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Casino

NC’s Kings Mountain Casino Could Go Under Construction Soon

James MurrayBy James Murray

North Carolina Flag

For years, the South Carolina-based Catawba Nation tribe has been pushing to open a Las Vegas-style casino in Kings Mountain, North Carolina. Many are pushing against these plans and claim the tribe does not have the right to open this venue in the state. There is progress being made, however, and it seems likely that NC’s Kings Mountain Casino could soon go under construction.

It’s exciting news for gambling fans in this area of the state. Today, we’ll talk about some of the new developments surrounding this property. We will also look at some of the other ways that the gambling industry in North Carolina is expanding.

Let’s get into it!

Looking Back at the Catawba Nation’s Move into North Carolina

North Carolina is known for being somewhat of an anti-gambling state. For decades, the lawmakers here pushed against allowing any traditional forms of gambling. A state lottery was eventually approved and Native American-run casinos began opening here shortly after.

The Catawba Nation is working to take advantage of this new leniency towards the gambling industry. For years, officials within the tribe have been pushing to open a new casino-resort in North Carolina. The tribe has faced serious push-back recently.

The Cherokee Tribe currently operates several popular casinos in North Carolina. This tribe is arguing that the Catawba Nation has no legal right to open a gambling property in this state. Some feel it’s a valid point, as the Catawba are based in South Carolina.

Some within the federal government are also pushing against the tribe’s plans. It’s a difficult situation that could take years to settle.

There is some progress being made. Governor Roy Cooper has been in negotiations with the tribe over the past few years. This week, these two groups reached an important new agreement. It could help to begin construction on this new property.

Here’s what you need to know about this proposed casino-resort.

Roy Cooper Approves Revenue Plan for NC’s Kings Mountain Casino

North Carolina has been slowly expanding its gambling industry over the past decade. This is proving to be a great decision for the state. The casinos and other various regulated gambling options here are bringing the state a large amount of revenue every month.

Governor Roy Cooper has been working hard to settle the dispute between the Catawba Nation and the Cherokees. As we just mentioned, he has been in intense negotiations with these tribes in recent weeks. Today, news broke that Cooper officially approved a new revenue plan for this casino-resort.

This is a huge move for the Catawba Nation. Approving this revenue plan could even allow for the tribe to begin construction on this venue. That is according to the tribe, yet some feel federal approval is still necessary.

Not everyone is excited about this news. Principal Chief Richard Sneed of the Cherokee Tribe released a statement about this situation to the media this week. He believes future legal battles will keep this property from ever being built.

“This compact changes nothing,” Sneed said. “We continue to believe the courts will affirm the illegality of this casino and when that happens, the Catawba agreement will be nothing more than a worthless piece of paper.”

The Catawba continue to discuss the economic benefits this property will bring. It could bring thousands of jobs to the area and millions of dollars in annual tax revenue for the state. This alone could push NC’s leaders to finally approve this property. It won’t be the only new gambling option coming to this state.

North Carolina’s Sportsbooks Are Expected to Launch Soon

It’s been fascinating to see North Carolina’s gambling industry expand recently. Over a year ago, lawmakers here approved a measure to legalize and regulate sports betting. To the disappointment of many NC residents, none of the state’s sports betting platforms have officially gone live.

Under the current regulations, North Carolina will only allow land-based sports betting. These wagers will need to be placed inside licensed venues. Many have been openly calling for the state to allow online sports betting, too. The other states that allow internet sports betting are earning a massive amount of revenue each month.

That may come in the future. In the meantime, only land-based sports betting is set to be allowed here. Many expect the first sportsbooks to officially launch in this state sometime in the next few months.

Two sportsbooks have already been constructed here. Both sit within tribal casinos in the state. It wouldn’t be a huge surprise to see NC’s Kings Mountain Casino open a sportsbook to the public in the future, too.

There is still no official word on when these sportsbooks will open. State officials are doing a last-minute review of the plans. We’ll be sure to offer more updates on this situation as soon as they come out.

