Sisolak victimizes the vulnerable

Noting that Sisolak’s campaign was well-financed by the likes of then-MGM Resorts International CEO Jim Murren, Schuetz remarks that “all of that money is about politics and wealthy people and is apparently untouchable, whereas problem gambling dollars are expendable for they just save lives and work to improve the condition of people within the communities of Nevada.” He adds that “If there was ever an open invitation to the federal government to jump into gambling it is now taking place under the leadership of Governor Sisolak and the industry that props him up.” Extreme? Yes. Uncalled-for? Hardly.

Govs. Sisolak, Gibbons and—in between them—Brian Sandoval (now a goodwill ambassador for MGM, if you like black humor) have all seen compulsive gamblers as expendable when the budgetary chips are down. They’ll keep taking that $1/slot surcharge but will spend it on the really important things—like Allegiant Stadium, not mere people. Just like the elderly, the sick and the working underclass who are being sacrificed to Covid-19, compulsive gamblers are just so much cannon fodder to the state.

American Gaming Association President Bill Miller has some good news today and he could use it (and the rhetorical ammo it will provide). Some bluenose in the Senate Judiciary Committee (who turns out to be anti-gambling scold Lindsey Graham) has called Miller to testify tomorrow about the integrity of college sports in the era of legal sports betting. It’s no sure thing that collegiate sports will even happen anytime soon but it looks like a few senators have nothing more important with which to bestir themselves. After all, it’s not like the country is in a crisis or three.

Anyway, the AGA has just published a survey which finds that betting with illegal bookies has fallen 25% in states where sports wagering is legal and the online amount of legal betting is up 12%. Confidence in actually being paid motivated 25% of those who switched their loyalty to legal operations. Lefty in the back alley may be losing business but unregulated offshore operators saw a 3% in player spending during 2019. No wonder, with Coronavirus dealing a knockout blow to most sports. As Miller puts it, ““This only worsened during the sports shutdown, with unregulated bookmakers offering odds on everything from the weather and shark migration patterns to whether your friends’ marriage will survive the pandemic.”

The message that Miller will undoubtedly be carrying to Capitol Hill is “Giving consumers convenient alternatives to the illegal market, like regulated mobile offerings and competitive odds, is key for getting bettors to switch to legal channels.” Whether that will be enough for the prudes remains to be seen. We thought that the threat of renewed federal regulation had, with the demise of the Bradley Act, been beaten back but not so, apparently. The moralists will undoubtedly harp upon such AGA reportage as the fact that 52% of bettors also placed action will illegal books and 55% of them thought it was legal. There’s definitely some education to be done.

Score one for the Culinary Union: It has persuaded MGM to enter expedited arbitration of the grievances raised in a recent lawsuit. MGM gets dismissal of the suit and the Culinary obtains face-t0-face negotiations with Leo the Lion. The litigation centered upon the transmission of Covid-19 at The Signature and at Sadelle’s Café (in Bellagio). We laud both parties for their willingness to put aside their weapons and talk. Lawsuits against Caesars Entertainment remain ongoing and we don’t expect them to end soon, especially now that Tom Reeg is in charge.

Can’t—or shouldn’t—come to Las Vegas and take a tour of the Neon Museum? No problem. The neon will come to you. The museum has developed a 360-degree virtual tour in which you can guide yourself, aided by 130 “informational hotspots.” There’s pop-up photography, video and text to help you better appreciate the fine art of neon. Pay $10 and you can tour as long as you like. Take it from us: It’s money spent on a good cause.

Got $10.5 million under the sofa cushions? Call realtor Ivan Sher, who’s shopping Jim Murren‘s Summerlin mansion. For almost $15 more—pocket change!—you could have Steve Wynn‘s pied-a-terre, also hawked by Sher. Not ready to spend all that money sight unseen? Buck Wargo takes readers on a quasi-virtual tour of what all those millions could get you. Murren’s house is more architecturally interesting and comes with a half-basketball court. Wynn’s more-generic McMansion has its virtues, including a large home cinema and a swimming pool. At Casa Murren, says Sher, “not only did they take this modern approach but they mixed it in with the desert landscaping and Zen feeling with a garden. Within the home, they also softened it with wood floors in some areas. It’s this great livable but strikingly modern home on a great acre-and-a-half natural habitat.” The Wynn house was already built but El Steve did a $6 million makeover when he bought it two years ago (easy come, easy go). Of it Sher says, “no expense was spared and [it was] completely redone on the inside and finely finished with attention on art preservation,” including a fire-suppression system normally only found in museums. Both owners are empty-nesters who are looking to downsize, particularly now that their years on the gravy train are over.

Jottings: Think it’s hard to enter a Vegas casino these days? Try Macao. In addition to having your temperature scanned, you must “present a current negative virus test and a health declaration.” Even so, market analysts see this is a harbinger of improvement … Did GVC Holdings‘ 50/50 partnership with MGM make GVC CEO Kenny Alexander superfluous? He’s resigning immediately, saying, “I have given 13 years to GVC and I now want to give some time to my family.” We doubt that’s the last word on the subject of Alexander … Also on the way out: Ronald Perelman‘s status as plurality shareholder of Scientific Games. An SEC filing reveals that Perelman is pondering the sale of his 39% position in SGMS. The company is currently in a lull and Perelman appears to be in no hurry (or certainty) to sell … In a tit-for-tat move, California Gaming Association (read: card rooms) President Kyle Kirkland is urging Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) to shut down tribal casinos, too. Yes, they’re on sovereign land but Kirkland interprets Newsom’s emergency powers as overriding tribal autonomy … British casinos resume business August 1. It’s too late for three Genting Group casinos and one Caesars U.K. property that have closed permanently … Major League Baseball is offering cash prizes (bottom of story) to entice young viewers. Evidently the newbies of today are the sports bettors of tomorrow—or so MLB hopes.