The state commission that regulates casino gambling, sports betting, and horse racing picked The Innovation Group, a Colorado-based global gaming consultancy specializing in market analysis and feasibility, and Marquette Advisors, a Minnesota-based real estate consulting firm that has a hospitality division with a focus on casino gaming.

Four consultancies bid for the opportunity to examine how a casino in Linn County, specifically, in Cedar Rapids, would impact the state’s current 19 commercial casinos. A group of local businesspeople in Iowa’s second most populated city has been seeking a gaming license for a resort development for more than a decade.

Moratorium Lifted?

The IRGC heeded calls from Iowa’s riverboat and brick-and-mortar casino industry in both 2014 and 2017 to deny gaming concession bids for Linn County. The industry argued that Iowa’s gaming market was already oversaturated.

Iowa lawmakers in 2022 placed a two-year moratorium on the IRGC’s ability to grant additional licenses after neighboring Nebraska authorized racetrack casinos. Iowa’s two-year moratorium, however, expired at the end of June.

The investment group is partnered with Peninsula Pacific Entertainment (P2E), a Los Angeles-based gaming operator. Anne Parmley, president of the Linn County Gaming Association, the project’s charitable arm that would collect 8% of the casino’s gross revenue and direct that money to nonprofits and community organizations throughout the region, says the 2024 Cedar Crossing Casino bid is its best yet.

This application only builds on past applications, all the time and commitment that the operating partner, Peninsula Pacific, has had to Linn County and Cedar Rapids over the years,” Parmley said. “It’s an opportunity to refine and improve. It’ll be a great contribution to the vitality of Cedar Rapids and Linn County entertainment.”

Iowa’s gaming law requires that casinos only be licensed with a qualifying sponsoring nonprofit charitable organization that benefits from the gaming operation with a minimum of 3% of the facility’s gross casino win.?

Bid Timeline

The IRGC gave The Innovation Group and Marquette Advisors a Dec. 30 deadline to submit their Cedar Rapids market feasibility studies so commissioners can review the results over the holidays.

State lawmakers representing counties where casinos are operating are expected to reignite their fight to reimplement the moratorium on new gaming licenses when the Iowa Legislature convenes on Jan. 13, 2025. There would be just 16 session days for a new prohibition on gaming concessions to become law before the IRGC would vote on the Cedar Rapids project, assuming the market feasibility conclusions come back favorably to the development.

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The Rockford Mass Transit District (RMTD), the public transportation provider for the fifth-most populated city in Illinois, will begin serving the newly opened Hard Rock Casino on Sunday, September 1. RMTD officials say several bus routes will undergo slight reroutes to serve the casino, as well as Rockford University and the AMC movie theater along E. State St.

The service changes are a result of ongoing rider and community feedback that RMTD has received. RMTD anticipates the changes will improve access to employment, educational, health, and retail opportunities for the community, while further helping to eliminate transportation barriers for those who are challenged with them,” an RMTD release explained.

The Hard Rock entertainment destination will be served by several bus lines, including the #11 E. State St., #18 Bell School Rd., #19 CherryVale Mall., #32 E State St., and #42 E. State St. routes. ?

Grand Opening?

Hard Rock International, owned by the Seminole Tribe of Florida, is officially opening Hard Rock Casino Rockford today. The casino will open to the public around? 3 p.m. local time.

While Hard Rock Casino Rockford doesn’t have an on-site hotel, it features six restaurants and bars, a Rock Shop with Hard Rock memorabilia and swag, and the 23,000-square-foot Hard Rock Live concert space that can accommodate up to 2,000 guests for live entertainment. The Hard Rock Live room is also available for meetings and events rentals.?

Community Partner?

The United States Census Bureau reports that Rockford, home to about 147K people, has a poverty rate above 21% despite the city being home to several affluent neighborhoods. Hard Rock has hired about 400 people to run its newest casino, which should help ease the city’s high poverty position.

Hard Rock is still seeking a few more bandmates for its Rockford operation. Among the remaining 33 available positions are a casino cage supervisor, bartenders and servers, table game dealers, cashiers, a poker room supervisor, security officers, floor attendants, and an assistant manager of casino operations.

One of Hard Rock Rockford’s notable investors is Cheap Trick guitarist Rick Nielsen, an Illinois native who co-founded the band in Rockford in 1973.

The casino’s entrance includes the title of one of the band’s iconic tracks, “I Want You to Want Me.” Hard Rock Rockford additionally welcomes guests with a 62-foot guitar that honors Nielsen and Cheap Trick.

The post Hard Rock Rockford Casino Opens, Secures Bus Stop With City’s Mass Transit Agency appeared first on Casino.org.

The Hall County Board of Commissioners continues to finalize its 2024-25 budget. The commission most recently suggested using $819K in funds received from the temporary Grand Island Casino Resort at the Fonner Park horse racetrack to reduce homeowners’ property taxes.

Fonner Park is located on the southeastern side of Grand Island, a city in central Nebraska roughly 80 miles west of Lincoln that’s home to approximately 53K people.

Provisional Casino Delivers

The interim Grand Island Casino Resort opened in December 2022 inside the Fonner Park grandstand. The provisional casino houses more than 300 slot machines, several live dealer blackjack, roulette, craps tables, electronic table games, and an Elite Sportsbook.

Iowa-based Elite Casino Resorts is behind the Grand Island Casino project. The $100 investment to construct a permanent casino resort that will connect to the Fonner Park grandstand will significantly expand the gaming offering when it opens early next year.

Once the permanent property opens, Hall County is expecting to field many more gaming tax dollars from Grand Island’s operations, which will be used to further relieve property taxes on homeowners. ?

Nebraska’s gaming law requires that casinos share 20% of their gross revenue, or win, with the state. Of the tax, 25% is returned to the casino’s host county and city, split equally with each local government entity collecting 12.5%. Nebraska’s Property Tax Credit Cash Fund takes 70% and the remaining 5% is divided between the Nebraska General Fund and the Compulsive Gamblers Assistance Fund.

Online Betting on Hold?

Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen (R) remains steadfast in his campaign commitment to reduce property taxes. The first-term governor called the Nebraska Legislature back for a special session last month to focus on ways to cut homeowners’ tax bills.

State lawmakers agreed to slash spending by $117 million and use $46 million in state cash reserves to reduce property taxes. The state also plans to raise more than $20 million by increasing fees on certain programs and services.

There were more opponents than supporters, however, as the unicameral legislature folded on the online sports betting referendum pitch. As a result, online sportsbooks will remain on hold in Nebraska until at least late 2026.

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The regional casino operator completed a $200 million sale-leaseback deal on the home of the Chicago Tribune printing facility in November 2022. The newspaper vacated the premises in May. Rhode Island-based Bally’s has been operating a temporary gaming venue at Medinah Temple at 600 N. Wabash Ave. for about a year.

To comply with the city’s noise regulations, demolition will be confined to 8 a.m.-8 p.m. each day. Bally’s has consistently said the permanent Chicago casino resort will open in September 2026, and that remains the plan.

Demolition Starting After Bally’s Landed Financing

Demolition of the Freedom Center is starting about six weeks after Bally’s announced that it procured the financing to make the Chicago integrated resort — the operator’s priciest project to date — a reality.

The venue, which will be the lone casino in Chicago city limits, will feature a 500-room hotel, six restaurants, a 3,000-seat theater, and a two-acre public park. The gaming area will have 3,300 slot machines and 173 table games.

The hotel will built on the southern portion of the property. The initial plan called for the hotel to be located at the northern end, but it was later discovered that would damage underground infrastructure, sparking criticism that neither Bally’s nor the city had properly thought out the project.

Bally’s Takeover Unlikely to Affect Chicago Casino Timeline

Last month, Bally’s accepted an $18.25 per share takeover offer from Standard General, the hedge fund helmed by Soo Kim, the gaming company’s chairman. When that bid was floated earlier this year, Kim said acceptance would have no bearing on Bally’s Chicago plans and that he is committed to seeing that project come to life.

That remains the case today and the gaming told some Chicago press outlets that the transaction will not affect its plans in the city.

The Illinois Gaming Board (IGB) said it’s aware of the deal and is monitoring it.

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Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen (R) signed legislation on Tuesday that provides $185 million in tax relief to property owners. It was a trimmed-down compromise from what Pillen asked for, as the $185 million in relief represents just 3.5% of the $5.3 billion in local property taxes that was collected last year.

This is a first step forward,” Pillen said. “More needs to be done. Together we can, and together we will.”

Under the new law, municipalities and county governments are limited to increasing property taxes based on the inflation rate or 0%, whichever is greater. The legislature agreed to fund the relief through $117 million in budget cuts, $46 million in state cash reserves, and $22 million from increasing fees on state programs and services.

Online Sports Betting Left Out

Pillen called the state Legislature back for a special session to find ways to offset skyrocketing property taxes for homeowners. The Lincoln lawmaking body mulled expanding sports betting to the internet, currently limited to in-person wagering at the state’s racetrack casinos.

The online sports betting push was led by Sen. Eliot Bostar (D-Lincoln). His LR3CA was a proposed legislative referendum that sought to ask Nebraskans during the November 5 election if they support internet sportsbooks, so long as the associated tax benefit would be allocated for property tax relief.

LR3CA passed the Unicameral General Affairs Committee by a 5-2 vote on August 12. The full chamber opted not to take up the matter during the special session.

The many opponents to online sports gambling said the state shouldn’t be in a rush to further expand gambling, as it was only November 2020 when Nebraskans approved three constitutional amendments to allow licensed horse racetracks to become commercial casinos with slot machines, table games, and retail sportsbooks.

2026 is Next Opportunity

The Nebraska Constitution limits statewide ballot referendums to even-numbered elections. That means online sports betting will remain offline until at least November 2026.

Such tasks typically take six months or longer, meaning the earliest Nebraskans will be able to place a sports bet legally inside their state is presumably around mid-2027.

The post Nebraska Online Sports Betting on Hold Until 2027, Possibly Later appeared first on Casino.org.

Last week, Ashcroft rejected a proposed ballot measure by the group, the Osage River and Gaming Convention (ORGC), because it didn’t have enough valid signatures.

The group claimed it submitted more than 320K signatures — more than enough to meet the ballot threshold — which requires the support of 8% of legal voters in each of two-thirds of the state’s eight congressional districts. Ashcroft said the campaign fell short by 2,031 signatures in the 2nd Congressional District.

‘Mistakes Happen’

In its complaint, the ORGC implies that the Secretary of State’s Office may have been mistaken and claims to have identified more than 2,500 valid signatures, which it says were wrongly rejected.

