament has one thing in common - tiny buy-ins wit[...]

Evolution to provide Live Casino for PokerStars Casino NJ

Evolution Gaming, leading provider of Live Casino solutions, has announced that it has signed an agreement that will see Evolution power The Stars Group’s online Live Casino services for players at PokerStars CasinoNJ.com in New Jersey, USA. The Stars Group is a long-standing Evolution customer operating a dedicated Live Casino environment for PokerStars Casino at Evolution’s main central European studios ...

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MGM Resorts’ new casinos allow it to survive ‘challenging’ Q3

Casino operator MGM Resorts claims it performed respectably in a “challenging” third quarter, although things would have been much less respectable without contributions from two new venues.

Figures released Tuesday show MGM’s overall revenue hitting $3b in the three months ending September 30, up 7% from the same period last year. But operating income was down 16.6% to $410.9m and net income slipped 2.6% to $142.9m.

MGM’s domestic resorts reported revenue down 1.5% to $2.23b, despite an extra $42.5m contributed by MGM Springfield, which opened in Massachusetts in late August. Overall domestic resorts earnings were down 12% to $627m, in part due to opening expenses surrounding MGM Springfield.

MGM’s Las Vegas Strip resorts were particularly hard hit, reporting hotel occupancy down two points year-on-year, as well as declines in table drop (-10.5%), table win (-1.4 points), slots handle (-2%), and revenue per available room (-3.9%).

The company noted that the Vegas market as a whole got an artificial boost in Q3 2017 from the blockbuster MacGregor v. Mayweather boxing match and the most recent quarter welcomed 120k fewer conference attendees.

That said, the MGM Grand Las Vegas broke the trend, reporting its best quarter ever. The Grand’s revenue topped $340m (+9.3%), beating even the mighty Bellagio, which saw its revenue fall 15% to $322m.

The MGM China joint venture in Macau reported revenue jumping 37% to $606m, thanks primarily to the February opening of the new MGM Cotai resort, which added nearly $172m to the revenue total. MGM Cotai also helped push MGM China’s earnings up 7.3%, despite the company’s original Macau property, MGM Macau, reporting earnings falling nearly 6%.

MGM China’s overall VIP table turnover was up 14.2% to $9.4b, while VIP was up 11% year-on-year, thanks to high-rollers playing unlucky at MGM Macau. Main floor table drop was up 46% while mass win rose 43%, with most of this gain attributed to MGM Cotai.

BRAVE NEW WORLDS
The quarter was an active one for MGM, including the addition of gaming operations at Ohio’s Hard Rock Rocksino Northfield Park and a flurry of non-traditional deals, including the new online gambling/sports betting joint venture with GVC Holdings, plus official gaming partnerships with the National Basketball Association and, as of yesterday, the National Hockey League, that will allow MGM access to proprietary data for in-play wagering.

Speaking on Tuesday’s analyst call, MGM CEO Jim Murren said MGM’s foray into sports betting outside Nevada was providing the company with “great confidence.” Murren claimed that the Borgata casino in Atlantic City was already doing betting volume that matched any of MGM’s properties on the Vegas Strip.

MGM’s results were released on the same day that Nevada casino sportsbooks set a new monthly revenue record, and Murren claimed that the expansion of legal wagering outside Nevada – along with the constant chatter of betting in the media – was having a net positive effect on the Vegas wagering market.

Murren said MGM continued to have a “vast number of discussions’ regarding sports betting tie-ups with other teams and leagues – and not just in North America – but that the company would only pull the trigger on deals with entities whose philosophies matched MGM’s. Murren noted that it was early days in the US legal sports betting market and MGM “can’t afford to have anything go awry.”

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Shaun Deep Crowned 2018 WSOP Player Of The Year!

