“Without an attractive scheme of service, CRA cannot perform its important mission of keeping Singapore safe through a robust and effective regulatory regime,” he said.

Technology is taken very seriously by the country’s gaming authority and S. Iswaran, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office and Second Minister for Home Affairs and Trade and Industry, commented: “CRA must also strive to uphold gaming integrity – in particular, by building technical forensic-investigation capabilities against counterfeits and gaming-equipment fraud.”

That will take place over the next three to five years with the view to maintaining efficiency.

Cheats working in the Asian gaming industry are among the best on the planet and are becoming more sophisticated. Security consultant Sal Piacente told the G2E Asia conference that the scams happening in Asia are extremely sophisticated and added: “What was happening here in Macau five years ago, is happening in the States now.”

AsiaOne also reported that the panel heard that U.S. technology firms are tailoring their products to the Asian market as it’s far more lucrative than anything that exists back home.

Genting has got permission to proceed with a bond programme to fund its operations. The Malaysian Securities Commission approved the 20-year RM2 billion (US$636 million) programme will be advised by CIMB Investment Bank, HSBC Bank Malaysia and Maybank Investment Bank. In the form of medium term notes they have been assigned an AAA rating by Malaysian agency RAM Rating Services.

In 2003, back when Stanley Ho still held an effective casino monopoly, Macau’s estimated 800 antiquated slot machines contributed about $29m (less than 1%) to the enclave’s total gaming revenues. Much as the accepted wisdom holds today, the belief then was that the average Chinese gambler didn’t place much faith in betting machines. SuffleMaster Asia VP Ken Jolly believes a lot of that was due to the fact that “some of these people, particularly the Mainland Chinese, hadn’t seen a slot machine. They didn’t really know how they worked.” Now that more and more Chinese are making the trip to Macau and seeing the machines in action, “there seems to be more of a community of people learning about new games.”

There are now more than 16k slot machines in Macau, and their share of the overall revenue pie has grown to 4.5%, good for revenues of $1.43b in 2011 (roughly half of the Las Vegas Strip slots win for the same period). Since 2004, slots revenue has grown 16-fold, compared to a five-fold increase in VIP baccarat and seven-fold growth in mass-market tables revenue. On a percentage basis, slot revenue growth has outpaced that of the overall market by a 3:1 margin. Aristocrat’s Asia-Pacific GM David Punter says there is “a real slot player coming from Mainland China and from Hong Kong, and this is greater than what we all thought originally from a tables perspective. There’s a market there.” The hope is that this growing slot market will help smooth out the rollercoaster revenue swings that come from an over-reliance on high-volume low-margin VIP baccarat.

Macau

Analysts are still confident about Macau’s casino sector despite a number of drops in the share price over the past week. Nomura analysts Charlene Liu and Michael Shen are particularly buoyant, according to Macau Business, and posted an investors note stating: “Casino stocks remain attractive in the mid- to long-term”. The two stocks they highlight are Wynn Macau and SJM Holdings with the others not holding as much luster for the analysts.

Shuffle Master has been at the centre of a row at this year’s G2E Asia conference after they were forced to cover up some of their products. Media in Macau report the U.S. firm got into a row with Macau based LT Game over the intellectual property rights of an electronic multi-game casino product. Shuffle Master got so worried they covered up their products and obtained a court order to show it was permitted to show the product in question. This dispute will likely roll on given they’ve had a number of disagreements over the same patent in the past.

The House approval was met after a 69-47 vote even after Quinn proclaimed that the bill “continues to have major ethical shortcomings.”

The bill’s founder, Rep. Lou Lang, asserted that expanding legalized gambling in Illinois would be a boon to the state’s struggling economy, saying that tax revenues alone could account for an additional $300 million of new revenue for the state.

In talking to the Associated Press, Lang said that he was hopeful Quinn would see the merits of the bill as a way to create new jobs, save a floundering horse racing industry, and most of all, continue the economic development of the state.

