{"id":25559,"date":"2019-12-09T11:39:58","date_gmt":"2019-12-09T19:39:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lasvegasadvisor.com\/stiffs-and-georges\/?p=25559"},"modified":"2019-12-09T11:39:58","modified_gmt":"2019-12-09T19:39:58","slug":"duterte-socks-it-to-casinos-sports-betting-battle-in-california","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lasvegasadvisor.com\/stiffs-and-georges\/duterte-socks-it-to-casinos-sports-betting-battle-in-california\/","title":{"rendered":"Duterte socks it to casinos; Sports betting battle in California"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/E4NPiO48TVs\" width=\"450\" height=\"253\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>This is an effective promotional tool. Why aren&#8217;t other companies doing it? (We&#8217;re looking at you, <strong>Caesars Entertainment<\/strong>.)<\/p>\n<p>*\u00a0Philippine strongman <strong>Rodrigo Duterte<\/strong> is punching out at <strong>Philippines<\/strong> offshore gaming operators (POGOs) over delinquent taxes. He asserted <img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-22234\" src=\"https:\/\/www.lasvegasadvisor.com\/stiffs-and-georges\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Duterte.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"240\" height=\"180\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.lasvegasadvisor.com\/stiffs-and-georges\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Duterte.jpg 240w, https:\/\/www.lasvegasadvisor.com\/stiffs-and-georges\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Duterte-150x113.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 240px) 100vw, 240px\" \/>that they had paid only $39,000 of a $424 million liability and gave them three days to get out of arrears.\u00a0\u201cI\u2019m giving you at least three days,&#8221; he said over <strong>CNN Philippines<\/strong>.\u00a0\u201cThat\u2019s good enough, fair enough. Do you think it\u2019s fair, three days? What do you think as a Filipino? Three days would be a kind of a good grace period for them.\u201d He added,\u00a0\u201cI\u2019m giving you three days to pay your debts.\u00a0If not, you POGOs, I will shoot you with air guns. Because from where I come from, pugo [quail] is <!--more-->a small bird that does not fly and only runs about.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That tough talk had results: $25 million was immediately deposited in government coffers. <a href=\"https:\/\/ggbnews.com\/article\/philippines-limits-gaming-growth-for-now\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The beat-dow<\/a>n comes as the Filipino government is freezing the issuance of new POGO licenses, a move characterized as a market corrective.\u00a0\u201cWe want to rationalize so that everybody with a license has a good chance of being successful,\u201d explained <strong>Pagcor<\/strong> Chairwoman <strong>Andrea Domingo<\/strong>, adding,\u00a0\u201cWe will [by next year] have addressed 95% if not 97% of POGO, including the dark side\u2014prostitution, kidnapping, financing.&#8221; In the terrestrial-gaming sphere, <strong>Galaxy Entertainment<\/strong>&#8216;s project on <strong>Boracay<\/strong> island remains a definite maybe, given Duterte&#8217;s stated opposition.\u00a0\u201cWe do not know if there will be some changes or some modifications to the ban,\u201d explained Pagcor COO <strong>Alfredo Lim<\/strong>. \u201cWe do not know if the president will allow casinos to be opened.\u201d Not terribly encouraging.<\/p>\n<p>*\u00a0<strong>California<\/strong> state Rep. <strong>Adam Gray<\/strong> (D, <em>below<\/em>), the Lege&#8217;s point man on gaming issues, is preparing to take on 18 Native American tribes and the state&#8217;s <img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-17024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.lasvegasadvisor.com\/stiffs-and-georges\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Adam-Gray.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"190\" height=\"266\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.lasvegasadvisor.com\/stiffs-and-georges\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Adam-Gray.jpg 190w, https:\/\/www.lasvegasadvisor.com\/stiffs-and-georges\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Adam-Gray-107x150.jpg 107w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 190px) 100vw, 190px\" \/>horse racing industry over sports-betting legislation. He&#8217;s working up\u00a0a competing ballot initiative\u2014which would need a supermajority to pass out of the Lege\u2014to deal the Golden State&#8217;s card rooms and the online-gaming industry in on sports betting. Explained state Sen. <strong>Bill Dodd<\/strong>, Gray&#8217;s key ally,\u00a0\u201cWhen you look at all gaming interests in California\u2014<strong>FanDuel<\/strong>, <strong>DraftKings<\/strong>, sports teams, card rooms \u2026 and all these things\u2014so many people were left out of this initiative.