“Verifying every signature on multiple initiative petitions this summer has been a very long process for election officials and we realize mistakes happen,” the ORGC said in a statement.

ORGC has always been confident their initiative petition contained a sufficient number of valid signatures from legal voters to qualify for placement on the November 5, 2024 general election ballot and are now asking the Court to do so,” the statement continued.

Signatures can be rejected for numerous reasons, such as because the signee isn’t actually registered to vote, they entered false information, or they signed the petition more than once.

Bankrolled by Bally’s

The ORGC, which is bankrolled by Bally’s and local property developer Gary Pruitt, would ask the electorate whether Missouri’s constitution should be amended to expand casino gaming. Currently, it only permits casinos on the Missouri and Mississippi rivers. The proposal would create one casino license for the Lake of the Ozarks.

If it ever gets off the ground, the proposed project will create 500 construction jobs and 700 permanent jobs once it opens, according to the ORGC. Tax revenues from the casino would go to early childhood literacy programs in public schools.

Eyes On the Ozarks

The ORGC isn’t the only entity with its eyes on a casino in the popular tourist destination. The Osage Nation, which owns seven casinos in Oklahoma, has applied to the Department of the Interior to have land in the area taken into trust for the purpose of building the state’s first tribal gaming facility.

To approve the application for a casino so far from the tribe’s official reservation, the Interior Department will have to agree that the tribe has ancestral ties to the region.

The Osage Nation’s historical lands once encompassed most of what is now Missouri, and the tribe gave its name to the nearby Osage River. Nevertheless, the application could take years to process.

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The Boston-based betting giant’s largesse came just three days after the PAC, Winning for Missouri Education (WME), succeeded in getting an initiative on the November 5 ballot.

The proposed measure will ask voters whether they want to approve a constitutional amendment to legalize both land-based and online sports betting.

Under the proposal, the first $5 million a year in state taxes from sports betting would go toward efforts to combat problem gambling, while the rest would be funneled into public education.

Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft (R) announced Tuesday that the signature-gathering campaign had met the threshold to qualify for the ballot, with some 171,592 validated signees.

Will Missouri Vote for Sports Betting?

Will Missourians back sports betting on November 5? The polls are all over the place. A study by Saint Louis University and YouGov found that 60% of respondents are in favor, while another one in June by Emerson College put the figure at just 38%.

Campaign spokesman Jack Cardetti told The St Louis Post-Dispatch that DraftKings’ sudden cash injection would be used for educating Missourians about the initiative.

Now that we are officially on the ballot, we’ll be over the next two and a half months talking to Missourians across the state about why it makes sense to set up a legal sports betting framework that helps public education,” Cardetti said.

If approved by voters, the measure would authorize the Missouri Gaming Commission (MGC) to issue sports betting licenses to the state’s 13 riverboat casinos. Professional sports stadiums and arenas would also be eligible to apply for a license. Additionally, up to two online operators would be permitted to apply.

Pro Sports on Board

It’s clearly enough to have whet DraftKings’ appetite. It’s estimated that a future Missouri sports betting market could be worth $290 million annually. Based on that figure, the blanket 10% tax proposed by the amendment would generate $29 million for state coffers in addition to $11.75 million in licensing fees.

“On behalf of all six of Missouri’s professional sports teams, I would like to thank everyone who signed a petition to get this on the ballot. A vote for Amendment 2 in November is the right thing to do for both Missouri public schools and our favorite sports teams,” said Cardinals President Bill DeWitt III in a statement.

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WarHorse Casino Omaha opened at Horsemen’s Park in Nebraska on August 6. A line of people seeking to be among the casino’s first gamblers rushed the gaming floor to place bets on the facility’s 800 slot machines and 19 live dealer table games. WarHorse Omaha also offers a sportsbook.

Just a little more than a week later, the fun momentarily paused after casino officials forced guests out and shuttered the property to allow heating and air conditioning service people to repair a water-based cooling system that failed. ?

No one was injured, and there was never any danger to our guests or employees,” said Lance Morgan, president and chief executive officer of Ho-Chunk, Inc., the parent company of WarHorse Casino Omaha. “Unfortunately, we needed to temporarily close the casino to prevent damage to some of the electronic equipment in the facility.”

Ho-Chunk, Inc. is the commercial business arm of the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska. After Nebraskans approved commercial casino gambling at the state’s licensed horse racetracks in 2020, Ho-Chunk partnered with the Nebraska Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association (NHBPA) to develop their tracks into casinos.

WarHorse Omaha Reopens

The HVAC repair people didn’t need long to remedy the AC system failure. After about eight hours, WarHorse Casino Omaha reopened Thursday night.

“Great news! WarHorse Omaha has resolved the HVAC issue, and we are now open and ready to welcome you back,” the casino’s social media channels reported. “Thank you for your patience and support. Come on in and enjoy your favorite games — see you soon!”

WarHorse Omaha currently has a quick-service restaurant and bar called Sweetwater. The restaurant is open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and from 8 a.m. to midnight on the weekends.

WarHorse Lincoln Nearing Completion

The second of possibly three WarHorse casinos that Ho-Chunk will open in partnership with the NHBPA comes by way of Lincoln.

Nebraska’s gaming law requires that casinos be 100% smoke-free. That differs from casinos in Nebraska’s neighboring states where tobacco smoking is allowed anywhere in Iowa and Kansas and designated areas in Missouri.

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Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft (R) on Tuesday announced that a citizen-led referendum campaign had met the signature requirement threshold to certify the constitutional amendment question for the November 5 ballot.

Ashcroft, who unsuccessfully ran to be the Republican Party’s gubernatorial nominee earlier this year, said his office validated more than the 171,592 signatures across six of the eight state congressional districts needed for the sports betting question rallied by a campaign called Winning for Missouri Education to go before voters during the presidential election.

The sports betting question additionally seeks to authorize up to two online sportsbook concessions for online operators not tethered to a casino or sports venue.

Sports Betting Details

The sports betting amendment proposes charging casinos and sports stadiums $250K for retail sports betting licenses, with renewals set for every five years at the same cost. Mobile licenses would cost $500K and also run for five years.

The first $5 million a year in state taxes from sports gambling would be allocated to fight problem gambling through the Compulsive Gambling Prevention Fund. The remaining tax benefit would go to public education.

Only people aged 21 and older would be allowed to participate in Missouri’s sports betting market.

Recent polling suggests the November sports betting referendum outcome will be close. While a March poll conducted by Saint Louis University and YouGov concluded that 60% of likely voters support becoming a legal sports gambling state, a poll released in June from Emerson College found that only 38% favored sports betting while 35% said they were opposed. About 26% said they were unsure.

Ozarks Casino Sinks?

A separate referendum that sought to ask Missourians to legalize gambling on the Osage River by allowing a proposed casino development on the Lake of the Ozarks failed to obtain enough signatures, said Ashcroft’s office. In May, a committee called Osage River Gaming & Convention claimed to have submitted more than 320K signatures.

Ashcroft, however, said Tuesday that the campaign fell short of having enough signatures validated in at least six congressional districts. Reps with Osage River Gaming & Convention say they’re mulling an appeal.

We are confident we have collected enough signatures to qualify for the November ballot,” campaign spokesperson Ed Rhode told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “Our legal team is assessing our next steps.”

Osage River Gaming & Convention had partnered with the Bally’s Corporation in hopes of constructing a casino resort near the Bagnell Dam.

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Hard Rock International, the gaming and hospitality conglomerate owned and operated by the Seminole Tribe of Florida, will open the permanent Hard Rock Rockford ahead of the Labor Day weekend on Thursday, August 29. The 175,000-square-foot casino will boast nearly 1,300 slot machines, 50 live dealer table games, a poker room, and a Hard Rock Bet Sportsbook.

Hard Rock Casino Rockford won’t have an on-site hotel but has several partnerships with the many hotels that are located near the casino.?

Sun Sets on Interim Casino

Hard Rock’s temporary casino in Rockford — billed as “A Hard Rock Opening Act” — was housed inside the former Giovanni’s Restaurant & Convention Center, which shuttered during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hard Rock’s 20,000-square-foot interim casino generated gross gaming revenue (GGR) of more than $43.3 million this year through July. The Bell School Road casino closed Monday, August 12. The casino reportedly paid over $91.2 million in jackpots.

Everybody’s a little bit sad — guests and team members all night have said, ‘Man, it’s sad,’ but at the same time, everybody is excited to get the new one up and running,” Hard Rock Casino Rockford President Geno Iafrate told Fox 39. “It’s all part of the process.”

The $310 million permanent casino broke ground in September 2022 after the pandemic pushed construction back.

Just under two years to build the big joint,” Iafrate added.

The “big joint” is located at 7801 E. State St., which is where the Clock Tower Resort stood from the late 1960s until it was demolished in April 2018.

Rock ‘N’ Roll-Themed Destination

Guitarist Rick Nielsen of Cheap Trick fame was among the investors who bought the Clock Tower Resort and demolished it to possibly make way for a casino. Dan Fischer, the CEO of gambling chain Dotty’s, was also among the investment group.

The permanent casino features a 62-foot guitar honoring Nielsen. Cheap Tick hails from Rockford and is responsible for such classics as “Surrender,” “I Want You to Want Me,” and “The Flame.”

The owner of Giovanni’s Restaurant & Convention Center was part of the investor group, too, but the Illinois Gaming Board denied him a gaming license. The state agency determined that Joseph Castrogiovanni failed to disclose that he had been charged with misdemeanor reckless conduct in July 2020.

The incident stemmed from Castrogiovanni shooting at a vehicle that had driven onto his family’s property. He told police he had meant to fire a warning shot but one of the bullets hit the car with two occupants inside. In the wake of the development, the investor group bought out Castrogiovanni’s stake and acquired the building of his former restaurant.

The ownership group a year ago this month sold the forthcoming Hard Rock Casino Rockford to Gaming and Leisure Properties, Inc. for $100 million. GLPI, the real estate investment trust controlled by Penn Entertainment, will lease the property to Hard Rock.

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He earned $100, and was excited for the cash. But the 53-year-old Macomb County resident admitted he was “bummed” he didn’t hit the big jackpot.

He tried his luck again the following day for the same game. He hit all of the winning numbers for the July 27 drawing: 02-05-17-21-30.

After the drawing, he got an email from the lottery. It said he won $1.

“I thought that was all I’d won, until another email came through telling me to log into my account to claim my prize,” the unnamed man recalled in a statement released last week.

When I logged in and saw $795,905 pending, my first thought was that it was a scam. Now, that I am at the lottery office claiming my prize, it’s starting to hit me that this is real.”