American poker pro Shaun Deep, 32, entered a lot of events at this summer's World Series of Poker and managed to win 2 bracelets, 15 cashes worth about $2.4 million (1 cash was worth $1.4 million - the biggest of his career) and earn lots of Player of The Year (POY) points! After a successful summer in Las Vegas, Deeb travelled to the Czech Republic earlier this month for the World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE) at Kings Casino with hopes of accumulating further points and defend the top spot[...]

Tunf.com – Uk’s favorite online gaming portal

Tunf.com has become a valuable resource for those who wish to compare online casinos or play free online slots.The website offers a ranking system which takes ratings, bonuses, and more into account. The pros and cons of playing at various casinos are also offered. Players in the UK looking for a reliable online casino are invited to visit Tunf.com for ...

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Success Dragon mulls name change to reflect expanded offerings

Success Dragon could soon be known by a different name. The company’s board of directors has approved a motion that hopes to see the gaming services provider carry a name that is more in line with its continued expansion into other areas, including blockchains and FinTech. The name change cannot be complete until its approved by shareholders, as well as the Registrar of Companies in Bermuda.

If approved, Success Dragon will become ezBlock Capital International Holdings Limited. It is also seeking a change for its Chinese name, which is currently Shenglong International. The new name would be Yibang Capital International.

The push for the new names is designed to promote, as well as strengthen, the company’s image and to allow the firm to more successfully “identify and obtain business opportunities for its future development.” Success Dragon is looking to diversify and enter new business territories.

Currently, the company focuses primarily on supplying outsourced business process management for electronic gaming machines throughout Macau. It has agreements with Casino Casa Real on the Peninsula, Taipa’s Casino Grandview and Pharaoh’s Palace Casino, which is located on Fisherman’s Wharf. Success Dragon also provides similar functions to casinos located in Vietnam.

However, in its most recent financial report from this past summer, the company asserted that it was planning on integrating blockchain technology into its gaming machines. This is designed to help the company recuperate some of its lost revenue, which has dropped 25.7% year-on-year through the end of the second quarter of 2018. The company reported that it had only earned $14.3 million for the quarter.

This move into the blockchain space is seen as a logical fit for the company and will help it to diversify its operations. Dragon Success will additionally be able to create new strategic partnerships with FinTech companies, as well as to invest in the FinTech space. Stepping into the blockchain industry will also give the company the opportunity to rebuild its information technology (IT) services business.

Since this past June, Success Dragon has discussed incorporating blockchain technology into its operations. At the same time, it announced that it had dropped its IT operations in Vietnam due to “a change of regulatory environment.” It now seems that the company is preparing to move forward with a return to the industry.

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Bernard Lee Wins $400 Buy-In Event in WSOP Circuit Harveys Lake Tahoe for Second Gold Ring

Poker columnist and commentator Bernard Lee captures second WSOP Circuit gold ring at Harveys Lake Tahoe

A 13th-place finish in the 2005 WSOP Main Event was pivotal for Bernard Lee as it rocketed him into a successful career as a poker columnist, commentator, and player. Lee captured over the weekend his second WSOP Circuit gold ring after besting a 124-strong field in a $400 No-Limit Hold’em event at Harveys Lake Tahoe Casino, where the latest stop on the series’ calendar is currently taking place.

The tournament took place over a single day and featured 20-minute levels which provided for a speedy action at the tables of the host venue.

As mentioned earlier, the $400 buy-in event drew 124 entries. They created a prize pool of $40,920. The top 15 spots received a share of the money, min-cashes starting from $691. Aside from the shiny gold ring, Lee also claimed a cash prize of $11,456 for finishing first in the tournament.

While Lee might have had his ups and downs over the initial stages of play, he managed to overcome the challenges and build a solid stack of 303,000 when the unofficial final table of ten was set. The player held the second largest stack at the time, topped only by Paul Miller, who had 400,000 in chips.

Final Table Action

Surviving the final table was a challenging task. Lee lost some of his momentum early into that stage of the game, but remained patient. The player said in his post-victory interview that he played for the title and that he claimed it by playing carefully, building a stack slowly but steadily.

