Caesars Entertainment has officially spiked the Kind Heaven immersive experience, part Blade Runner and part Jungle Book. VitalVegas author said of the Perry Farrell pipe dream, when it was unveiled 
last year, that the details ranged “from breathtakingly original to laughably absurd.” It was such a weird concept, even by Las Vegas Strip standards, that it defeats our best efforts to describe Kind Heaven. Best let Roeben do it. Whatever the official reason for the plug-pulling—and the overall concept seemed feasibility-challenged—we suspect Caesars is leery of rolling out expensive new ideas when its being absorbed into Eldorado Resorts and the latter’s CEO, Tom Reeg, is looking for big budget cuts.
In the meantime, if you are looking for vicarious Las Vegas thrills, Earthcam.com has installed Web cams at Cat’s Meow Karaoke and on Fremont Street. The latter affords a spectacular view of White Castle. There wasn’t much foot traffic when I just checked it but I’m sure it will pick up in a few hours.
* Churchill Downs is letting the new Illinois gaming expansion gather no moss. It has announced its intention to press for 200 to 250 additional gaming positions at Rivers Casino Des Plaines, plus an expansion (we called it) to allow for as many as 600 more. The company will also be applying for one of the new Illinois casino licenses. Meanwhile, at its namesake racetrack, will be building a new hotel with track-facing suites … ah, luxury skyboxes, the holy grail of any sporting entrepreneur.
* Twin River Casinos is embroiled in a set-to with unpopular Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo (D). The latter wants to juice International Game Technology into running the state lottery for an additional 20 years. A bill before the Lege would require 85% of Twin River’s 5,100 VLTs to be IGT models. “Raimondo wants them to have almost all the slot machines in the casinos, and they are the worst ones on the floor,” runs an unusually biting Twin River radio spot. The casino has offered to find a better manufacturer than IGT and craft a deal for the state. Of IGT, Twin River states, “More than 1,800 of their machines are more than a decade old. Their competition, Scientific Games, has made considerably more investment.” (No prizes for guessing who Twin River would pick to supplant IGT.) Tacitly admitting to the accusation, IGT is promising all-new machines and $150 million of capex investment.
IGT commissioned a study from Bryant University Professor of Economics Edi Tebaldi, the conclusion of which was “IGT supports 2,445 jobs (direct, indirect and induced), produces $176.1 million in labor income, and generates $329.5 million in value for Rhode Island’s economy annually,” plus $26 million in taxes. That did not mollify mogul Alan Hassenfeld, who has offered to bankroll an independent study, saying “I have no skin in the game with IGT or Twin River.” Sounds like an offer worth taking. As for Raimondo, she may be in hot water, what with the state GOP calling for an ethics probe of the IGT deal.
In other Rhode Island news, sports betting generated $15 million last month, the lowest tally of the year. The casinos kept $2 million, most of which went to the state (51%), with William Hill (32%) and Twin River dividing the rest.
* All-important Wendover, that barometer of Nevada casino health, was up 6% last month, part of the Silver State’s biggest June ever.
* That Crown Resorts money-laundering scandal is growing legs. The government of Australia is looking into charges that immigration officials expedited visa applications for high rollers ticketed to Crown casinos. “The probe follows several media reports that claim Crown hired travel agents with ties to drug traffickers to bring Chinese gamblers into Australia, knowingly laundered money at its casinos and had Chinese gamblers’ visas expedited,” Reuters reports. Attorney General Christian Porter said, “It is my view that there are sufficient concerns raised at least to warrant further investigations.” Crown denies the allegations but has promised to cooperate. It looks like James Packer picked a good time to get out.
* “[Shannon Marie] Morris is no longer employed at the casino, according to marketing director Eric Larsen,” after she stole $200,000 from the Silver Reef Casino count room. Well, we should hope not.
