Author: Casino Connection Staff

VICI, Hard Rock Buy JACK Cincinnati

Posted on April 16, 2019 by -

Hard Rock International is expanding its global gaming portfolio, announcing a collaboration with VICI Properties to acquire the JACK Cincinnati Casino. Through the joint purchase, Hard Rock will acquire the operating assets of the casino, rebranding it Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati, while VICI will own the land and real estate assets. The deal also includes the Cincinnati-area racino, Turfway Park.

“Hard Rock has been the number-one operator in Ohio since opening in the greater Cleveland market in 2013,” said Jim Allen, chairman and CEO of Hard Rock International. “And now, we look forward to introducing our unique brand of casino entertainment to Cincinnati. On behalf of the 40,000 Hard Rock team members worldwide, I am pleased to welcome the more than 1,000 JACK Cincinnati employees into the Hard Rock family.”

Hard Rock had operated Hard Rock Northfield, which became the state’s leading revenue earner despite a lack of table games, until earlier this month, when it was turned over to the new owner, MGM Growth Properties, and operator, MGM Resorts. The property has been rebranded as MGM Northfield.

JACK Cincinnati, which opened as the Horseshoe in a joint venture between Gilbert and Caesars, is situated on 22 acres in the Broadway Commons area of downtown Cincinnati. The property features 100,000 square feet of gaming space with approximately 1,800 gaming machines and 100 table games. Additionally, the property contains 33,000 square feet of meeting space, six high-quality restaurants and two bars. New property improvements will be announced by Hard Rock later this year.

“We are proud to partner with Hard Rock, further diversifying our tenant roster with an international leader in gaming, entertainment and hospitality experiences and a renowned global platform of 245 hospitality venues across 75 countries,” said John Payne, president and chief operating officer of VICI Properties.

VICI Properties was a spinoff of Caesars Entertainment and its portfolio includes dozens of properties operated by that gaming giant.

The transaction is subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions and is expected to close in late 2019. The acquisition is expected to be accretive immediately upon closing.

Jack Entertainment, owned largely by Quicken Loans founder and Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert, has declared a desire to exit the casino business but a release by the company said, “JACK Cleveland Casino and JACK Thistledown Racino will not be impacted by this transaction and JACK Entertainment remains committed to investing in and operating these properties.”

“We viewed the gaming industry as a catalyst for economic development in our local communities. After ten years, hundreds of millions of dollars of investment developing JACK Cincinnati Casino from the ground up, and establishing a strong customer focused culture, we have successfully positioned JACK Cincinnati Casino for further future success,” said Matt Cullen, chief executive officer of JACK Entertainment. “We are confident that Hard Rock and its world-renowned brand will be a great addition to the Queen City and the right choice to take JACK Cincinnati Casino and Turfway Park to the next level of growth. We chose to sell to Hard Rock, in large part, due to its great culture and quality of its leadership. They are an outstanding operator that JACK Cincinnati Casino and Turfway Park team members will enjoy working with as they continue to deliver excellent service to our guests.”

Maybe not so ironically, JACK Entertainment was originally called “Rock Gaming” and was changed because of its similarity to Hard Rock.

Jones Day served as legal advisor to Hard Rock together with Fox Rothschild LLP, as special gaming counsel.

Massachusetts Governor Pushes Sports Betting

Posted on April 16, 2019 by -

Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker wants the legislature to vote on sports betting before the summer recess.

There are currently about a dozen bills that could be called sports betting bills that have been given over to the Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies. One of them is a bill that Baker himself proposed in January. None have been assigned hearing dates.

The governor, obviously frustrated at the snail’s pace of the bills, used the occasion of a ribbon cutting at DraftKings’s 105,000 square foot new headquarters in Boston to give the legislature a broad hint.

Baker commented, “Our preferred option would be that this is something the Legislature takes up before they break for the summer, which will probably be somewhere around August.” He added, “That would be the timeline we think makes sense, because that would land before the start of the next NFL season.”

Recently the governor issued this statement: “Expanding Massachusetts’ developing gaming industry to include wagering on professional sports is an opportunity for Massachusetts to invest in local aid while remaining competitive with many other states pursuing similar regulations.” He added, “Our legislation puts forth a series of commonsense proposals to ensure potential licensees are thoroughly vetted and safeguards are in place to protect against problem gambling and legal activity.”

Baker’s bill would allow interactive sports betting companies, such as DraftKings, to offer online sports betting, irrespective of physical casinos such as the MGM Springfield, or the Encore Boston Harbor. DraftKings already offers this service in several other states where sports betting is legal.

DraftKings, which was founded in Boston and employs 600 mainly Bay State workers, is promoting such a bill.

Baker isn’t so optimistic that he included revenue from sports betting in his FY 2019-20 budget. He also isn’t using that as a bludgeon to spur on the legislature as Rhode Island Governor Raimondo used to get sports betting approved in her state.

But he has posted projections that sports betting could net the state $35 million I taxes, if his 12.5 percent rate is adopted.

One of the bills includes a 0.25 percent “integrity fee” for the professional sports leagues, something that few states have adopted.

Under Baker’s bill no one under 21 could wager, and only betting on major league sports would be allowed. Wagers on college, high school, E-sports and amateur sports would be prohibited. Any kind of athlete, coach, referee or sports employee would not be allowed to bet.