Do you think the Catawba Nation should be allowed to open a casino in North Carolina? Let us know in the comments section below!

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Casino, New York

Andrew Yang Supports New York City Casino Plans

James MurrayBy James Murray

Andrew Yang

For years, several officials in New York have been pushing to open a new casino-resort in New York City. This idea is now beginning to gain attention from powerful individuals in the state. That includes Andrew Yang. New reports claim that Yang now supports the New York City casino plans.

It’s exciting news for gambling proponents in this state. Some, however, feel this isn’t the right time to discuss opening a casino in the city. Today, we’ll talk about what exactly might be coming to New York City in the future.

Let’s get into it!

New York’s Casinos Are Continuing to Struggle

For many years, New York was known as one of the most anti-gambling states in the country. Lawmakers here began cracking down on this industry decades ago due to its connection with crime groups. Some felt that we’d never see a booming casino industry here.

Eventually, the state began allowing Native American-run casinos to begin operating in the state. These grew extremely popular with residents and revenue started to increase. In 2013, officials in New York decided to pass a bill to allow commercial casinos in the state.

This was a huge moment for the country’s gambling industry. It became clear that New York saw the upside in gambling. Several commercial casinos have since opened in the state, mostly in the Upstate area.

2020 proved to be a devastating year for New York’s casino industry. In March, all of the casinos here were forced to shut down. They reopened over the summer, yet all of the casinos in the state have seen extremely low revenue figures since that time. Some are at risk of a permanent shutdown.

New York isn’t alone in this situation. All major casino destinations around the US are seeing extremely low revenue figures right now. It’s a complicated issue that even the top gaming experts are having a difficult time solving.

Could opening a casino-resort in New York City help things? Some certainly think so. That includes one man currently pushing to become mayor of NYC.

More Show Support for New York City Casino Plans

It’s clear that New York has changed its stance on gambling over the past few years. Interestingly, nearly all of the casinos in this state are located in the Upstate area. Many state leaders have been hesitant to allow any casinos in New York City.

Some now feel this is the time to make a change. We’ve seen several states open major casino-resorts lately. Prior to 2020, these venues were proving to be hugely successful. Even Chicago has recently approved a measure to open a new casino-resort.

This week, NYC Mayor-hopeful Andrew Yang gave his opinion on this situation. He addresses the fact that casinos can bring a variety of issues. Ultimately, however, he supports the New York City casino plans due to the massive revenue potential.

“We need big ideas,” Yang tweeted this week. “There are many downsides of casinos but the upside is $700m+ recurring annually largely from tourists now going to CT and NJ. That’s money for teachers, hospitals and other services. We should be trying to grow revenue where possible.”

Yang certainly has a point. Many gambling fans based in New York City are heading to neighboring states to play their favorite casino games. Opening a gambling venue in the city would help to keep this money inside the state.

It will be interesting to see if these plans move forward over the next few years. Many feel that Andrew Yang will end up becoming the next Mayor of NYC. Perhaps he will push these casino plans forward. Stay tuned for updates!

Will New York Approve Mobile Sports Betting This Year?

The casino industry in New York is growing at a steady pace. Prior to 2020, this industry was helping to bring the state valuable revenue in the form of taxes. Hope is that casinos here begin seeing pre-pandemic levels of revenue over the next few months.

As many know, New York also legalized sports betting years ago. Unfortunately, only land-based sports wagers are available here. It’s unusual, as online sports betting has proven to be a far more lucrative industry.

Many are now calling for mobile gambling to finally be approved in 2021. There are several bills to start regulating this form of gambling moving through the legislative process. Many believe lawmakers will give online sports betting the green light this year.

That will be bad news for New Jersey. This state has seen massive revenue figures from its online sports gambling industry over the past twelve months. Many sports fans in New York make the move into New Jersey’s borders in order to place online sports wagers.

If New York’s online sports betting industry goes live, this money will stay inside the state. It’s a similar thought process to the New York City casino plans. Officials in the state are tired of seeing money go into other parts of the country.