The expansion of legalized gambling in the state will give rise to a new Chicago casino that will include as many as 4,000 gambling posts while also adding a slew of other riverboat casino sites spread out within the state. Among the locations mentioned were Danville, Park City, Rockford, and a fourth site that could be built in the state’s south suburbs. With the opening of these riverboat casinos, job opportunities are sure to follow with early estimates pegging at least 1,600 new jobs for each site.

For his part, Quinn has been a long-time nemesis of the bill, saying that it could open a potential floodgate of shadiness that will not help the citizens of the state in any way. “As long as I’m governor, I will not support a gambling bill that falls well short of protecting the people of Illinois,” Quinn said in a statement. “It is clear that this gaming bill still needs significant improvement.”

Quinn also pointed out that the bill had a number of huge leaks to it. For starters, the governor contends that the bill doesn’t prohibit campaign contributions from the gambling industry, which could become a controversial issue when local and state elections take place. The bill also doesn’t provide sufficient time for the Illinois Gaming Board to make necessary regulatory decisions, and last but certainly not least, it also lacks proper oversight of purchasing or of a separate body that would monitor the Chicago casino.

Incidentally, the 69-47 vote by the Illinois House on the bill was two votes shy of of overcoming a veto by the governor, which ultimately means that this political showdown is far from finished.

Russia

Marina Lomakina, general director of Nash Dom, explained to Reuters that firms will require a minimum of $2 billion to invest and added: “We want companies who are well known and will help create amenities that are more than just casino gaming.”

Government officials will enter discussion with interested parties in October and who knows. In seven years time we might all be talking about Russia in the same vein as Macau and Singapore.

Macau’s new pedestrian-only border crossing is expected to operate around the clock. The crossing between the enclave and Zhuhai in the north will handle up to 250,000 people per day according to Macau Business and was approved by Macau and Guangdong authorities just last week. The news could mean more mass-market customers for the enclave’s casinos and more people is never a bad thing where business is concerned.

A Mongolian man has been fined for cheating at Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands casino. Strait Times report that Khorloo Khaliun, 44, was fined $4,000 after he attempted to try and cheat a croupier at a three card poker tables. He deliberately placed an extra $25 chip on top of his stack in the “ante column” and as such would have received an additional $50 worth of chips.

New Jersey

Two members voted against the bill with concerns centered around declines that casinos could suffer and the impact that would have on social programs. The bill differs slightly to Nevada in that their patrons can download an app to a smartphone and use it all over the state with AC only allowing it on casino grounds. There’s also the sticky issue of sports betting that could see great gains for the casinos but is still banned in New Jersey.

Over in Nevada TMZ is reporting the MGM Grand is undertaking an internal investigation after the late Whitney Houston’s daughter was found to be gambling at the venue. A video posted on the entertainment gossip website shows Bobbi chancing her hand at the casino’s slots. It would all be fine were Bobbi Kristina not 19. The Nevada Gaming Commission has undertaken its own investigation and the punishment for both parties could be a hefty one. Underage gambling carries a penalty of up to six months in jail as well as a $1,000 fine and MGM could also be subject to a hefty fine.

Illinois governor Pat Quinn has ruled out any new gambling industry expansion after describing it as a “shiny” distraction. Capitol Fax reported that Quinn told the legislator that he was “not going to get distracted by that subject” and appeared to deny more slots being allowed at the state’s horseracing venues. When questioned on the horsetrack slots he told those asking to “read the framework. You’ll find out where I stand, and I think it’s a very important stand”. The framework doesn’t include any reference to slots.

SJM Holdings

Wynn Macau has approached a number of banks to try and secure a $1 billion loan to finance its Cotai project. Bloomberg quotes three people familiar with the matter who state the company will hold meetings with Hong Kong banks tomorrow in order to seek feedback on the application. Wynn has so far not come forward with comment. It has also been reported that Capital Research and Management Company reduced its stake in Wynn from 5.01 percent down to 4.92 percent. It did so by selling 4.738 million shares at HK$19.36 on the country’s stock exchange.