The champion eventually faced Miller heads-up. Lee began the duel as the chip leader and maintained his advantage until the very end. He applied pressure in the right spots, and it looked as if he was making the right move on every hand dealt. Miller was eventually eliminated for a cash prize of $7,082, his second one from the WSOP Circuit series.

As for Lee, this was his third tournament victory in the past few months. The player took down a Rio Daily Deepstack in June and another event earlier this month. As mentioned above, he has also performed quite well in the WSOP, finishing 13th in the 2005 WSOP Main Event and scoring a runner-up finish in a bracelet event in the summer of 2017. Lee has also previously won one more gold ring from the WSOP Circuit.

He told WSOP staff over the weekend that the support from his family meant the world to him. Lee had dedicated his first ring to his daughter, Maya. His second piece of WSOP Circuit jewelry, the player dedicated to his son, Noah.

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Belle Corp year-to-date income up despite lower Q3

Philippine leisure estate developer Belle Corporation reported an 18.5% year-on-year drop in net income during the third quarter of 2018, even as profits went up slightly for the first nine months of the year.

In a filing with the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE), the company reported a net income of PHP716 million ($13.4 million) for the third quarter, as well as gross revenue of PHP1.94 billion ($36.2 million), 7.5% lower than the third quarter of 2017.

Even so, year-to-date consolidated net income was up 1% from the same period last year, to PHP2.68 billion ($50 million). Recurring net income was PHP2.94 billion ($55 million), 19.1% higher than the first nine months of 2017. The disparity between the growth rates of consolidated and recurring net income was explained as “due mainly to one-time gains recorded in 2017 from sales of non-core investments and properties.”

Belle Corp, through subsidiary Premium Leisure Corporation (PLC), takes a share in earnings from City of Dreams Manila, operated by lessee Melco Resorts and Entertainment (Philippines) Corporation. Belle reported earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) from City of Dreams Manila operations from January to September, of PHP1.84 billion ($34.4 million), a 29.5% increase from the corresponding period in 2017.

EBITDA from real-estate businesses was PHP1.79 billion ($33.4 million), 7.9% higher year on year. Of this, PHP1.54 billion ($28.7 million) came from the lease of the land and buildings comprising City of Dreams Manila.

Year-to-date revenue for the company in the first nine months of the year was PHP6.46 billion ($120.5 million), 3.8% higher than January to September 2017. Of this, gaming revenue was PHP2.38 billion ($44.4 million), 10.2% higher than the same period last year.

Last week, Melco Philippines withdrew a petition to voluntarily delist from the PSE. However, major shareholder MCO (Philippines) Investments Limited said that it will proceed with a tender offer so as to increase its current 73% shareholdings. The purpose of the withdrawal of the petition to delist, according to Melco Philippines, was for “alleviating certain investors’ concerns that the potential delisting may exert undue pressure on their decision process related to the acceptance of the Tender Offer.”

The tender offer price of about $0.13, while higher than the current share price, was questioned by some traders for being nearly 50% lower than when the stock was first offered in 2013.

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Yggdrasil deals with Fantasma Games

Popular gaming solutions supplier Yggdrasil deals with Fantasma Games as its third studio partnership to join the YGS Masters program. Fantasma Games is a young and exciting Stockholm based studio with great game ideas and ambitious future plans. As Yggdrasil deals with Fantasma Games the partnership’s first games will be launched in 2019 using Yggdrasil’s proprietary promotional tools, BOOST®. The ...

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Analysts predict delays for Phase 3 of Galaxy Macau

In a report published last Thursday, Union Gaming (UG) provided a pessimistic, but realistic, view for Phase 3 of the expansion plans at the Galaxy Macau casino resort, which is operated by Galaxy Entertainment. The brokerage firm indicated that the expansion will be delayed and that it will more than likely not be ready before the middle of 2020.

