Entertainment agency Roc Nation, which is owned by American hip-hop artist Shawn Corey Carter a.k.a. Jay-Z has started lobbying for the construction of a luxury casino in Times Square. The reason cited behind the decision to start pushing for the casino development is that the project would benefit everyone in New York.
On Thursday, May 11, 2023, Jay-Z’s Roc Nation published an open letter addressed to the citizens of New York City. The company published the open letter on Twitter but also took out ads in major NY-based publications, including the New York Daily News and the New York Post.
The agency believes that the gaming licenses that should be awarded in the near future by the state’s gaming authorities should go to the Caesars Palace project in Times Square. They believe that the project would ensure that the iconic square stays “connected to all facets of culture.”
In order to apply for the NY casino license, casinos need to pay a non-refundable $1 million application fee, as well as set apart at least $500 million that would be used for the investment, along with an additional half a billion in fees.
If the idea pushed by Roc Nation comes alive, Caesars Entertainment will get to launch a brand-new luxury casino establishment at 1515 Broadway, New York City, New York.
Grant Mahon
Grant is the self-professed casino madman and reporter that brought this eclectic team of dedicated and talented writers together from around the world to proudly build an humble empire of authentic casino news.
Wynn is spreading its business to the Middle East. The next project of the gaming company is the Al Marjan Casino Resort, which is set to be constructed on the artificial island of the same name in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). When launched, it’s going to become the first-ever gambling establishment in an Arab country.
So, when will it happen? As per the company itself, the casino resort could be launched as early as 2027. With an estimated cost of just under $4 billion, the Al Marjan Casino Resort is going to be one of the most luxurious casino venues in the world. And judging by the recently released concept images, the complex is going to look amazing!
Wynn’s Newest Al Marjan Casino Resort Gets Its First Concept Images
Although the details about the project still remain scarce, Wynn has recently released some concept images of the casino resort. The idea is for it to resemble Vegas-style casinos, with a huge hotel tower being the focal point of the complex.
The building is meant to have more than 1,500 rooms, with a huge gaming area, along with a spa center, a shopping center, and other luxury amenities.
The CEO of Wynn, Craig Billings, praised the development team for coming up with a unique idea, never to be seen anywhere else in the world. According to him, this is going to be one of the company’s most ambitious projects ever, which he believes is going to surpass all expectations.
Although situated in a part of the world that’s been traditionally very anti-gambling, the new Wynn casino resort is poised for huge success. The thing is that Al Marjan Island is already a tourist hub visited by millions every year.
The artificial island is already packed with high-end hotels and Wynn’s casino resort is going to be the cherry on the top.
Grant Mahon
Grant is the self-professed casino madman and reporter that brought this eclectic team of dedicated and talented writers together from around the world to proudly build an humble empire of authentic casino news.
Hard Rock is one of the most recognizable brands on the planet. In big part, it’s thanks to its famous logo often presented in the forefront of an upright standing guitar. The company has already created several venues shaped like the guitar, the most famous being the one in Hollywood, Florida.
At least that’s for the time being as Hard Rock has been given the light for the construction of a new guitar-shaped hotel on the Las Vegas Strip.
Hard Rock Guitar Tower to Be Constructed at The Mirage
Earlier this week, Clark County officials greenlighted the construction of the Hard Rock guitar tower on the location of The Mirage Volcano. The building is supposed to have almost 40 floors, featuring a gaming space, as well as restaurants, bars, and accommodations for the guests of the casino.
The tower is going to be constructed on the grounds of The Mirage, a luxury casino hotel on the Las Vegas Strip, which is operated by Hard Rock International. As per the deal, the tower construction will be just one piece of a much larger project meant to revamp the iconic resort.
The Mirage has been owned by Hard Rock for just over a year. It was December 2021, when the company bought the casino hotel from MGM Resorts for a reported price of $1.08 billion. Since then, the new owners haven’t done too much to rebrand the venue, but that’s about to change. In fact, we could see Hard Rock commence the construction of the guitar-shaped tower in the next couple of months.
Grant Mahon
Grant is the self-professed casino madman and reporter that brought this eclectic team of dedicated and talented writers together from around the world to proudly build an humble empire of authentic casino news.
Tom Horn Gaming is famous as one of the most innovative casino game developers, but mostly due to its products. Described as creative, their products are used by literally hundreds of top-rated online gambling sites.
This week, however, Tom Horn Gaming got itself in the headlines not because of a new slot game, but because of a new policy. The company has decided to implement an innovative holiday scheme that will let the employees choose the number of their “days off.”
New Holiday Scheme Meant to Boost Employee Satisfaction
How the new holiday scheme at Tom Horn Gaming is meant to work is that each employee will have the luxury to decide for themselves how long they will stay off work. The fixed date of return is removed from the equation.
If a team member is feeling like they need some rest, they can just notify the management that they’re taking a leave, without the need for specifying how long will it take. They also have the liberty to decide when their vacation starts, although there’s still a requirement to notify the HR department in advance.
The best thing is that Tom Horn team members will even be allowed to decide how long their work week is going to be, as well as how many hours each day they’re going to spend working for the company.
The idea behind the new policy is to make work-life balance better for the employees. With their satisfaction at the highest levels – Tom Horn bosses argue – employees are bound to give more in terms of productivity.
Tom Horn Looking to Make Itself Attractive to New Employees
According to Tom Horn CEO Ondrej Lapides, the company already has a superb track record when it comes to employee productivity and creativity. The new holiday policy is bound to take those things to a whole new level.
Lapides argues that the new rules will benefit the current members of the Tom Horn team, as well as make the company more attractive to potential new employees.
Right now, the Malta-based multinational company is looking for new additions to several of its departments, including the casino software team. The number of job vacancies at Tom Horn is bound to increase in the future as the game developer has huge plans for the future.
