At a time when states are suing the Trump administration to preserve their online lotteries, a Florida legislator is moving in the opposite direction. State Rep. Will Robinson has introduced a bill that would permit only in-person sales of Florida lottery 
tickets. To be clear, Florida does not have an online lottery per se but third-party vendors have been selling lottery tickets via phone and Internet, after giving themselves a tidy markup. It’s this practice on which Robinson wants to crack down. “These fraudulent websites are, in my view, illegally advertising when they are not related to the lottery system at all,” Robinson told Florida Politics. “Once you start allowing mobile devices, you are expanding the scope of the lottery.”
The poster child for Robinson’s bill is Floridian Aura Dominguez Canto, who bought a lottery ticket from an Israeli Web site, thereby giving the state a rude surprise when Continue reading
people are going to start to become more and more comfortable with insects and consuming them … And I think that this is the next evolution of adventurous eating, where people are savvier about where their food is coming from, what’s in their food, and just being generally accepting of trying new things.” — Benchmark Vice President for Food & Beverage Patrick Berwald on 
(outgoing CEO, underperforming stock, stable cash flow, real estate optionality, to name a few), we do not necessarily see any obvious/easy fix, given (1) a shortage of buyers to create a competitive bidding situation, (2) CZR’s size/scale is a competitive advantage and the hub/spoke model make it difficult to divest/separate assets, and (3) monetizing LV Strip real estate to raise capital has its drawbacks (i.e., effectively adds long-term, high cost capitalized lease debt),” he wrote. He did cite a “relatively strong” 4Q18 as a rationale for slightly raising his cash-flow forecast ($568 million), while noting that his figure remained lower than Wall Street‘s consensus. He expected today’s call to provide some insight into the seemingly never-ending search to replace Mark Frissora and maybe touch upon the maneuverings of Carl Icahn and Tilman Fertitta to put the company in play.
4% in its regional properties and 8% in all-important Macao. Analyst Cameron McKnight of Credit Suisse wrote that management “sounded cautious on the 1Q and 1H, given cost inflation, reduced Chinese visitation and a more uncertain leisure customer. That said, the outlook for convention attendance is strong, non-gaming revenue growth should remain solid, and MGM noted full year Vegas estimates ‘seem reasonable.'” JP Morgan‘s Joseph Greff stayed on positive on the stock, noting “reasonably good operating fundamentals in the U.S. (both LV Strip and regionals),” among other reasons.
Entertainment and Icahn suddenly holds 10% of your stock, 
“It is your character, and your character alone, that will make your life happy or unhappy. That is all that really passes for destiny. And you choose it. No one else can give it to you or deny it to you. No rival can steal it from you. And no friend can give it to you. Others can encourage you to make the right choices or discourage you. But you choose.” — the late Sen. John McCain (R).
million) actually crept past Bally’s ($12 million) and up on Resorts Atlantic City (just under $13 million). Resorts, however, was the only revenue-positive casino, up 9%. Bally’s was down 5%. Borgata hauled in $50.5 million, a 5% dip, while Caesars Atlantic City got bushwhacked, down 21% to $17 million. Harrah’s Resort slid 8.5% but still booked $21.5 million. Things do not look as good for Hard Rock Atlantic City, down to $15.5 million for the month and a long way from target Tropicana Atlantic City ($21 million, -8.5%). However, it bested the Golden Nugget, down 9.5% to $14.5 million.
tandem with other supportive measures, such as reducing the reserve requirement and cutting taxes,” he wrote. But he doesn’t think the credit-growth benefit will kick into Macao until early next year or maybe March 2020. He also warns that credit escalation is “very volatile.” In the meantime, Beijing is cracking down on the “shadow banks” that finance gamblers. VIP and premium-mass (the demographic of choice) could find life a little leaner. China’s desire to minimize capital flight remains as strong as ever. Adds McKnight, “If macro conditions worsen and/or the US/China trade dispute heats up, capital controls could be tightened – and this new policy enforced more strictly.” Chinese exports were up 9% but home prices are slackening, two important economic indicators moving in opposite directions.
revealed that Fertitta paid 
suggests an answer in the affirmative. Eight casinos saw lower gross receipts last year and foot traffic was down in all 10. Also, the pool of players is aging. Even so, most Chicago mayoral candidates are pushing for a casino as a curative to the Windy City’s financial problems. “Illinois, Indiana, Iowa and Missouri are home to 51 commercial casinos, while there are another 95 tribal gaming operations in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan,” reports the State Journal-Register, which warns, “Gambling in Illinois and the Midwest is undergoing some of the same market, demographic and technological stress that long ago killed off Blockbuster Video.”
Hill to make his $700 million casino project in reality. To put that in perspective, it makes Rush Street Gaming the third-highest-paying supplicant in the capital last year. Only Partners HealthCare and MassBio 
million. Full House Resorts had a bad month at Rising Sun, sinking 9% to $3 million. Boyd Gaming and Eldorado Resorts were stagnant at Belterra and Tropicana Evansville respectively, grossing $7.5 million and $11 million. Hollywood Lawrenceburg lost a percentage point to bring home $12 million while Hoosier Park slipped 2.5% to $13 million and Indiana Downs gained 2% to finish at $18.5 million. French Lick Resort gained 9% to finish near $7 million. Northward, the effects of severe cold weather are hard to measure. Both Horseshoe Hammond ($28.5 million) and Ameristar East Chicago ($16 million) were battered, shedding 15% and 12.5% respectively. However, Majestic Star I lost only a percentage point, finishing with $6.5 million. Majestic Star II grossed $4 million, a 6% decline and Blue Chip dipped 5% to finish at $10 million.
is apparently even worse off. We say this because of a special deal announced today: Show your Monorail ticket and get freebies or discounts at Born & Raised Craft Pub (“20 percent off specialty drinks in souvenir drinkware”), Giordano’s (“Free Cheese Bread with purchase of an entrée pizza”), Exotics Racing (“One free lap with every five-lap driving experience [up to $110 value]”) and Ben & Jerry’s (“Buy a waffle cone with two flavors and get a second one just like it”). The press release touts the Bally’s Monorail stop as “a convenient way to 
Maryland Live‘s 34% market share translated into a gross of $46 million. Horseshoe Baltimore was flat, with a 15% market share and $20 million gross. The only revenue-negative casino was Hollywood Perryville, down 4% to $5.5 million. JP Morgan analyst Joseph Greff estimates it will remain flat for the rest of the quarter, Golden Entertainment and Churchill Downs had good Januarys. Rocky Gap Casino was up 9% to $4 million and Ocean Downs climbed 6% to $5 million.