According to UG analyst Grant Govertsen, “While design work continues to move forward on Phase 4, construction on Phase 3 has largely maxed out for the time being as the company waits on various government approvals. With this in mind, it appears that Phase 3, including the first batch of hotel rooms, is unlikely to come online before mid-2020.”

Govertsen’s analysis was supported by Sanford C. Bernstein. The firm also issued a note on Thursday about the Galaxy, stating, “Phase 3 is now slated to open in mid-2020 as there have been some delays. Phase 4 continues with site preparation.”

Earlier this year, Galaxy Entertainment chairman Lui Che Woo indicated that he expected some part of Phase 3 to be completed next year. Two months ago, however, the company’s deputy chairman, Francis Lui Yiu Tung, alluded to a “stage one” of Phase 3, which wouldn’t be ready until 2020.

Phase 3 is expected to include as many as 1,500 hotel rooms, a casino and an entertainment facility that could hold 16,000 people. Tung has indicated that the last two remaining phases of the resort’s expansions have been accelerated. This could be due to the license for the company’s gaming rights in the city, which will expire in 2022. By completing the expansion sooner, Galaxy will be in a stronger position to request a license renewal.

Last week, Galaxy reported its third-quarter earnings with the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, indicating that its EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxation, debt and amortization) had increased overall by 10% year-on-year. Galaxy Macau increased its net revenue by 7% year-on-year to $1.186 million and its EBITDA climbed 9% to $382.59 million. The company’s Cotai operations, Broadway Macau, saw a net revenue increase of 38% year-on-year to $18.49 million. EBITDA also increased, coming in at $1.14 million. Last year, it recorded an EBITDA loss of $510,161.

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Ukraine’s Illegal Gambling Market Thrives as Government Fails to Set Regulations

The lack of solid regulation in the Ukrainian gambling and betting industry has resulted in a booming underground gambling business while millions of dollars are going down the drain. According to local media reports, hundreds of gambling facilities disguised as lottery offices, are freely operating across the country.

Officially, almost all forms of gambling are banned in Ukraine with only licensed lotteries allowed to operate. Since 2009, when the Verkhovna Rada (the name of the Parliament) passed the ban into law, however, there have been multiple reports of existing underground gaming facilities. By July 2009, more than 6,000 illegal slot machines had been confiscated from dozens of illegal establishments. Investigations led to over 200 criminal charges. Things have not changed a lot since then.

In an article, the Kyiv Post uncovers what turns out to be a widespread scheme for illegal gambling operations that are carried out freely under the guise of lottery offices. The newspaper describes in details that the lack of clear regulation of the sector has allowed illegal businesses to thrive, nurturing organized crime and corruption. In 2012, according to the publication, the Rada loosened the gambling ban, allowing lottery operators to run gambling activities. During that time, the majority in the Parliament was held by the Party of Regions, the party of former president Viktor Yanukovych who is currently in exile in Russia and wanted by Ukraine for high treason.

As a result of the unfinished reforms in the sector – special legislation and gambling zones were initially considered, operators of underground gaming facilities are now offering slot-like games under their lottery licenses. There are lottery offices in every city and town across the country and many of them only pretend to offer lottery tickets. Although logos of the Ukrainian National Lottery can be seen, there are no lottery products on sale. Interestingly, there are no slot machines visible, as well.

The facilities are, actually, packed with computers – their keyboards are specifically customized to work like classic slot machines. Customers purchase plastic cards that are placed into special slots on the keyboard and the computer instantly turns into a Vegas-style casino game, the Kyiv Post reveals. Only cash is accepted, of course. And authorities seem to be clueless about this simple, yet extremely effective scheme, the paper suggests.

Revenues from Illegal Gambling Reach $1 Billion

It is impossible to estimate the exact cost of the black market gambling industry to Ukraine’s economy but it is certainly within the six and seven-figure range. The Kyiv Post spoke to Agia Zagrebelska of the Anti-Monopoly Committee who says that the revenues from illegal gambling reach $1 billion a year. According to other foreign experts, underground gaming operators generate much more from their unregulated activity.