Do you think a casino should open in New York City? Would this be successful? Let us know in the comments section below.

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Casino, Pennsylvania

Casino Closures Cause Major Dip in PA’s Gambling Revenue

James MurrayBy James Murray

Casino in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania is home to one of the largest gambling industries in the United States. Unfortunately, this industry has been suffering due to the events unfolding around the world. Most recently, the state-ordered casino shutdowns have led to a major dip in PA’s gambling revenue.

Now is a perfect time to talk about how much money the casinos in Pennsylvania have lost recently. It’s been a tough past few months for the gaming companies operating here.

Let’s take a look at what exactly is going on here.

Will the Casino Industry in Pennsylvania Close Down Again?

Back in March, the entire US casino industry experienced something unprecedented. Due to the global pandemic, state leaders forced all of the casinos around the country to shut their doors. This was devastating in the areas that rely on these casinos for money and employment.

Places like Las Vegas certainly fit that bill. As most know, this is the world’s largest casino destination. It relies heavily on its tourism industry, which all but stopped completely when the casinos were forced to close their doors.

It took months for the casinos in the city to reopen. When they did, these venues were met with extremely low tourism figures. Even today, nearly a year after the casinos were forced to close, tourism figures in Las Vegas remain low.

Smaller gambling hubs like Pennsylvania felt the effects of these regulations, too. The casinos here were finally able to open again over the summer. In December, state leaders once again forced the casinos to shut their doors. They have since reopened.

Some fear that the casinos in this state may be forced to shut down once again. An order like this one could have irreversible effects on the gambling industry here. Fortunately, this has not yet been mandated by any state leaders.

We’re now beginning to hear just how devastating 2020 was for the gambling companies in this state. Here’s a look at how badly these companies were hurt.

PA’s Gambling Revenue Dropped by 20% Last Year

Every single state has been experiencing drops in gambling revenue over the past twelve months. Some are seeing larger dips than others. We are now beginning to hear how much money the different gambling platforms over in Pennsylvania managed to bring in during 2020.

According to new reports, PA’s gambling revenue fell by an astounding 20% over the course of the year. That is when compared to 2019. Certain gambling options here managed to perform better than others.

The state’s casinos, sports betting operators, and DFS platforms managed to bring in $2.65 billion throughout 2020. That’s a significant drop from the $3.5 billion earned in 2019. Obviously, the gaming industry operators here has reason to be concerned.

Pennsylvania’s casinos themselves brought in $2.4 billion in 2020. Fortunately, the state’s online casino platforms have helped to make up some of the losses. These internet casinos actually saw an increase from just $34 million in 2019 to an incredible $566 million in 2020.

As you might expect, the gambling companies here are focusing more on their online gambling platforms. This is the safer industry at this stage for these companies. Hope is that we see the land-based casinos here experience larger revenue increases over the next six months.

It’s a very interesting time for the entire country’s casino industry. Sports betting is helping to bring many states, including Pennsylvania, some much-needed revenue right now. Which states will we see legalize and regulate this form of gambling in 2021?

More States Plan to Regulate Sports Betting in 2021

It’s been amazing to see how quickly the US sports gambling industry has grown in just a few short years. It wasn’t until 2018 that states were legally able to provide sports betting options. Now, less than three years later, more than half the country has a regulated sports betting industry up and running.

Even states with a historically anti-gambling stance over the years are beginning to embrace this industry. That includes places like North Carolina and New York. Officials here can’t ignore the massive revenue potential industry any longer.

It appears that several more states are set to legalize sports betting in 2021. This is likely to be the biggest year for the industry so far. We could see some of the most populated states in the country finally embrace this industry.

Many are hopeful that California decides to embrace the sports betting industry this year. For years, state leaders and tribal casino owners have been negotiating on a way to allow sports gambling. There seems to be some progress being made and many are excited to see things come together.