As a reminder, Tom Horn is one of the leading providers of casino games, with their portfolio including such slot titles as Disco Fever, Dragon Egg, and Nitro Madness.
Grant Mahon
Grant is the self-professed casino madman and reporter that brought this eclectic team of dedicated and talented writers together from around the world to proudly build an humble empire of authentic casino news.
Jake Paul isn’t the only one to get on the micro-betting bandwagon. A few months after the Youtuber-turned-boxer invested millions in the Betr micro-betting app, Caesars Entertainment is launching a rival app. The Nevada-based gambling company has just signed a partnership deal with operator Simplebet which should see the two companies launch a micro-betting operation in 2023.
Caesars Micro-Betting Platform to Launch Next Year
Microbetting is the next big thing in the gambling universe. Enthusiastic entrepreneurs like Jake Paul know this, and so do the experienced financial gurus from major companies such as Caesars Entertainment.
The evidence of this is that Caesars has inked a deal with Simplebet, a privately held business-to-business product-development company that specializes in micro-betting technology.
The company will provide micro-betting software to Caesars Sportsbook, which will take care of instant odds updates in live events. This way, Caesars users will be able to bet live on prop markets such as “next point scorer” for example.
The micro-betting product will go live in 2023 in every state in which Caesars online betting app operates. What this means is that bettors from 17 different parts of the country will be able to enjoy a micro-betting experience with one Caesars account.
Once the microbetting product goes live, Caesars users will be able to do play-by-play props betting on NFL, NBA, NHL, NCAAF, and NCAAB events. The same will be possible for MLB games once the season commences in March.
Grant Mahon
Grant is the self-professed casino madman and reporter that brought this eclectic team of dedicated and talented writers together from around the world to proudly build an humble empire of authentic casino news.
YouTube sensation Jake Paul, who’s working hard to prepare for his boxing fight with former UFC champ Anderson Silva, has recently revealed his plan to back the Miami Dolphins to win the Super Bowl LVII. He decided to agree on the bet upon the insistence of his friend, hip-hop artist Rick Ross.
The two have vowed to place a $1 million bet on the Dolphins to win the Lombardi Trophy on February 12, 2023. The odds for that wager at most US-friendly sportsbooks are +3600, meaning that if Miami actually wins it, the pair will be $36 million richer.
Jake Paul Lets Lady Lucky Decide the Bet
Now a 25-year-old, Jake Paul rose to stardom as a YouTuber before deciding to try himself in the sport of boxing. Rather surprisingly, he turned out to be pretty good at it, going 5-0 in his pro career. His next bout is supposed to be against ex-UFC champ and a real knockout maestro Anderson Silva, with whom he’s supposed to fight in late October.
As confirmed by Paul himself, he’s been working hard on polishing his boxing skills, not caring much with whom he goes in the ring next. Outside of boxing, one of his passions in recent times is podcasting. He’s hosting a podcast called BS with Jake Paul, in which his co-host is Rick Ross.
The 46-year-old is a multimillionaire rapper who played football during his college days. He was the one to rekindle Paul’s love for the game, convincing him to make the Super Bowl bet.
How the two decided on the Miami Dolphins is that they rolled the dice, literally! It all started with Ross explaining to Paul that if they “bet a million on Miami Dolphins… It will bring us $36 million.” Paul revealed his doubt that Miami is a good bet but then suggested that the decision should be made by rolling the dice – if the number lands on four, they will back the Dolphins to win the Super Bowl.
And it did! It landed on four! The dice say it’s Miami the pair should bet, so the only thing that’s left now is to see whether they’ll really go through with it. The two have less than a week before the start of the 2022 NFL season, after which the odds might change depending on Miami’s performances. In Week 1, the Dolphins are welcoming the New England Patriots at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. Bookies see them as three-point favorites in that game.
Jake Paul Investing in a Gambling Business
Jake Paul is a self-professed gambling fan, who’s promoted gambling business in the past, some of which turned out more controversial than everyone anticipated. Nevertheless, in 2022, he’s planning to start his own gambling business, in partnership with venture capitalist Joey Levy.
The two are starting a “micro-betting” company, investing about $50 million in the project. The project is supposed to be an online sportsbook where the users can put their money on the so-called microbets, which the pair have described as TikTok of sports betting.
The term “microbet” refers to the type of wager that doesn’t take long to settle. Rather than waiting for the whole game to finish in order to learn the outcome, players can bet on things like who’s going to score the next point and similar. The sorts of bets are settled in seconds, hence the name microbets.
Grant Mahon
Grant is the self-professed casino madman and reporter that brought this eclectic team of dedicated and talented writers together from around the world to proudly build an humble empire of authentic casino news.
On April 4, 2022, online sports betting went live in Ontario. Canada’s most populous province now has a regulated internet gambling landscape, where 17 operators are allowed to do their business. One of those is DraftKings Sportsbook, which has gone live on Wednesday, May 18, some six weeks after most other Ontario betting sites.
From now on, Canadian bettors from Ontario have the luxury to bet online, as well as play internet casino games on the DraftKings platform. According to the company founder and CEO Jason Robins, this is a major landmark, which has the potential to take DraftKings to the next level.
DraftKings Not Worried About the Late Start in Ontario
Based in Boston, Massachusetts, DraftKings is an American company whose online sportsbook is available in 18 states in the US. Its online casinos – including the recently-acquired Golden Nugget Online Gaming (GNOG) – are available in eight US states.
Encouraged by its success in the United States, the company decided to spread its business empire over the northern border. The launch of DraftKings Sportsbook Canada, however, came one month and a half after the launch of its competitions.
It’s strange because, in the United States, DraftKings always wanted to be among the first to launch. It launched on Day 1 in New York, New Jersey, Arizona, Louisiana, Michigan, and Indiana.