Every year, Ukrainian lotteries pay around $2 million in taxes. The tax revenue that comes from lottery winners, on the other hand, is approximately $4 million, which is, by all standards, bizarre. In fact, most things related to gambling in Ukraine is out of the ordinary – there are three operators which held licenses granted by the state, namely MSL, Patriot, and the Ukrainian National Lottery. Their licenses have expired in 2014 but due to a legal loophole, they can operate until new licenses are issued.

Each of the three operators is allowed to run up to 5,000 lottery shops, which suggests that there must be up to 15,000 lottery offices on the territory of Ukraine. In addition, these three operators have extended their permits via franchise to some 180 retailing companies that can sell lottery tickets. As a result, the actual number of lottery offices could not be estimated. At the same time, the Anti-Monopoly Committee says that only 19 percent of them sell lottery products, while the rest functioning like gaming facilities or betting shops. Overall, the underground gambling scene seems to be thriving in Ukraine and the state is losing millions of dollars due to the lack of oversight and resolution to come up with a new legal frame.

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iGaming operators to gather in Madrid for Gaming in Spain Conference

On November 7-8, current operators, as well as new market entrants, will gather in Madrid for the 2018 Gaming in Spain Conference. Can you afford to miss it? Register Now https://conference.gaminginspain.com/ ! Why new AND current operators should attend This year’s Gaming in Spain Conference will feature: • a discussion of the potential for large tax reductions for Ceuta and ...

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PAGCOR Q3 net income reaches $700M

Net income of state regulator Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) has reached PHP37.6 billion ($699 million) in the third quarter of 2018, Inside Asian Gaming first reported.

The figure is 762.9% higher than the corresponding period last year. Income from gaming operations was at PHP50.3 billion ($935.3 million), 18.7% higher year on year. This was also 9.3% higher than PAGCOR had earlier projected.

Gaming taxes and contributions made for PHP26.4 billion ($490.9 million), while other income amounted to PHP33.8 billion ($628.5 million).

Listed among the agency expenses for the quarter were PHP9.4 billion ($174.8 million) allocated for corporate social responsibility, and PHP2 billion ($37.2 million) for other contributions such as to early childhood care, and development and national endowment for culture and the arts.

The higher performance year on year comes despite Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s continued hostile stance towards gambling in general. When Boracay Island was opened last week after six months of rehabilitation, the Boracay Inter-Agency Task Force (BIATF), created by Duterte, ordered that no casinos would be allowed to operate, even as this involved canceling deals already made prior to the island’s closing, notably Galaxy Entertainment Group’s planned $500-million resort, scheduled to open in 2021.

The Hong Kong-based company’s founder and chairman Lui Che Woo had said the intended casinos would only be a small portion of the project, but this was apparently not taken into consideration. PAGCOR has said it would comply with the BIATF order.

The Philippine government had scheduled for casinos run by the state regulator to be auctioned off this year, in order to help narrow budget gaps of the national government, but PAGCOR chairman and CEO Andrea Domingo said last month that the agency would continue to operate the casinos, since these were still bringing in taxes. She also said that there have been no further discussions to privatize the casinos, and that PAGCOR was able to fulfill its role as regulator, without conflict of interest.

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Malta Poker Festival on November 1-6 features €500K Guaranteed for Players

Scheduled on November 1 to 6, the Malta Poker Festival will be held at the Portomaso Casino, Saint Julian's, the heart of Malta's vibrant nightlife. Set over 6 days in the first week of November, this massive poker festival brings together a lot of different nationalities enjoying several poker tournaments. The amazing and vibrant local poker community awaits to show all players a great time! The Malta Poker Festival has been established by the former organizers of the Battle of Malta, who w[...]