He had purchased the ticket online from the MichiganLottery.com website.

The lucky winner plans to invest his jackpot.

Fantasy 5 Is Favorite

He explains that he likes to play the Michigan lottery’s Fantasy 5 game.

I always buy Fantasy 5 tickets if the jackpot is over $250,000,” he said. “I usually buy my tickets in-store, but the night of the drawing I realized I’d forgotten to buy some, so I logged onto MichiganLottery.com and bought two.”

A Fantasy 5 game is $1. For an additional $1, EZmatch is added so players can win up to $500. For $1 more per play, Double Play is added, giving players a second chance, to win up to $110,000 in the nightly Double Play drawing.

Fantasy 5 players select five numbers between 1 and 39. Players who match all five numbers win at least $100K.

Fantasy 5 drawings are held seven days a week at 7:29 p.m.

Michigan Lottery Commissioner Suzanna Shkreli points out that the online option gives players a convenient way to play when they can’t get to a retailer.

Powerball Win

Michigan saw a huge win earlier this year. On New Year’s Day, a single Powerball ticket sold in Michigan matched the five drawn white balls and the red Powerball.

A Michigan trio won an $842.4M jackpot. The winners remain anonymous but revealed they are part of a “Breakfast Club.”

They got the ticket on Jan. 1 at the Food Castle in Grand Blanc, Mich., some 60 miles north of Detroit.

The post Michigan Lottery Player Loses Jackpot By One Number, Then Wins $800K The Next Day appeared first on Casino.org.

Owned and operated by Las Vegas-based Boyd Gaming, company officials say the Ameristar St. Charles is set to expand its event space by approximately 43,000 square feet. Once complete, the riverboat resort’s convention space will span 65,000 square feet.

Ameristar General Manager Doug Lang told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that the casino regularly turns down convention business because of inadequate space or limited availability.

This is not a build it and they will come moment,” Lang said. “We look at the business we have today as well as the denials and regrets that we have from companies and groups that would like to come to St. Charles but can’t because we don’t have the space they need.”

Lang said convention space has become an increasingly growing problem in the St. Charles-St. Louis region over the past half-decade. The Ameristar is one of four casinos in the St. Louis Metro area along with Horseshoe, Hollywood, and River City.

Trickle Down Impact

St. Louis is a major, centrally located US city near the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers. Boyd officials believe St. Louis should be a bigger convention destination than it currently is, and rival Indianapolis, Chicago, and Nashville for such large-scale gatherings.

The casino company thinks more convention space will entice bigger events to St. Louis.

Boyd spokesperson David Strow says the Ameristar’s convention expansion will bring new events and attendees to Missouri’s second-most populated city. The influx of travelers, Strow says, will benefit the entire region, as well as the Ameristar’s casino competitors.

If we can get more people to Ameristar for conventions, then that creates an entire ripple effect that benefits all of St. Charles,” he said.

Strow didn’t specify the cost of the Ameristar St. Charles convention center expansion, but said it’s part of Boyd’s $100M capital spending initiative that includes a new casino at the site of its former Jokers Wild Casino near Las Vegas in Henderson.

Conventioneers Coveted

Las Vegas wouldn’t be Las Vegas without the many conventions that keep the city’s large resort hotels occupied during the week. Convention guests are highly sought after, as such business travelers tend to spend more than leisure guests.

With their room stays typically paid for by their employer, and many also receiving per diems, convention guests in Las Vegas average more expenditures than visitors in town who didn’t attend a convention.

Convention business isn’t vital only to Las Vegas, but also to regional gaming markets like St. Louis/St. Charles. With Ameristar conveniently located less than 10 miles from Lambert International, St. Louis’ primary commercial airport and the 34th busiest air hub in the US, the casino’s bet on more conventions is presumably a sound wager.

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State and local dignitaries, along with officials of WarHorse Gaming and Ho-Chunk Inc., the commercial economic development arms of the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska, held a ribbon cutting on Tuesday. About 200 people lined up outside WarHorse Omaha to be among the casino’s first guests.

WarHorse Omaha is the partnership’s first permanent casino to open. The 58,000-square-foot facility includes a gaming floor with approximately 800 slot machines, 19 live dealer table games, and a sportsbook.

WarHorse Omaha is located at 6303 Q Street and is open 24/7. Along with the casino, the property includes a round-the-clock full-service restaurant and bar.

WarHorse Omaha was the second permanent casino to open in Nebraska behind Harrah’s Columbus, NE, Racing & Casino, which opened on May 17.?

Smoke-Free Gaming?

The campaign to encourage Nebraska residents to vote in favor of the three ballot measures that legalized and regulated casino gambling focused on keeping gaming money inside the Cornhusker State. Advocates said millions of dollars a year flowed into neighboring Iowa, Missouri, and Kansas.

More than 70% of Nebraskans live within 60 miles of an out-of-state commercial or tribal casino. Nebraskans were estimated to spend nearly $400M annually at those casinos.

Nebraskans got behind the initiatives and easily passed the three referendum questions. The outcome and subsequent openings of commercial casinos in Nebraska are designed to not only retain gambling revenue losses incurred by Nebraskans in other states, but also poach some play from out-of-state casinos.

Iowa’s Council Bluffs casinos stand to be most impacted by WarHorse Casino Omaha. Council Bluffs is home to three casinos — Ameristar, Harrah’s, and Horseshoe.

The casino industry continues to maintain that smoking bans are bad for business. But with smoking rates continuing to decline nationwide, and more awareness about the dangers of secondhand smoke being known, smoking opponents argue that smoke-free casinos often outpace smoking venues in terms of gaming revenue.

For Nebraska smokers looking to gamble, Ho-Chunk says it will open an outdoor gaming patio next spring with 400 slots where smoking will be allowed.?

WarHorse Lincoln Next?

With Omaha up and running, WarHorse Gaming turns its attention to finishing construction at WarHorse Casino Lincoln.

A similarly sized investment, the tribe’s Lincoln casino will feature fewer games with about 400 slots and a sportsbook. No live dealer games are currently planned. WarHorse Lincoln, however, will open with a 220-room hotel and an events center.

The bulk of the Nebraska population resides in the eastern part of the state in Douglas, Lancaster, and Sarpy counties. Those three counties account for more than 1.11 million people in the state that’s home to 1.9 million. ?

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The guitar is a replica of the distinctive checkerboard Hamer Standard played by Rick Nielsen, guitarist with local band and Rock and Roll Hall of Famers Cheap Trick. It will be installed later this month after having been approved by local zoning officials.

All of the original members of Cheap Trick are Rockford natives, and Nielson was a great advocate for the Hard Rock brand to come to his hometown during the license bidding process.

In August 2019, he and his family attended the official unveiling of the Hard Rock bid, declaring it to be a “dream come true.” Nielsen’s wife, Karen Nielson, was an investor in the project, something that wasn’t mentioned at the unveiling.

Air Guitars

The 62-foot guitar, which is also over 38 feet wide, is more than twice as big as the Gibson Les Paul attached to the Hard Rock Atlantic City, which is a mere 30 feet high. But it’s not the biggest to adorn a Hard Rock property.

The Peavey HP Signature that has greeted visitors to the Hard Rock in Biloxi Miss. since 2005 is 112 feet tall. It largely survived the ravages of Hurricane Katrina later that year. That’s more that can be said for the casino resort to which it was attached, which was leveled by the storm.

The Peavey guitar was chosen for Biloxi, incidentally, because the company was founded in Mississippi in 1965.

It was the biggest Hard Rock guitar in the world on its completion. But it was usurped in 2019 with the opening of the Guitar Hotel at Seminole Hard Rock and Casino in Hollywood, Fla., which is actually a hotel tower built in the shape of a guitar. It stands at 450 feet tall and took 10 years to build.

The tower was a grand statement by the Seminole tribe, which owns the rights to the Hard Rock brand across the world.

August 29 Opening

Back in Rockford, the temporary Hard Rock Casino, named A Hard Rock Opening Act, will close on August 12 to make way for the headliner, which is expected to open with a “guitar smash” weekend celebration on August 29. The weekend will see performances by Nielsen, as well as Akon, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, and Brad Paisley.

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The Cedar Rapids Development Group (CRDG) consists of local businesspeople who for more than a decade have sought a state-issued gaming license. CRDG is partnered with Peninsula Pacific Entertainment (P2E), a Los Angeles-based gaming developer and operator, on a proposed $275 million resort project called Cedar Crossing.

“The casino will contribute to our economic diversity by creating quality jobs, including full-time, construction, and other indirectly related jobs,” said Cedar Rapids Mayor Tiffany O’Donnell (R). “Anchoring redevelopment on the west side of the Cedar River, the casino will further aid our recovery from the 2008 flood, including flood control measures, and generating significant property tax revenue in a location which has been off the tax roll since the flood.”

O’Donnell believes the casino will keep gaming money in Cedar Rapids that’s currently flowing to casinos in other parts of the state or neighboring jurisdictions.

Support Growing

The mayor’s comments echo those of the Linn County Board of Supervisors in its letter encouraging the Iowa Racing & Gaming Commission (IRGC) to embrace a casino in Cedar Rapids.

A casino in Cedar Rapids has the broad-based support of business, labor, nonprofits, local governments, and residents in Linn County as demonstrated by the successful passage of two separate gaming referendums in 2013 and 2021,” the Linn County letter read. “Now is the ideal time to approve a casino in Cedar Rapids that will strengthen and enhance economic activity and tourism and provide numerous and diverse benefits for Linn County residents and visitors.”

State lawmakers representing Linn County and the surrounding areas are also continuing to get behind the Cedar Crossing idea. A bipartisan group of 10 state senators and representatives recently wrote the IRGC issuing their support of the casino.

The proposed Cedar Crossing Casino project represents a $250 million investment, backed by dozens of local investors, that will increase tourism to Iowa,” the lawmakers’ letter read.

CRDG, through its charitable arm, the Linn County Gaming Association, has pledged to direct 8% of its annual gross gaming revenue to charity — more than double Iowa’s 3% mandated minimum.

“This percentage, more than double the statutory requirement, will provide an estimated $5 million to $7 million annually, benefiting community organizations throughout our region,” the lawmakers continued.?

Longtime Coming

Cedar Rapids voters passed local referendums lending public support to a casino in both 2013 and 2021. Local referendums are needed in Iowa for the IRGC to consider and approve casino bids.

While Iowa’s operational casinos continue to contend that more competition will hurt their businesses and lead to job layoffs, the IRGC is commissioning a study on the feasibility of allowing a casino in Cedar Rapids.

The post Cedar Rapids Casino Project Continues to Gain Support in Iowa appeared first on Casino.org.