\u00a0We\u2019ve got to consider them as well as the racetracks and tribes.\u201d He takes a dim view of the prospects for sports betting that doesn&#8217;t\u2014in the tribal proposal\u2014have a mobile-betting component, eyeing that possible tax windfall for education. Besides, leaving out the widespread card-room industry would cut down on the revenue base substantially.<\/p>\n<p>Outgoing <strong>CNIGA<\/strong> President <strong>Steve Stallings<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/ggbnews.com\/article\/california-sportsbook-proposals-compete\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">shot back<\/a>,\u00a0\u201cWe think any expansion ought to be methodical and well-tested &#8230;\u00a0our initiative doesn\u2019t include online. That doesn\u2019t mean it can\u2019t later be amended. California <img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-7323\" src=\"https:\/\/www.lasvegasadvisor.com\/stiffs-and-georges\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Cards-2-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.lasvegasadvisor.com\/stiffs-and-georges\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Cards-2-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.lasvegasadvisor.com\/stiffs-and-georges\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Cards-2-150x112.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.lasvegasadvisor.com\/stiffs-and-georges\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/Cards-2.jpg 320w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>voters gave us a mandate to keep gaming on reservations. With this we do that, but help some racetracks that need some shoring up to stay competitive.\u201d Why exclude card clubs? It&#8217;s explicit payback for their promulgation of blackjack, which Stallings says is a no-go. &#8220;Why would you expand gaming in facilities that are conducting illegal gaming?\u201d He also thinks Dodd and Gray have dollar signs in their eyes, overestimating the windfall to be made from sports wagering.\u00a0\u201cOnline is a major expansion of gaming and that\u2019s more of an issue for tribes. Tribes feel this is a more practical way to incremental sports betting over time.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Not surprisingly, the card rooms are in Gray&#8217;s corner. Said <strong>California Gaming Association<\/strong> President <strong>Kyle Kirkland<\/strong>,\u00a0\u201cIf you are really going to do this, you need to look at all the stakeholders, and to have something for the state. The tribal initiative has nothing for the state. It\u2019s a relatively small amount they would put back to the state. There are all sorts of stakeholders, the sports leagues, the teachers, the lotteries, cardrooms. You have to acknowledge that all of them exist.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>* What does the immediate future hold for <strong>Las Vegas<\/strong>? Dueling academics <a href=\"https:\/\/ggbnews.com\/article\/in-las-vegas-nothing-stays-here-forever\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">offered different<\/a> views at the <strong>Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance<\/strong>&#8216;s annual economic briefing. \u201cI call it the un-recession. It\u2019s been a year since all these pessimists and bears have been telling us the <img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-23187\" src=\"https:\/\/www.lasvegasadvisor.com\/stiffs-and-georges\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/resorts_world_early_rendering-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.lasvegasadvisor.com\/stiffs-and-georges\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/resorts_world_early_rendering-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.lasvegasadvisor.com\/stiffs-and-georges\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/resorts_world_early_rendering-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.lasvegasadvisor.com\/stiffs-and-georges\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/resorts_world_early_rendering-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.lasvegasadvisor.com\/stiffs-and-georges\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/resorts_world_early_rendering.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>expansion is over. You don\u2019t see anything in the statistics that suggests an economic slowdown occurring at all. Rumors of this expansion\u2019s demise are highly overrated,&#8221; enthused <strong>UC Riverside School of Business Center for Economic Forecasting &amp; Development<\/strong> Director <strong>Chris Thornberg<\/strong>. More circumspect was Dr. <strong>Stephen Miller<\/strong>, head of <strong>UNLV<\/strong>&#8216;s <strong>Center for Business &amp; Economic Research<\/strong>. He offered that &#8220;people should feel comfortable about the future of the <strong>Southern Nevada<\/strong> economy over the next two years. But as is always the case, you should keep some of your powder dry, because you never know when the next recession will come.