News

GMA quoted in CDC Gaming Reports

Revisions aside, maybe it’s time to get rid of the ‘archaic’ Wire Act altogether

By Howard Stutz

Nearly 60 years have passed since Congress created the Federal Wire Act.  U.S. Attorney General Robert Kennedy pushed the legislation as a deterrent to organized crime by making the transmission of interstate gambling information illegal.

But the Wire Act has outlived its usefulness.

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GMA quoted in the Las Vegas Review Journal

Easing casino floor restrictions seen as move in right direction

By Bailey Schulz and Mike Shoro

Las Vegas casino floors are set to return to a 50 percent occupancy limit by mid-March, a move industry watchers say offers a glimpse of hope on the gaming and hospitality industries’ road to recovery.

The easing of restrictions comes just in time for Las Vegas’ busy season, with events such as March Madness, pool season and major convention bookings on the horizon.

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GMA quoted in the Las Vegas Review Journal

Glitches cause issues for some betting outlets during Super Bowl

by Bailey Schulz

Super Bowl LV’s betting volumes seemed to be too much for some sportsbooks to handle.

BetMGM, FanDuel, DraftKings, BetRivers and Barstool Sportsbook all reported technical difficulties on Sunday, one of the biggest sports betting days of the year. Experts say the problems are a sign of growing pains in a burgeoning industry.

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GMA quoted in GGB News

Analyst: Still A Chance to Salvage Saipan Casino

by Marjorie Preston

Back in 2010, it seemed like a surefire venture: a luxurious casino resort in an island setting, ringed by palm trees and within walking distance to white-sand beaches.  But five years later, the multibillion-dollar complex, still unfinished, was plagued by labor disputes, funding shortfalls, missed construction deadline and flailing leadership.

It sounds a lot like Imperial Pacific Palace Saipan, a beleaguered development in the western Pacific, also unfinished and also in danger of ruin.  But the resort in question is half a world away, in the Caribbean.

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GMA quoted in the Las Vegas Review Journal

Condos at Strip hotels can make future redevelopment challenging

By Bailey Schulz

Las Vegas’ skyline has never been stable.

In the ’90s and 2000s, the desert oasis-themed properties build during the city’s mob era were demolished to make room for bigger, more lavish properties.  Wynn Las Vegas replaced the Desert Inn, the Bellagio was built on the ashes of the Dunes, and The Venetian now offers gondola rides where the Sands once stood.

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GMA quoted in the Las Vegas Review Journal

US bettors to wager $4.3B on Super Bowl, a big drop from 2020

By Bailey Schulz

More than 23 million Americans plan to bet a total of $4.3 billion on Super Bowl LV, a 37 percent drop in expected handle compared with the figure from last year’s game.

A new report from the American Gaming Association said the drop was expected and almost entirely caused by pandemic-led restrictions at casinos across the country.  The largest declines are expected among retail sportsbooks and casual bets made in social settings, like pools or squares.  The total count also includes illegal bets online and with bookies.

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GMA quoted on KMTV 3 News Now Omaha

Unicameral weighing bill legalizing sports gambling

By Jon Kipper

The voters approved it, now lawmakers are figuring out how it will work.

Casino gambling at some point in the future will be taking place at Nebraska racetracks.

State Sen. Tom Briese of Albion is looking into how casino gaming will be regulated.

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GMA quoted in the Las Vegas Review Journal

Tilman Fertitta taking Golden Nugget, Landry’s public through merger

By Bailey Schulz

Tilman Fertitta’s Golden Nugget and Landry’s Inc. will go public once again through a deal valued at $6.6 billion.

Houston-based Fertitta Entertainment Inc., parent company of Golden Nugget and Landry’s is set to hit the New York Stock Exchange in the second quarter through a merger with blank-check company FAST Acquisition Corp. Fertitta took his company private in 2010 after 17 years of trading publicly.

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GMA quoted in GGB News

Massachusetts Sports Betting Not A Sure Thing

Massachusetts should have little trouble passing sports betting legislation.  Yet a bill with positive support in 2019 – with backing from the Governor – went nowhere.  Same thing in 2020.

As for 2021, well Massachusetts lawmakers agreed to a $627 million economic development deal January 5, at the end of a legislative session.

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GMA quoted in the Las Vegas Review Journal

Association working on ways to boost travel industry’s recovery

By Bailey Schulz

The U.S. Travel Association is ready to kick-start the recovery of the travel industry, which has so far suffered more than $500 billion in pandemic-related losses.

Heads of the nonprofit organization said Wednesday that they are working with the Biden administration on policies that can be implemented within the president’s first 100 days in office.  While these efforts could help economic revivals in tourism-dependent cities like Las Vegas, the USTA acknowledged roadblocks to recovery, including a potential new federal mandate that would require COVID-19 testing for domestic flights.

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