On the company’s second-quarter earnings conference call late Wednesday, CEO Edward Pitoniak told analysts the real estate investment trust (REIT) won’t be purchasing Harrah’s Hoosier Park and Horseshoe Indianapolis, formerly known as Indiana Grand.

Our conviction that we can continue to identify and invest in experiential properties that are accretive against multiple quality factors is a key reason that we have decided that we will not be exercising our call right to acquire Harrah’s Hoosier Park and Horseshoe, Indianapolis,” said Pitoniak on the call. “We can and are making this decision because of our confidence and conviction that we are actively identifying and pursuing investment opportunities that enable us to generate future AFFO growth and accretion.”

VICI’s call option on the pair of Indiana casinos stems from the 2020 merger that created “new Caesars.” When Eldorado Resorts announced its $17.3 billion takeover offer for the “old Caesars” in June 2019, it struck an agreement with VICI whereby the gaming company could sell or the REIT could acquire those assets between Jan. 1, 2022, and Dec. 31, 2024.

VICI Looking to Diversify Its Tenant Base

Caesars and VICI have a long-standing as the latter was spun-off from the former in 2017. Today, the REIT counts the casino operator as among its largest clients.

Regional considerations may have played a part in VICI declining the rights to buy Harrah’s Hoosier Park and Horseshoe Indianapolis. The landlord already owns the real estate of Caesars Southern Indiana and Horseshoe Hammond. The former is operated by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.

“At this time, we believe that we have the opportunity to create greater portfolio value by allocating VICI’s capital to other gaming and nongaming opportunities the team is actively pursuing,” added Pitoniak.

Caesars Unlikely to Put Indiana Casinos to VICI

In the aforementioned 2019 agreement, Caesars gained the right to put the two Indiana gaming venues to the REIT, but as VICI President and COO John Payne noted on the conference call, Caesars CEO Tom Reeg has consistently said the gaming company is unlikely to exercise that option.

Reeg has also expressed a willingness to sell casinos that Caesars considers “non-core”, but the company hasn’t said publicly if it believes Harrah’s Hoosier Park and Horseshoe Indianapolis fit that bill.

On Thursday, Caesars announced the sale of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) to investment firm NSUS Group Inc. for $500 million. Under the terms of that deal, the casino giant will retain rights to host WSOP tournaments at its land-based gaming venues.

The post VICI Declines Option to Buy Caesars Indiana Casinos appeared first on Casino.org.

The Boston-based gaming company said the surcharge will be applied in states that have elevated sports wagering levies and multiple operators. Illinois, which recently implemented a graduated sports betting tax scheme that raised rates on the largest operators there, is one of the four states in which DraftKings will apply the surcharge. New York, Pennsylvania, and Vermont are the other three.

We plan to implement a gaming tax surcharge in high tax states that have multiple mobile sports betting operators on January 1, 2025 which could drive adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) upside on an annual basis,” said CEO Jason Robins in a statement.

DraftKings forecast 2025 EBITDA of $900 million to $1 billion — a forecast that does not include the potential benefit from the bettor tax.

DraftKings Surcharge Plan Met with Derision

In its investor presentation, the gaming company noted the surcharge will only be applied to winning wagers and it will be treated as a separate transaction when winning bets are paid. DraftKings added that the tax will be made clear to clients as it will appear on bet slips.

“The surcharge will be fairly nominal to the customer. In Illinois, for example, it will amount to a low to mid-single digit percentage of the Net Winnings a customer would previously have received,” wrote Robins and CFO Alan Ellingson in a letter to shareholders.

Some even went so far as to say black market bookies in New York are cheering the news. As of Thursday, DraftKings is the first major online sportsbook operator to announce such a surcharge.

Buyback Telegraphed, but Still Good News

While the surcharge commanded plenty of attention following DraftKings’ second-quarter earnings report, the $1 billion buyback wasn’t overlooked. Though analysts had increasingly telegraphed some form of shareholder rewards from the company was in the offing, it’s worth noting this is the first share repurchase plan in DraftKings’ four-plus years as a public firm.

In the earnings statement, Ellingson said the gaming company is excited about its free cash flow trajectory. As of the end of the second quarter, DraftKings had cash and cash equivalents of $815.88 million. Total liabilities stood at $2.91 billion, down from $3.10 billion at the end of last year.

The post DraftKings Unveils $1B Buyback, Bettor Surcharge in High-Tax States appeared first on Casino.org.

Tuesday was the deadline for local county election officials to turn over troves of voter signatures canvassed in late 2023 and earlier this year by supporters of the Osage River Gaming & Convention (ORGC) to Missouri State Secretary Jay Ashcroft’s office. In May, the ORGC submitted more than 320K signatures from Missouri voters.

For the casino question to reach the November ballot, a minimum of 171,592 signatures must be verified. Proposed state constitutional changes must be signed by 8% of voters based on the most recent gubernatorial election in any six of the state’s eight congressional districts.

Deadline Met?

Ashcroft’s office imposed a 5 p.m. local deadline for county election officials to return the validated Ozarks casino petition reports. Ashcroft’s staff will now verify a 5% random sample of the submitted petitions to again compare the voter’s signature against the voter’s signature on file.

ORGC reps said there were no issues with Missouri’s 114 counties meeting the July 30 deadline. Supporters of the casino push believe they have far more than enough voter support for the referendum to reach the ballot.

This amendment would allow the Missouri Gaming Commission to issue one additional gambling boat license to operate on the portion of the Osage River from the Missouri River to the Bagnell Dam,” the proposed referendum would read.

If a simple majority vote “yes,” the Missouri Constitution would be amended to allow a riverboat casino with slot machines and table games along the Osage River. Currently, the Missouri Constitution only allows riverboats on the Missouri and Mississippi rivers.

Missourians might also determine whether to authorize in-person and online sports betting through a separate proposed ballot referendum that Ashcroft’s office is validating.

The Osage Nation is campaigning heavily against the casino referendum. The tribal group claims it has historical ties to the Lake of the Ozarks and should be allowed to run a tribal casino there. The Osage Nation’s sovereign reservation is located in northeastern Oklahoma along the Missouri border.

Bally’s Concerns?

The Osage River Gaming & Convention consists of numerous local and regional investors. The collective last fall partnered with Bally’s Corp. to help develop and subsequently run the casino boat and hotel should state voters authorize the project.

Bally’s found a real estate investment trust — Gaming and Leisure Properties, Inc. — to bankroll the bulk of its $2 billion casino resort in Chicago, but ongoing negative press about the gaming operator could persuade some Missourians to vote against the casino referendum should it come before them on November 5.

The post Bally’s Ozarks Casino Referendum Moves Closer to November Ballot in Missouri appeared first on Casino.org.

The Chicago Fire Department recently began running drills for its trainees and firefighters at the soon-to-be demolished Freedom Center. The simulated events included rescuing trapped people from inside a burning smoke-filled building and a window washer suspended on the outside of a skyscraper.

We are so glad to share the Tribune Freedom Center site so our partners at the Chicago Fire Department can conduct this valuable training,” Mark Wong, vice president and general manager of Bally’s Chicago, told WGN News. “Bally’s Chicago is thankful to both the Chicago fire and police departments for their partnership, and we look forward to a strong continued relationship as we further engrain ourselves in the Chicago community.”

Located along the north branch of the Chicago River between Ontario St. and Chicago Ave., Chicago FD 1st District Chief Jim McDonough told WGN News that such training provides critical experience for firefighters that can make the difference between rescue success and failure, as well as life and death.?

Casino Training Grounds

When casinos close or buildings are torn down to build new casinos, it’s not uncommon for first responders to ask to use the vacated facilities for training purposes. Last year, Casino.org reported on the shuttered Majestic Star Casino Hotel in Gary, Ind., being used by SWAT and police for active shooter and explosives response drills.

You can’t beat this,” said Gary Police Department Sgt. Marlin Gray. “There is nothing like real-world experience.”

Gray’s SWAT agency had 45 days to run a series of exercises at the former riverboat hotel.

Numerous fire departments from around the nation sent firefighters for the rare chance to participate in mega-resort fire and rescue simulations. Outside fire departments had to pay money for the opportunity. That money was donated to the Terry Farrell Firefighters Fund, a New York-based support fund for firefighters that was established after Sept. 11, 2001.

Bally’s Site Prep?

Rhode Island-based Bally’s Corp. recently found a willing partner to bridge an $800 million funding shortfall for the permanent Bally’s Chicago casino resort that’s expected to cost more than $2 billion.

Because the flatting of the nearly 700,000-square-foot manufacturing plant has been deemed “environmentally complex” because of its location along the river and proximity to thousands of residential units — plus the building likely containing asbestos and lead paint — the demolition team is dealing with the city’s Department of Health and Department of Buildings in receiving signoffs to start the undertaking. The project group hopes to gain those permits in August or early September.

The post Bally’s Chicago Casino Site Serves as Firefighter Training Before Demolition appeared first on Casino.org.

Bird Friendly Chicago, a group comprised of the Chicago Ornithological Society, Chicago Bird Alliance, and Chicago Bird Collision Monitors, said the gaming company’s revised hotel plans could endanger thousands of birds that fly through that part of the city.

The regional casino operator recently said the 500-room tower will be built on the southern portion of the land, but Bird Friendly Chicago believes the new location directly on the Chicago River could be a high frequency bird killer.

Bird Friendly Chicago Sees Multiple Issues with Bally’s Casino

Due to its location in the Midwest and close proximity to Lake Michigan, Chicago is a vital pathway for thousands of migratory birds across hundreds of species.

Chicago is within a major flight path for millions of migratory birds that move along its rivers and the shores of Lake Michigan every spring and fall. Birds have used this region’s critical green spaces to rest and feed for thousands of years before human development created an urban environment filled with hazardous lighting and glass,” according to Bird Friendly Chicago.

The coalition points to at least two potential issues that could make the Bally’s casino dangerous to birds — the use of transparent glass and heavy nighttime lighting, both of which are hallmarks of many gaming venues. Birds don’t know how to avoid transparent glass.

“Most species of songbirds migrate at night. Lighting that emanates from urban areas into the nighttime sky confuses birds, and attracts them away from their migratory flights, bringing them down into the glass hazards of the city,” added Bird Friendly Chicago.

Chicago Has History of Bird Deaths

Bird Friendly Chicago’s concerns about the Bally’s casino possibly being a danger to birds aren’t unfounded because the Windy City has a history of bird carnage. The organization said that over the past two decades, 40,000 dead birds from more than 200 species have been found around the Chicago Loop.

