China dealt a severe blow to the hopes of Big Gaming this week, declaring the island of Hainan off-limits for gambling. “We cannot at all allow Hainan to operate casinos,” declared resident Communist Party strongman Luo Baoming. This cannot have been well received in the offices of Caesars Entertainment, which hoped to open a Hainan resort this year, or to MGM Resorts International, which already runs MGM Grand Sanya on Hainan’s scenic shores. How big a prize is Hainan? It’s home to a seemingly unimaginable 200 hotels and “has been a huge draw for domestic tourists with more than 22 million overnight stays registered in Hainan in the first eight months of 2013.” MGM and Caesars must be feeling like slot players whose big jackpot was just invalidated.
In a late-breaking story, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has put Dirk Arthur’s Wild Magic — which plays Harrah’s Reno and Harrah’s Laughlin — on notice for animal cruelty. According to The Associated Press, the show received a citation in December and formal warning a month later. Arthur’s been cited “for Continue reading
