Pennsylvania communities are scrambling to reach voluntary revenue-sharing accords with the casinos they host after the Legislature left the issue in limbo. Rather than address the host-community fee on its own, the House of Representatives tacked on approval of Internet gambling and regulation of daily fantasy sports — a Christmas tree crammed 
through the door at the last minute and irreconcilable with the Senate’s flat-fee solution. Said senatorial lawyer Drew Compton, “We did what we did on gaming — and I think that’s all we plan on doing for the rest of the year.” Efforts were being made in Delaware County (home of Harrah’s Philadelphia) and Pittsburgh (host to Rivers Casino) to sidestep the Lege and reach independent fee arrangements. State Rep. Tommy Tomlinson (R) signaled that an accord was near between Parx Casino and Bucks County, along with the city of Bensalem. Delaware County City Council Chairman Mario Civera cut to crux of the matter, telling the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, “The city can’t afford to lose even a penny there.”
The House’s impulse to try and force the Internet-gambling issue (as well as add slot routes at six airports) is understandable given Continue reading
winnings. Table gaming wagering was down 9% overall — and yet winnings were 12%, as the house played luckier still — but Strip gaming revenues rose 7.5%, undeterred by 2% less coin-in at the slots but 11% more winnings for the house. Tighter hold didn’t hurt. Since final-weekend slot revenue hasn’t been reported yet (it will be rolled into October) that hurt the locals market, down 6%. The advantage of one extra weekend day was neutralized by having the end of the month fall on a Friday. With a $949 million gross, Nevada gaming revenue was up 4% for the month. Locals slot revenue was 9% down on microscopically higher coin-in, but table revenue was up 5.5% on 10% less money wagered.
point rescue plan through a heavily divided city council. In addition to the sale — already announced — of Bader Field, there will be additional privatizations (payroll, emergency dispatch, garbage, recycling, etc.), cuts in city services, reduction in the city’s workforce and restructuring of benefits packages … But no tax increases. That could be a deal-breaker for Trenton, which wants Atlantic citizens, already hard-hit by taxation, to pay more.
Chinese whales to use front men to place bets on their behalf. Lawyers for two Las Vegas housekeepers said that, with Sands’ knowledge and connivance, their clients were allowed to take out multi-million-dollar lines of credit. They would then place high-stakes bets on behalf of their Chinese string-pullers. Sands said it is cooperating with the probe in a timely fashion, “as we always do.” However, given previous AML troubles at Sands, the picture is forming of a corporation that pushes the envelope of what’s permissible, even to the breaking point. The current investigation would not have occurred had the women in question not been left holding the bag for millions of dollars in casino debts, putting them in Clark County‘s crosshairs. (Gambling debts are unenforceable in China, putting the high rollers out of the district attorney’s reach.)
day in November) to fix the unconstitutional host-community fees but have shown no signs of reaching an accord. There are three factions at odds: A) lawmakers who want host-community fees to be part of a bigger package that includes Internet gambling; B) those who want any solution to be at least revenue-neutral; C) representatives of non-casino communities who see this as an opportunity to get a slice of the action. Getting to B will be hard enough, never mind reaching an elusive solution on A, and the C faction are just plain spoilers. Senate President Joe Scarnati (R) showed a mastery of understatement when he told The Morning Call, “Threading the needle on the local share is a little difficult.” We sympathize.
‘preliminary partnership’ with an existing Atlantic City casino operator (and wouldn’t we love to know who this traitor is) to put a casino in Newark. “I know there has been a big advertising campaign against the referendum and that the polling has not been good,” Berger told USA Today, “but even if we had to wait another two years that would not be a deterrent.” In that respect Berger’s more optimistic than Democratic pol Ralph Caputo, who says, “If we get clocked we’re not coming back.”
although several other casinos have recently closed — was voted out of the state Senate. The Assembly has yet to consider the measure and Gov. Chris Christie (R) is almost certain to veto it. As much as I dislike how Icahn treated Taj workers (basically as a lower form of life), principle dictates that I object to the state taking vengeance upon him, as well as to making this bill retroactive. Assuming that government should be dictating how casino owners run their properties — which the regulatory process tends to handle just fine — at minimum the Lege’s second thoughts should only apply going forward.