One of the worst such instances of birds being killed in Chicago occurred last year when nearly 1,000 of the animals collided with the glass building located at the McCormick Place Lakeside Center. The Bally’s site could be nearly as dangerous.

“Bird collision monitors pick up at least 600 birds a year within a half-mile of the casino site, a number that likely only represents a fraction of the true toll,” reported Patty Wetli for WTTW.

The post Bird Friendly Chicago Raises Concerns About Bally’s Casino appeared first on Casino.org.

The South Dakota Department of Revenue reveals that?Deadwood’s?23 licensed gaming facilities combined to win $71.8 million off gamblers from January through June 2024. The gross gaming revenue (GGR) comes from commercial slot machines, table games, and sports betting in the historic Gold Rush town.

At this time last year, Deadwood’s gross gaming revenue totaled approximately $69.8 million, meaning casino win is up nearly 3% this year.

Players in Deadwood risked nearly $750 million on gambling activities. Slots accounted for the bulk of the handle at nearly $700 million. Table game bets totaled nearly $44 million and oddsmakers took about $4.3 million in sports bets.

The $748.3 million bet represented a 1.5% premium from the first six months of 2023.

Slots and Tables Grow

Deadwood’s historic Main Street and its many gaming hotels and restaurants reported increased revenue from slots.

The terminals kept $63.4 million of players’ slot money this year, a 2.9% year-over-year bump. Table games also fared better, as felt revenue climbed more than 5% from $7.7 million to $8.2 million.

Though far less important to the overall health of the Deadwood gaming industry, oddsmakers haven’t fared as well this year as they did in 2023.

Despite oddsmakers taking 15% more money in 2024 bets, their hold rate has declined steeply from last year. That pushed gross sports betting revenue down substantially from $403,371 through six months in 2023 to just $208K. Sports betting is only permitted in person.

Oddsmakers lost to bettors in February and April. The books reported losing $38,405 to bettors in February because of a disappointing Super Bowl in which the heavily favored Kansas City Chiefs won 25-22 in overtime against the San Francisco 49ers. Deadwood sportsbooks lost $110,601 on the NFL title game.

Of the tax money, 1% goes to the South Dakota General Fund. The other 8% is allocated to bankroll the South Dakota Commission on Gaming (50%), promote statewide tourism (40%), and prop up Lawrence County government coffers (10%).

Tourism Rebound

The town of Deadwood saw a great influx of travelers in the years following the HBO series “Deadwood,” which ran for three seasons from 2004 through 2006. But after the Great Recession when Deadwood was no longer the setting of a wildly popular television show, the town experienced a decline in visitor numbers.

Travel South Dakota, the state’s tourism promotion arm, reported in January that a record 14.7 million visitors traveled into the state last year. Those visitors spent nearly $5 billion, also an all-time high.

Deadwood is a little over an hour’s drive north of Mount Rushmore.

The post Deadwood Casinos See Gaming Revenue Gains Through First Half of 2024 appeared first on Casino.org.

The Ho-Chunk Nation is one of several federally recognized tribes in Wisconsin. The tribe owns and operates six casinos in the Badger State in Black River Falls, Madison, Nekoosa, Tomah, Wisconsin Dells, and Wittenberg.

The land-into-trust development cleared the way for the tribe to operate Class I and II Indian gaming on the property. In March 2021, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers (D) agreed to expand the tribe’s Class III gaming compact to the Beloit venue to allow the forthcoming casino to house Las Vegas-style slot machines and live dealer table games.

Casino Details?

The Ho-Chunk’s project plans reveal their Beloit destination will become the second-largest casino in Wisconsin with upwards of 1,500 slots and 44 table games.

The resort blueprint includes a 312-room hotel, four restaurants and three bars, a spa, and 76,000 square feet of conference space. Tribal plans include a “color-changing media mesh” lightning system on the hotel’s fa?ade that will be capable of creating an array of color sequences and digital displays. ?

Construction on the $405 million development, a budget that hasn’t changed since 2018, is expected to begin in the coming months. The project is forecast to create 1,200 construction jobs and 1,500 permanent resort and casino positions.

The tribe’s longstanding gaming compact also requires that the state receive 5% of the Ho-Chunk casinos’ annual GGR from Class III operations. If annual win climbs above $350 million in a given fiscal year, the tribe’s obligation increases to 5.5%.

Playing Catchup

The Ho-Chunk Beloit casino will be just a 20-minute drive north of where Hard Rock International is prepping Hard Rock Casino Rockford in Illinois. Hard Rock has operated a temporary casino inside a retail strip mall since November 2021.

The permanent facility is a $310 million undertaking located immediately off Interstate 90 at State Street. Hard Rock will offer 1,300 slots, 50 table games, including a poker room, a Hard Rock Bet Sportsbook, six restaurants, and a Rock Shop selling Hard Rock merch and memorabilia.

Hard Rock won’t offer an on-site hotel but will feature a Hard Rock Live concert venue with seating for up to 2,000 guests.

Hard Rock is fully owned by the Seminole Tribe of Florida.

The post Wisconsin Tribal Casino for Beloit Comes to Light, Ho-Chunks Maintain $405M Budget appeared first on Casino.org.

Hastings Exposition and Racing, Inc. owner Brian Becker asked the NRGC to allow him to relocate his state-issued horse racing license from Fairplay Park to a new racetrack in Ogallala some 200 miles west.

In 2020, Nebraskans passed a statewide ballot referendum that legalized commercial casino gambling at the state’s six horse racetracks. The measure additionally legalized in-person sports betting.?

Western Frontier

Though Hastings is still slightly east of Nebraska’s center, Fairplay Park has for decades been the westernmost horse racetrack of the six facilities. Understanding that the 2020 casino referendum could cause gaming saturation concerns, the initiative provided a one-time opportunity for racetrack owners to relocate their racing license to a more favorable market but on the conditions that they construct a new racetrack, conduct live racing, and gain local government support.

Becker initially partnered with the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma to build and operate a casino in Hastings. But after the Hastings City Council objected to the casino, Becker found a new partner in Elite.

With Hastings just a 30-minute drive south of Fonner Park, Elite and Becker decided a more profitable casino could be realized in Ogallala. Lake McConaughy and its 30,000-acre state park is a popular summertime vacation destination.

Located near the Nebraska panhandle, Lake Mac Casino Resort will be much freer of competition.

We are thrilled to bring a first-class resort, grow out-of-state tourism, add jobs, and invest $100 million into Ogallala and Western Nebraska,” said Dan Kehl, CEO of Elite Casino Resorts.

In their 7-0 vote in approving Fairplay Park’s license transfer from Hastings to Ogallala, NGRC commissioners expressed enthusiasm for expanding the state horse racing industry west.

Fonner Park and Hastings had been our western frontier. We’re going to move that hundreds of miles to the west,” commented Dennis Lee, the chair of the NRGC. “Ogallala really has a unique opportunity to open racing and gaming to Western Nebraska.”

The tentative plan for Lake Mac includes a 37,000-square-foot casino floor with 650 slot machines, 14 live dealer table games, and a sportsbook. The destination’s planned amenities include a hotel with 180 rooms, a convention center, several food and beverage offerings, a rooftop restaurant, an RV lot, and an expansive truck stop and travel center.

WarHorse Omaha Opening?

During their Friday meeting, the NRGC signed off on allowing WarHorse Casino Omaha to open on August 6.

WarHorse Omaha is set to open with 800 slots, 20 table games, and a sportsbook. An on-site restaurant and bar is also ready for guests.

The post Nebraska Racing and Gaming Regulators Approve License Transfer to Ogallala appeared first on Casino.org.

Iowa is home to 19 commercial casinos. The industry successfully petitioned state lawmakers in 2022 legislative to pump the brakes on greenlighting new casinos for two years.

The moratorium ended June 30, 2024. The Iowa Racing & Gaming Commission (IRGC) has already fielded interest from a casino developer — the Cedar Rapids Development Group — which through its partnership with Peninsula Pacific Entertainment wants to build a casino resort in the state’s second most populated city.

Moratorium Momentum

The Iowa Legislature adjourned for the year in April without extending the casino moratorium. House lawmakers had approved legislation to lengthen the temporary freeze by five years through June 2029, but the Senate didn’t act on the measure.

Rep. Bobby Kaufmann (R-Wilton) championed the failed extension. He told the Iowa Capital Dispatch last week that he intends to reintroduce the measure when the lawmaking body convenes for its 2025 session.

I did not offer the amendment last year to have it pass the House just to abandon my efforts,” Kaufmann said. “I certainly plan to reintroduce it next year.”

Sen. Jason Schultz (R-Schleswig), who heads the Iowa Senate’s State Government Committee, was responsible for stalling Kaufmann’s casino bill after fielding the statute following its House passage. Schultz said he’ll poll his chamber colleagues again about the issue if Kaufman reintroduces the casino moratorium and it arrives in his chamber.

Any decision would be run through the caucus to decide what direction we’d like to go,” Schultz explained.

Timing of the measure would be critical. The IRGC detailed that if the Cedar Rapids Development Group formally applies for a gaming concession, the state agency will likely vote on the project in early February 2025.

Before then, the state gaming regulatory is commissioning an economic impact report on allowing a casino in Cedar Rapids. If the market study shows that a Cedar Rapids casino would further grow the state gaming industry and not significantly hurt current licensees, the IRGC could sign off on the development as early as Feb. 5, 2025.?

Race Against Clock

Even if Kaufmann were to rally up adequate support for his casino moratorium bill again in the House and state senators become more willing to back the measure, the statute would presumably face a difficult timeline.

With weekends and Martin Luther King Jr. Day on January 20, that leaves just 16 session days for the casino moratorium to be signed into law before the IRGC might grant the Cedar Rapids casino pitch a gaming permit. If Reynolds’ signature comes after the IRGC action, the license would be grandfathered into the statute.

The post Odds Good Iowa Casino Moratorium Legislation Will Be Introduced Next Year appeared first on Casino.org.

Twenty-six Iowa and Iowa State athletes sued the state in April. They argue that the investigation by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) used warrantless searches and other unconstitutional techniques.

As a result of the investigation and subsequent prosecution, the athletes’ lives, collegiate careers, and future opportunities were “severely upended,” according to the lawsuit.

The athletes were found to have placed bets while under the legal age of 21 using online sportsbook accounts belonging to friends or family members, which added identity theft charges to the rap sheet.

Most pleaded guilty, paid a fine, and dealt with the consequences for their careers. Four fought the charges and were successful.

‘No Expectation of Privacy’

In their motion to dismiss, lawyers for Iowa argued that 11th Amendment immunity shielded the state from prosecution. The amendment limits the ability of individuals to sue states in a federal court if they are not citizens of that state.