Sands Cotai is accounting for the most walk-in visitors amongst Cotai’s casino business properties. Union Gaming Research analysts Grant Govertsen and Felicity Chiang used the method to calculate which firm is leading the strip’s mass market and found that Sands had “65 percent” of the walk-in visitors – despite only owning 55 percent of the tables. The analysts used a count of casino shuttle bus passengers to estimate the numbers for the whole of Macau and found that Sands had a weighted share of customers equal to 34.6 percent. SJM came up second with 28.9 percent, then Galaxy Entertainment Group (19.1 percent), Wynn Macau (6.6 percent), Melco Crown (6 percent) with MGM China bringing up the rear (4.9 percent).

It was talking to my grandmother I discovered Rank’s entertainment business career started far away from the casino in the salubrious surroundings of the local cinema. Post-war times were obviously very different and back then the cinema was likely a lucrative way to make some money through entertainment. Rank’s latest deal shows they mean business in an industry that, although the critics don’t like to say so, is just as deserving of the “entertainment” tag as any other. Big changes have been afoot in the U.K. based casino industry for some time and last weekend the straw broke the camel’s back as Rank decided to enough was enough and they wanted the market all for themselves.

Things have hotted up ever since Aspers spent big to open the continent’s largest casino and there will be some that think Rank’s hand was forced by the opening of such a lavish venue. The £250 million deal means Rank has another 23 venues in their vast catalogue of casinos, taking them to a total 58 venues in the UK. There haven’t been alarm bells ringing around this deal and even the analysts have kept quiet so why is this the case?

In a lot of industries this would be seen as a prime opportunity to consolidate. Casino companies see it completely the other way though and you only have to look at Rank’s future plans. Organic growth was already proposed with 25 new locations earmarked to see a Rank casino by 2015. This remains unaffected and there is no sense that expansion is simply being done to put others off. There’s a general feeling at Rank that if one casino firm sees visitors go up the others will also see the benefits.

While the above is definitely the case in an urban centre like London, Birmingham or Manchester, it’s when you look further afield that you start to think this isn’t the case everywhere. The best way to illustrate this is to look at Wales’ second city Swansea where Aspers have just this week started a consultation that could eventually see the shuttering of the venue. It’s no coincidence that a Grosvenor Casino is already there and demand in a place like this has seen to its demise.

So while it’s all well and good there being multiple casinos in some cities others just can’t sustain more than one and it goes to dispel the myth that they’re all there to help each other. What the move won’t do is close Gala venues and jobs wise that is definitely some good news for a country that is still deep in recession.

For Rank this eliminates the one large-scale competitor they had and gives them a free run at the industry. The only problem that will come for them is the larger Aspers casinos in a small number of locations and independent casino that will still be a staple of some towns. Then they could find themselves in same place that Aspers found itself in Swansea although the amount of venues they possess would offset it.

Rank deciding to acquire Gala Casinos is a good thing. No jobs are likely to be lost, no venues are being shut and it will only give the casino industry a better reputation as an entertainment venue to trust.

Air Asia

Casino business locations in Macau will have to split their floor in two to comply with new smoking rules. Macau Business reports that after the period during which casinos were exempt from the blanket ban expires they’ll be able to set aside up to half of the casino floor for smokers. The new rules also state that casino workers will have no right to compensation should they fall ill from second hand smoke as, according to the Health Bureau director Lei Chin Ion, it’s not an “occupational hazard.”

Those arriving for the Global Gaming Expo are in for a treat as the Venetian Macau has confirmed the Ice World exhibit is back. The 1,700 sq metre indoor ice hall is chilled to eight degrees and divided into ten different zones, each featuring ice sculptures of local landmarks and those around Asia. “Last year’s exhibit was a great success, with close to a quarter of a million visitors enjoying this unique summer activity,” said Edward Tracy, president and CEO of Sands China.

However, the report found that Star execs might have breached contractual and statutory obligations by not informing regulators that former managing director Sid Vaikunta was facing sexual harassment allegations (for which he was subsequently sacked) while the casino’s license was under statutory review. The report also called out Star’s parent company, Echo Entertainment, for initially denying that it was the source of leaked emails that purported to show outside interference in the investigation by Peter Grimshaw (the former communications director to Premier Barry O’Farrell) and Grimshaw’s partner, who worked at the Star and was one of the individuals allegedly harassed by Vaikunta.