DraftKings’s CEO Jason Robins refers to the estimated $150 billion black market in sports betting in the U.S. He told CDC Gaming Reports, “That just shows people want it, so why not create a safe, legal environment, bring in tax dollars for the state, and create great jobs and opportunities for employers like us?”

Mobile Betting Dead in New York—For Now

Posted on April 16, 2019 by -

Mobile sports betting is off the table in New York, at least for the foreseeable future, after it failed to make the cut in the new state budget that took effect April 1.

Mobile’s absence from the $175.5 billion spending plan was not unexpected after Gov. Andrew Cuomo repeatedly made clear his position that adopting it would require an amendment to the state Constitution

Indiana Governor Flew On Casino Executive’s Jet

Posted on April 16, 2019 by -

The Indianapolis Star recently reported Spectacle Entertainment Chief Executive Officer Rod Ratcliff provided private jet flights for Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb while Ratcliff was promoting changes to state law that would benefit his company, which recently became the owner of the Majestic Star Casinos in Gary. The Republican Governors Association reported to the IRS a flight in July to Aspen, Colorado but a flight to Scottsdale, Arizona in November was not reported; that took place one day before Ratcliff and business partner, Terre Haute businessman Greg Gibson, announced the Majestic Star acquisition. One of the flights cost $20,000, according to tax records.

The flights gave Ratcliff and his business partners hours of exclusive access to Holcomb, who will approve Spectacle’s plans to move one of the Majestic Stars’ licenses to a land-based location in Gary and the other to Terre Haute. At the time of the Arizona flight, Ratcliff’s plans still required regulatory approval from the Indiana Gaming Commission, whose members are appointed by Holcomb; that approval was granted in March. However, legislators still are considering changes to Indiana’s gaming laws that would impact Spectacle’s plans and also would have to be approved or vetoed by Holcomb.

Holcomb’s flights to Colorado and Arizona on Ratcliff’s plane were part of $500,000 Ratcliff and his businesses contributed to the RGA in 2018. In addition, the newspaper reported since 2016, Ratcliff’s companies have contributed more than $1 million to the RGA, which provided most of Holcomb’s campaign financing. Also since 2016, Ratcliff’s companies have given $577,500 to the Republican State Leadership Committee, a national organization that helps down-ballot statewide and legislative candidates.

Those contributions don’t include smaller donations from individual Spectacle investors. Gibson and his companies have donated $20,000 to Holcomb since 2016.

Indiana law prohibits campaign contributions from casino interests, but not donations from them to national organizations. As a result, many see Ratcliff’s donations to the RGA as a maneuver around the law.

Holcomb’s campaign treasurer, Indiana Republican Party Chairman Kyle Hupfer, defended the flights as “perfectly legal and customary.” He said the flights were arranged by the RGA, which often flies governors to its conferences, and should have been reported by that organization. “I cannot speak directly to the context of conversations the governor may or may not have had with passengers on board the aircraft as I was not necessarily involved in each and every discussion or interaction,” Hupfer said. He added, “It is a prudent use of his time to engage” with casino leaders, just as it would be for him to meet with other “job creators.” He added, “Governors regularly utilize donated flights from private pilots or organizations in order to expedite travel to and from political fundraising events and party/campaign functions.”

Spectacle attorney John Keeler said the flights did not violate any rules. “It is what it is. We belong to the RGA. We had an extra seat or two on the plane, the governor flew along with us. Not a big deal. Our conscience is clear. We’ll be sleeping tonight.”

An analysis conducted by a Spectacle competitor estimated moving the Gary licenses from their current locations would generate $790 million for the company.

PartyPoker Defeats Poker Bots, Reclaims $700,000

Posted on April 16, 2019 by -

The PartyPoker network of online poker sites announced that it has reclaimed more than $700,000 from a network of poker bots with the help of a specialist fraud team. PartyPoker said 277 bots had been shut down between December 1, 2018, and March 31, 2019.

Helping to facilitate the recent wave of action is a new Poker Fraud Team comprised of ex-professionals. PartyPoker has declined to identify the team members, but officials say the collaboration used a combination of tracking software and professional insights to expose 75 percent of the recent incidents.

Poker bots, software programs that can be decisions on behalf of players in an online poker game, have plagued not only PartyPoker but also virtually all major poker sites over the years. As artificial intelligence technology has improved, poker bots have become more sophisticated, making them profitable and harder to spot.

PartyPoker said its team has redistributed $734,852 to those who were cheated.

“I’m very confident now that they can tackle people trying to play against the rules,” said Patrick Leonard, senior consultant and “poker ambassador for PartyPoker. “In my opinion, it isn’t worth somebody trying to bend the rules because, in the words of Liam Neeson: they will find you, they will catch you and they will.. ban you.”

To help reduce fraud, PartyPoker is asking players to report any suspicious activity via email. What’s more, the team will continue to release updates on the number of bot closures it carries out.

Buenos Aires Approves Online Sports Betting

Posted on April 16, 2019 by -

Buenos Aires will now allow online sports betting under new gaming regulations signed by Governor María Eugenia Vidal.

The new regulations cover electronic machines, casino games, eSports betting, lotteries, horse racing betting and wagers on real sporting and non-sporting events that aren’t politics related. The province will grant up to seven licenses for online betting.