Meanwhile, the athletes who gambled on other people’s accounts had “no reasonable or actual expectation of privacy in gambling accounts they didn’t own,” according to the filings.

“Here, plaintiffs’ own rules violations caused their suspensions and related injuries,” they argued. “Plaintiffs should not gain from their own illicit activity.”

Misuse of Software

DCI agents used tracking software supplied by geolocation company GeoComply to pry into the students’ betting habits on college campuses.

The software is used by online gambling operators to ensure they are only taking bets from users located within the borders of the state in which they’re licensed.

GeoComply made the software available to law enforcement agencies to detect “hotspots” – areas where a large concentration of bets was occurring – so agencies could monitor potential money laundering or other fraudulent activity.

DCI agents also violated some of the students’ Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination, according to the lawsuit. These athletes were told during interviews, falsely, that they weren’t under criminal investigation and weren’t read their Miranda rights.

The post Iowa Files to Dismiss College Athlete Suit Alleging Botched Betting Prosecutions appeared first on Casino.org.

Privately held Fairmont owns FanDuel Sportsbook & Horse Racing in Collinsville, Ill. The venue has 65 live race days and 435 horse races per year. The track is nearly a century old and was rebranded as FanDuel Sportsbook & Horse Racing in 2020. Accel is one of the largest distributed gaming operators in the US. Last year, Fairmont posted $29 million in sales and “modest earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA).”

Accel plans to invest $85 – $95 million (over and above the purchase price) to fund temporary and then permanent casino construction and modest track investments. Accel’s five-year forecast suggests an Adjusted EBITDA potential of $20 to $25 million and over 75% free cash flow conversion — pointing to a compelling cash flow return on capital,” according to a statement issued by the two companies.

Accel is a provider of video gaming terminals (VGTs) in Illinois and several other states. Accel’s VGTs are found in businesses such as restaurants, bars, taverns, convenience stores, liquor stores, truck stops, and grocery stores.

Fairmont Deal Fits Accel Acquisition Profile

The Fairmont transaction jibes with Accel’s track record of bolt-on acquisitions that expand the buyer’s route-based capabilities. With Fairmont, the suitor accomplishes while spreading its wings into another corner of the broader gaming industry.

“The transaction has two parts — acquisition of Fairmount, the holder of the license and owner of the underlying site assets, for approximately $35 million of equity consideration, and $85 – $95 million of expected casino build-out and track investments funded from Accel’s credit facility,” according to the statement.

Accel is forecasting “attractive return on capital” via the transaction, which is scheduled to close in the fourth quarter.

Deal Could Provide Runway for Future Growth

In aggregate, Illinois is one of the largest gaming markets in the country, but in Southern Illinois/St. Louis area, there is fragmentation and many of the operators are smaller independents, indicating there’s some room for consolidation. That could be to Accel’s benefit.

“This transaction accesses a ‘local gaming’ total addressable market (TAM) estimated to be approximately $15 billion in size — or more than twice our existing route-based TAM,” according to the company. “Local gaming assets remain largely unconsolidated, under family or small business ownership, and far less often contested by larger gaming players.”

Accel did not mention if the casino would bear the FanDuel — one of the most valuable in the gaming industry — but is attached to another casino in Illinois.

The post Accel Entertainment Buys Fairmont Holdings for $35M in Stock appeared first on Casino.org.

Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen (R) isn’t exactly a fan of more gambling after voters in the Cornhusker State approved commercial racetrack casinos through a statewide ballot referendum in 2020. The landmark vote also legalized sports betting, but only in person at one of the state’s licensed casinos.

Some lawmakers in the Republican-controlled unicameral chamber think allowing sports bets to be made over the internet is worthy of consideration. State Sen. Terrell McKinney (D-North Omaha), one of just 15 Democrats in the 49-seat Legislature, agrees.

“We’re missing out [on online sports betting tax revenue] because we want to be the ‘nanny state,'” McKinney told KETV.

Pillen remains committed to easing property tax burdens. He’s called on the Legislature to return to the Lincoln capital to consider pathways to accomplishing that goal. If they think online sports betting is in the state and consumers’ best interests, Pillen says he’ll put his personal opposition aside. Voters in neighboring Missouri will decide the fate of an online sports betting referendum in November.?

Casinos Want Online Sports Betting

When Nebraskans approved casino gambling at the state’s six horse racetracks, the ballot measure was designed to save and reignite the state’s waning horse racing industry. The referendum proposed limiting sports betting to retail sportsbooks to require bettors to physically visit a casino where they’d ideally spend money on food and beverage, and possibly play a slot machine, table game, or bet on the ponies.

Ho-Chunk, Inc., the commercial economic development firm of The Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska will open the $250 million WarHorse Casino Omaha next month. Ho-Chunk is additionally constructing a similarly-sized WarHorse-branded casino resort in Lincoln and plans to redevelop the shuttered Atokad Downs in South Sioux City in the coming years. Ho-Chuk has those development rights through its partnership with the Nebraska Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association.

Ho-Chunk CEO Lance Morgan says adding online sports betting would be beneficial to all, from bettors to casinos, to the state, and to homeowners.

It’s additive. It’s not a tax shift,” Morgan explained. “We think that’s a pretty viable option. We’ve been proposing that to be part of this special session.”

Morgan said polling conducted by Ho-Chunk concluded that 65% of Nebraskans support expanding sports gambling to the internet.

Possible Referendum?

For Nebraskans to be afforded regulated online sports betting options, voters would need to again pass a statewide ballot referendum to amend the state’s constitution to allow such wagering. During the upcoming special session, 60% supermajority support from the Legislature is required to forward the sports betting question to voters.

Only a simple majority support from voters would be needed to authorize online sportsbooks. Nebraska’s Constitution limits ballot referendums to being conducted only during even-numbered years, meaning if the special sessions doesn’t agree on an online sports betting referendum this year, the matter cannot be considered until at least 2026.

The post Nebraska Legislature to Mull Online Sports Betting to Ease Property Taxes appeared first on Casino.org.

Effective July 1, Iowa’s gaming regulatory is again free to consider new casino projects. A consortium of mostly local businesspeople wasted no time in telling the IRGC that it would seek a gaming concession for Cedar Rapids, the state’s second most populated city.

The Cedar Rapids Development Group is partnered with Peninsula Pacific Entertainment (P2E), a Los Angeles-based casino operator. The affiliation hopes to build a casino resort called Cedar Crossing on 25 acres of city-owned land that Cedar Rapids government officials have pledged to sell should the partnership gain a casino license.

Casino Timeline

During a special virtual meeting on Friday, the IRGC adopted a timeline to consider the Cedar Crossing project. Gaming regulators told the developers they must apply by Sept. 16.

The IRGC gave interested market research firms an Aug. 15 deadline to submit proposals to conduct the Cedar Rapids casino study. The report must be submitted to the state gaming agency by the year’s end.

The IRGC will formally vote on whether to approve Cedar Crossing on Feb. 6, 2025. Cedar Rapids Development Group and P2E have been seeking a gaming license since 2014.

Our commitment to building a world-class facility has never wavered,” said Kim Pang, P2E’s vice president of development. “We want to make sure that we put our best foot forward when we present our property to the Gaming Commission.”

Development reps say the 2024 presentation will mimic the casino proposals made in 2014 and 2017. Those bids were denied by the IRGC due to market saturation concerns.

We’ll finalize our vision and bring something special. At the end of the day, Cedar Rapids will be very proud of our product,” Pang said.

The IRGC has been fully overhauled with new members since the last Cedar Rapids casino vote?

Charitable Commitment

The would-be developers and owners of Cedar Crossing are trying to sweeten their pitch by pledging to contribute considerably more money to charity than required by law.

Iowa’s gaming act requires that casinos direct at least 3% of their annual gross gaming revenue to nonprofits based in the state. P2E says it will contribute 8%.

Cedar Rapids has a memorandum of understanding with CRDG that designates the group as the city’s exclusive gaming developer. The agreement requires any casino to come with a minimum investment of $150 million and a minimum of 125,000 square feet of casino, restaurant, and event space. A 1,500-space parking area is also required.

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An affiliate of Gaming and Leisure — one of the largest owners of gaming real estate — is acquiring the property assets associated with Bally’s Chicago venture and will “fund construction hard costs of up to $940 million at an 8.5% initial cash yield.” That funding will be delivered from August 2024 through December 2026.

In addition to the development funding of hard costs, GLPI also intends to acquire the Chicago land for approximately $250 million before development begins. Upon GLPI’s purchase of the Chicago land, rent will commence under a new lease carrying a 15-year initial term with an initial cash yield of 8%,” according to a statement issued by the real estate investment trust (REIT).

The announcement arrived at a critical time for Bally’s in Chicago. In March, executives from the Rhode Island-based regional casino operator told the Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB) the company was facing an $800 million funding gap in Chicago, stoking concerns that the much-ballyhooed debut of a casino resort in the city may not come to life.

The lease agreement on the Chicago property has been amended to reflect annual rent of $20 million at a cap rate of 8.5%. Shares of Bally’s are higher by 4.71% at this writing.

More Details on Bally’s Chicago Casino

By procuring the needed financing and, assuming various local regulatory approvals are granted over the near term, it’s possible that Bally’s could soon commence demolition of the Freedom Center, potentially positioning the operator to meet the expected September 2026 debut of the Chicago gaming venue.

The gaming company also implied it intends to move forward with an initial public offering (IPO) tied to the Chicago plan that is designed to allow local investors, including business owners and minority groups, to own up to 25% of the venture.

Other Moving Parts in Bally’s/GLPI Agreement

Before Friday, Bally’s and GLPI had an existing relationship that was poised to grow, and not just because of the Chicago pact. As part of the broader agreement, the REIT is acquiring the real estate of Bally’s Kansas City and Bally’s Shreveport for a total of $395 million. The combined annual rent on those properties will be $32.2 million, “representing an 8.2% initial cash capitalization rate.”

“As a part of the amendment, GLPI will be granted a right to call the Lincoln Transaction beginning in October 2026, coinciding with the scheduled maturity of Bally’s revolving credit facility. All such transactions are subject to required regulatory approvals,” according to the press release issued by the gaming company.

GLPI already owns the property associated with Bally’s Tiverton Casino & Hotel. The REIT’s existing New England footprint consists of the Tiverton venue, the ?Hollywood? Casino Hotel in Bangor, Maine, and Plainridge Park Casino in Plainville, Mass., both of which are operated by Penn Entertainment (NASDAQ: PENN).

