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Has Pete Rose come full circle?

In 1989, Major League Baseball banned Rose for betting on the sport. The ban included entry into the revered Hall of Fame. Here we are 32 years later, and the all-time hits leader has his own sports betting podcast on Quake Media.

A premium podcast service, the show will air six times a week, with Rose giving his insight on bets from baseball playoffs to horse racing, along with co-host WSiN’s Ben Wilson. Fans can sign up for “Pete Rose’s Daily Picks” on the Quake Media website or through Apple Podcast subscriptions for $2.99 a month, according to Barrett Sports Media.

“I watch baseball every day. If it’s not baseball season, I watch another pro sport every day,” said Rose in the Quake Media announcement. “This is going to be a fun chance for me to talk about the sports I love. I’ll share how I think about games with Ben and the fans; then we can watch and learn together. There are some insights, I believe, that only an old guy like me may think of. I’m excited to share my winning predictions with my fans.”

To drive home the point even more, Rose will make the inaugural table bet at the reopening of Hard Rock Casino in Cincinnati on October 29. Hard Rock replaces Jack Casino.

The reopening also includes a performance by Earth, Wind & Fire, and a ceremonial guitar smash. Tickets are on sale for the performance at HardRockCasinoCincinnati.com.

“We know our Grand Opening will be a big hit with the Hit King Pete Rose and Earth, Wind & Fire here to celebrate with our guests,” George Goldhoff, president of Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati, said in a press release, according to WCPO.

These days, Rose, 80, a former Cincinnati Red, spends a lot of his time in Las Vegas.

Last week, Genting Malaysia announced that it had injected another $150 million of equity into Empire Resorts, which owns and operates Resorts World Catskills and Monticello Raceway, both in Sullivan County, New York.

Forbes magazine reported that the company, controlled by billionaire Lim Kok Thay, will use the funds to repay Empire’s existing debts of about $365 million amid signs of recovery in the U.S. gaming industry. In response, Fitch upgraded its credit rating for Empire by one level to B+ and raised the outlook for company to stable from negative.

“The proposed equity injection will also allow Genting Malaysia to reinforce its position and grow its market presence in the New York State gaming market by leveraging synergies between Resorts World New York and Resorts World Catskills,” Genting Malaysia said. “There will also be joint marketing initiatives with Genting’s Resorts World Las Vegas integrated resort that recently opened in June.”

Like other U.S. casinos, Resorts World Catskills was hard hit by the Covid-19 pandemic, with the $1.2 billion casino and entertainment complex closing for five months in 2020. Business has improved since its reopening in September 2020, with Empire reporting a positive EDITDA of $3.5 million in the second quarter of this year, Genting said. “Resorts World Catskills experienced a strong rebound in its operational performance as pandemic-related restrictions were progressively eased and fully lifted by June 2021 in the New York State,” it said.

“While the international travel market has shown signs of revival, the recent Covid-19 developments will continue to pose uncertainties to the outlook of tourism, leisure and hospitality sectors,” Genting Malaysia said in August as it announced its first-half results. “The regional gaming market is expected to remain challenging in the short-term.”

Genting owns also owns casino resorts in Malaysia, Singapore and the U.K. Lim has a net worth of $2.55 billion and was ranked No. 11 on the list of Malaysia’s 50 Richest in June.

According to MSN, Genting injected the funds via a subscription agreement to subscribe up to US$150 million of additional Series L. Genting injected $40 million in capital into the resorts in March 2020, at the start of the pandemic, and added $150 million in September 2020 and $20 million in March 2021.

Nevada’s gaming industry racked up $1 billion-plus in revenues every month for the past six months, with the credit going to locals, drive-in gamblers and federal stimulus checks.

“I was shocked,” Michael Lawton, senior economic analyst for the Gaming Control Board, told Nevada Newsmakers. “If you would have told me at the end of 2020 or even at the beginning of 2021, that we would be here today talking about this streak of $1 billion in gaming win, I would have laughed at you. I didn’t see it coming.”

With the big win, the state is now nearing the record for consecutive months with the gaming win at or above $1 billion.

“The all-time record is eight, so this is the second longest record, all time,” Lawton said. “The longest streak was back in November of ’07 through May of 2008. So we’re at an historic rate of gaming win.

“If we finish the year with that average continuing, we’ll hit $12 billion, obviously,” Lawton said. “That has only happened three times, 2006, 2007 and 2019. So we are really on a historic run.”

Lawton told show host Sam Shad the current streak is being driven by the locals market and drive-in customers from nearby states, as well as federal stimulus money from the American Rescue Plan Act.