The licensing procedure will include scrutiny from an evaluation committee that will determine if operators meet 20 minimum requirements regarding experience, financial solvency, technical competence, data protection security and the number of events and sports, among others.

Licensees would pay about 25 percent of proceeds in taxes through a 15 percent gross income tax, an 8 percent tax levied according to each specific activity and 2 percent license fee. Municipalities in the province will receive 10 percent of license fees.

The province’s executive branch will oversee compliance through the Buenos Aires Province Institute of Lotteries and Casinos and the government has created the Online Gaming Licenses Registry to keep a record of license holders.

The new regulations, however, have drawn opposition from Argentina’s professional soccer leagues who have threatened to challenge the law in court. The leagues are seeking a share of tax revenues collected.

Eldorado, Fertitta Battle It Out For Caesars Empire

Posted on April 15, 2019 by -

It appears that Carl Icahn will be strengthening his command over the future of Caesars Entertainment after it was announced that a senior partner with Apollo Global Management had resigned as a director.

News reports say the departure of David Sambur all but assures Icahn, who has supplanted Apollo and TPG Capital as controlling shareholders, of a fourth seat on Caesars’ 12-member board, and with that the likely final say on a CEO to replace Mark Frissora, who is slated to leave the end of this month.

Icahn, the 83-year-old corporate raider whose last foray in gaming was his $1.85 billion sale of Tropicana Entertainment in 2018, began acquiring Caesars stock in December. He now owns close to 20 percent of the equity after buying the bulk of Apollo and TPG Capital’s joint holding in March. The two private equity giants shed the rest of their shares later the same month in private sales, completing their exit from the gaming giant they once owned.

TPG still has one seat on the board, held by a senior advisor, Richard Schifter.

Icahn is leading other activist shareholders in pushing for a sale or merger of Caesars, which, despite the scale and diversity of its portfolio—53 properties in 14 U.S. states and five other countries—has struggled to build investor confidence since emerging from a Chapter 11 reorganization of its largest operating subsidiary in 2017, a 33-month ordeal that was the legacy of Apollo and TPG’s ill-fated leveraged buyout of the conglomerate, then known as Harrah’s Entertainment, on the eve of the Great Recession.

The reorganization cut $16 billion of the buyout’s $25 billion debt load, relegated Apollo and TPG to minority shareholders, and spun off ownership of the portfolio to a newly formed, separately traded real estate investment trust, VICI Properties.

In the months since, with the share price languishing under $9, the company was a natural target for Icahn. Before his appearance, though, it was billionaire reality TV star Tilman Fertitta, owner of the Landry’s restaurant group, who proposed a reverse merger with his Golden Nugget casino chain that valued Caesars at around $13 per share. More recently, regional gaming giant Eldorado Resorts has been identified as a potential suitor—not surprisingly, perhaps, considering that Eldorado was Icahn’s buyer for Tropicana Entertainment.

Icahn has mentioned Tony Rodio, the industry veteran who ran Tropicana for him, as a successor to Frissora. Frissora, who came to Caesars in 2015 from Hertz Global Holdings, where he’d been chairman and CEO, steered the group through the bankruptcy reorganization but was unable to appreciably move the share price and tendered his resignation late last year. He also holds a seat on the board.

Former Owner of Ocean Resort Atlantic City Bruce Deifik Dies in Car Crash

Posted on April 15, 2019 by -

Bruce Deific, who brought back Atlantic City’s former Revel casino, has died in a single-car crash in Denver at the age of 64.

Deifik led a group that purchased the closed Revel from Florida developer Glenn Straub last year and reopened it in June. The casino, however, continued to lose money leading to a takeover by New York hedge fund Luxor Capital, a major lender to the casino. The deal to transfer ownership has not been completed.

The accident happened as Deifik was driving home from a Colorado Rockies baseball game in his hometown of Denver, his lawyer, Paul O’Gara, told the Associated Press. The cause of the crash and Deifik’s cause of death are still under investigation.

O’Gara said there is a possibility that Deifik suffered a medical crisis behind the wheel. Reports said the vehicle he was driving suddenly swerved across two lanes of traffic and struck a utility pole.

The Denver Medical Examiner Office told the AP that Deifik was found dead at the scene of a “single-car, low-speed auto crash.” It said an autopsy has been completed, and the cause of death remains under investigation.

“We are saddened to learn that Bruce Deifik, former owner of Ocean Resort Casino, has passed away,” said casino spokeswoman Diane Spiers. “The Ocean family is grateful for Bruce having the vision to reopen this beautiful oceanfront property and employing over 3,000 members of our community. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family.”

Deifik had several successful developments in Colorado including shopping centers, before buying the Ocean Resort. In September, Deifik opened up the casino after severe storms hit the southeastern U.S. and put up hundreds of families up for free at the casino hotel for a few days until conditions improved.

However, he also faced two charges of sexual harassment at the casino before New Jersey gaming regulators, who were set to hold hearings to revoke his gambling license in the state. The New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement had also moved to restrict Deifik’s ability to interact with employees while the takeover was underway, but then adjourned the action after Deifik’s death.

O’Gara, Deifik’s attorney told the Press of Atlantic City that the filing “was just a complaint,” and declined to comment further.