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During the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission’s (IRGC) Monday meeting at the Prairie Meadows Casino and Hotel in Altoona, commissioners passed a motion to conduct a review of allowing a casino in Linn County. The IRGC will soon issue a request for proposals for the market study report.

In the interim, the IRGC will hold a virtual meeting this Friday to unveil a rough timeline for when the gaming regulator might accept applications for a casino in Linn County.

Moratorium Ends, Development Group Ready

In 2022, the Iowa Legislature passed a bill that prohibited the IRGC from issuing new casino licenses for two years. The moratorium came after Iowa’s current 19 state-licensed casinos campaigned for a stoppage on additional competition as new casinos opened in neighboring Nebraska.

House lawmakers earlier this year voted to extend the casino moratorium by five years through June 2029, but the plan didn’t pass in the Senate. That was a major win for the Cedar Rapids Development Group (CRDG), a consortium of mostly local businesspeople who have sought a casino license for Cedar Rapids for more than a decade.

CRDG has a right-to-purchase agreement with the city for the land should it gain a casino license from the state. The development group last year paid the city $165K for first dibs on the property. The selling price will be based on an independent assessment.

P2E President Jonathan Swain told state commissioners this week that they’ve paid more than $800K on design plans for Cedar Crossing. A new rendering will be accompanied by the group’s forthcoming casino application.

Referendum First?

Iowa’s casinos continue to stress that the state gaming industry has reached market saturation and that another casino will further strain their operations, reduce state tax revenue, and put jobs in jeopardy. CRDG argues a casino in Iowa’s second-most populated city would only grow the state gaming industry and provide Iowans with a true Las Vegas experience closer to home.

Iowa’s casino law requires host counties to hold countywide referendums asking local voters if they support allowing a casino in their hometown.

Linn County held successful casino referendums in 2013 and 2021. Since the county held two casino referendums within eight years with positive support, a subsequent referendum to allow the IRGC to consider casino bids isn’t needed.

Iowa’s gaming law additionally requires casino licenses to be held jointly by nonprofit organizations and their casino operating partners. ?

The CRDG has formed the Linn County Gaming Association, a nonprofit, that will bid for the Cedar Rapids license in conjunction with P2E. If approved, the development group has pledged to allocate 8% of its annual gross gaming revenue to local and state charities.

Commercial casinos in Iowa must donate a minimum of 3% of their gaming revenue to charity. The state tax on gross gaming revenue varies from 5% to 22%, based on annual win.

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The city’s 2023 financial report, certified by accounting firm Deloitte & Touche, indicates unfunded public pension liabilities surged 5.2% last year to $37.2 billion from $35.4 billion. Not only does that mark the second straight year in which Chicago’s pension obligations increased by more than 5%, but it’s discouraging because stocks — one of the asset classes to which pension plans are most heavily allocated –rallied last year with the S&P 500 gaining 26.2%.

Currently, Bally’s is operating a temporary gaming venue at Medinah Temple in the River North area of the city and it hasn’t received all of the necessary permitting to begin demolition at the Freedom Center — the proposed site of the permanent casino. Still, the gaming company believes it will open the casino hotel in the third quarter of 2026.

Chicago Pensions Need Bally’s Help ASAP

As reported by the Chicago Sun-Times, funding levels for Chicago firefighters and police pensions are below 22%, while the municipal employees fund is 22.2% with the laborers’ pension looking strong by comparison at 38.55%.

Should any of the city’s pension plans go bankrupt, those obligations would be shifted to taxpayers in an already heavily taxed state. Additionally, there’s not much Illinois can do in terms of reducing benefits pledged to retired public workers. Such efforts have been attempted in other states, with courts consistently ruling that any cut to public retiree benefits must be made up for in other areas.

States with large public pension obligations are also facing demographic headwinds. Namely, some employees work for 25 to 30 years, but with rising life expectancies, some live long enough that they end up receiving more in retirement benefits than they paid into the system.

Bally’s Struggles Sound Alarm Bells for Chicago Pensions

Potentially compounding Chicago’s pension woes is that Bally’s is facing financing issues of its own. The regional gaming company needs to come up with $800 million in financing to make the Chicago venue a reality, but its junk credit ratings make procuring that capital expensive and difficult.

Recently Mayor Brandon Johnson (D) was reserved in his expectations for Bally’s Chicago making it across the finish line. Others are more blunt in their assessments.

Civic Federation President Joe Ferguson told the Sun-Times that Bally’s permanent venue in the city is “hanging by a thread” and growing “more remote by the day.” If that assessment is accurate, pressure intensifies for locating avenues through which public pensions can be propped up.

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BlueBet gained access to the Indiana sports betting market via an agreement with Horseshoe Hammond, a casino operated by Caesars Entertainment. The Aussie company terminated that pact effective June 30, but noted that termination was mutual.

In Colorado, Iowa, and Louisiana, BlueBet has exposure to some of the fastest-growing sports betting states in the US without the expenses required to operate in major markets, such as New York or Pennsylvania.

BlueBet Still Sees Opportunity in US

As more states authorize mobile sports betting, market share has increasingly consolidated around just two operators, FanDuel and DraftKings.

That’s made it difficult for smaller players such as BlueBet to gain adequate market share, and that could be one reason why the operator commenced the strategic review. In the statement announcing the Indiana departure, the gaming company didn’t provide details on the strategic review except to say it is ongoing.

BlueBet remains committed to maximising value for shareholders. The Company believes focusing its efforts and capital on its outperforming Australian business, while continuing to scale in the US with its ‘Capital Lite’ market entry strategy, will deliver the best returns on capital,” according to the statement.

Signaling it remains committed to the US market, BlueBet said it inked a B2B deal in Ohio in March. The operator believes such agreements can reduce its sportsbook operating expenses in this country.

BlueBet Not the First Aussie Operator to Find US Difficult

BlueBet isn’t the first Australian bookmaker that’s found it difficult to replicate the success found in its home country in the US. For example, PointsBet sold PointsBet US to Fanatics last year for $225 million after that unit struggled to gain noticeable market share in this country and had become a drag on the parent company’s financials.

Here in the US, BlueBet’s strategic review could be a sign the parent is willing to sell, but rumors regarding potential buyers haven’t surfaced.

The post BlueBet Departing Indiana, US Strategic Review Ongoing appeared first on Casino.org.

Denise Ezell, 65, visited the casino on October 30 last year with a friend to play at the progressive blackjack tables. This is a game where players can place a side bet in the hope that their two cards will combine with the dealer’s in a way that triggers a jackpot.

On the hand in question, Ezell held the jack and king of spades with the dealer showing the ace and queen of spades – a four-card straight flush that qualified for a big payout.

“It was exuberating,” Ezell told The Detroit Free Press Thursday. “We were high-fiving … The dealer – he was excited. So were people around me. No one had ever seen anyone win that jackpot.”

‘Panhandling’ Claim

But when Ezell provided her driving license as ID, casino management told her she wouldn’t be paid because she was trespassing on the property. Instead, she was asked to leave.

It turns out that Ezell had been 86’d from the casino in 2015 after being accused of “panhandling.”

As she left on that occasion, Ezell asked the security guard “how long does this last?” She was told “maybe 24 or 48 hours,” the lawsuit states.

She received no notification from the casino, either by email, phone call, letter or text message, that she was not welcome on the property, the filing claims.

In the meantime, Ezell has been back hundreds of times, and the casino was always happy to take her money, she says.

‘They Take Your Damn Money’

In the days after her “win,” she called the casino and spoke to an employee who told her, “Don’t worry about them saying you were trespassing, we are going to get you your jackpot,” according to the lawsuit.

But when the employee called her back, he explained the matter had escalated “beyond his paygrade.”

I just thought when you won, they would pay you,” Ezell said. “When you lose, they take your damn money.”

The MGM Grand said it had not yet been formally served with the lawsuit when contacted by the Free Press on Thursday and was not able to comment.

Ezell described the casino’s reason for not paying the jackpot as “bull***t.”

The post MGM Grand Detroit Sued for Refusing to Pay $127K Progressive Blackjack Jackpot appeared first on Casino.org.

Peninsula Pacific Entertainment (P2E) and the Linn County Gaming Association will apply together to the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission (IRGC) next month. Iowa’s two-year moratorium on allowing the state gaming regulatory agency to grant additional gaming privileges expires on June 30, 2024.

The time is now for Cedar Crossing,” P2E Board Member Jonathan Swain said of the casino pitch dubbed Cedar Crossing. “Linn County residents have overwhelmingly passed two gaming referendums and they have been patient. With the moratorium expiring soon, we look forward to bringing an unprecedented casino gaming and entertainment destination to Cedar Rapids.”

The Iowa Legislature adjourned in April without extending the casino moratorium the General Assembly passed in 2022. The moratorium came at the request of the state’s 19 current casinos, which argued a halt on additional competition was warranted after gaming expanded in neighboring Nebraska.

House lawmakers voted in favor of extending the moratorium for five years through June 2029, but the Senate voted against the plan.

Cedar Rapids Bid

Cedar Rapids, Iowa’s second-most populated city with about 138K residents, has been targeted for a casino for more than a decade.

The Cedar Rapids Development Group counts 80 local businesspeople as investors in the casino project. The consortium has partnered with P2E to help bring the casino to reality.

In 2022, Churchill Downs, Inc., acquired P2E’s gaming portfolio for $2.75 billion. Since unloading its properties, P2E has focused on new investment opportunities.

Though P2E and the Linn County Gaming Association didn’t detail specifics of what its Cedar Rapids casino blueprint might look like, earlier proposals have suggested a $250 million investment. The mockups have encompassed a casino space with roughly 1,000 slot machines, 60 live dealer table games, a sportsbook, several restaurants and bars, and a 1,500-seat concert hall.

The Cedar Rapids Development Group previously attracted the support of one of the city’s most famous athletes, PGA Tour golfer Zach Johnson. An earlier plan for Cedar Crossing included a sportsbook and taproom called “The Clubhouse by Zach Johnson.”?

Community Benefits?

In reestablishing its casino vision, P2E and the Linn County Gaming Association are pledging to help the city through the resort’s operations.

If granted a license, Cedar Crossing plans to support local nonprofits with contributions of 8% of its annual gaming revenue — the highest in the state. While Iowa mandates that licensed casinos donate at least 3% to nonprofit organizations, Cedar Crossing aims to significantly exceed this requirement to make a meaningful impact in the community,” the release to Casino.org detailed.

The developers estimate the casino could direct between $5 million and $7 million annually to local nonprofits.

