In a story that, frankly, I just didn’t feel like covering last week, Paddy Power Betfair has hitched its wagon to the hitherto-unprofitable DFS star. It has purchased FanDuel, taking a 61% share of the company. The 
catalyst, obviously, is the Supreme Court ruling that legalized sports betting in our great country. As befits its name, Paddy Power is a puissant force in U.K. betting and — combined with FanDuel’s knowledge of U.S. sports — should be ready to hit the ground running in any jurisdiction in which it is licensed, with seven million customers already enrolled. Said Paddy Power CEO Peter Jackson, “Together with our substantial financial firepower, we believe we are now exceptionally well placed to target the prospective U.S. sport betting opportunity.” Indeed.
Paddy Power Betfair will retired FanDuel’s debt, estimated at $76 million, and capitalized the company to the tune of $594 million in cash and assets, such as horse racing network TVG. The way the agreement is structured, Paddy Power could have 100% ownership in five years’ time. Your move, DraftKings.
Speaking of Paddy Power Betfair, it is a recent addition to the American Gaming Association, whose membership continues to turn a pro-Internet-hue, with only Sheldon Adelson and John Farahi holding out against it. (Another obstacle, Steve Wynn is out of the picture for at least two years.) Columnist Steve Ruddock analyzes the AGA’s tortured history 
regarding online gambling and sees pressure mounting on President Geoff Freeman to come (back) out in favor of it. Freeman’s staked out a contorted position, defending legalization of DFS in language that could very well apply to Internet gambling: “With billions of dollars changing hands and thousands of participants, DFS is also an industry in need of consumer protections and other regulations that ensure the integrity of its product.” With more and more states legalizing ‘Net betting, it’s time that the AGA hopped the train that is leaving the station without it.
* Ocean Resort momentarily emerges from the shadow of Hard Rock Atlantic City for some media love. It’s pet-friendly (g00d) and charges a $20 resort fee (bad). Hey, Bruce Deifik, want to scare up some free publicity? Lose the resort fee. Great marketing hook. (There’s not much 
Deifik can do about the $3/night, state-imposed Casino Occupancy Fee.) The Boardwalk-side retaining wall you’ve seen so many times in this space is gone and the scary-sounding “escalator to heaven” has had its fright factor reduced by the addition of safety panels, good news for those of us who have a fear of manmade heights. And for those looking for a resort experience, Hyatt has exhale, “Hyatt’s newly acquired fitness and spa brand, which will feature 32 treatment rooms, a mind body studio and retail boutique.” Deifik’s invested as much as $375 million in Ocean Resort and it sounds like he’s put it to good use.
* Uff da! Bally’s Las Vegas has finished renovating 2,052 room and suites — and that’s just in one tower — for a thrifty $125 million. (Jubilee Tower was redone four years ago.) Travel Weekly got a look-see at the 
new product and reports “new furniture, dark wood tones with bursts of red, geometric wall patterns, USB charging stations and glass-enclosed showers.” That’s good for Bally’s, whose image was getting rather dowdy. Now if they could only find some way to redo the unenticing casino floor …
In case you’re wondering what happened to the old furnishings, they were donated to hurricane victims in Houston, to Habitat for Humanity Las Vegas and other charitable causes. Hail, Caesars!
* Gather ye Vietnamese rosebuds while yet ye may. The government of Vietnam is taking a very serious look at scrapping tax incentives for casino development. Elsewhere in the Pacific Rim, online gaming continues to retreat, with PokerStars pulling for-money play from Hong Kong. The move follows hard upon the Chinese government’s degree that poker is a game of chance.
* Congratulations to Las Vegas Review-Journal escapee and former Golden Entertainment spokesman Howard Stutz for being named executive editor of CDC Gaming Reports. We’re sure he’ll do a good job.