Meanwhile, improvements continue at the casino, which has announced a minor branding change. The casino will now be called the Ocean Casino Resort.

“We are making so many positive changes, it was important to us that our name and brand reflect our commitment to property improvements and to delivering an unparalleled gaming experience,” said Mike Donovan, the property’s senior vice president and chief marketing officer in a press release. “We have changed the name to Ocean Casino Resort because we are dedicated to putting the casino customer first.”

Luxor Capital is making a $70 million investment into the property.

DOJ: Lotteries Not Part of Wire Act Opinion

Posted on April 15, 2019 by -

In releasing an updated opinion that said the 1961 federal Wire Act bans all forms of inter-state gambling, the Department of Justice wasn’t talking about inter-state lotteries, according to a new memo from Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.

How the act applies to lotteries is still under review, the memo says and DOJ lawyers should refrain from applying the wire act to lotteries until the question is settled, Rosenstein says in the memo.

The memo comes as New Hampshire has filed a federal lawsuit challenging the DOJ’s new opinion in an effort to protect its lottery. The DOJ has filed a motion in the case saying that since the New Hampshire Lottery Commission is not in immediate threat of enforcement actions, the lawsuit is premature and the state lacks the legal standing to make the challenge.

However, the federal judge in the case, Paul Barbadoro, ruled during an opening hearing that the memo does not convince him that New Hampshire lacks standing to bring the suit or that the issue is moot. He ruled the case will continue and he will begin deliberations. He did allow the DOJ time to file further briefs in the case.

The DOJ memo, which has not yet moved to enforcement, said the 1961 act covered all forms of gambling where information is transmitted across state line, including online casinos. It reversed a 2011 DOJ opinion that the wire act applied only to sports betting.

The opinion, however, brought into serious doubt the legality of inter-state lotteries such as Powerball and Mega Millions. Several other states with online lotteries have filed briefs supporting New Hampshire’s suit.

Rosenstein’s memo seemed to be an effort to undercut New Hampshire’s lawsuit, even though interstate lotteries clearly fall under threat of prosecution from the opinion.

“The OLC opinion did not address whether the Wire Act applies to State lotteries and their vendors,’ the memo reads. “The Department is now reviewing that question. Department of Justice attorneys should refrain from applying Section I 084(a) to State lotteries and their vendors, if they are operating as authorized by State law, until the Department concludes its review.”

Should the DOJ find that lotteries are illegal under the Wire Act, Rosenstein said a 90-day grace period should be put into effect to allow lotteries to adjust to the new interpretation. Such a delay has already been put in place for the opinion as a whole.

Barbadoro said the DOJ would have been better served if the memo said New Hampshire’s lottery would never be challenged under the opinion when ruling against dismissing the case.

The judge concluded arguments in the case, but did allow for additional briefs to be filed.

During the hearing, the New Hampshire Lottery Commission asked for a declaratory ruling that the Wire Act does not apply to non-sports gambling or to state laws. The commission also wants the new opinion ruled invalid.

Attorneys for the DOJ argue that states do not have a statutory right to do business with each other and again that lotteries face no immediate threat of prosecution.

According to coverage by online poker report, the judge expressed concerns that other states besides New Hampshire involved with inter-state lotteries such as Powerball are not defendants in the case.

“Among the things that the New Hampshire lottery is concerned about is the ability to carry on its pact with these states,” he said. “If I just declare that the New Hampshire Lottery Commission is not in violation of the Wire Act, they don’t get accorded complete relief because they’re not able to conduct the lawful activity with their partners.”

Still, the judge also hedged at offering a ruling that would affect all U.S. jurisdictions.

“I have a strong feeling that however I resolve the case, or however the First Circuit resolves the case, it is likely going to be resolved by the U.S. Supreme Court either way,” Barbadoro said early in the hearing according to the website’s live coverage.

Should the case be dismissed, it is likely that New Jersey—which allows online gambling—would move to challenge the opinion as several state officials have indicated that they are ready to do so regardless of the outcome of the New Hampshire suit.

New Jersey’s attorney general has also filed freedom of information act requests charging that the new opinion was issued to appease Republican donor Sheldon Adelson, who has personally been funding lobbying efforts to ban online gaming.

Emmert: NCAA Will Battle Athlete Sports Betting

Posted on April 15, 2019 by -

The president of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, which has long opposed legal sports betting, says the organization is committed to ensuring integrity, and that includes an absolute prohibition on any athletes gambling on sports.

The membership wants a prohibition of athletes gambling in any sports, period,” NCAA President Mark Emmert sad at the organization’s annual Final Four news conference.

Emmert also said the NCAA is working with professional leagues to promote federal guidelines for states to follow in sports betting regulation.

“We need to try to make sure that we know that everyone is working off consistent data and information because that becomes a source of a lot of bad behavior when you’ve got lots and lots of different data sources,” Emmert said. “Another thing that we’re moving forward on aggressively is we need to have integrity services in place where we can effectively monitor what’s going on in all the various sports books so that, when we see inexplicable behavior on a betting line, we know what’s going on there, and we can act accordingly.”

The NCAA has indefinitely lifted its ban on holding championship events in states where gambling is legal.

Atlantic City Casino Union Worried About Hedge Fund Investment into Casinos

Posted on April 15, 2019 by -

Faced with more Wall Street firms seeking casino ownership, the country’s largest casino workers union is asking regulators to make protection of workers paramount when considering ownership changes.

