Twin River Casino can forget about prying the Rhode Island Lottery contract away from International Game Technology. Twin River exec Michael Barlow and a vendor have been hit with a staggering 30 counts of 
bribery, obtaining property under false pretenses and tax evasion. Twin River has promised full cooperation with prosecutors but the damage is done, as much as the company might try to minimize it as a “non-gaming matter.” Supposedly vendor Yehuda Amar bribed Barlow to award him contracts to sublease food-court space, among other felonies. The duo also went into business together, speculating in real estate in New London, Connecticut. The twosome has pleaded not guilty, although they’re guilty as hell of dragging Twin River’s good name through the mud.
* A suspect is dead in that Great Falls casino shooting that left three people dead and another wounded. The gunplay at the casino took place at 2 a.m. Tuesday and by 5:45 a.m. police had cornered the gunman, who shot it out with the cops and was killed. (Crime doesn’t pay.) “The entire situation was very dynamic, and the suspect was moving around quite a bit. Things unfolded very quickly in a very short period of time,” reported Lt. Doug Otto. The gunman was spotted behind a local elementary school and police rushed to the scene. Law enforcement is still at a loss for the motive behind the shooting spree.
* Apparently frustrated with Attorney General Mike Hunter, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) is removing him from compact negotiations and taking them on himself—which he will undoubtedly find more difficult 
than dictating terms through the media. That means imported legal talent from Wisconsin is out of work, as Stitt plans to import some legal beagles of his own. In a concession to tribes, Stitt is relaxing his January 1 deadline, saying, “I want business to continue as usual while we resolve this dispute.” (In the words of Charlie Chan, ‘When money talks, few are deaf.’) Hunter’s dismissal from the talks is being explained by Stitt as the need to present “one unified voice,” although there were no indications that Hunter wasn’t toeing the party line. For their part, tribes are signaling some flexibility on taxes (aka exclusivity fees) but only if coupled with an acknowledgement that their 15-year compacts roll over next year.
Hunter took his public humiliation with grace. His spokesman said, “Under Article VI, Section 8 of the Oklahoma Constitution and 74 0.S. S1221, the governor is given authority to enter into agreements with the federally recognized tribes. Accordingly, the attorney general and the governor have agreed to return the lead agency over tribal gaming compact negotiations to the Governor’s Office. This will allow the governor and his legal counsel to negotiate directly with tribes to hopefully develop a path forward.”
Stitt is to blame for the fractured tone of the negotiations, having—by his own admission—dickered with some tribes while Hunter was talking to others. “As we have stated from the beginning, the Tribes are willing partners, and have appreciated Attorney General Hunter’s work with Tribes on a variety of issues in the past,” read a statement released by Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association Chairman Matthew Morgan. Meanwhile, Chickasaw Nation Gov. Bill Anoatubby reiterated that status quo when he said, “We have honored the terms of the compact and intend to continue operating under that renewing agreement, and we expect the State to do the same.”
* Economic recovery is expected for Macao in 2020—but not until the latter half of the year, according to Deutsche Bank Securities analysts. “We project mass [gross gaming revenue] growth of 16 percent, and we 
are projecting an 11 percent decline in VIP GGR,” wrote Carlo Santarelli and Steven Pizzella. “With limited new supply in 2020, we expect shifts in operator EBITDA market shares to be more related to the performance of–and relative exposure to–the mass and VIP gaming channels.” Las Vegas Sands and Wynn Resorts are “well positioned for Macau share gains, specifically within the mass channel.” Catalysts for this include expansions of Sands’ Four Seasons and The Londoner. A “rejig” of Wynn Macau is supposed to help that property’s numbers.
As for snail-powered Grand Lisboa Palace, the Sociedade de Jogos de Macau megaresort, “We believe it is likely the SJM Grand Lisboa Palace project comes online in early 2021, akin to Galaxy Phase 3, as opposed the second-half 2020 target.” No surprise there. Hotel-room supply will be an easy comparison, only up 2% next year, as opposed to 9% in 2021 and 7% more the year after that. Nonetheless, the forecast looks a lot better than an anemic 2019 that cannot end any too soon for the Macanese.