The reason why DraftKings Sportsbook CA didn’t launch earlier is that the company has worked on clinching two major deals over the last couple of weeks. One of those was the launch of the DraftKings Sportsbook in Ontario; the other was the takeover of the GNOK.
According to Robins, the late start will not affect the company too much. In fact, the DraftKings co-founder believes that the sportsbook will perform better than expected. In fact, it’s already been doing better than what was projected at the start of 2022.
DraftKings Stops Its DFS Product in Ontario
DraftKings Sportsbook launched in Ontario on May 18, but this brand had a presence in Canada for several years. What we’re talking about is the DraftKings daily fantasy platform which had been operating in Ontario’s DFS grey market.
The word to focus on is ‘had’ because DraftKings DFS is no longer available in Ontario. Due to the provincial gaming authorities asking operators to stop working in the grey area, DraftKings decided to suspend its unregulated DFS product for the time being. Once Ontario regulates the DFS landscape, it’s very likely we will see the return of DraftKings.
Grant Mahon
Grant is the self-professed casino madman and reporter that brought this eclectic team of dedicated and talented writers together from around the world to proudly build an humble empire of authentic casino news.
As per a recent poll, most residents of New Jersey are now in favor of a total ban on smoking inside casinos. In turn, this means that people from the Garden State would like to see all nine Atlantic City casinos stop allowing smoking on their premises.
The poll in question was conducted by Stockton University’s Polling Institute between April 4 and April 13 by telephone. According to researchers, the poll had a +/-3.8% margin of error.
No Smoking in Atlantic City Casinos?
In 2006, the state of New Jersey passed the Smoke-Free Air Act, which made indoor smoking illegal. However, the act did leave out the eleven casinos located in Atlantic City, enabling the casino owners to decide for themselves whether to keep a quarter of the indoor gaming space as a smoking-friendly zone.
In 2022, all of the Atlantic City casinos allow the patrons to smoke in up to 25% of the gaming space. However, that might come to an end soon as the public opinion has shifted in the favor of a smoking ban over the last couple of years.
According to the Stockton University’s poll, almost one-third of respondents (62% to be precise) are now in favor of seeing a total smoking ban imposed on Atlantic City casinos. Another 31% believe that the current laws are more than suitable, while the rest of respondents have no opinion on the matter.
Casinos Fear Revenue Drop
According to a study by the Casino Association of New Jersey, a total smoking ban would lead to a 25% drop in casino revenue. The reason is that casinos are seen as safe havens for smokers. They’re the only public places in the state where people can smoke indoors without facing fines.
Casinos would love to keep the current smoking laws in place, suggesting that there might be an out-of-the-box solution to the problem. Rather than banning smoking completely, casinos could start using advanced ventilation systems to deal with the issue.
However, health experts seem to disagree. They believe that it’s impossible to completely get rid of the risks that come along with indoor smoking. According to them, not only are casino patrons in danger of developing serious health issues, but casino employees as well.
Grant Mahon
Grant is the self-professed casino madman and reporter that brought this eclectic team of dedicated and talented writers together from around the world to proudly build an humble empire of authentic casino news.
Canadian hip-hop artist Drake made the headlines by placing Super Bowl bets worth $1.3 million on the Los Angeles Rams to win the Lombardi, as well as on Odell Beckham Jr. scoring a touchdown and recording over 62.5 running yards. Drake won two of those three bets, making himself a profit of more than a mil.
He did it on the cryptocurrency betting platform called Stake.com. Despite having to pay out over $1 million, the company doesn’t seem to feel sorry. After all, the whole Drake saga made them famous around the world.
It worked so well for them that they decided to go one step further and get themselves a deal with the 4x Grammy winner. The story goes that Drake has agreed to be the host of a live show event called ‘Drake on Stake.’
Drake’s Live Show in a Nutshell
The collaboration between Drake and Stake.com is envisioned as a live event, in which the rapper would bet on sports and play casino games on live stream. The plan is that whatever he wins during ‘Drake on Stake’ would go to the viewers.
At the moment, it’s not clear when the even is going to take place, with Drake promising to share the exact date on socials. Further, we also don’t know whether it’s going to be a one-off event or a series of live shows, although the people from Stake.com did suggest the latter is more likely.
The company is planning to create a number of promotional videos featuring Drake, with the intention of introducing their brand to the North American audience.
Drake is not the only celebrity who’s signed a partnership deal with Stake.com. Former Manchester City player Sergio Aguero also became their brand ambassador after a heart problem made him end his professional soccer career.
Grant Mahon
Grant is the self-professed casino madman and reporter that brought this eclectic team of dedicated and talented writers together from around the world to proudly build an humble empire of authentic casino news.
There are some big news coming from Wynn Resorts. First, the Vegas-based gaming giant appointed a new CEO Craig Billings, the man whose one of first moves was to expand the business to the Arabian Peninsula. As confirmed by the company, Wynn Resorts is planning to construct a new integrated resort in United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The location is Al Marjan Island, an artificial island in the Ras Al Khaimah region, some 45 minutes away from Dubai International Airport. The cost of the development of the UAE integrated resort is counted in billions of dollars, as the complex is expected to feature a luxury 5-star hotel with 1,000+ rooms, as well as a large shopping mall, numerous restaurants and other venues.
There is one aspect of integrated resorts that the UAE project might miss – the gaming area. Even though the project includes a casino, it’s still not clear whether the UAE Government is going to allow it. The thing is that the official religion of the country, Islam, prohibits any form of gambling.
Wynn Resorts to Offload Its Online Betting Business?
Wynn Resorts might be forced to give up on the gaming aspect of its UAE project, but that might not be the end. As reported by the New York Times, the company is looking to sell its sports betting product.