UNITE HERE has approached regulators in New Jersey, Nevada and Ohio stressing concerns that hedge funds and private equity firms are focused on short-term profits and not maintaining properties for the long haul.

Bob McDevitt, president of the union’s Local 54 in Atlantic City, said private equity ownership has severely hurt the casino industry job market in New Jersey. He cited private equity ownership components of Caesars Entertainment, which owns the Caesars, Harrah’s and Bally’s casinos in Atlantic City, and MGM Resorts International, which owns the Borgata.

McDevitt specifically pointed to Caesars closing down the Showboat casino hotel in 2014 despite the fact that casino was still turning a profit.

McDevitt told the Associated Press that private equity “has been a disaster for Caesars Entertainment, the workers and for Atlantic City. No one should have a license to strip money out of someone’s pocket. We’ve been down this road before. Casinos were closed and thousands of jobs were lost. We don’t want to go through another five to 10 years of vanishing jobs so a few guys can make money.”

McDevitt also pointed to examples where Wall Street firms have affected major changes in casino companies despite holding a relatively small amount of equity in the companies.

According to the AP, as recently as 2010, nine of the 11 casinos operating in Atlantic City were owned by hedge funds or private equity firms. Four of them – the Showboat, the Atlantic Club, Trump Plaza and the Trump Taj Mahal – were shut down.

James Plousis, chairman of the New Jersey Casino Control Commission, told the wire service that his agency will carefully review changes in ownership.

“We will do our due diligence on all these applications as they come forward,” he said.

In a related story, Atlantic City’s UNITE HERE Local 54 has reached a contract agreement with the Hard Rock casino in the resort.

The Boardwalk casino and the labor union agreed to terms of a contract, according to a statement from the New Jersey State American Federation of Labor & Congress of Industrial Organizations. The deal covers about 1,780 casino employees.

 “It has been a very, very positive and progressive negotiation,” said McDevitt, praising Hard Rock executives for being intimately involved and invested in discussions.

McDevitt said he was anticipating overwhelming support for ratification of the contract terms from Local 54 members.

If the new contract is accepted by both parties, Local 54 would represent close to 10,000 casino employees in Atlantic City. The union’s members include housekeepers, bartenders, servers and other hospitality workers.

Hard Rock opened June 27 at the site of the former Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort.

Savor Borgata Culinary Series

Posted on April 4, 2019 by -

Borgata Casino Hotel & Spa will run their Savor Borgata Culinary Series in early May 2019 with a line-up of special events.

Savor Borgata Culinary Series: Russell’s Reserve Kentucky Dinner
Old Homestead at Borgata

Join Old Homestead Restaurateurs Greg and Marc Sherry as they host a Russell’s Reserve dinner on the eve of Kentucky’s “most exciting two minutes in sports.” Ladies, express your inner Southern Belle by showing off your favorite hats. Enjoy feature Russell ‘s Reserve Bourbon pairings to compliment a four course dinner prepared by Executive Restaurant Chef, Romeo DiBona. Take home your own 750ml bottle of Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel Bourbon hand selected personally by the Sherry brothers.

Date & Time: Friday, May 3, 2019, 8:00 PM
Ticket Prices: $195 per person
Contact: https://www.theborgata.com/dining/events/russells-reserve-kentucky-dinner


Savor Borgata Culinary Series: Angeline’s Birthday Luncheon with Michael Symon
Angeline Restaurant at Borgata

Celebrate Angeline’s Birthday with Iron Chef Michael Symon in an intimate three-course luncheon, paired with wine, while Michael illustrates how to create some of his favorite dishes. Smart casual attire. 3-course menu paired with win.

Date & Time: Saturday, May 4, 2019, 12:30 PM
Ticket Prices: $89 per person
Contact Info:  https://www.theborgata.com/dining/events/angeline-birthday-luncheon

Savor Borgata Culinary Series: Bacon, Bacon, Bacon….Bourbon
The Metropolitan at Borgata

It’s Hog Heaven at Borgata! Treat your taste buds to ultimate bliss with bacon, bacon, bacon and bourbon. Join Executive Chef Tom Biglan as he crafts bourbon cocktails and pairs them with delicious bacon-themed bites. Smart Casual Attire. 3- course Luncheon paired with Bulleit Bourbon Cocktails.

Date & Time: Saturday, May 11, 2019, 3:00 PM
Ticket Prices: $49 per person
Contact Info: https://www.theborgata.com/dining/events/bacon-bourbon-event


The Water Club at Borgata

Free Wine Tastings
Vintage – A Wine Boutique at The Water Club

Visit Vintage – A Wine Boutique, located at The Shoppes at The Water Club, every Saturday to sample select wines chosen by Borgata’s sommeliers.

Date & Time: Every Saturday, 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Ticket Prices: Free Admission
Contact Info: https://www.theborgata.com/dining/events/vintage-wine-sampling

Cuba Libre Restaurant & Rum Bar Celebrates National Empanada Day

Posted on April 4, 2019 by -

Cuba Libre Restaurant & Rum Bar, located at The Quarter at Tropicana Casino & Resort in Atlantic City, will celebrate National Empanada Day with a Dollar Empanada Happy Hour available exclusively at the 75-seat bar and lounge on Monday, April 8. 