“No Casino” Policy for Boracay Needs Executive Order, Department of Justice

The Philippines’ Department of Justice has said that in order to enforce his “no casino” policy on Boracay Island, president Rodrigo Duterte should issue an executive order. Such an act will be the fastest and most efficient method for halting the casino operations on the island, which reopens for foreign tourists on Friday.

Representatives of most public institutions and local authorities seem to be in line with the Duterte’s idea of no more casinos on Boracay. Following a six-month shut-down for an environmental clean-up and rehabilitation, the island is finally reopening this week. Authorities have set new rules regarding waste disposal, watersports that may harm the ecosystem, smoking and drinking. Being a vocal opponent of gambling, President Duterte also said that the island should be “free of casinos” when it opens.

Earlier this week, the local gambling regulator PAGCOR (Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation) was said to have been urged to cancel the existing casino licenses and to stop issuing new ones. The request had come, according to media reports, from the Boracay Inter-Agency Task Force, a body that was specifically created for the purpose of assessing the environmental damage on the island and devising strategies to address the problem. Local newspaper The Philippines Star said that the regulator has made a decision to immediately suspend all gambling licenses on Boracay.

Now, it is possible that such actions may not be entirely legal. In a letter published Thursday, the Department of Justice recommends that President Rodrigo Duterte issues an executive order, that would allow him to stop the casino operations on the island.

Legal Repercussions

According to the Department of Justice, Duterte’s “no casino” policy has to be implemented carefully and through a presidential executive order. In a recommendation letter dated from October 8, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra writes that the President has the authority to limit casino operations on the island. The letter is an eight-page legal opinion that comes in a response to a query by the Department of Tourism, which is concerned about possible legal repercussions resulting from the revocation of casino licenses.

In the legal opinion, Guevarra explains that the President may direct the PAGCOR by an executive order to revoke the licenses already granted and to prohibit the issuing of new permits. He also points out that the provisional licenses granted by the regulator are not contracts and are, therefore, not legally binding for the government. Casino licenses can, then, be “granted, revoked” or their renewal withheld by the regulatory body instantly.

Meanwhile, Macau-based casino giant Galaxy Entertainment Group is planning to build a large integrated casino resort on Boracay. It was granted a casino license just a month before the temporary closure of the island. Galaxy Chairman Lui Che Woo explained that the casino facility would be just a small part of the complex and that the complex would, in fact, focus on the leisure and entertainment offerings.

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Massachusetts to reveal Wynn Resorts casino fate in December

Casino operator Wynn Resorts will have to wait until early December to learn whether it will be allowed to open its Boston-area casino project.

The Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) held a meeting on Thursday, at which exec director Edward Bedrosian informed commissioners that the MGC’s probe into what Wynn execs knew about former CEO Steve Wynn’s sexual harassment allegations won’t be made public until early December.

The MGC launched its probe in January, shortly after Steve Wynn stepped down from the company he founded amid a rising tide of harassment allegations (that he vehemently denies). The probe is focused on whether Wynn Resorts senior execs knew of the allegations when MGC inevstigators were vetting the company for suitability.

Wynn was issued the sole Boston-area casino license in 2014 and its $2.4b Encore Boston Harbor (formerly Wynn Boston Harbor) is slated to open next summer. The awarding of the license has proven extremely controversial, and the ongoing fallout led to last month’s abrupt resignation of MGC chair Stephen Crosby amid questions over his impartiality.

The MGC report was originally scheduled to be submitted in September, but this was pushed back until October. On Thursday, State House News Service quoted Bedrosian saying investigators were still hard at work and there were “a few more procedural steps before an actual hearing and the report will be made public.”

Bedrosian said the report and its supporting documents will likely run to “hundreds of pages.” These documents will be provided to the MGC’s individual commissioners and to Wynn Resorts execs, after which both sides of this equation will prepare a presentation for the eventual public hearing in December. Only then will the report be made public, albeit likely with some redactions.

The hearing will feature testimony from both the report’s authors and Wynn Resorts representatives, after which the commissioners will deliberate in private, possibly for a few days, before rendering their verdict.