Although it hasn’t been confirmed by the Wynn spokespersons, the company is reportedly willing to sell it at a big discount. Wynn’s mobile betting app is valued at as much as $3 billion but the company would accept a much lower price. The number that’s rumored is $500 million.
At this stage, everything is still pretty much a speculation, although there are some signs that Wynn might actually do it. The biggest of all is the fact that WynnBet still hasn’t launched in New York State. Even though the sportsbook was one of the nine operators that were given the license by the state officials, the app still hasn’t gone live.
The reason behind this might be that Wynn doesn’t see big profits from its NY betting app. Considering that the tax is set to 51% in New York, their estimates might be correct. On top of that, WynnBet’s main competitors – Caesars, FanDuel, and DraftKings are going full throttle in the Empire State.
These sportsbooks are giving away some pretty lucrative bonuses to New Yorkers, while they’re also being very aggressive with their advertising tactics. If WynnBet wanted to join the race, the company would need to invest tens or even hundreds of millions in attracting new customers.
According to a gambling analyst from Jefferies, David Katz, the advertising/promo cost of acquiring a single online sportsbook customer in New York is between $300 and $500.
Grant Mahon
Grant is the self-professed casino madman and reporter that brought this eclectic team of dedicated and talented writers together from around the world to proudly build an humble empire of authentic casino news.
The shares casinos doing business in the world’s biggest gambling hub have lost as much as $18 billion in a few days’ time. The reason? Speculations regarding China’s possible crackdown on the casino industry in Macau.
The story goes that Macau’s casino licenses are going to expire in 2022, with the gaming officials reportedly planning to strengthen the licensing conditions.
Macau Planning to Make Big Changes in Casino Licensing
The chaos on the stock market broke out after Macau’s secretary of economy Lei Wai Nong held a press conference detailing the plans regarding the casino industry in the autonomous territory.
He gave notice of a consultation period of 45 days, during which nine different subjects are going to be discussed, including things like the total number of re-issued casino licenses, employee welfare, and supervision of casino operations.
This isn’t going to be the first time the Macau authorities have increased their pressure on the gaming industry. In the past, we saw them dealing with the problem of illegal lending and unregulated money transfers.
This time, however, it seems that Macau regulators are clamping down harder on the entire casino business in the territory, including those businesses that are owned by foreign companies.
Shares of Vegas-Based Companies Shed 13% in Value
Macau is the world’s biggest casino hub in terms of revenue. Even in 2020, when Macau casinos stayed closed for several months, the territory still managed to generate decent gains.
Its 41 casinos generate revenue that’s several times higher than the one created by Las Vegas casinos, for example. Speaking of Vegas, many of Macau’s casinos are owned by companies based in Sin City.
Actually, out of the six licensed casino operators in Macau, three are owned by Vegas casino companies – Sands China, Wynn Macau, and MGM China Holdings.
The bad news for those companies is that their shares have plummeted following the Macau crackdown talks. In fact, it’s reported that their shares have lost about 13% of the value, losing roughly $18 billion along the way.
The good news, however, is that fluctuations in the stock market are relatively common, albeit not so drastically. Still, it’s expected that the stocks will recover their value, especially if casino operators find some common ground with Macau regulators.
Such a scenario, actually, seems very possible, considering that the casino industry has been Macau’s golden goose for years. In fact, being the only territory in China where gambling is legal, Macau relies heavily on this industry.
That said, losing multinational casino companies due to new regulations wouldn’t do anyone good. For that reason, a fair compromise between the two parties is expected.
Grant Mahon
Grant is the self-professed casino madman and reporter that brought this eclectic team of dedicated and talented writers together from around the world to proudly build an humble empire of authentic casino news.
After 5 years and $4.3 billion spent on its construction, Resorts World Las Vegas is finally here! The most expensive resort in Nevada’s history had its grand opening on Thursday, June 24.
With 3,500 hotel rooms, 1,400 slots, and almost 120 table games, the 66-story resort is on the good road to becoming the #1 entertainment hub in Las Vegas. Apart from being huge, the resort is also situated in a premier location – on the Las Vegas Strip.
The complex has a number of high-end restaurants, bars, shops, and boutiques. For instance, there’s the Kardashian Kloset, a boutique that sells clothes previously worn by the members of reality TV’s royal family. There’s also a sexual wellness shop called Pepper, which employs licensed sexologists.
On top of everything, Resorts World Las Vegas is planning to provide top-level fun to its visitors, something that’s ensured through signing such superstars as Katy Perry, Celine Dion, and Carrie Underwood as its headliner musical acts.
A few days ago, visitors had the opportunity to get a glimpse of what expects them in the future. The 66-story complex opened its doors with a spectacular grand opening.
Resorts World Grand Opening Was Really Grand
Resorts World Las Vegas let the crowd in at 11 pm on Thursday for the first time in its history. Judging by what we saw that evening, this seems to be the beginning of something beautiful.
Last night was one for the books! If you couldn’t make it, here’s what you missed. Thank you to everyone who celebrated our grand opening with us! We look forward to welcoming you all to Resorts World Las Vegas! pic.twitter.com/omBg4aQpVd
— Resorts World Las Vegas (@ResortsWorldLV) June 26, 2021
Among thousands of attendees, the Resorts World grand opening saw many celebrities, as well as some influential figures from the world of politics. Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak was one of the dignitaries who held a speech at the grand opening.
“We’re getting better. We’re not finished yet, but we’re getting better, and we’ve got this magnificent property to propel us forward,” Sisolak said in a speech Thursday.
The opening of a new luxury resort has certainly been received as good news among Nevadans. It comes at the right moment for the state that suffered heavily in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Nevada, and especially Las Vegas, belong to states/cities that rely on tourism as their prime source of revenue.