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The news arrived a day after the Florida Panthers claimed the 2024 Stanley Cup. Las Vegas-based Circa Sports joins a small number of companies with multiple jersey patch deals in the same professional sports league. Circa also has a jersey patch deal with the Las Vegas Golden Knights. In the just-completed NBA season, Ibotta and Motorola each had patch agreements with two teams.

Circa Sports will debut on the Blackhawks jersey later this week at the 2024 Upper Deck NHL Draft,” according to a statement. “The partnership also includes the Blackhawks 2024-25 regular season schedule release, anticipated for early this summer.”

The Blackhawks are one of the NHL’s six original franchises and have raised Lord Stanley’s Cup six times, including three times between 2010 and 2015. Financial terms of the agreement between Circa and the team weren’t revealed.

Potentially Shrewd Move by Circa

Circa is already familiar to some bettors in Illinois. In May 2022, Circa announced plans to enter Illinois via an arrangement with Full House Resorts. That accord paves the way for Circa to run a retail sportsbook at that casino and offer internet betting in the state.

As for the relationship with the Blackhawks, it could pay dividends for the gaming company because while the team has languished in recent years, it’s led by Connor Bedard, who at just 18 years old, is widely considered one of the NHL’s top young players.

Circa also offers online sports wagering services in Colorado, Iowa, Kentucky, and Nevada.

NHL Widening its Embrace of Betting Sponsorships

As is the case with other North American sports leagues, the NHL has widened its embrace of marketing deals and sponsorships with gaming companies, both at the team and league levels. For example, last November the NHL named Penn Entertainment’s ESPN Bet as its official sports wagering partner.

In the just-completed NHL season, three franchises — the Arizona Coyotes, Golden Knights, and Washington Capitals — had sponsorship deals with gaming companies.

Additionally, 17 teams, or more than half the league, have sponsorship deals with sportsbook operators. That despite the fact six of the league’s US-based teams are in states that don’t allow online sports wagering, and five of the teams are located in Canadian provinces lacking competitive sports betting markets.

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“The safety of our associates and our guests is paramount,” WinnaVegas GM Tom Teesdale said in a news release. “Our thoughts and prayers are with all those affected by the rising flood waters. Our hope is that all of Siouxland quickly recovers.”

Although the casino wasn’t yet affected when this was published, WinnaVegas officials told KTIV-TV/Sioux City that its entrance road was partially flooded and the water “is expected to continue to rise.”

According to KCAU-TV/Sioux City, first responders and other authorities were on the scene to help get customers and workers to safety.

Storms dumped as much as 18 inches of rain on the area since last Thursday. The flooding has so far affected three million people in the Midwest. It has killed two, sent rising water surging around a dam, and collapsed a railroad bridge crossing the swollen Big Sioux River — only about 20 miles from the WinnaVegas.

WinnaVegas — which was opened in April 1992 by the Winnebago Tribe — said on its Facebook page that it would “reopen when it is safe to return.”

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The regional casino company currently has five demolition permits under consideration by the city of Chicago. Each one pertains to a different structure on the property. Even if the city were to swiftly approve those licenses — arguably a specious prospect — demolition crews would need to work 12 hours per day, seven days a week for five months to get the site ready for casino resort construction.

As of yet, none of the needed permits have been issued. Marlene Hopkins, Department of Buildings commissioner, told Melody Mercado of Block Club Chicago that it could take 30 to 45 days to issue those licenses, but that’s merely an estimate.

Environmental Review Could Slow Chicago Casino Construction

Environmental reviews, particularly in large cities and states, can be time-consuming endeavors and that could be exactly what Bally’s is looking at in Chicago because the Freedom Center demolition is deemed by the city to be “environmentally complex.”

For this type of demolition, the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) follows a special process to carefully review the demolition’s potential impacts before any work begins. Then we make sure plans are in place to protect the environment and public health during the demolition,” according to the city.

Environmental scrutiny of Bally’s Freedom Center demolition is likely to be high, and the gaming company is expected to undertake painstaking efforts to comply with regulators’ demands.

Those include no use of explosives, imposing a 10-mile-per-hour speed limit on excavators used at the site, and even hand excavation in some circumstances. Additionally, the health department will have staff on-site daily to monitor dust proliferation and those employees are empowered to halt work if needed, according to Block Club Chicago.

Weather Could Be a Wildcard

Even if Bally’s can solve its well-documented financial issues that are potential headwinds to its Chicago plans, and even if the aforementioned demolition licenses are approved in the near term, the Windy City’s notoriously unpredictable weather could factor into the equation.

As for construction of the casino hotel, the average timeline for ground-up construction of large hotels is typically measured in several months or up to a year, but that’s assuming cooperative weather, smooth permitting, and no labor issues.

The post Bally’s Facing Five Months of Daily Demolition for Chicago Casino appeared first on Casino.org.

Christos Karasarides Jr., 59, owned the Canton-area gaming parlor the Skilled Shamrock. With Ronald DiPietro, 65, he co-owned Redemption Skill Games 777, and others.

Last Friday, Karasarides was sentenced to more than 21 years in prison for charges including tax evasion, money laundering, illegal gambling, and obstruction. DiPietro received nine years and four months on illegal gambling and tax charges.

Under Ohio law, skill games aren’t permitted to offer cash payouts, only gift cards with a value no greater than $10. Karasarides’ and DiPietro’s businesses were flouting those rules and raking in millions.

The Skilled Shamrock alone generated revenues of about $34 million between 2012 and 2017, netting a $7 million profit, according to court documents.

Tax Dodge

Karasarides and DiPietro attempted to conceal their ownership of their gambling empire by appointing nominee owners via sham contracts.

They also failed to report or pay taxes on most of the income they received while splurging on luxury vehicles, country club memberships, and high-end property. The men kept large amounts of cash and silver in their homes or at properties they controlled.

Karasarides would also take extravagant gambling trips, betting millions at legal casinos throughout the country, according to prosecutors.

DiPietro was a certified public accountant, and he helped Karasarides falsify his tax returns. Karasarides caused a total tax loss to the IRS of $5.4 million, and DiPietro $4.7 million, prosecutors stated.

Karasarides persuaded people to lie for him during the investigation, including a witness who had received a federal grand jury subpoena to testify in the case.

10 Indicted

The two men were among 10 people indicted last July for links to illegal slots parlors. Among them were several nominee owners of Karasarides’ and DiPietro’s businesses, including Karasarides’ son, Christopher Karasarides.

Another hidden partner in the Skilled Shamrock, Larry Dayton, pleaded guilty last July to defrauding the government. He was ordered to spend three years in prison for hiding his ownership of the facility and concealing more than $2 million in revenue from the taxman.

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In a recent interview with the Chicago Sun-Times editorial board, Johnson made comments suggesting that Bally’s has a lot on its plate, including attempting to solve an $800 million funding shortfall in the city. That need for financing is among the reasons why the mayor cannot definitively say whether or not the casino hotel will make it across the finish line.

“I wish I could say something definitive today. I know our team is working with ownership to figure it out like we figured out some of the other things that I’ve inherited. It just has to make absolute sense … I think that one’s still to be determined, to be perfectly frank with you,” Johnson told the Sun-Times editorial board.

Bally’s has a $500 million credit facility in place, and it’s used $250 million of that sum for land at the Freedom Center, which was the prior home of the Chicago Tribune.

Bally’s Takeover Bid Could Cloud Chicago Plans

Bally’s was awarded the lone Chicago casino permit in May 2022 by former Mayor Lori Lightfoot — a move that was widely criticized and which included allegations of corruption that some market observers believed quashed a competitive bidding process.

Kim claims otherwise, but following recent downgrades to Bally’s credit rating by all three major ratings agencies, access to financing is likely to come with higher interest rates. Those higher rates would create elevated interest expenses for Bally’s, putting a burden on the Chicago integrated resort to meet or exceed profit and revenue expectations.

If Bally’s commences construction as planned in July, the target date for opening is September 2026.

Other Issues Confounding Bally’s in Chicago

There’s another major issue Bally’s is contending with in the third-largest US city. There still isn’t a clear decision regarding where on the Freedom Center property the hotel will be located.

The hotel is an essential component in Bally’s Chicago casino and could command a significant percentage of the $1.34 billion the operator is legally bound to spend in the city. There’s still $1.1 billion left on that tab, according to the Sun-Times.

The post Chicago Mayor Cautious About Bally’s Permanent Casino Property appeared first on Casino.org.

The Illinois Gaming Control Board (IGCB) reports that the Bally’s casino located at 600 N. Wabash Avenue near the Magnificent Mile won more than $11.73 million from players last month. Slots accounted for $6.98 million while table games won $4.75 million.

May’s $11.7 million haul represents the Bally’s Chicago casino’s best month to date. The 35,000-square-foot gaming facility opened last September.

Our continued growth demonstrates Bally’s Chicago’s popularity with locals and tourists alike, aligns with our community engagement initiatives, and supports our dedication to responsible gaming,” said Mark Wong, vice president and general manager.

Wong said the Bally’s Chicago casino continues to welcome new players into the property’s rewards program. Last month, the total number of enrollees climbed past the 90,000-person mark.

Bally’s Chicago features 800 slot machines and 56 live dealer table games.

Facility Remains Short of Projections

The temporary casino will continue to operate as Bally’s Corp. builds its permanent integrated resort property at the Freedom Center. The Rhode Island-based gaming firm is to take possession of the former Chicago Tribune printing plant early next month.

Bally’s is targeting to open the downtown Windy City casino and resort in 2026. The development is to include a 500-room hotel, a 3,000-seat theater, 10 restaurants, and a casino with 4,000 gaming positions. Bally’s Chicago will become the largest casino in Illinois.

Funding the project, however, hasn’t been easy. Bally’s continues to seek about $800 million to support the $1.7 billion undertaking. Despite the funding shortfall, Wong says the project remains “on track to open” in September 2026.

The city last year estimated that the temporary Bally’s Chicago would win $242.7 million from players in 2024, or about $20.22 million a month. From January through May, the casino won $52.36 million, or about $10.47 million a month.?

Demolition Forthcoming

Wong told the Chicago Tribune that Bally’s will prep the Freedom Center for demolition after becoming the complex’s owner next month. Bally’s paid the media group’s parent company, Tribune Publishing, $150 million for the property.

The newspapers’ publishing has since been relocated to the Paddock Printing Center in Schaumburg northwest of the Chicago Loop about 10 miles northwest of O’Hare International Airport.

Tribune officials have continued to maintain three printing presses inside the Freedom Center in the case of an emergency breakdown at Schaumburg. But with several weeks of successful printing in the bag at Paddock, the publishing company plans to power down the Freedom Center presses on Sunday night. ?

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