Virginia has now had two full months of sports betting and February handle was an impressive $266 million—not quite the explosion that Michigan was but still noteworthy as the second-biggest debut in U.S. history. Reacted PlayUSA analyst Dustin Gouker, “The nation’s major operators have the resources to engage bettors in new markets in ways that were impossible in the early days of legalization, which benefits later-comers like Virginia. Ultimately, that will mean a market that goes through fewer growing pains than some of the earlier adopters.” Compared to other states, Super Bowl handle wasn’t bad: $19.5 million. Revenue was $12 million but books went overboard with promotional credits, ending up with a $3 million loss. The tax haul was a scant $300,593. FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM and BetRivers were all on the field, joined just before the Super Bowl by William Hill. This month brought the entry of WynnBet, which should reap some of the rewards of March Madness … to a degree. Virginia law forbids betting on in-state teams, which could mute interest in the NCAA tournament.
As for WynnBet, it bowed yesterday in Indiana, its fifth state. True, Wynn Resorts has no physical presence in the Hoosier State but an alliance with Full House Resorts solved that. WynnBet will piggyback off Rising Star‘s license and be available online statewide. Elsewhere in the Full House realm, the company is planning to augment its Silver Slipper casino in Mississippi with another, $75 million hotel tower. Reports Nola.com, “The new hotel tower will be built out over the water on what was the Jubliee pier. It is southwest of the current hotel, so the new building won’t block the view, and every room will be waterfront.” Even at its relatively small budget, Full House is promising something “spectacular.”
Got some meth to sell? Go to Encore Boston Harbor. A New Hampshire man was busted on-property last month trying to peddle the drug. Also, a mass shooting may have been averted, as he was carrying two loaded pistols and three large-capacity clips. Scary. That’s one of the incidences that Massachusetts Gaming Commission crime consultant Christopher Bruce had to weigh when assessing whether crime was up or down because of Bay State casinos. The unhelpful conclusion? Yes and no. Depends on the crime. “Few patterns and trends so far have shown any direct casino ties,” reported Bruce. There may be a tie-in to the problem-gambling situation, on which we reported yesterday. If Massachusetts is anything like Nevada, disordered gamblers are 3X-5X likelier to commit crimes, per a 2004 Department of Justice survey. They’re also likelier to be drug pushers. While Bruce was clement to MGM Springfield, he might get an argument from the local constabulary, which has seen a 1,789 increase in 911 calls in the first year of the casino’s operation.
Resorts World Las Vegas has done a masterful job of managing expectations for its July debut, building anticipation with carefully timed dribs and drabs of information (as well as hinting at a Celine Dion residency before delivering Katy Perry). VitalVegas has been doling out the leaks as they spring (and sometimes before they do) but if you want to know all your Resorts World dining options at one fell swoop, try this. With $4.3 billion on the line, it looks like the megaresort is going to be as auspicious as one could hope—and give Vegas tourism a shot in the arm.
Doing theatre in Chicago must not be paying the bills for William L. Petersen. He and Jorja Fox will return to CBS next fall for a reboot of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (claimed to be the most-watched drama in TV history). This time it’s CSI: Vegas. Wallace Langham also returns, along with a slew of young and unfamiliar faces. The Eye didn’t even need to see a pilot, giving a direct-to-series order for the show. Expect more intrigue, improbable topography (Who knew Sin City looked amazingly like Burbank?) and strange geographical mashups. So what could lure Gil Grissom off his boat? “Facing an existential threat that could bring down the Crime Lab, a brilliant team of forensic investigators must welcome back old friends and deploy new techniques to preserve and serve justice in Sin City.”
Rationalizes CBS Entertainment President Kelly Kahl, “Crimefighting technology has advanced dramatically over the last several years, and combined with classic CSI storytelling, we can’t wait to watch this new CSI team do what they do best: follow the evidence.” That technology was pretty cutting-edge 21 years ago when CSI was a novelty, so we’re curious to see the new iteration, delayed from an October 2020 launch. A new CSI is the least CBS can do to atone for the last two seasons of Star Trek Discovery. Also, does this mean MGM Grand can bring back CSI: The Attraction? That was a pretty good tourist stop.
Jottings: It’s back to Square One for casinos in Manila. A resurgence of Covid-19 has led to a shutdown until April 4, possibly longer at strongman Rodrigo Duterte‘s discretion. Resorts World Manila already anticipates a longer closure … Don’t find Las Vegas sports books stimulating enough? Make tracks to Money, Baby! at Virgin Las Vegas. It augments the in-game experience with two DJ booths, shuffleboard, simulated golf and a private dining room. Rather than entice you to a nightclub, Virgin is bringing the nightclub to you. Said Clive Collective partner Justin Massei, “This concept couldn’t come at a better time, especially with sports gambling legalized across the country. The industry is exploding. And we feel like we’re at the right place at the right time.” … We’ve heard of a soft opening but never a “pre-launch” of a casino. Two Kings Casino Resort is planning to roll out 500 slot machines in a quickie cash-in using “prefabricated modular structures.” Ah, the glamour. The subsequent soft opening will entail 1,300 more slots, as the casino takes another year to be finished. Two Kings is clearly trying to present the Eastern Cherokee with a fait accompli, as the latter tries to litigate the new rival out of business.
Okada Manila looks like a Wynn base and and MGM (Grand) tower.
On the Silver Slipper, FLL has done a nice job of capitalizing on that little resort since Dan Lee took over the helm at the company. There is a rendering of the new tower if you do a search for it. Looks nice.