The First New Resort to Open on the Strip in 11 Years
The Las Vegas Strip had to wait 11 years for a new property to pop up. And it popped up in style! The most expensive resort in the city’s history has finally opened its doors. Located at the northwest end of the boulevard, the property is surrounded by several iconic Las Vegas buildings.
Circus Circus is just north of the new resort, Encore and Wynn are located a few hundred yards to the south. Trump International Hotel Las Vegas is also nearby, so is The Venetian. The Mirage, Flamingo, and Caesars Palace are also in its vicinity.
Advertised as a luxury resort, Resorts World Las Vegas hundreds of high-end rooms on offer, but also some relatively affordable ones. At the moment, it’s possible to book a standard room at $145 per night for mid-week stays.
Grant Mahon
Grant is the self-professed casino madman and reporter that brought this eclectic team of dedicated and talented writers together from around the world to proudly build an humble empire of authentic casino news.
Las Vegas is on the road to complete resurrection after the COVID-19 pandemic put Sin City on its knees. Things aren’t going to be as before; they’re going to be even better! Las Vegas is getting some major additions in the form of some new exclusive hotels, such as Resorts World Las Vegas.
The $4.3 billion-worth complex is opening on June 23, ready to offer visitors a high level of entertainment. In addition, Resorts World Las Vegas’ plan to attract the crowd is to get some A-list celebs involved.
Celine Dion, Carrie Underwood, and Katy Perry are just some of the superstars who will take the stage in Resorts World Las Vegas. On top of that, the resort will also give visitors a chance to buy some Kardashian memorabilia in a retail outlet named Kardashian Kloset.
Kardashian Kloset to Sell Clothes Previously-Worn by the K Family
A day after the grand opening of Resorts World Las Vegas, Kardashian Kloset is going to start working. It’s actually a second-hand store, in which all the items were previously worn by the members of the Kardashian clan.
Kardashian Kloset isn’t meant to be necessarily a high-end store, although there are going to be some luxury items on sale. According to the store co-owner, Cici Bussey, people will get a chance to buy Atelier Versace clothes worn by Kim Kardashian for as high as $6,500.
On the other hand, the store will also offer more affordable items, such as Kim’s Lululemon leggings, which could cost as little as $40.
This isn’t the only store in Las Vegas that offers Kardashian second-hand clothes. Kardashian Khaos at The Mirrage, has been offering Kardashian-branded items, either worn or endorsed by the first family of reality TV.
A-List Celebs Going to Resorts World Las Vegas
Celine Dion is going to be the first headliner to get on the stage at Resorts World Las Vegas. The Canadian singer who holds the record for the highest-grossing residency artist in Las Vegas is starting her job in November. A month later, Carrie Underwood is getting on the stage, followed by Katy Perry.
All of the aforementioned artists will perform at the 5,000-seat Resorts World LV theatre, which is just one of many venues in the complex. In addition to music halls and discotheques, Resorts World will also have 40+ bars and restaurants.
The complex will have a total of 3,506 rooms across three hotels operated by Hilton – Las Vegas Hilton at Resorts World (1,774 rooms), Conrad Las Vegas at Resorts World (1,496), and Crockfords Las Vegas (236 rooms).
The casino floor of Resorts World Las Vegas stretches over 117,000 square feet, where visitors will get to choose from thousands of slots and table games. The complex will also have a sportsbook at Dawg House Saloon & Sportsbook.
Grant Mahon
Grant is the self-professed casino madman and reporter that brought this eclectic team of dedicated and talented writers together from around the world to proudly build an humble empire of authentic casino news.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic took out “sin” from Sin City, Las Vegas has been suffering heavy financial losses. However, good days area head and everyone in Nevada is preparing for 100% reopening sometime this month.
In the pre-pandemic era, Las Vegas was having 40+ million visitors per year (in 2019, 42 million visited Sin City). However, in 2020 only 19 million people visited Vegas. The same year, the city saw its unemployment rate skyrocketing from 3.9 to 34 percent.
It all started with a 25% capacity. Then, in February, the Government of Nevada increased the percentage to 35. Finally, in March, the capacity was lifted to 50%. At the start of May, everyone’s hopeful that the next stop if 100%.
Tourists Start Flocking to Las Vegas
People have started returning to Las Vegas. Over the last couple of weeks, the city has witnessed a significant increase in arrivals from other parts of the US. Not only is this good news for the city but it’s also something that’s encouraged by the city officials.
A few days ago, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) released a TV advert inviting tourists to return.
With the officials sending signs that Las Vegas is starting to open up, things are expected to come back to normal over the next couple of months. Judging by what we saw recently, such a scenario does not seem unlikely.
In March over 2.2 million people visited Las Vegas, which is a significant increase compared to only 1.5 million tourists in February.
New Resorts Open in Time for the Summer Season
Saying that things are about to get back to normal in Las Vegas might not be completely true – things are going to get even better than before the pandemic!
One of the biggest additions to Las Vegas is Circa Resort & Casino, an adults-only establishment that is the biggest of its kind in downtown Vegas.
Virgin Hotels Las Vegas
What used to be Hard Rock Hotel is now Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, after more than $200 million were invested in the project.
The venue will feature a 60,000-square-foot gaming floor operated by Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment. What this means is that for the first time in history, Las Vegas has a tribal casino.
Resorts World Las Vegas
The most ambitious of Las Vegas’ 2021 projects is Resorts World Las Vegas, whose development cost more than $4.3 billion. It’s still not open, but that’s supposed to happen in summer.
Las Vegas Casinos on a Hiring Spree
Last year, we saw Las Vegas casinos laying off their employees at a higher rate. For instance, MGM Resorts furloughed about 40% of their 2019 workforce, reducing the number of employees from 70,000 to 42,000.
