Controversial Desert Diamond Casino will finally open on Feb. 19, superseding a “big box” temporary casino on the same site. Pride and joy 
of the Tohono O’odham Nation, Desert Diamond was the bane of Gov. Doug Doucey‘s existence, as well as that of other nearby tribal casinos. The T-Os, as they are known, cannily exploited a loophole in the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act to plant their flag in the greater Phoenix area. After much agitatation, everybody bowed to the inevitable and Desert Diamond became a reality. It will create 1,300 new jobs, and offer 1,136 slot machines and 48 blackjack tables.
The T-Os are betting heavily on poker, with 36 tables worth on hand. There will also be a 400-seat bingo room and two restaurants, plus a sports bar. There’s also a high-limit, VIP gambling lounge, in case any high rollers drop by. Other resort amenities are planned but as yet unscheduled. Job well done, T-Os.
* Mandalay Bay killer Stephen Paddock has claimed another victim from beyond the grave. Kim Gervais, who had been paralyzed by Paddock’s bullets, died last Friday. The cause of death has yet to be 
ascertained by having been hit with bullets cannot have helped. Gervais is described as “a country music fan, small-business owner, and mother of two girls.” It baffles me that an attack that claimed 59 lives and caused 869 injuries has not led to a ban on assault rifles but that is the case. With cruel irony, Paddock cued his massacre to the strains of “God Bless America.” As Gervais herself asked “Why would one person do something like this to people? If you’re that unhappy with your life, why hurt others?” We are still waiting for the answer.
* Joel Robuchon, tax dodger? The appears to be the case following the revelation that his Montreal branch of L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon is registered in notorious tax haven Luxembourg. (You know who else is 
registered there? Tamares Group.) As Eater Montreal puts it, “nobody sets up a company headquartered in Luxembourg just for the fun of it.” To complicate matters further, Robuchon’s eatery is a public/private partnership with Loto-Québec—and you didn’t think there was a gambling angle, did you? Loto-Québec had already been under fire for bringing in a carpetbagging restaurateur instead of showcasing someone with local roots and subsidizing the doing so. Understandably, Loto-Québec has clammed up about this snafu.
* Ellis Island Casino & Brewery is upping its game with the Dec. 6 opening of its Front Yard outdoor/indoor annex. The new venue “features a second-floor atrium with unobstructed views of the Las Vegas Strip. Retractable ceiling shades, expansive windows, rich wood fixtures, exposed steel, low lighting, and Instagram-worthy garden walls present a lush outdoor atmosphere.” We presume the excellent Ellis Island food will remain the same, as will the best root beer in Las Vegas (or anywhere).
Jottings: Assuming that the Florida Lege can ever get its act together, it will have the chance to legalize sports betting in the next session. State Sen. Jeff Brandes (R) has introduced a trio of bills that would legitimize sports betting in the Sunshine State as a means of funding education. The licensing fee would be $100K and sports wagering would be taxed at a usurious 50%. (We didn’t say the legislation was perfect.) Meanwhile, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) has left gambling revenue out of his latest budget, a wise move … The University of British Columbia has issued a study that reveals—brace yourselves—that it’s a bad idea to gamble when drunk. In the study, inebriated players were more likely to chase losses. Somebody should tell Terrence K. Watanabe … Speaking of chasing losses, Fashion Show Mall hopes to tantalize shoppers with free table-games instruction … MGM Growth Properties is going to do a little Black Friday shopping of its own. It’s selling 24 million shares to fund future purchases … The Philippines could be out $52 million a year after a ruling that offshore casinos cannot be taxed … A request for proposals for a Yokohama megaresort drew seven bids, including ones from Las Vegas Sands and Wynn Resorts. I guess this means, Rob Goldstein‘s misgivings aside, that Sands is still in the game … Could Japanese pachinko fever be translated into slots? Aruze Gaming hopes so with its new Pachincoin … In a coup for Kambi Group, it landed the contract to operate the sports books of the three Seneca Nation casinos in upstate New York.