“There was a lot of federal stimulus in the market, too, that was pumping up the economy,” Lawton said.

Slot machines were the favorite games, he added. “The slot play is 11 percent over 2019 levels. It is setting all sorts of records. So that’s what is really driving these numbers.”

Markets that rely on locals and drive-ins “were at pre-pandemic levels very quickly,” Lawton said. “Washoe County, the Las Vegas locals, South Lake Tahoe all got off to a strong start. Mesquite, Elko. too. That’s how it was playing out.”

The end of federal subsidies “could bring us back down,” he pointed out. “The Delta variant, we’re still not out of the woods on that …The traditional spending patterns are not back yet because everything is not yet back on line.”

According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, rising Covid cases due to the Delta variant slowed foot traffic at the nation’s casinos in September, but analysts are expecting a solid fourth quarter, especially in Las Vegas—despite the cancellation of dozens of Southwest Airlines flights on October 10. Southwest canceled 1,900 flights across the country that weekend, due to what it called “air traffic control issues and disruptive weather” as well as labor shortages.

David Katz of Jefferies Securities noted that September foot traffic in Las Vegas, dropped 8 percent from August, but was far less than the 24 percent decline from July to August.

“We believe rising daily cases of the coronavirus experienced in Nevada during the mid-to-late summer likely impacted results, as normal seasonal trends suggest September would be better than August,” Katz said.

Bank of America analyst Shaun Kelley said Las Vegas peaked in July, but has leveled off since then by hitting “a snag due the Delta variant with group cancellations and room-rate data slowing.” But fourth-quarter room rates are currently 6 percent above 2019 levels, he said, an indication of higher demand. “Vegas remains a solid way to play the U.S. leisure recovery,” Kelley said.

The Meadows Racetrack and Casino, south of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania’s Washington County, officially changed its name on Friday to Hollywood Casino at the Meadows.

The change brings the property in line with the flagship brand of Penn National Gaming, which took over operation of the casino in 2019 when it was purchased by REIT Gaming and Leisure Properties.

“This is more than a name change,” said Vice President of Marketing Rahul Kaushik in an interview with Washington County’s Observer-Reporter. “This is a key milestone in the transition to our re-branding… Penn National is putting its flagship on this property. This proves we are here to stay.”

Along with the name change came additional amenities, including a retail Barstool Sportsbook. (Penn National will soon acquire 100 percent of Barstool.)

Also, the food court is being transformed into The Eatery by Fabio Viviani, with four different restaurants: Mercato, which features Italian cuisine; The Classic, which offers a selection of burgers, chicken tenders and other bistro food; Joe & Dough, a spot for snacks or sweet treats and handmade deli sandwiches; and Zen Noodle, featuring authentic Hong Kong cuisine.

The property hosted celebrations on Friday including a Pink Out and Family Fun Night from 4 to 7 p.m.; and on Saturday with live local entertainment, food trucks and sweepstakes drawings at the outdoor racetrack. Other promotions related to the changes are scheduled for the remainder of the month.

“We put a lot of promotions behind it,” Kaushik said of the new name to the Observer-Reporter. “We want to celebrate with people. We want to recognize people that got us to this place. I’m really excited. I’m hoping people will like (the promotions).”

The name of the racetrack, which opened in 1963, will remain the same.

“The history and tradition of this being The Meadows will continue on,” Kaushik said. “It’s part of our DNA. It’s part of our core. That was very important.”

When the city of Waukegan, Illinois requested applications for a casino license after the legislature approved it as one of the locations for a new casino, the Forest County Potawatomi Community submitted a proposal. It claimed Lake County and the Waukegan area were part of its ancestral home.

The tribe’s application was rejected. Operators of a lucrative casino in Milwaukee, which attracts Lake County residents, the tribe filed a lawsuit against the city of Waukegan, Illinois in U.S. District Court in Chicago in 2019. The lawsuit contends Waukegan officials rejected the tribe’s proposal because it used incorrect information presented by its casino consultant. But city attorneys said the suit is invalid and that the consultant what information was available at the time.

Some discoveries and depositions have taken place for the lawsuit. Meanwhile, the contenders for the Waukegan casino have dwindled to Las Vegas-based Full House Resorts and Lakeside Casino LLC, aka Northpoint, led by former Democratic state Senator Michael Bond. Late last month, the Churchill Downs and Rush Street Gaming partnership, group, which operates Rivers Casino in Des Plaines, withdrew its proposal for a Waukegan casino after the Chicago Bears announced the team would purchase Arlington International Racetrack in Arlington Heights.

