Nevada’s Gaming Control Board has appointed three new division chiefs to replace outgoing members. Mark Lipparelli announced Jim Barbee, Shirley Springer and Brian Duffrin have all been appointed to the board. Barbee heads the technology division and takes on the role of supervising the review and approval of all new and modified gaming technology used by licensees. Springer is the new audit division head and is responsible for auditing group I casinos in the state. Duffrin, meanwhile, becomes administration division head and is responsible for the $80 million biennial operating budget.
News more pertinent to the online gaming industry is that Dr Tony Alamo has been retained for a second four-year term at the Nevada Gaming Commission. Las Vegas Sun reports that Alamo will be integral in the process that will continue to look at Internet gaming regulations and the eventual awarding of licence applications.
Steve Wynn’s fight for a casino business in Massachusetts appears to have hit a brick wall after local protestors attempted to extinguish his hopes. Bloomberg Businessweek report that in addition to a 1,200-strong opposition group, civic leaders won’t negotiate and Caesars look set to swoop. Massachusetts’s governor Devel Patrick signed off the legislation last year and under it three regions of the state are eligible for a casino each. Winners will be announced around this time next year and Ray Poirier, executive editor of Gaming Today, told Bloomberg: “I don’t think Steve Wynn anticipated the negative feeling in the community. He’s got to turn the town around.”
Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in India have criticized the government’s new policy towards casinos. Aaam Aurat Admi against Gambling (AAAG) voiced their concern at the decision to reduce entry fees from 2,000 to 500 in recent weeks. They’re worried the lack of any identification or PAN numbers being sought mean casinos are breaking the law. They added: “There are no regulations in place to monitor machines, which is mandatory for casinos.”