However, with Las Vegas being ready to reopen 100%, MGM is on a hiring spree. It’s expected that in the following weeks, the casino company will return back to its 2019 levels.
The same goes for all the other companies operating casino resorts in Las Vegas. Further, with new casinos opening ahead of the summer season, the city is expected to get tens of thousands of new job posts.
Grant Mahon
Grant is the self-professed casino madman and reporter that brought this eclectic team of dedicated and talented writers together from around the world to proudly build an humble empire of authentic casino news.
In the past, NFL had kept itself away from anything remotely connected to gambling. However, the league has softened its anti-gambling stance after the PASPA was overridden by Supreme Court in 2018. Three years later, NFL has named Caesars its first-ever casino sponsor.
In addition to making a sponsorship deal with the casino chain, the NFL also made a pack with an online sportsbook. The website in question is DraftKings, which will be the league’s official betting partner from now on.
Caesars & DraftKings Get Rights to NFL Media
According to the deals signed between the NFL and the two gaming giants, Caesars and DraftKings will get rights to the league’s logos, marks, and data. The two companies will also be able to use the media available on NFL.com, as well as on its official mobile app.
Caesars will use the agreement to push on their online sports betting business, rather than using the deal for promoting their retail sportsbooks.
When it comes to DraftKings, the company already has a deal with the NFL, which was signed in 2019. The new deal is thought of as an extension of that agreement, which will see DraftKings getting many additional perks.
For example, the online sportsbook will be allowed to use NFL stats and present game highlights on its platform.
Caesars’ NFL Story Continues
This is the first time Caesars Entertainment has signed a contract directly with the NFL. However, the casino company has been sponsoring seven NFL teams for a while now. Those teams include:
Kansas City Chiefs
Baltimore Ravens
Indianapolis Colts
Las Vegas Raiders
Atlanta Falcons
Carolina Panthers
New Orleans Saints
As per Caesars’ deal with the New Orleans Saints, the team’s stadium could get a new name this year. Currently called the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, the arena is expected to bear Caesars’ name during the next NFL season.
The 2021 NFL deal is meant to cement Caesar’s reputation as America’s favorite casino operator. It’s also meant to help the company with its online sportsbook, which is currently available in three states – Nevada, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.
Still, the company’s ambitions are much higher than that. Caesars would love to expand its online betting business to other states in the near future and the NFL deal is bound to bring them the much-needed exposure.
DraftKings Launches a Massive Marketing Offense
Same as Caesars, DraftKings is also planning to expand its online sportsbook network around the United States. The company is already considered one of the top players in the internet gaming market and it seems that things can only get better for DraftKings.
The reason is that the company has made several big-money sponsorship deals with leading sports organizations in the United States. Apart from the deal with the NFL, DraftKings also sponsors the UFC.
The online gaming giant also sponsors the NBA franchise Detroit Pistons, MLB’s Chicago Cubs, and the Philadelphia Eagles of the NFL.
Grant Mahon
Grant is the self-professed casino madman and reporter that brought this eclectic team of dedicated and talented writers together from around the world to proudly build an humble empire of authentic casino news.
World Wrestling Entertainment Inc., better known as WWE, has recently signed a deal with DraftKings, making it its official gaming partner.
According to the chief business officer of the Boston-based gaming company Ezra Kucharz, the deal is meant to “fuel the engagement and drama of WWE’s signature matchups and storylines, as audiences enjoy the second-screen experiences our products provide.”
DraftKings Sportsbook will not be able to offer WrestleMania betting to its users, considering that these sorts of bets are not allowed in the United States. Instead, the platform will direct wrestling fans to its free-to-play contest.
No Betting on WrestleMania 37 at DraftKings
The US gambling law prohibits betting on events whose outcome is known before the start. This way, the law keeps the integrity of competitions, while also ensuring fair play.
Considering that professional wrestling is scripted, betting on WWE events such as WrestleMania 37 would be illegal. However, it seems that betting is not the reason why Draft Kings has decided to team up with WWE.
Instead, the company’s goal is to get on the radar of as many Americans as possible. Knowing that WrestleMania’s viewing figures are super-high, it appears that the partnership deal is going to bring DraftKings exactly what they wanted.
Since making its debut in 1985, WrestleMania has been one of the most successful pay-per-view (PPV) events in the United States. Some of the milestones it’s achieved over the years include:
With 91,173 fans inside Pontiac Silverdome, WrestleMania was the highest-attended indoor sports event in history before losing the title to the 2010 NBA All-Star Game.
WrestleMania 32 holds the record for the highest attendance in the history of professional wrestling with 101,763 fans.
WrestleMania 28 is among the top 30 most successful PPV events in history, with 1.217 million buys.
Former US President Donald Trump made an appearance in WrestleMania 23.
On top of everything, Morgan Stanley analyst Thomas Allen said that it’s estimated that WEE had nearly 40 billion digital video views in 2020, making it one of the most powerful media companies in the world.
DraftKings Has Made a Similar Deal With the UFC
DraftKing’s marketing strategy of making itself visible to a wide sports-loving audience is a plan that’s already in motion. The partnership deal with WWE is not the first deal they’ve inked. In 2019, DraftKings became a partner of the NFL, while also sponsoring several teams from the top US leagues, e.g., the Philadelphia Eagles (NFL), Chicago Cubs (MLB), and Detroit Pistons (NBA).
The DraftKings-UFC partnership seems like the best deal for the online gaming company. According to it, DraftKings is the “sportsbook and daily fantasy partner for UFC.”
Considering that MMA is a real sport, in which the outcome of the fight is not known until the fighters actually get into the octagon, nothing is stopping DraftKings Sportsbook from offering UFC betting.