Despite having caught Echo in a lie about being responsible for the leaked emails, the report said this discovery “does not call into questions Echo’s suitability” to continue its relationship with the Star. That’s not good enough for James Packer, head of rival gaming operator Crown Entertainment. Packer’s peeps issued a statement saying Echo’s board needed to come clean on when it authorized the leak and why it delayed correcting public statements saying Echo wasn’t the source of the leak. The Crown spokesman twisted the knife by reminding the public that Echo had previously used the leaking of confidential info as sufficient grounds for firing casino employees. “The Echo board must enforce the company’s code of conduct. We are waiting.”

Of course, there’s more at play here than mere righteous indignation. Crown recently doubled its stake in Echo to 10%, reportedly as a step towards an eventual takeover of the company. Packer covets Echo’s monopoly hold on casino operations in Sydney, where Crown would like to build a $1b casino specifically catered toward lucrative Chinese baccarat whales. (Mind you, Crown is not alone in considering a bid for Echo.) Echo’s response claimed Crown’s comments “lack foundation and should be seen in the context of Crown campaigning for director representation at Echo which has been rejected by the Echo board.”

Elsewhere, Echo announced it was cutting jobs at two of its three Queensland casinos – Brisbane’s Treasury Casino and Jupiter’s Casino on the Gold Coast. Echo originally claimed it was cutting 65 positions, but United Voice Union, which represents workers at both casinos, told GoldCoast.com the number is closer to 115. The discrepancy appears to be based on how many of the affected employees can be reassigned to other Echo properties. A total of around 3600 people work at the two gaming establishments.

While Echo is cutting jobs at its Gold Coast casino, Chinese developers are reportedly hoping to add a second gaming joint to the popular holiday region’s list of attractions. Savills Gold Coast agent Roland Evans told the Daily Telegraph that these deep-pocketed developers were “actively looking to break Queensland’s casino monopoly.” Colliers International’s Gold Coast special project director Darrel Irwin seconded this claim. “Absolutely, it has been discussed. But, obviously, at the end of the day that will be a political decision.” Evans suggested the Queensland government would do well to think about adding a second casino if it wanted to attract more Chinese tourists. “You can invest heavily in attracting these people, but if you don’t have the correct facilities, they’re going to think it’s just a one-horse town.”

Standard and Poor’s

Macau is set to benefit from the construction of a number of theme parks on nearby Henquin Island. Union Gaming Analysts are excited by the amount of visitors the new venues could bring to the area and the potential impact it will have on the enclave’s casino business. Grant Govertsen and Felicity Chiang wrote in a note: “We think that the development of Hengqin should be a key driver of mass market gaming revenues in Macau, given the proximity, ease of access and presumably longer length of stay of visitors to Hengqin’s theme parks.”

Macau’s Poker Cup: Red Dragon Series has been moved from July to Augusrt by organizers PokerStars. It will take place from August 11 to 20 at PokerStars’s new home on the enclave, the Grand Waldo casino resort. It’s next visit will be from June 9 to 18 before it comes back for the aforementioned August date.

Casino critics are viewing the grouping together of Toronto and Mississauga into the same zone as a way of playing one municipality off the other; seeing which one is willing to bend over further in order to land the zone’s single casino. Public opinion in Toronto has been running against the idea of adding a casino and city council is divided on the issue. Critics say the potential threat of the tourist trade shifting west to Mississauga could tip the balance in council in favor of keeping the casino local.

While city council may be swayed by the economic argument, residents will be a tougher sell. But the average Torontonian’s opinion may not matter much anymore. Provincial finance minister Tim Duncan says no community will be forced to accept a casino, yet the province quietly killed a regulation requiring a public referendum on the issue, replacing it only with a requirement that “public input” be sought before a decision is made. Duncan feels the province has “huge underserviced markets” like Ottawa and Toronto and that no desiring gambler should be “forced to travel 20, 30 kilometers to access gaming.”