rammed through a $1.9 billion financing package — the largest in NFL history — for Sheldon Adelson‘s stadium project. While the ostensible beneficiary is [your city here] Raiders owner Mark Davis, He Who Must Be Obeyed will do the majority of booking for his vanity stadium, a white elephant that will be paid for you, the tourist, in the form of increased room taxes. Since one-third of Raiders tickets are expected to be sold to out-of-town fans (yes, they expect tens of thousands of pigskin partisans to descend upon Vegas for an average three-plus days apiece, spending $375 million), the cost of the stadium will largely be borne by those it is supposed to attract. The presence of a brass band and Pom-Pom-shaking cheerleaders was indicative of the gravitas of the bill-signing ceremony.
pressure from the Menominee and Stockbridge-Munsee tribes, Walker put the blame for his constraint upon a compact signed by the Ho-Chunk and his predecessor, then-Gov. Jim Doyle (D) 13 years ago. “For me, I’d apply the same standards that applied to the [Menominee] site in Kenosha,” Walker said. The controversial expansion “was approved under the compact that Jim Doyle settled with the Ho-Chunk years ago. They chose to invoke it now. But I have no legal authority to block that.” Non-Ho-Chunk tribes in the Badger State are just going to have to grind their teeth in envy.
rod on the bill, which is picking up support, is its retroactivity, clearly aimed at Icahn and the Taj, although the bill would apply to any casino owner, pulling licenses from casinos that are closed due to labor disputes. “Punishing Mr. Icahn by revoking his ability to reopen the Taj or making further investments in Atlantic City for five years, as well as restricting his ability to sell the Taj is unconscionable, especially in light of his record in saving the Tropicana,” said Tropicana Entertainment CEO Anthony Rodio. The part about selling the Taj is especially interesting. Why did Icahn go to such lengths to obtain the Taj if his endgame were to flip it to a potential competitor? Icahn’s ability to keep us guessing is masterful.
Nothing illustrates the precariousness of a Macao casino concession like the mass arrest of Crown Resorts casino executives earlier this week, a development that sent gaming stocks into a slough of despond. Eighteen Crown employees, including international-VIP-gaming viceroy Jason O’Connor were detained by Chinese authorities for “gambling crimes.” Some were rounded up at midnight, as the arrests were made in dramatic fashion, All you have to do is whisper the word ‘corruption’ in connection with Macao and Beijing goes to DefCon 4. Crown employee Jeff Sikemma‘s wife was taken into custody, along with her phone, laptop and iPad, with police only saying coldly, “Don’t worry. If we need to get ahold of you, we’ll contact you.”
the acreage. However, Psi Key’s redevelopment plans 
casino (originally slotted for a late-summer opening) into fighting trim. It 
and you’d have a flat year/year comparison.) Table game revenues were down 2% on flat wagering and slot winnings were 4% off, in line with 4% less coin-in. Borgata outperformed the market (big surprise, I know), with 6% more coin-in producing 4% more slot revenue. But Lady Luck wasn’t with MGM Resorts International at the tables, where the house was down 2% despite 8% higher wagering.
Diego. Combine in-progress road construction with a new casino and you had an opening-prescription for gridlock. However, by Tuesday traffic 
prospect that the Taj could reopen with a new name and a non-union workforce. “What I don’t want to see him do is shut it down and then reopen it up and fire all the union workers. It’s called union-busting,“ said state Senate President Stephen Sweeney (D), perceived frontrunner to be the next governor of New Jersey. And, after all, Icahn has yet to surrender the Taj’s casino license to the Division of Gaming Enforcement and is under no time constraint to do so. Casino workers willing to cross a picket line would have a crack at as many as 2,500 jobs in the mammoth casino, if it is reopened. Icahn’s promised $100 million reinvestment would probably be spent on diversifying the property’s appeal beyond gaming, pundits say.