Fans of the delectable stuffed pastry are encouraged to stop by the restaurant between 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. to sample three different signature Mamá Amelia’s Empanadas, served with aji-sour cream dipping sauce.  Highlights include the Del Campo with pulled pork, roasted poblano and charred tomatoes; Picadillo with cienfuegoes-style ground beef, potatoes, Manzanilla olives and raisins, and the De la Casa with hand-chopped chicken, corn and jack cheese, each priced at $1.

Cuba Libre’s popular happy hour menu also offers $5 Caipirinhas such as the Classic with Velho Barreiro Cachaça, guarapo, fresh lime juice and muddled limes; Cape May Toasted Coconut Caipirinha with Cape May Distillery Toasted Coconut Rum, lime juice, guarapo, sugar, and muddled limes.  There is also a House-made Caipirinha Infusion of seasonal selection of the brightest fruits, herbs, and/or spices soaked in Velho Barreiro Cachaça, guarapo, lime juice, sugar and muddled limes.  One can enjoy house wine, sangria and a featured happy hour beer for $4 each, $5 Mojitos such as the N.J. Blueberry Mojito with Cape May Distillery blueberry rum, guarapo, fresh lime juice, mint and splash of soda along with food specials priced at $6 each.  Guests can also order a sampler platter with a choice of any six tapas bites for $28.

WHEN:  Monday, April 8, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

WHERE:  Cuba Libre Restaurant and Rum Bar is located at The Quarter at Tropicana Casino & Resort, 2801 Pacific Avenue, Atlantic City, New Jersey 08401.  For additional information, please call (609) 348-6700 or visit http://www.cubalibrerestaurant.com/en/atlantic-city/.

Hard Rock Atlantic City Unveils Second Phase of Sportsbook

Posted on April 2, 2019 by -

Another exciting sportsbook joins the party in Atlantic City. Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City has opened the second phase of their sportsbook. The new 3,800 square foot space has approximately 50 seats, along with 60 TVs and a full-service bar that offers Video Poker Slots.

“It’s an exciting time for our property as we open up the second phase of our sportsbook amplifying this amenity for guests in time for an eventful weekend in basketball,” said Joe Lupo, President of Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City. “This unveiling is one of the many positive changes our property is making as we gear up for a busy and eventful summer.”

With the introduction of the Sportsbook, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City continues to further develop and enhance its status as a leading brand in New Jersey to experience, play and earn rewards. Hard Rock players and New Jersey residents and visitors can now place bets on football, basketball, baseball, hockey, soccer, college sports and more at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City, as well as online at HardRockSports.com and on their mobile devices via the Hard Rock Casino iOS and Android apps.

The Sportsbook at Hard Rock is powered by Gaming Innovation Group (GiG).

Interior OK Heats Up Connecticut Gaming Beefs

Posted on April 2, 2019 by -

The Department of the Interior last week quietly gave Connecticut’s gaming tribes what they have sought for two years: the go-ahead to start building a third satellite casino in East Windsor. That action was the simple one of posting a memo in the Federal Register that the amendments to the tribal state gaming compacts were approved.

This allows the joint gaming authority that the Mohegan and Mashantucket Pequot tribes formed: MMCT Venture, to begin building their $300 million Tribal Winds Casino in the city that is about 14 miles from the MGM Springfield casino in neighboring Massachusetts. Blunting its effects on their bottom line at their existing Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun casinos is the reason for the East Windsor casino. And to save the jobs those casinos create.

Following the federal action Pequot Tribal Chairman Rodney Butler said construction “will move forward” and “preserve much needed jobs and revenue.”

They have so far cleared the site of the former cinema complex on property along Interstate 91 and spent about $14 million. Reportedly they still need to obtain financing to start actual building.

But so mired is the state legislature now in the politics of a push for a commercial casino in Bridgeport that the tribes may take little comfort in the Interior action they sought for so long.

After the Interior Department took the action both tribes withdrew their lawsuit against the department, which they filed in 2017. That lawsuit had alleged that the department had failed to act on their compacts as a result of improper political influence. Their complaints prompted an investigation by the department’s Office of the Inspector General. Moreover, former Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, who resigned under an ethics cloud in January, is under investigation for his actions in preventing the department from acting on the tribes’ request.

Meanwhile, the young administration of Governor Ned Lamont is trying to negotiate an all-encompassing gaming pact that doesn’t violate the tribal state gaming compacts, while including sports betting in the mix. And maybe gives MGM something too.

The governor, who took office in January told the Associated Press, “I would love to work out something with the tribes. We’re trying our best.”

According to records of Lamont’s schedule that the AP obtained, he has met privately with the tribes in January and in February with representatives of their archrivals, MGM Resorts.

MGM has fought the tribes’ efforts to build a casino in East Windsor that aims to blunt the effects of the MGM Springfield that opened in August on the Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun casinos. It has argued that it should be allowed to participate in an open bidding process for a third casino, and has proposed a $675 million waterfront casino for Bridgeport. This proposal drove a wedge between supporters of tribal gaming and the delegation that represents the state’s largest city.

Sports betting has created another wedge. The tribes assert that their tribal state gaming compacts entitles them to exclusive rights to all casino-style gaming, and they include sports betting in that if the legislature legalizes it. MGM counters that it hopes to offer sports betting at its Bridgeport casino.