The OLG release stated that a second RFI for “the expansion of lotteries” would be released in coming weeks. In March 2012, OLG released a Strategic Business Review that called for a shift of day-to-day lottery operation to a regulated private sector operator and an expansion of retail operations including via the internet and mobile devices. OLG also suggested it would “allow for regulated private sector game development to foster innovation and responsiveness.”

Some view!

Steve Wynn’s name has hit the entertainment pages after he laid out $70 million on a new Manhattan shag pad. The casino business mogul bought the two-floor penthouse apartment that sits atop the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in New York’s Central Park South neighborhood. It has four bedrooms, five full bathrooms, a huge living room, dining room, media room and even a library. The views are breathtaking and for a man that has an estimated net worth of over $2 billion the price won’t cause him to lose much sleep.

Connecticut’s Foxwoods Resort Casino saw a drop off in both slot revenue and handle for the month of April. Slot revenue decreased 13.4 percent to $49.5 million compared with the previous year with handle down 14.2 percent to $600 million. CEO Scott C. Butera explained that April last year had an additional Friday and Saturday, before adding: “Similar to other retail and consumer based companies, the softness in April revenues comes on the heels of a fairly robust first quarter, so we remain cautiously optimistic about upcoming periods.”

Pennsylvania’s Gaming Control Board has posted a rise in gross revenue from table games in the state. The figure rose 6.83 percent to just under $56.5 million from the some 1,031 tables in operation on a daily vasis. It meant that tax revenue from the tables was just over $8 million.

Hedge fund manager John Paulson’s firm confirmed they still have a significant stake in Caesars Entertainment. A filing to the Dow Jones stated they have a 12.37 million share stake in the international casino business and entertainment firm along with a number of other companies.

Macau

Table numbers have been a contentious issue ever since Francis Tam, secretary for economy and finance, announced a cap of 5,500 would stay through 2013 and then increase 3 percent per year for 10 years after. This is very much a case of Macau’s hand being forced to change so that the poker industry isnt case off by casinos and not them changing tack on the original statement.

MGM China’s project on the Cotai strip will only have a small focus on gaming if their CEO is to be believed. Macau Business report Grant Bowie admitted to local media that gaming will be a “small” component of MGM’s new Cotai project. It has still yet to get full government approval but Bowie explained it will include up to 2,000 hotel rooms and has a capacity for 500 gaming tables. He added: “We’re very satisfied with the progress we have had and I believe a decision will be eminent.”

Sands China has renewed the contract of their president and CEO for a further year. Edward Tracy will stay in the position until August 26, 2013 and garner a basic salary of US$1.2 million – plus incentives. It comes after the CEO exercised a number of share options early this week.

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board’s figures for table games revenue at the state’s 11 casino operations in April show a 6.83% rise over the same month a year earlier. Total revenues were $56.5m from 1031 tables, compared to $52.9m from 869 tables in 2011 – a 10% drop in per-table revenue. The total is also a step back from the record $61.8m haul recorded in March and fears are that increased competition from surrounding states – including the recent casino launch in Cleveland – may slow the remarkable ascent that saw Pennsylvania become the country’s third largest casino market last year. Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem led all operators with $10.8m from 152 tables, with Parx Casino in second, earning $8.9m from 183 tables. On a per-table basis, the SugarHouse Casino was the star performer, reaping $7.3m from just 54 tables.

The humiliations endured by Atlantic City’s casino sector seemingly know no bounds. Wednesday saw the start of the two-day East Coast Gaming Congress (ECGC), but organizers were rushing around like mad Tuesday night after the host venue – the newly opened Revel casino – abruptly booted them out of its Ovation Hall to accommodate rehearsals by pop singer Beyoncé, who is making her post-partum return to the stage for a four-show stint over the Memorial Day weekend. Both conference organizers and Revel reps were downplaying the extent of the pandemonium brought about by the last minute venue switcheroo, but seriously… First the ECGC gets dissed by Gov. Chris Christie, now Beyoncé? Wonder if Beyoncé’s hubby Jay-Z could list AC’s other 97 problems…

North of the border, billionaire construction titan Larry Tannenbaum has announced he’ll be among the bidders for the city’s proposed destination casino. Tannenbaum, also the chairman of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (the company that controls the city’s lucrative National Hockey League franchise), said he prefers the city’s waterfront as the site on which the casino should be built. Tannenbaum said his bid would need to be partnered with a firm that has casino experience.