More news for DraftKings Sportsbook comes from New York, where lawmakers are working hard on the legalization of online betting. If everything goes according to plan, DraftKings could go live in the Empire State in about a year.
Grant Mahon
Grant is the self-professed casino madman and reporter that brought this eclectic team of dedicated and talented writers together from around the world to proudly build an humble empire of authentic casino news.
On Monday night, the owner of Las Vegas Sands and one of the richest men in the world, Sheldon Adelson, passed away at the age of 87, following complications from his cancer treatment.
Adelson will be remembered as one of the most powerful people in the gaming industry, whose company owns and operates a number of luxury casinos around the world, including properties in Las Vegas, Macau, and Singapore, where the iconic Marina Bay Sands resort is located.
Adelson’s empire has been constantly growing since 1989 when he launched Las Vegas Sands after purchasing the struggling business of the Sands Hotel. The company did suffer during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, but not too much – Las Vegas Sands continued paying salaries to its employees as if they were working.
Not only that but the world’s largest casino operator also reportedly planned to spread its empire to Australia through the purchase of a 36% stake in Crown Resorts. There’s a big question mark hovering over that deal, following the death of Adelson.
Rumors About Sands/Crown Deal
As reported by the UK’s Daily Mail, Shane Adelson spent New Year’s Eve with James Packer, one of the owners of Crown Resorts. The two casino magnates were seen docking their superyachts next to one another – Packer’s $200m-worth Arctic P and Adelson’s $70m-worth Queen Miri.
Although there’s nothing strange in two billionaires socializing on their superyachts, the rumor about Sands acquiring a share of Crown Resorts doesn’t seem too farfetched. The thing is that Packer and his casino group are currently under an investigation in New South Wales, where officials are checking whether the company was suitable to hold a gaming license.
There’s speculation that the Aussie businessman is looking to get rid of his 36% stake in Crown Resorts. However, there aren’t too many companies in the world that have the kind of money for this kind of purchase. But, Las Vegas Sands definitely has!
The trouble is that with Sheldon Adelson gone, it’s not sure whether the new decision-makers in Las Vegas Sands will be willing to start off with such a big investment.
The Future of Online Gambling in the US After Adelson’s Death
Sheldon Adelson was arguably the most important person in the gaming industry. We’re not talking just about the United States, but the entire world. It’s not only because his company owned properties around the world, but also because Adelson was a very influential person in world politics.
Adelson will be remembered as one of the main backers of Israel’s current PM Benjamin Netanyahu. With Adelson’s help, Israel persuaded the United States to move the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
This happened during Donald Trump’s Presidency, who was also responsible for brokering a deal that would see two other countries moving their embassies to Jerusalem, namely, Serbia and Kosovo.
Speaking of Trump, Adelson was one of his main supporters. In fact, ahead of the 2020 Elections, Adelson donated $75 million to Trump’s campaign. One of the reasons behind Sheldon’s love for the leaving President is that Trump was his ally in the crusade against US online gambling.
There’s no surprise that the owner of land-based casinos was one of the main opponents of the legalization of online casino gaming in the United States. However, unlike many other casino owners, who have been trying to adapt to the modern world by embracing internet gaming, Adelson wanted to ban it entirely.
Over the last 15 years, he had been pushing for the reenactment of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, which would make internet gambling illegal again. Still, despite his efforts, it seems that good days are coming for American online casinos. The number of states that are working on making this gambling form legal keeps growing.
Grant Mahon
Grant is the self-professed casino madman and reporter that brought this eclectic team of dedicated and talented writers together from around the world to proudly build an humble empire of authentic casino news.
Formerly owned by former President, Trump Plaza is to be demolished in 2021. You have a chance to be the one to press the button. For that to happen, all you got to do is bid the highest bid at the auction.
The Trump Plaza demolition auction has already attracted a lot of media attention, with comedians like Jimmy Fallon talking about it in their shows.
However, the auction wasn’t meant to be a dig at the former President. Instead, the purpose of it is to raise money for charity. As announced by Atlantic City Mayor Marty Smalls Sr., the city is going to give all the proceeds from the auction to the Boys & Girls Club of Atlantic City.
Atlantic City is Auctioning the Demolition of Trump Plaza
Atlantic City officials have put an independent auction house in charge of the auction regarding the destruction of Trump Plaza. Bodnars Auction is the name of the organization that will take care of the auction, which has already started on the internet.
Anyone with a couple of hundred thousand dollars to spare can enter the online auction through this link. At the moment of writing, the highest bid is $28,000, with 11 people taking part so far. However, the Trump Plaza demolition auction has only just started this week, with more than a month left to go.
The auction will end on Tuesday, January 19, 2021, just 10 days before the previously-planned date of demolition. However, as confirmed by Atlantic City Mayor, the implosion of the 39-floor building (the 15th-highest building in Atlantic City) is going to be postponed for a couple of weeks. The most likely time for it to happen is mid-February.
The End of Trump’s Reign in Atlantic City
At one point, Donald Trump owned some of the most successful casinos, not only in Atlantic City but the entire country. However, those days are long gone, with the ex-US President offloading some of his New Jersey businesses, while others fell apart on their own.
One of those that belong to the latter category is Trump Plaza. Located on the iconic Atlantic City boardwalk, it was Trump’s first investment in the casino business. The year was 1984 when it was launched, just a couple of years after Atlantic City became East Coast’s gambling hub.
After the initial success of Trump Plaza, Trump’s Castle was opened. In, 1990, Trump and his associates decided on an even bigger project – the construction of Trump Taj Mahal. In fact, their ambitions didn’t end there. They launched Trump World’s Fair six years later.
At one point, almost half of all casinos in Atlantic City had something to do with Donald Trump. The problem was that they turned out to be each other’s competitors. When profits started dropping, Trump decided to sell Trump’s Castle (renamed Trump Marina in 1997).