Oklahoma is in a similar position. This state is home to a massive number of tribal casinos. State officials are actively working with the owners of these venues on ways to offer legal, regulated sports betting options.

PA’s gambling revenue is already increasing thanks to the state’s sports betting platforms. Which states do you think will legalize this industry in 2021? Let us know in the comments section below!

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Casino, Illinois

Where Will the New Casino in Chicago be Situated?

James MurrayBy James Murray

Chicago Image

Lawmakers in Illinois continue pushing to expand the state’s casino industry. Much of the discussion is centering around plans for the new Chicago casino. Many analysts are now debating where the new casino in Chicago should be located.

There are several locations that could accommodate a new casino. Some are thought to be more ideal than others. Today, we’ll talk about some of the most-likely areas for the new gambling venue to open its doors.

Let’s get into it!

Illinois’ Casino Industry is About to Reopen Once Again

There are a large number of world-class casinos in the state of Illinois. Some of these are tribal casinos owned and operated by Native American tribes. Others are commercial casinos owned by some of the country’s most powerful gaming companies.

Interestingly, state officials want to expand this industry. Back in 2018, Governor Pritzker passed a new Capital Plan to open several more casinos around Illinois. That includes a new casino-resort in Chicago; the first of its kind.

2020 ended up halting these plans. For several months last year, all of the casinos in this state were completely shut down. They began reopening during the summer, yet state officials forced commercial casinos to close down again several months later.

Soon, the casinos in Illinois will finally be allowed to reopen. It’s exciting news for the companies that operate these venues. As Illinois enters into Tier 2 of its reopening process, casinos will be given permission to begin operating at a limited capacity.

It will take a long time before these casinos see the revenue figures experienced back in 2019. The world’s casino industry has been devastated by the events that unfolded last year. Hope is that we see an improvement over the next six months.

Many are now looking ahead to the casino expected to open in Chicago. Here’s a quick update on this exciting new property!

Analysts Continue to Debate a Location for the New Casino in Chicago

When news broke that officials were preparing to open a new casino in Chicago, it spread like wildfire. Many felt it would never happen. This city has never hosted an established casino-resort in its history.

Initially, it seemed likely that this would be a hugely successful gambling property. Chicago is already a major tourist destination. Many believed that opening a casino-resort here would help to significantly boost tourism rates in the city.

Unfortunately, the state set unusually high tax rates on this venue. Many casino companies withdrew from the running to obtain a license to operate this property. The issue of location has also been a big one lately.

No one seems to know where in Chicago this property will be situated. There are several areas of the city still in the running. Lakeside Center and The Chicago Tribune’s Freedom Center are two interesting locations. Many city officials are putting more thought into opening the new casino in Chicago in these areas.

It’s an interesting situation. Everyone wants to ensure that this new casino is as successful as possible. Location will play a huge role in its success. Most analysts agree that the locations being discussed are the best options right now.

Chicago is set to receive an incredible new casino-resort in the near future. We’ll be sure to offer more information on this situation over the next few months. Stay tuned for updates!

State Officials Set a New Tax Rate on Sports Betting Winnings

Back in May of 2018, the Supreme Court struck down PASPA. This gave every state in the country the option to legalize and regulate sports betting. Now, three years later, more than half the country has a sports betting industry.

Illinois’ first sports betting options went live back in March of 2020. Since that time, the industry here has grown steadily. Both land-based and online sports wagering are available in this state. It’s proven extremely valuable in the form of taxes.

This week, reports surfaced claiming anyone that makes over $600 in sports bets will now need to report their winnings to the state. These earnings will be taxed at 15%. Nicholas Royer, a financial advisor for MRFC, believes this will benefit the state in a big way moving forward.

“What happened is the state realized that 94% of sports gambling is now done online. And so they looked at this as, Oh, it’s a revenue that we can create for ourselves now that this is actually happening,” he said. “Illinois, is the fourth biggest in online gambling and sports betting right now in the country. Only behind Nevada, I think New Jersey and Pennsylvania. So it’s a pretty big deal and if we just look at September to October, just in that timeframe from September to October. There was a 42% increase in sports in sports gambling online.”