At stake is the 25 percent that the tribes have paid on all slots revenues for more than 25 years. If the compacts are violated, they say, those payments will stop. That’s OK, says MGM, a Bridgeport casino will more than make up the $270 million a year that the tribes now pay to the state. Moreover, says MGM, it is unconstitutional to give the tribes a monopoly on what is an off-reservation, non-tribal, commercial casino—and not allow MGM a chance to bid on a casino in the state.

Following the announcement of the federal approval for the East Windsor casino, MGM issued a statement promising to “continue to pursue all legal options, including litigation” and “defend our right to compete in Connecticut.” MGM has gone to federal court before on this issue, although that case was dismissed. However, it feels it has a more solid legal ground now that the tribal casino is actually in a position to move forward.

Lamont confirmed that he had those meetings with the tribes and MGM, and that one of his goals is to avoid the costs of litigation if MGM carries out its threats to challenge the tribal casino in federal court.

Rep. Joe Verrengia, co-chairman of the General Assembly’s Public Safety Committee, which oversees gaming legislation, commented, “Depending on how those negotiations go, we may not see any gaming bills coming out this session.” The one exception might be passage of a bill to create a Connecticut Gaming Commission. This proposal is not seen as controversial.

There is still an active bill that would create an open bidding process and bills pertaining to sports wagering. The legislative session adjourns June 5.

Verrengia added, “I can only imagine the difficulties of getting financing” for the Tribal Winds project, given MGM’s legal threats.”

It would be hard for the tribes to provide the financing themselves since they are already heavily leveraged. So much so that Moody’s Investors Services called the Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority’s existing leverage a cause for concern. It also noted that the tribal casinos are in an area of growing market competition. Besides the MGM Springfield, the Encore Boston Harbor is poised to open in June.

Moody’s in May 2008 opined that the Pequot tribe had a “week liquidity profile” and is operating under a forbearance agreement with its creditors that expires this summer. The tribe’s earnings have slowly decreased over the last decade due to “reduced spending trends by gaming consumers, increased competition, and more aggressive promotional activity.”

Massachusetts Governor Wants Sports Betting Vote

Posted on April 2, 2019 by -

Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker is pressuring lawmakers to vote on his proposed sports betting bill before summer.

The call comes as DraftKings opened its new Boston headquarters. The homegrown tech firm operates two sports betting operations in other states, and would like to do so in the Bay State.

Baker would like to see that too, along with the new jobs and new tax revenues that would follow. He reiterated that after cutting the ribbon for DraftKings’s new facility. The governor declared, “Our preferred option would be that this is something the Legislature takes up before they break for the summer, which will probably be somewhere around August,” he said. “That would be the timeline we think makes sense, because that would land before the start of the next NFL season.”

DraftKings CEO Jason Robins said that sports betting already takes place in the shadows in states that haven’t legalized it. “People still do it. There’s a $150 billion annual betting market that exists on the black market in the U.S. That just shows people want it, so why not create a safe, legal environment, bring in tax dollars for the state, and create great jobs and opportunities for employers like us?”

Baker’s bill, filed in January, isn’t the only sports bill being considered. Several others are also in play.

PA Gaming, Sports Betting Revenue Up

Posted on April 2, 2019 by -

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board reported that February revenue from table games and slot machines rose slightly compared to February 2018. It also showed that February revenue, compared to January 2019, for sports betting increased with the opening of two new retail sports books (both in the Valley Forge area) while fantasy sports revenue declined.

Table game revenue for February 2019 was $73,999,311, an increase of 0.3% over February of last year, when revenue was $73,757,805.

The board also reported that when combining February’s table games revenue with the earlier reported increase in February’s slot machine revenue, total gaming revenue increased by 0.4% compared to February 2018.

The report also provides tax revenue from table games play during February in which the total amount was $11,895,418, with an average of 1,280 tables in daily operation statewide. The tax revenue figures reflect amounts generated before any adjustments are made by the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue.

February’s gross revenue from slot machines at the 12 casinos was $189,976,152, a 0.49% increase in revenue when compared to the $189,056,195 generated in February 2018. Tax revenue from the play of slots machines in February of this year was $98,909,238, an amount generated before any adjustments are made by the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue.

The average number of slot machines operating on a daily basis was 25,277 during February 2019 compared to 25,841 at the casinos in February 2018.

Maine Lawmakers Mull Sports Betting, 3rd Casino

Posted on April 2, 2019 by -

A bill that would allow Maine’s tribes and racetracks to run the state’s first sports betting operation has been filed along with one that would allow tribes to run the state’s third casino.

LD 1348 is sponsored by 10 House members. It would authorize the Gambling Control Board to issue retail and online sports betting licenses, which would be confined to tribes and racinos of which there are two.

The board could also license Indian tribes that are not involved in brick and mortar casinos to operate online-only sports wagering.

Betting on professional and collegiate games would be allowed, but eSports betting would be banned. No “integrity” fee would be paid to sports leagues.

Revenues would be taxed at 25 percent. One percent would go for administrative expenses and the remainder “essential programs and services for kindergarten to grade 12” education.

The associated fees would be minimal. It would cost $30k to apply for a sports wagering license and $15k annually thereafter to renew.

