THE AMERICAS
Caesars Entertainment lost another $280m in Q1 while MGM Resorts lost $217m; also issuing report cards were Pinnacle Ent., Tropicana Ent., Ameristar and WMS Industries, while our own Vince Martin took a closer look at Las Vegas Sands recent figures; US horseracing’s recent run of bad press continued after the New York Racing Association fired its top exec over an overcharging scandal; our own Mike O’Donnell thinks social gaming is two years from reaching critical mass; Las Vegas got its first sportsbook/poker room hybrid; a former tout rubbished Covers.com’s questionable hiring practices; the US sporting world was rocked by the apparent suicide of former NFL linebacker Junior Seau and CalvinAyre.com reporter Tatjana Pasalic wondered just who poker pros trusted nowadays.
EUROPE
The German state of Schleswig-Holstein handed out its first online gambling licenses just days ahead of elections the current ruling party is expected to lose; Playtech used its Q1 earnings report to announce it was rethinking plans to buy some more of Teddy Sagi’s hand-me-downs; a leaked email revealed a desperate attempt by Groupe Bernard Tapie to salvage some benefit from its seven-month failed negotiations to acquire Full Tilt Poker; Unibet exited Spain (again); SkyBet applied to enter Italy; William Hill Online launched its VIP live dealer casino and Hills incorporated its odds into ScoreMobile’s data app; WMS Gaming entered the Belgian market via its first online B2B deal with Groupe Partouche; Malta’s gaming regulator inked an MOU with the International Olympic Committee and Bet365 founders made the Sunday Times rich list.
ASIA
Wynn Macau got the formal nod from the authorities to start building its Cotai strip project; Macau gaming revenue rose 22% in April, which makes the rumors that James Packer is mulling whether to sell his share in Melco Crown Entertainment all the more insane; junket operator AERL saw rolling chip revenue rise 20%; Tabcorp turned in its Q3 report card; Taiwan’s Matsu island group set the date for its casino referendum and the Philippine government gave thanks for Pagcor’s continued stellar performance.
