Anthony Rodio was hardly settled in the CEO’s chair at Affinity Gaming before he was greeted with a rap on the knuckles from the Missouri Gaming Commission. The latter 
fined Affinity’s Mark Twain Casino $50,000 for repeated incidences of cheating while the table games department “knew, or strongly suspected, the activity was occurring, but said nothing.” According to the MGC, casino staff was “aiding others in cheating, lack of table game supervisions, and failing to report such violations.” Mark Twain, upon learning of the MGC probe, sacked three of the individuals involved, who were also arrested on related indictments. A year-long criminal investigation of the 2017 corruption delayed the MGC’s action until this week week. That’s almost as long as the cheating scheme ran, from December 2016 to August 2017. “The table games supervisor and the pit manager have both, in fact, pled guilty up in Lewis County Circuit Court of cheating in gambling games, and the charges against the table games dealer are still pending,” according to MGC general counsel Ed Grewach.
The offenses at the craps table alone ranged from interfering with the roll of the dice to paying out on losing bets. Capping of bets was also allowed, as was the collection of graft from players who benefited from the chicanery. All of this escaped the detection of the eye in the sky, which suggests either extremely lax oversight or outright collusion. Thanks to “surveillance retention limitations,” it will never be known how much Mark Twain lost, although it came to at least $50,000 in one month. While Mark Twain Casino appears to have gotten all the rotten apples out of the barrel, we suggest Rodio pay a visit and let everyone know there’s a new sheriff in town.
* Exiting Caesars Entertainment CEO Mark Frissora leaves some unfinished 
business behind him namely, namely the diversification of Caesars into a non-gaming hospitality firm. However, Caesars has opened two luxury resorts in gaming-forbidden Dubai, so I guess Frissora can say “Mission [partially] accomplished.” The twin properties join a Bellagio-branded hotel developed by MGM Resorts International, naturally. MGM has also penetrated inner China with non-gaming brands. Will Caesars follow, partially redeeming its mistake of passing up Macao?
* Speaking of Macao, its October revenues, while a disappointment to Wall Street, were the best in four years. The Chinese enclave has grossed over $31 billion, year to 
date. Over at MGM Cotai, while the high-roller suites crawl toward completion, the casino has unrolled a new VIP club, run by Tak Chun Group. This gets MGM 60% of the way to its goal of having five junket rooms operational. The cash-only President’s Club betting room is slated to have a December opening while CEO Grant Bowie hopes to have VIP villas on line in time for Chinese New Year. While the casino is undersupplied with table games, it surely cannot be coincidence that it is underperforming while being dribbled into the market.