Should the MGC conclude that Wynn execs knowingly withheld information that might have influenced the MGC’s licensing process, the state will be heading into uncharted waters. Wynn would likely launch a legal challenge but the company could ultimately be forced into extremely awkward negotiations for a takeover of the property, possibly by one of the losing bidders.

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New Video Slot: Halloween Jack (NetEnt)

This is not a slot for the faint-hearted. The game takes players deep within a ghostly, dark landscape. Hellish features await you - but so do a myriad of ghoulish creatures probably best left undisturbed. Enter if you dare! Here are 5 great casinos that offer this spooky game:

Wazdan’s Los Muertos ™ slot launched

Popular software provider, Wazdan has captured the spirit of Mexican Day of the Dead, Dia de los Muertos, one of the most fascinating holidays in the world. With its unique atmosphere, colorful decorations, strange costumes and joyful parades, this Mexican tradition seems to be a perfect theme for a slot. Wazdan’s Los Muertos ™ slot perfectly reflects the climate of this ...

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Universal Entertainment goes after attorney over $100-million invoice

Lawyers are supposed to be ethical. They’re whole life revolves around upholding the law and ensuring that their customers are protected within the limits of legal constraints. One lawyer in Japan must have skipped the ethics portion of his training, though, and it has cost Universal Entertainment Corp. a substantial amount of money. The gaming operator says that it has overpaid a legal representative as and is willing to go to court to retrieve the funds.

Yuki Arai, an auditor for the company from 2014 to 2015, received a substantial overpayment for his services and is refusing to pay it back. Universal said on its website that Arai is in violation of a number of legal provisions in the Attorney Act, as well as the Federation of Bar Associations’ Basic Rules on the Duties of Practicing Attorneys. It added, “Moreover, as a result of a company-conducted internal investigation prompted by Mr. Arai billing the company for an enormous sum based on an illegal and invalid contract … hence the reason why the company filed the formal demand for disciplinary measures in question.”

Universal alleges that Arai changed his contract with the company to list a corporation in the British Virgin Islands where he acted as a representative. However, that company was not authorized to provide legal services in Japan. The falsifying of the information was done in an effort to receive compensation, claims Universal.

The company further asserts that Aria misinterpreted an “economic benefit” stipulation in his contract in March 2018 and sent the company a bill for $100 million. The bill was sent under the name of Director Yuki Arai and “was accompanied with a threatening notice.” That threat, they say, violates Article 24 of the Basic Rules, which reads, “An attorney shall present appropriate and reasonable fees, considering the economic benefit, difficulty of the case, time and labor and other circumstances.”

Universal is looking to recuperate just under $80,000 in wages that were inadvertently given to Arai after his contract had terminated. The company stated in its announcement that Arai has not responded to Universal’s requests to be repaid.

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Macau casinos could be off-limits to off-hours junket staff

Macau casino junket operator employees will be barred from local gaming floors if they’re not working, according to new rules proposed by Macau legislators.

This summer, Macau’s Legislative Assembly (AL) introduced new rules to prohibit casino staff from setting foot on a gaming floor during those employees’ non-working hours, effectively barring them from gambling in the special administrative region’s casinos. At the time, there was no mention that these rules would apply to junket staff.

On Tuesday, Macau Business quoted Ho Ion Sang, chairman of the AL’s first standing committee, saying that junket staff would now be included in the proposed Law No. 10/2012, joining croupiers, gaming machine operators and cashiers – as well those holding a variety of non-gaming positions such as security, cleaners and food & beverage workers – on the forbidden list.

The bill is set for further discussion in the AL on October 29 and one of the items to be discussed is whether to apply the ban to junket subagents, whose job it is to identify high net-worth individuals and steer them toward various junket operators.

On Wednesday, GGRAsia quoted Ho saying the junket industry’s representatives are “basically supportive” of the proposal to include junket staff in the no-go list. Ho claimed junket operators were interested in protecting their staff “from being too exposed to the gambling environment.”

