revisiting the Wire Act<\/a>, the federal law that prohibits any person or business from engaging in betting using “wire communication facilities” to transmit bets through “interstate commerce.”<\/p>\nA 2011 Department of Justice opinion said the Wire Act applied only to sports betting, which essentially gave states the power to legalize online casinos, but that opinion could potentially be reversed, unlikely though it may seem.<\/p>\n
4. Japan Integrated Resorts<\/b><\/h2>\n
The world’s major casino operators remain fixated on Japan, the country that recently legalized three commercial integrated resorts (IRs) to be built in the Asian nation.<\/p>\n
The country’s National Diet — its version of Congress — signed off on Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s Integrated Resorts Implementation Bill last summer. The legislation authorizes three multibillion-dollar casino complexes, taxes gross gambling revenue at 30 percent, and requires Japanese residents pay a \u00a56,000 (US $56) entrance fee per visit.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\nLas Vegas Sands and MGM Resorts are the two frontrunners for licensing. Both operate in Macau, and have vast experience in the operation of multibillion-dollar properties. Other presumed bidders on the shortlist include Wynn Resorts (whose chances may have been affected by 2018’s nonstop scandal headlines), Caesars Entertainment, Melco Resorts, Galaxy Entertainment, Hard Rock, and Genting.<\/p>\n
Along with the casino operators readying their bids, Japanese cities are jockeying to welcome one of the properties. Osaka is a leading contender after landing the 2025 World Expo<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The gaming industry landscape is poised to again undergo new and expanded vistas in the 12 months ahead. Which gaming directions will most likely define the industry in 2019? 1. Continued Expansion and Consolidation Casino operators continue to extend their reach across the US, as regional markets become more and more saturated and the need […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":93361,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[62,13,18,1074],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
Gaming Industry Outlook 2019: Mergers, Sports Betting, and Japan<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n