The casino will be built on the 28-acre city-owned Fountain Square site. A recent economic study indicated 10 jobs would be created for every $1 million spent, an estimated, 2,800 jobs when the casino is operational. In addition, revenue generated by gaming, sales and lodging taxes, plus food and beverages, would total nearly $24 million.

If the Potawatomi are successful in court, a federal judge could determine the city’s selection process was not valid and toss out all of the applicants, forcing the city to start from the beginning. Or, the judge could reject the entire lawsuit.

At a recent Waukegan city council meeting, tribal consultant Ray Vukovich said, even though the tribe is suing the city, “the Potawatomi are still very much interested in partnering with Waukegan to bring a casino to the city. Potawatomi has reviewed the state gaming law and firmly believes it is not too late for Waukegan to send Potawatomi to the gaming board and let the experts decide what would be best for Waukegan and Illinois.”

Representatives of the two finalists will present their proposals to the Illinois Gaming Board in a public meeting this week. The board could announce its decision by the end of the year. But observers said, keep an eye on the Potawatomi lawsuit.

On October 6, Clark County, Nevada commissioners voted 6-1 in support of a $500 million casino-hotel on five acres near McCarran International Airport. The 20-story, 527-room project, called Dream Las Vegas, will be located on the southern edge of Las Vegas Boulevard.

According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, developers David Daneshforooz and Bill Shopoff hope to break ground by the third quarter of 2022 and open in 2024.

Commissioner Ross Miller cast the sole “no” vote, questioning a decision to “allow for casino-hotels directly on top of our airport.”

Shopoff said Dream will be a departure from the typical mega-casino, and will “find its following” among visitors looking for a different experience.

The investors first announced their plans in February 2020, just before Covid-19 arrived on U.S. shores, and was put on the back burner at that time. But the virus wasn’t the only obstacle in its path. As outlined in county documents, the proposal raised “safety and security concerns” about McCarran operations, and project plans were sent to agencies including the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security and the Secret Service.

The Transportation Security Administration issued an assessment stating the project is near an area of the airport “used for high-level individuals, special operations and military aircraft parking,” and the resort “would increase risk to both the aircraft and the passengers due to active shooters and the ability to throw things over the fence intended to cause harm” to people and planes, county documents show.

The TSA also said the hotel’s proposed service road would make its border with the airport “more susceptible to Vehicle Borne Improvised Explosive Device attacks delivered by vendor or garbage truck,” and that open areas planned for the third and ninth floors “provide a direct line of sight for laser flashing and long gun attacks” against aircraft and the airport, county documents say.

Airlines including Southwest, Delta, American and United all raised concerns about the project, citing such issues as illegal drone activity, lasers, and lighting and billboards that “could potentially be a source of flash blindness.”

As a result, a number of design changes were implemented, including a “nine-foot tall, double-reinforced security wall” with guard rails and wrought-iron fencing at the perimeter of McCarran.

A security checkpoint will allow only authorized vehicles onto the service road that rings the property, and grates or spikes will be installed on the other side of the building to prevent drivers from avoiding that checked entry, according to Celeste.

More importantly, he told commissioners, sightlines to McCarran have been “dramatically reduced.”

The parking garage will be enclosed; the hotel’s pool deck will have a “decorative” 10-foot security wall; all of the guest-room balconies were scrapped; and each room will have a “glass-break detector system” that will alert security if anyone tampers with the windows, Celeste said.

Rosemary Vassiliadis, Clark County director of aviation, told commissioners that officials “appreciate the commitment” from the developers to adhere to a range of preconditions, which she said “should mitigate the severity of the security and safety concerns” but not eliminate them.

“Pilots like open, vacant space,” she said, “so with that, they will not support a project like this.”

Vassiliadis also said that the Federal Aviation Administration did not find “any obstruction impact” to airport operations stemming from Dream’s proposed height, currently 234 feet.

It’s official: On October 13, Tropicana Evansville in Indiana official became Bally’s Evansville Casino & Hotel.

Bally’s Corp. purchased the property from Caesars Entertainment Inc. in June from Caesars Entertainment Inc. The deal had a total value of $480 million. Bally’s acquired the casino for $140 million, including rights to the casino’s sports betting operation. An affiliate of Gaming & Leisure Properties acquired the casino’s real estate for $340 million and is leasing it to Bally’s for $28 million a year.

The 79,000-square-foot gaming area includes 45,000 square feet of casino floor, four restaurants, a race and sportsbook, plus 11,000 square feet of convention space and the Riverfront Event Center across the street. The property also features a 243-room hotel tower and 95-room boutique hotel.

