Representatives of New York City‘s ritziest borough have made it abundantly clear that they don’t want a casino in Manhattan. But it appears that Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) is going to impose one on them, public appetite be damned. Perhaps the most in-your-face idea being floated is a casino atop Saks Fifth Avenue—directly opposite St. Patrick’s Cathedral. In what’s no April Fool’s joke, the state budget would be approved tomorrow and with it three downstate casinos at a license fee of $1 billion each. Big Gaming has spent $300,000 on lobbying Albany and it would appear that money talks loudly up thataway. Hochul is also indebted for election dollars to the Hotel & Gaming Trades Council, whose position on the issue you can guess.

“These are jobs that pay $36 an hour, have free family health care and have a pension plan. So they are in dire straits because many of them have been out of work for two years without any immediate prospect of comparable employment,” said union President Richard Maroko. Other receptive ears include New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D), who’s on board with the casino-in-Manhattan concept and has been dickering with Las Vegas Sands. (Adams is no stranger to Monaco, by the way.) The high-roller pitch for Saks flipped the allegiance of state Sen. Liz Krueger (D), who says a casino is now okey-dokey with her as long as it’s soaking the upper class rather than the working man. “There may be support in some parts of the city for siting a casino,” she backpedaled. “I’m not so sure that my district in Manhattan [the Upper East Side] would be open to one.”

Since we’re heavily engaged bringing the next issue of Casino Life Magazine into safely harbor, we’re reaching out to our East Coast bureau for another Atlantic City photo essay. Above, business looks pretty good at Hard Rock Atlantic City. Note the distinctive “guitar pick” inlay on the tiling.

Despite very pleasant weather outside, Ocean Casino Resort evidently had no trouble luring players to its gaming floor.

When a casino is named Barley’s Brewing Co. you’d expect to get a decent glass of suds there. Not so. Las Vegan Lon Enwright is $8 million richer—but physically damaged beyond price—after being served cleaning fluids instead of beer (the taps were in the process of being flushed and the facts are not in dispute; there is even a hint of employee malice). The former Strip wine steward has lost his sense of taste, suffers from stomach and esophageal ulcers, and is at increased of risk of cancer as a result. Literally adding insult to injury, Barley’s owner Station Casinos offered Enwright a piddling $300,000 settlement. A Las Vegas jury thought differently and awarded the plaintiff $8 million in damages. Station hasn’t said what it will do but if it’s got any decency it will pay up. However, given its “contumacious” character, we’re not hopeful but appeal to the better angels of CEO Frank Fertitta III‘s nature.

Star Entertainment is feeling the heat Down Under. CEO Matt Bekier has resigned as the government continues to investigate alleged breaches of anti-money-laundering and anti-terrorism laws. Australia has had somewhat of an anything-goes approach to the casino biz, so Bekier falling on his sword represents an inevitable reaction to this over-lenience. Last week, Crown Resorts was deemed “unfit” to operate Crown Perth (shown) but allowed to run it for the next two years under state oversight. As always, Aussie regulators know how to send a mixed message to offending casinos.

With one week until the Academy Awards, you still have time to get your money down in New Jersey and Indiana. (Why not Nevada, we ask?) Although its odds have narrowed significantly, The Power of the Dog (DraftKings -280/BetMGM -250) is still the picture to beat. If you feel like playing long shots (and we’re not talking about hopelessly out-of-it ones like +8,000 Nightmare Alley), there’s a serious chance the Academy could go with predictable CODA (+400/+450), which has usurped Belfast‘s feel-good mojo, moving way, way up from +2,500 (Belfast: +650/+600).

Proudly mediocre, CODA is the best Lifetime Channel Original Movie ever made but Oscar voters could split the ticket much as they did when they anointed mushy The Green Book over Best Director/Best International Film winner Roma. At this point, Power of the Dog writer/director Jane Campion remains a prohibitive (-3,500/-3,000) favorite to take home the Best Director prize, besting Belfast‘s Kenneth Branagh (+1,400/+1,400) and sentimental choice Steven Spielberg (+2,000/+1,200), who’s forsaking cinemas for streaming services after West Side Story. If there’s any movement toward an upset in this category it’s Licorice Pizza helmer Paul Thomas Anderson, tiptoeing up to +2,000/+3,300.