Meanwhile, MGM Resorts public affairs VP Alan Feldman told the committee that “the further away you get from either the central business district or the water, the less likely it becomes an opportunity for us.” MGM’s first choice would be Exhibition Place, followed by the undeveloped port land. Feldman dismissed the idea of building at Ontario Place, which he referred to as “frankly a bit of a distraction.” Caesars Entertainment has also expressed interest in a T.O. casino, as has Tropicana owner Gerry Schwartz, and the Toronto Star reported that reps from Las Vegas Sands were just in town scoping out potential build sites.

Station Casinos LLC, whose 17 properties cater to locals in Las Vegas, earned a $6.8m profit in Q1 2012, a dramatic turnaround from the $11.8m loss in the same period a year earlier. The privately held firm underwent a $2.8b restructuring in 2011 after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2009. Revenue for the quarter was up 8.4% to $318.2m, based on a 6.6% rise in gaming revenue to $230.2m and a 9.4% bump in food and beverage revenue to $60.9m. Occupancy at Station’s hotels rose from 85.4% to 89%, which, combined with an average room rate rise from $72 to $80, pushed room revenue up 17.7% to $27.9m. Chief financial officer Marc Falcone claimed the results marked the company’s best quarter in three years.

Another privately held Las Vegas-based casino operator, Affinity Gaming, reported net income of $4.1m in Q1, an improvement over the previous year’s $3.4m. Net revenues were up 4.8% to $112.8m at the company’s 12 casinos (nine in Nevada, two in Missouri and one in Iowa). Jacobs Entertainment Inc. (JEI), which operates gaming properties in Nevada and Colorado, plus horseracing operations in Virginia and video poker truck stops across Louisiana, reported net income of $4.3m in Q1 2012, compared to a $1.8m loss in Q1 2011. Net revenues rose to $98.3m from $91.8m in 2011.

Revenue at Connecticut’s Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun casinos were off by double digits in April. Foxwoods saw revenue fall 13.4% to $49.5m, while handle fell 14.2% to $600m. Revenue at Mohegan Sun was off 10.9% to $59.4m based on handle of $749.97m (-12.3%). Foxwoods CEO Scott Butera claimed the comparison wasn’t entirely apt due to the presence of two extra weekend days in April 2011.

Macau’s own tourism forces are worried the enclave needs more hotel rooms if it’s to grow even further. Forbes reports that Macau Government Tourist Office director, Joȃo Manuel Costa Antunes, said: “We need more rooms. We have only 23,222 rooms in Macau. This is our problem. Occupancy of hotel rooms is about 85%. But during busy times, like weekends, hotel rooms are all occupied.”

He expects the amount of rooms available to “double in five year” and it will help to dispel any rumors that they’re about to be gazumped in the Asian gaming industry by other countries. To that end, Antunes added: “I say we will still be happy because we have a special location. There are 3 billion people within a five-hour flight. We have 50 cities in China where we can promote, including nearby Guangzhou, the most important city.”

There was even time for some modesty from the tourism office, general manager Al Merschen admitting: “Some people call Macau the Las Vegas of Asia. But, in reality, Las Vegas is the Macau of the U.S.”

Sands China has granted a share options grant to president and CEO Edward Tracy. The Las Vegas Sands subsidiary granted Tracy some 260,000 share options at a subscription price of HK$29.29 (US$3.77) with a validity period of 10 years.

Nevada Gaming Policy Committee

Jim Murren, CEO of MGM Resorts, was another to speak at the committee and recommended that Nevada amend the cost and length of licences. To remain competitive against other states he’d extend the licence period from two years to five years and consider reducing the $500,000 application fee and $250,000 annual fee.