The property-wide rebranding is expected to be completed in the first half of 2022, said, Bally’s Corp. President and CEO George Papanier. It will include replacing interior and exterior signage, plus new Bally’s dice, cards, gaming chips and table game layouts, as well as implementing the all-new Bally Rewards players club program.

Papanier said, “We are proud to bring the Bally’s brand to Evansville, and it’s an exciting time for our customers and team members. I’d like to thank the state of Indiana for its collaboration throughout this process, and I’d also like to recognize our team members for their contributions to this significant endeavor.”

All existing Bally’s Rewards will be transferred to members’ new Bally Rewards cards. The all-new, 4-tiered Bally Rewards program includes tier status, exclusive offers, gift giveaways, casino multipliers and more.

Special promotions will celebrate the rebranding, including a $200,000 Ballyverse Cash & More Giveaway, chances to win up to $1,000 in free slot play or a $100,000 grand prize.

Indiana Gaming Commission (IGC) Executive Director Greg Small recently received letters from the three Vigo County Commissioners, the seven Vigo County councilmembers, Terre Haute Chamber of Commerce President Kristin Craig and 2021 Terre Haute Chamber Chair John Collett, urging the commission to select Hard Rock to operate Vigo County’s future casino. The IGC said it will make a decision regarding the Vigo County casino license on November 17.

Hard Rock Terre Haute LLC is one of four companies competing for the county casino license. The other applicants include Louisville-based Churchill Downs Inc., Las Vegas-based Full House Resorts and a joint venture of Mississippi-based Premier Gaming Group.

Hard Rock’s $200 million Rocksino Terre Haute would offer a casino with 850 slot machines and 35 table games, plus a 175-room hotel, six restaurants and bars, a 300-person entertainment venue and a 1,000-squar- foot retail Rock Shop. The project would create 2,058 construction jobs and 674 permanent jobs, and generate $50 million in annual county and state tax revenue.

The commissioners’ and chamber officials’ letters stated Hard Rock would “provide the best economic opportunity for Vigo County and the West Central region.” They cited the November 2019 referendum, in which 63 percent of Vigo County voters supported the casino project and all five letters noted Hard Rock could begin construction almost immediately.

Furthermore, the letter from the Vigo County council noted a “local member” involved in Hard Rock Terre Haute LLC had a “long history of community involvement, community investment, and charitable giving” in Vigo County. Observers said that individual is local businessman Greg Gibson, a partner in the proposed casino. Gibson owns Lucy Luck Gaming, which previously held the Vigo County casino license. However, the Indiana Gaming Commission would not renew Lucy Luck’s license following an “extensive review and considering all statutory and regulatory qualifications for renewal.”

Regarding Gibson, Hard Rock issued a statement: “We are glad to be in this joint venture with our partner Greg Gibson, a Terre Haute native. Hard Rock would be honored to expand our presence in this region and continue to be loyal community stewards to the people of Indiana.”

One of the other competitors, Full House Resorts, has proposed the $250 million American Place Terre Haute. Full House is the only company that proposed a temporary location while its main building is under construction. Officials said the permanent facility would create 1,800 construction and 800 permanent jobs. It would offer a gaming floor with 1,000 slots and 50 tables, plus a 100-room hotel. Full House Resorts owns five casinos in four states, including Rising Star Casino and Resort in Rising Sun, Indiana.

Churchill Downs’ proposed Queen of Terre Haute Casino would create 1,000 construction jobs and 500 permanent jobs, officials said. The gaming floor would offer 1,000 slots and 50 table games. An on-site hotel would have 125 rooms.

Premier Gaming officials said their proposed casino would create 300 construction jobs and 400 permanent jobs. It would offer a gaming floor with 800 slot machines and 20 table games.

After years of trying to bring a lottery, casinos and sports betting to Alabama, state Senator Del Marsh recently said he will not sponsor a gambling bill in the next legislative session.

In a radio interview, Marsh said, “I think the lottery issue is one that is popular with the people. I think it is one people want to address and have an ability to vote on it. I’ve seen the polling numbers on that. It’s heavy across the lines for the Democrats, Republicans, men, women. I’m a little surprised, quite honestly, that the bills the Senate has passed in the past have not reached the House for a vote. I don’t plan on bringing one next session.”

However, Marsh said the legislature could take up gambling anyway.

“It’s always possible. I haven’t heard of anything, but something could easily come up in the House or the Senate. It’s not out of the question,” he said.

In the past session, Marsh introduced a gambling bill that included allowing casinos at the state’s four dog racetracks, legalizing sports betting, authorizing a lottery and negotiating a compact with the Poarch Band of Creek Indians. The bill passed a House committee but failed to make it to the full House floor.