If you live in New Jersey, this may be your lucky day. The state is looking for players to try out its i-gaming system ahead of the Nov. 26 launch. A month into real-money play, New Jersey will permit bonus accruals which can be cashed out only after a certain amount of rewards have piled up: “For instance, a casino can make an offer in which it requires a customer to deposit $100 in an account, and matches that with $100 of its own. The casino could require the customer to make $1,000 worth of bets before cashing out any winnings.” Betfair, incidentally, has received a grace period that will allow it to begin test play on Nov. 21 while its application is reviewed.
Caesars Entertainment CEO/Chairman/President/Grand Poobah Gary Loveman is the center of attention at a rubber-chicken dinner tonight, marking his induction into the Gaming Hall of Fame. Here at S&G, we make no secret of the fact that we think Loveman belongs in the Hall of Shame instead. “Loveman has presided over a period of growth for Caesars” is how the Las Vegas Review-Journal euphemistically describes his spendthrift ways, which have left the company hanging by a thread. His acceptance speech is said to focus on Caesars’ employees, which certain of his detractors would say is more than he’s ever done as CEO.
However, we hope Prof. Loveman enjoys a lovely evening and it’s inarguable that the former Harrah’s Entertainment has served as quite an academy for men and women who would go on to gaming presidencies elsewhere. One of them, Marilyn Winn, is reported as having retired from Wynn Resorts after a brief tenure, which means that the experiment with her corner-cutting methods is probably out, too.
It should be noted that the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, by whom Loveman felt persecuted, had great praise for him. In its controversial report on Suffolk Downs, it wrote, “Loveman is of the highest character and integrity, with no negative or derogatory issues noted.” He was also invited to address the issues which troubled the MGC, which puts paid to the canard that it was the MGC, not Suffolk Downs that sent Caesars packing from the Bay State.
Mardi Gras Casino, down in Florida, made a tidy little deal with a Unite-Here local when parimutuels were campaigning for casino gambling in Miami-Dade and Broward counties. In return for a $100,000 contribution to Mardi Gras’ war chest, Unite-Here was allowed to try and unionize the employees. This quid pro quo has made it all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. Labor law prevents a union from accepting a “thing of value” from an employer. What is at question is whether Mardi Gras’ little side deal constituted such a thing. At least three of the Supremes appear to be leaning against the plaintiff but Unite-Here isn’t out of the woods yet.
Trump is in the gaming hall of fame as well. There must be loose standards!