LD 1348 reads, “The bill requires the board to adopt rules regulating the conduct of sports wagering, including rules restricting the types of wagers permitted, [and] establishing the maximum wagers that may be accepted from any one person on a single sports event.” The bill appears to give considerable leeway to the board in determining what regulations to impose.

Mobile betting would be allowed and registration could be done remotely. There would be an annual $15,000 license fee for operators.

The second bill would allow tribes to operate a casino. Currently there are two commercial casinos in the state, one in Bangor and the other in Oxford. The tribal casino would have to be located at least 50 miles away from either of them.

The bill has the support of the legislature’s non-voting member from the Passamaquoddy tribe, Rena Newall.

She asked for lawmakers’ support for the bill. “Not only to be recognized in the future as those who changed the rejections of history, but as those who recognized the need to work together in improving tribal-state relations,” she declared.

Owners of the existing casinos oppose the bill and from some business groups who fear that a third casino would cannibalize the existing non-casino economy.

Dover Downs Sale Cleared by Shareholders

Posted on April 2, 2019 by -

Shareholders of Dover Downs Gaming & Entertainment last week voted to approve the deal in which the public company will be acquired by Twin River Worldwide Holdings Inc., the Rhode Island-based operator which owns the two casinos in that state as well as several casinos in Blackhawk, Colorado and Biloxi, Mississippi.

Dover Downs shares on the New York Stock Exchange (DDE) were to be delisted at the closing of the purchase, which was expected by the end of last week. Dover Downs will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Twin River, which will go public on the exchange under the symbol TRWH.

According to a statement by Twin River, more than 99 percent of the votes cast were in favor of the merger.

Connecticut Considers Sports Betting

Posted on April 2, 2019 by -

The Connecticut legislature last week advanced a bill. HB 7331, that would allow sports betting at the tribal casinos, while authorizing the Connecticut Lottery to offer it online and at four brick-and-mortar locations. Off-track-betting locations would also be able to obtain licenses to offer sports bet.

The gross sports wagering would be taxed at 10 percent. This is attractive to many lawmakers, but not all. Senator Tony Hwang, a longtime opponent of any gaming expansion, commented, “I would rather we as a state did it more cautiously, more wisely.”

Under the bill no one under 21 could make sports bets. Bets on college games would be banned, although Rep. Kurt Vail rhetorically asked “Why not all college sports?”

Senator Craig Fishbein asked why not wait to see what experience other states how with sports betting without experimenting. “I don’t see this being a benefit to our state other than monetarily. And I think that’s wrong.”

Currently new Governor Ned Lamont is engaged in negotiations with the tribes on both casino gaming and sports book. He has declined to answer questions about the status of the talks.

This didn’t satisfy Rep. Pat Boyd, who declared, “I know that there’s a lot more people than in this room that need to be part of this discussion.” He added, “This is like we’re in chapter two of a pretty long book. This legislature needs to think long and hard about what we’re doing long-term.”

Before the vote, the Committee on Public Safety and Security held another very long session that jumped from issue to issue, from sports betting to teenage car thefts and school safety. But it did spend a good chunk of the time on HB 7331.

The noisiest part of that discussion came when a representative of Sportech, which has the exclusive license for off-track betting, and George Henningsen, chairman of Foxwoods Tribal Commission, both testified.

Rep. Craig Fishbein quizzed Sportech chief legal counsel about various facets of sports betting. At one point he asked, “Off-shore gambling of this ilk is going on in this state. Certainly you wouldn’t sit here today and say that that will go away?”

Pingel responded, “We’d like to think we’ll get a lot of it, in addition to some people who weren’t placing bets before. We’ve seen … people driving down to NJ, when they could (sports bet) just as easily on the black market. So there is an appetite for legal, regulated sports betting. There is a bit of confusion now with our neighboring states offering this, people want to do it here legally.”

In discussing the “integrity fee” that sports leagues seek as part of a sports betting package, Fishbein demanded “Because integrity is at the core of this … are we creating an issue for the leagues for people to bring lawsuits? I’ll be on the phone and filing lawsuits, I don’t know that we’ve really thought this thing through. I’d be more comfortable with seeing how other states are handling this.”

Pingel responded, “Even if we were to acquiesce to the leagues and pay them an integrity fee, there is nothing set up to compensate you. If you think that setting up an integrity fee is going to further to protect you, that was never contemplated.”

The representative also quizzed the tribal representative, asking, “Is your position that, OK, Connecticut now has legal sports betting, and we (the tribes) have the right to choose to have it. But we aren’t going to pay you additional money?”

“It’s more complicated than that,” answered Henningsen during a long exchange that left the impression that Fishbein was not interested in negotiating with the tribes.

Another representative, Dan Champagne, commented, “I think we should protect the, what, $271 million that we get from the tribes. The tribes have been there, they’ve worked with us well. Does that mean that everything that comes along they get exclusivity on? Maybe not. But I think we should sit down at the table to talk about it. I don’t think that state of Connecticut is in a position to lose a couple hundred million dollars, and I don’t think we will be any time soon.”

Lottery CEO Gregory Smith led off testimony on sports betting, arguing that the Lottery should have a place at the table. He asserted that the Lottery is “fully customizable” and could easily offer sports betting at its nearly 3,000 retailers. He speculated that the state could return up to $20 million to the state “in the early years.”