In the course of highlighting new safe-gaming products, the narrative was derailed by a stemwinder from manufacturer Darryl Rosenblatt, who sounded for all the world like an environmental activist than a corporate exec, accusing Big Gaming of being in denial about Covid-19. “The tribal nations have a different perspective from commercial casinos, which uses shibboleth posing as function. Tribal casinos want a permanent solution … We thought commercial casinos would be super concerned about the welfare of their guests, but we were naïve. The attitude at commercial casinos is that Covid doesn’t exist, and go and enjoy your day. … But for the tribes, we’re seen as a saving grace. They were on the forefront of making people wear masks.” Continued Rosenblatt, “You can’t social distance in a casino, that’s the reality. This disease doesn’t care, it doesn’t take prisoners … Until this elephant in the room is addressed, you won’t have large numbers of people return. Baby Boomers are susceptible, and they know it. You have a different consumer, who doesn’t take Covid seriously. They travel in packs and mix it up with poor Baby Boomers who can’t sit for four hours with a mask. The state needs to take the gaming industry and throttle it a little bit. The regulators understand the science, but stop short of what is needed to keep people safe.” By the way, guess what Rosenblatt’s company specializes in? Social distancing.
Online gambling is something that the government of the Philippines barely tolerates and China outright despises. However, the problem may be solving itself. Unlike many other Internet-gaming jurisdictions, the Philippines has seen its “POGO” industry strangling on Coronavirus. That’s partly because they were shut down during the worst of the pandemic and are up and running now under tight restrictions. After all, they’re deemed an “unessential” business. (Tough to argue with that.) Bloomberg reports, “This could be the tipping point for the country’s gaming industry, which has faced waves of pressure including the threat of higher taxes, lawmakers’ calls for an outright gaming ban and divisions over ugly accusations its largely migrant workforce brought crime to the country, and also worsened the virus outbreak.”
Although Pagcor Assistant Vice President José Tria says “We’re just convincing them to stay,” two of the 60 licensed POGOs have closed and that’s expected to be just the beginning. Pagcor’s worries include a sudden access of empty office space, if POGOs continue to flee. That wouldn’t bother lawmakers who are trying to have the demimonde outlawed, saying it is “making a mockery of our laws, peace and order.” The online operators have been plagued, in part, by accusations that they’re luring Chinese citizens to work for them, then confiscating their passports and holding them in virtual indentured servitude. That’s caused much umbrage in Beijing, even though its own human-rights record is beyond appalling, especially its mistreatment of the Uighur Muslims. We see no winners in this POGO scenario, only losers and victims.
Jottings: DraftKings got around the moratorium on daily fantasy sports in Illinois by cutting a deal with Casino Queen. The latter will become “DraftKings at Casino Queen.” Howard Stutz reports that the Queen “will take on DraftKings’ persona.” Does this mean it will employ only douchebags who wear their hats backward and high-five each other in public? … The statue of Benny Binion on horseback at South Point is the latest Las Vegas icon to don a PPE mask, to get the message across. (Ditto his horse.) If Benny’s man enough to do it, what’s stopping you? … Love Island is a TV series whose premise gives us the creeps. Nevertheless, the fornication-friendly show is coming to The Cromwell, albeit under Covid-19 constraints. (STDs are presumably free to run wild.) Nice to see that Tom Reeg is already driving the Caesars brand straight into the gutter … VitalVegas author Scott Roeben visited Binion’s Gambling Hall and found precisely zero players on the casino floor—and has the pictures to prove it … Speaking of emptiness on Fremont Street, CEO Patrick Hughes of the Fremont Street Experience is resigning. It’s getting pretty lonely under the canopy … Not everything on Fremont Street is gloom and doom. The Golden Nugget is reopening its sports book next Thursday at 11 a.m. Get your bets ready … Finally, two more reasons to look forward to Virgin Hotel Las Vegas‘ autumn debut. Hakkasan‘s Casa Calavera restaurant is branching out to Virgin and Kassi Club from Los Angeles is launching a Sin City offshoot.