For the other three casinos, he decided to file for bankruptcy. Trump Taj Mahal closed down in 2016 (reopened as Hard Rock Casino in 2018). Trump World’s Fair was demolished in 1999, and the same faith awaits the last remaining Trump-branded casino in Atlantic City.
Grant Mahon
Grant is the self-professed casino madman and reporter that brought this eclectic team of dedicated and talented writers together from around the world to proudly build an humble empire of authentic casino news.
This year, the COVID-19 pandemic has dominated all aspects of life, including leisure and entertainment. Once again, the virus is in the news, with the outbreak threatening to cancel Thanksgiving celebrations in the United States. A number of states have already decided to go with new measures, some of which include shutting down non-essential businesses such as land-based casinos.
New Jersey, however, still does not belong to those states. According to Governor Phil Murphy, the state has no plans of shutting down the Atlantic City casinos. Gaming fans will be welcome at all nine AC casinos, but there won’t be any turkey on the menu. At least not in the evening as bars and restaurants in casinos now have to close every night at 10 pm.
Governor Phil Murphy Backing Atlantic City Casinos
With the number of people testing positive for COVID-19 going up in New Jersey, a question arose regarding shutting down Atlantic City casinos. Governor Murphy shut them down on March 18 and kept them closed until July 2, but this time, he believes there’s no need for such a measure.
“We believe, based on the evidence that we have, that they’ve been able to responsibly manage their casino floors” – Murphy said during a briefing with other state officials.
The thing is that Atlantic City casinos seem to be doing a very good job keeping the environment coronavirus-free. Furthermore, recent stats show that casinos rank #44 in the list of places where you’re most likely to catch the disease.
Atlantic City Casinos Would Not Survive Another Lockdown
Another incentive to keep the Atlantic City casinos open is the local economy. The gambling industry has suffered big losses as a result of the outbreak, especially in parts of the United States that rely on this industry.
Atlantic City definitely belongs to this category, as the city’s gaming revenue is keeping the local economy healthy. At least it was in the times before the pandemic. Since COVID-19 came to Atlantic City, the gaming revenue plummeted.
Not everything is doom and gloom in New Jersey’s gaming world. Online gambling sites have been making a lot of money during the pandemic. Last month, online casinos and sports betting sites generated $118 million.
As a reminder, New Jersey is one of only four US states where online casino gaming is legal and regulated at the moment of writing. The other three states are Pennsylvania, Delaware, and West Virginia.
Grant Mahon
Grant is the self-professed casino madman and reporter that brought this eclectic team of dedicated and talented writers together from around the world to proudly build an humble empire of authentic casino news.
Once it reopens on the last day of September, the Park MGM Casino on the Las Vegas Strip is going to become the first smoking-free casino in the area. No other casino in this part of the United States has ever made such a decision, even after Las Vegas came out of the COVID-19 shutdown.
In other parts of the country, casinos did have to ban smoking temporarily as per the state orders. The decision to banish smoking out of the casino was not forced to the Park MGM casino by anyone. Instead, the casino management decided on this step following “guest demand.”
Casino Patrons Want Non-Smoking Environment
According to the president of MGM Resorts’ Las Vegas Portfolio, Anton Nikodemus, the reason behind this decision lies in “recurring guest demand for a fully non-smoking casino resort on The Strip.”
Nikodemus insists that this thought has been on the casino executives’ mind since the casino resort opened in 2018. The COVID-19 pandemic just confirmed that a non-smoking Las Vegas casino would be a good idea.
Anti-smoking advocates have been calling for an indoor smoking ban in Las Vegas casinos after the COVID-19 shutdown. The main reason cited was the fact that smoking simply doesn’t go together with the face mask rule. One can’t smoke and weak a face mask at the same time.
Nevertheless, all the Las Vegas casinos that have reopened do allow indoor smoking, while still requiring the patrons to wear face masks inside the venues. This includes all the other MGM-owned casinos in Nevada, including the MGM Grand Las Vegas, The Mirage, and Mandalay Bay.
Las Vegas Entering a New Era
Smoking in casinos has been the imagery associated with Las Vegas since its early days. The author of 11 books on Las Vegas, David G. Schwartz, agrees, but also adds that times are changing in Sin City. One of the sins that the city might get rid of in the future is smoking.
According to him, banning indoor smoking in Las Vegas casinos is something several companies have tried in the past. It’s needless to say that all of them failed in the endeavor. An example he points out is the old Silver City Casino, which went smoking-free in 1991 but decided to give up on that decision after only a couple of months. The reason to back down was a drastic decrease in the number of visitors.
Almost two decades later, smoking is no longer trendy, but many casino patrons still seem to indulge in it. For many of them, smoking is something they do only when on vacation, following the mantra of “what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.”
Still, recent experiences have shown that smoking is not as an essential part of the casino experience as previously believed. The anti-COVID-19 measures set up in many states have banished indoor smoking in casinos, something which most patrons did not mind.
Smoking Is Back in Atlantic City Casinos
Atlantic City casinos reopened just before the 4th of July weekend, but in the first two months after the shutdown, they had to do business differently. Until early September, the AC casinos had to work at 25% capacity, as well as banish drinking, dining, and smoking out of the premises. However, starting Friday, September 4, those bans are lifted.
Indoor smoking is officially back in casinos in Atlantic City, but the same is not the case in other parts of the US. Commercial casinos in New York have returned to business earlier this month but will have to fulfill certain anti-COVID-19 conditions in order to remain open. One of those conditions is the smoking ban.
Grant Mahon
Grant is the self-professed casino madman and reporter that brought this eclectic team of dedicated and talented writers together from around the world to proudly build an humble empire of authentic casino news.
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