Lastly, Anna Thornley, senior research specialist at the Board, explained that Delaware, Rhode Island and West Virginia could conceivably have intrastate poker up and running by the Q2 2013 if federal government gives its approval. The committee is likely to meet twice more before the state licences the first two companies in June and July

Caesars Entertainment has lost its fight to get a refund of $31 million on certain taxes it paid on complimentary meals. The Nevada Tax Commission ruled in favor of an administrative law judge that stated Caesars wasn’t eligible for a refund on the meals given to both gamblers and employees. It relates to a Nevada Supreme Court decision in 2008 that said a “use” tax could no longer be imposed on the meals provided to players and this should be replaced with a “sales” tax. Commission Chairman Bob Barengo told the Caesars lawyer Norman Azevedo that he thinks the firm “will want to appeal” and there is a widely held view the casinos deserve this after an “easy ride” for some time. Maybe they should look at how Vegas is faring against Macau

Aristocrat Technologies has signed a VLT distrbution deal to roll out its product in Montana. It sees the company team up with Grand Vision Gaming (GVG) and means they’ll have access to venues that already feature GVG’s devices. One of the first games to be distributed will be Aristocrat’s Player’s World Reels – a product exclusive to the Montana VLT market. GVG owns 32 percent of the state’s 16,000 machines and it gives Aristocrat an immediate foothold in the state.

Caesars and MGM have both expressed an interest and the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp is preparing to issue a request for information in the next few weeks in order to assess the sites that are available. OLG Chairman Paul Godfrey and Finance Minister Dwight Duncan are behind an “integrated” resort on the shores of Lake Ontario and are believed to be looking at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore for inspiration.

Ohio’s first casino opens later today and the state has already starting closing off traffic lanes in anticipation of the unprecedented demand. Horseshoe Casino Cleveland opens at 9:30 p.m. local time and as a result Public Square in downtown Cleveland won’t reopen to traffic until Tuesday. An estimated 5 million visitors will enjoy the some 2,100 slot machines, 63 table games and much more at the venue that is managed by Caesars.

An Indian casino will find out its fate later this week as a judge decides whether construction of the Broken Arrow in Oklahoma can go on. Wednesday’s hearing, chaired by chief district judge Gregory Frizzell, will see the state attempting to stop the construction of the venue on the grounds that the Kialegee Tribal Town has no jurisdiction over the property. If the judge rules in favor of the state they’ll be in violation of the tribal-state gaming compact and be forced to cease construction. The tribe will argue that no federal violations have been committed as no activities are yet taking place there.

Borat says Yes!

Opposition to internet gaming in New Jersey is cooling after a poll of voters showed the percentage in opposition has decreased. A Farleigh Dickinson PublicMind poll reports that 58 percent of voters are against permitting New Jersey casinos to run online gaming for the people of the state. It compared favorably to the 67 percent that opposed it in February last year. The number in favour of it being introduced increased from 26 percent to 31 percent. Among men the favored to oppose ratio was 37 percent to 52 percent whereas women was even lower with the ratio 25 percent to 65 percent.

Looking at the figures across other demographics, 57 percent of those below 30 are in favor of it whilst 39 percent oppose it. The fact that’s the only age group in favor reflects the change in attitudes towards gambling in younger people. Between 30 and 44 years of age 45 were in opposition with 41 percent in favor, 45-59 saw 29 in favor and 62 percent against with those above 60 seeing 73 percent vote against and just 16 percent in favor.

The questionnaire also asked respondents about lottery sales online with 43 percent in favor and 48 percent in opposition. Interestingly among men the ratio was 49 percent in favor to 44 percent in opposition with 52 percent of women opposing it as 37 percent were in favor. It seems most are worried the state won’t be able to prevent residents spending too much on lottery as 55 percent answered “not at all” to the question “how confident are you that the state would be able to prevent people from spending too much of their money on the lottery?” That rose to 60 percent in the “not at all” category when the attention turns to spending too much on “Internet betting games”.

Land-based sports betting fared a lot better with 60 percent now in favor of it being legalized at New Jersey’s racetracks and Atlantic City casinos and only 26 percent in opposition. Gov. Chris Christie signed off a sports betting bill as far back as January to allow the tracks and casinos to offer the service and it could explain why those in favor has grown. The same cannot be said for online gambling with the latest reports seeming to suggest that Christie’s support is waning ahead of November’s election.