Connecticut‘s congressional delegation continues to make noise about the yes-no-maybe nature of the Trump administration’s handling of the Mohegan Sun/Foxwoods Resort Casino compact to build an off-
reservation casino in East Windsor. Wrote Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Sen. Chris Murphy and Reps. John Larson and Joe Courtney, “the timing of the decision by the department to publish the Mohegan Compact amendment more than six months after federal law required and the failure of the department to provide similar effect to the Mashantucket amendment raises additional questions and concerns which the Inspector General should review.”
Approached by a reporter, the Interior Department ran and hid, probably a sensible course of action given the fishy way in which the compact was placed in limbo, then belatedly gazetted. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke is already in the hot seat over his handling of the matter and Blumenthal & Co. aim to increase the temperature.
* Nevada‘s Democratic gubernatorial primary was a “win” for casino interests, with bought-and-paid-for Steve Sisolak defeating the 
sometimes thorny Chris Giunchigliani. Sisolak now has to see whether his image problems can be overcome against Attorney General Adam Laxalt (R) in the general election. Laxalt defeated state Treasurer Dan Schwartz (R), who we liked for his unorthodox opinions and immortal quote that the Oakland Raiders were getting “the Taj Mahal of stadiums” on the taxpayers’ dime.
* That guitar-shaped hotel tower at Hard Rock Hollywood sounded wacky at first but it’s shaping up impressively. Don’t believe me? Let’s go to the video. The Seminole Tribe doesn’t do anything by half measures.
* Owner Bruce Deifik seems to be doing an excellent job of converting Ocean Resort into a viable casino. The property’s dysfunction layout 
as Revel is not only reconfigured in more-linear fashion, employees termed “ambassadors” will escort guests around the property. Deifik is also on the e-sports curve, dedicating a first-floor lounge to the activity. The first e-sports tourney is slated for October. After so much mishegas at Ocean Resort it’s nice to see sanity prevailing for a change.
* Internet gambling is halfway home in Michigan, having been voted out of the House of Representative 68-40. Said sponsor Rep. Brent Iden, “It will allow internet gaming as it relates to all of the currently 
allowed games in a brick-and-mortar casino, that’d be poker, roulette, black jack, craps” to players 21 and over, and will be taxed at 8%, a sensible levy. We’ll have to wait until autumn to see whether the state Senate share’s Iden’s enthusiasm. His bill was crafted to mollify Michigan tribes, who understandably wanted in on the action. However, a “poison pill” puts their ability to participate in the hands of the Interior Department, which is to determine whether they can conduct off-reservation gambling. And, as we’ve seen under the Zinke regime, federal approval is no sure thing.