Surveys have traditionally found Macau’s casino croupiers overrepresented in local problem gambling treatment programs. The majority of croupiers seeking help for their gambling issues reported significant gambling debts, prompting fears that they could be coerced into assisting scammers seeking to cheat the casinos.

Other croupiers have resorted to stealing from their place of work in order to honor their debts. The junkets have even more to fear from this type of internal theft, as evidenced by the truly astronomical sums that have gone missing from junket accounts over the years.

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MGM GVC Interactive Confirms Adam Greenblatt as CEO of the Joint Venture

Following the creation of a joint venture in July 2018, MGM Resorts and GVC Holdings announced this week the appointment of Adam Greenblatt as the venture’s Chief Executive Officer. Greenblatt has previously served as Director of Corporate Development & Strategy for GVC Holdings Plc, but he also possesses in-depth knowledge and expertise in sports betting and online gaming from his position at Ladbrokes.

His promotion to the executive leadership position was announced on Tuesday in a combined corporate communication, pointing out his long experience in the gambling and entertainment industry. Greenblatt will now serve as CEO of the recently established joint venture between the American gaming and hospitality giant MGM Resorts International and Isle of Man-headquartered GVC Holdings PLC, which owns major gaming and sports betting brands, including Coral, Ladbrokes, bwin, Crystalbet, partypoker, and CasinoClub.

The joint venture was formed this summer for the purpose of creating a leading sports betting and interactive gaming proposition for the US market, according to the press release. It is hardly a surprise that Adam Greenblatt has been chosen to lead MGM GVC Interactive, considering he has played a “significant role” in its creation during his job as a Director Corporate Development & Strategy at GVC Holdings. His career, however, did not start at GVC and has been much more interesting.

After studying Business Science at the University of Cape Town, Greenblatt worked as a Chartered Accountant in the UK with Arthur Andersen. He then focused on mergers and acquisitions at international investment bank Rothschild where he oversaw deals in the leisure sector. In addition, Greenblatt was Director of Corporate and Strategic Development at Ladbrokes from 2010. According to the press release, he was in charge of “defining transactions” for the company such as the strategic partnership with Playtech, the acquisitions which created Ladbrokes Australia and the successful merger between Gala Coral and Ladbrokes in November 2016.

MGM GVC Interactive Joint Venture

Rumors about the partnership between MGM Resorts and GVC emerged in late July and it the two companies soon confirmed the creation of MGM GVC Interactive. The joint venture has its headquarters in the United States and is formed with an initial investment of $100 million made by each of the partners. According to the initial statement by GVC, the new business would have access to 15 states within the US and a potential audience of 90 million people.

In reality, MGM GVC Interactive will take advantage of all U.S. land-based and online sports betting and poker tournaments, real money and free-to-play casino gaming. It will integrate both companies’ customer loyalty programs. Commenting his new position as CEO, Adam Greenblatt said that he would transform the joint venture into the most “dynamic and successful” company in the industry, considering MGM GVC will profit from the combined brands, technology, and market reach.

The new venture is looking at the rapidly evolving US sports betting market following the United States Supreme Court’s decision in May to lift the federal ban on sports wagering. GVC is one of the several UK-based bookmakers that are now focusing on the new opportunities in the US as more and more states are passing legislation that allows wagers on sports.

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Matt Damon on �Rounders' and Modern Poker in Bill Simmons Podcast

Earlier this month, HBO and The Ringer's Bill Simmons Podcast is joined by Matt Damon to talk about his journey through Hollywood, and one of them is about the poker movie 'Rounders' released in 1998. The movie has just celebrated its 20th anniversary this year, yet it still remains as the most iconic (and close-to-real-life) poker movie ever. Of course, the ones who would most likely contest this statement are the creators of 'Molly's Game'. In the podcast, the 48-year-old award[...]