\u201d Miller, however, pinned many of his hopes on the opening of <strong>Resorts World Las Vegas<\/strong>, deep in 2021, a slim reed upon which to hang one&#8217;s projections.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-25560\" src=\"https:\/\/www.lasvegasadvisor.com\/stiffs-and-georges\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Mohegan-Hellenikon-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.lasvegasadvisor.com\/stiffs-and-georges\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Mohegan-Hellenikon-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.lasvegasadvisor.com\/stiffs-and-georges\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Mohegan-Hellenikon-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.lasvegasadvisor.com\/stiffs-and-georges\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Mohegan-Hellenikon-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.lasvegasadvisor.com\/stiffs-and-georges\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Mohegan-Hellenikon-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.lasvegasadvisor.com\/stiffs-and-georges\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/Mohegan-Hellenikon.jpg 1170w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><em><strong>Jottings<\/strong><\/em>: The <strong>Hellenikon<\/strong> megaresort plan in <strong>Greece<\/strong> is in trouble, thanks to some mis-filed paperwork. (The devil remains in the details.) Understandably, both <strong>Hard Rock International<\/strong> and <strong>Mohegan Gaming &amp; Entertainment<\/strong> are threatening to sue &#8230; Whoever thought slot players could become <a href=\"https:\/\/ggbnews.com\/article\/slot-stars-bring-new-audience-to-the-gaming-floor\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">social-media celebrities<\/a>? Just ask the filming-friendly <strong>Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas<\/strong>\u00a0(Fascinating stuff.) &#8230; It&#8217;s a done deal. <strong>Eric Birnbaum<\/strong> is now officially the new owner of <strong>The Rio<\/strong>. Major changes are probably a couple of years distant &#8230; Former regulator <strong>Richard Schuetz<\/strong> has <a href=\"https:\/\/ggbnews.com\/article\/the-boys-club\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">a scathing piece<\/a> about sexual harassment in the gaming industry and the <strong>Nevada Gaming Commission&#8217;<\/strong>s limp response. It&#8217;s a must-read.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This is an effective promotional tool. Why aren&#8217;t other companies doing it? (We&#8217;re looking at you, Caesars Entertainment.) *\u00a0Philippine strongman Rodrigo Duterte is punching out at Philippines offshore gaming operators (POGOs) over delinquent taxes. He asserted that they had paid &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lasvegasadvisor.com\/stiffs-and-georges\/duterte-socks-it-to-casinos-sports-betting-battle-in-california\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[34,66,277,14,278,201,120,165,22,37,245,167,207,192,33,25,232,243,280,9,20],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lasvegasadvisor.com\/stiffs-and-georges\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25559"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lasvegasadvisor.com\/stiffs-and-georges\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lasvegasadvisor.com\/stiffs-and-georges\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lasvegasadvisor.com\/stiffs-and-georges\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lasvegasadvisor.com\/stiffs-and-georges\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25559"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.lasvegasadvisor.com\/stiffs-and-georges\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25559\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25563,"href":"https:\/\/www.lasvegasadvisor.com\/stiffs-and-georges\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25559\/revisions\/25563"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lasvegasadvisor.com\/stiffs-and-georges\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25559"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lasvegasadvisor.com\/stiffs-and-georges\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25559"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lasvegasadvisor.com\/stiffs-and-georges\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25559"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}