Many bettors are likely to be disappointed by this news. An increased tax rate could result in some choosing to wager through unregulated sites. In the long run, however, this will play a big role in bringing in some much-needed revenue for the state.

Are you excited to see the new casino in Chicago? Where do you think it should be located? Let us know in the comments section below!

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Kentucky, Online Gambling, Sports Betting

Kentucky Passes New Legislation to Legalize Sports Betting

Brian WalkerBy Brian Walker

Odds Board and Money
After last year’s bill was stalled and sent back to the committee, Rep. Adam Koenig has once again filed a new bill to legalise sports betting in the state of Kentucky.

The new legislation, House Bill 241, is sponsored by 17 Representatives, led by Koenig. It similar to the one that Koenig sponsored during the 2020 legislative session, in that it core is to legalize sports betting in Kentucky. However, the new bill also lays out proposals to regulate online poker and fantasy sports.

Kentucky Horse Racing Commission as Regulator

The sports betting aspect of the bill would permit online, mobile, and on site wagering. The state’s racetracks and professional venues which have a capacity of 50,000 or more people would be eligible to receive licenses that would allow them to host sports betting at their sites. Initial licenses would cost $500,000 with an annual renewal fee of $50,000.

If passed into a law, the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission will be named as an independent body to regulate the conduct sports racing as well as horse racing and pari-mutuel betting in the state. Meanwhile, the state’s Public Protection Cabinet would oversee daily fantasy sports while the Kentucky Lottery Corporation will administer online poker activities.

Surrounded by Sports Betting States

Last year’s sports betting legislation, House Bill 137, unanimously advanced through the Kentucky House Licensing, Occupations, and Administrative Regulations (LOAR) Committee which is chaired by Koenig. However, it did not receive a single floor vote in the state House of Representatives.

Kentucky’s legislature has long been reluctant to expand gambling in the state but it is surrounded by neighboring states that offer sports betting. Five of Kentucky’s border states-Illinois, Indiana, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia all offer sports wagering. The other two-Missouri and Ohio, want to legalize. With its neighbors enjoying tax dollars, Kentucky may be about to reconsider its position.

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Casino, Las Vegas, Online Gambling, Sports Betting

Las Vegas Sands to Throw Hat in SportsBetting Arena

Brian WalkerBy Brian Walker

Las Vegas Sands Casinos

Las Vegas Sands is making a push into sports betting. A report from Bloomberg last week said that its acting chief executive officer Robert Goldstein is in the early stages of private talks with potential partners in the sports betting industry.

The company has long operated a retail sportsbook at its Venetian and Palazzo casinos in Las Vegas. However, these were outsourced to Cantor Gaming which is now a part of William Hill US, which in turn was acquired by Sands’ rival Caesars Entertainment Inc.

One of the strongest Balance Sheets

Often praised by industry analysts as having one of the strongest balance sheets among peer casino operators, Las Vegas Sands has enough resources to become a big player in the sports betting industry. It has a market capitalization of $44.42B and if Adelson’s proposal to sell the Venetian, Palazzo, and Sands Convention Center in the Las Vegas Strip, that would potentially be another $6B of assets.

Las Vegas Sands is the biggest casino company in the world. However, it is the only United States-based casino operator which has not yet adopted a sports betting plan despite the U.S. sports betting market expanding rapidly since the U.S. Supreme Court repealed the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 over two years ago.

Adelson’s Opposition to Online Gaming

Venturing into sports betting may mean embracing online gaming which has often come along with it. It can be recalled that Las Vegas Sands founder and longtime CEO Sheldon Adelson, who recently took a medical leave of absence, was always opposed to online gaming. The billionaire has always been among those who lobbied to prevent the legalization of online betting based on moral ground. Adelsen believed that online games like virtual slots made it very easy for players to lose money.

But like all the other casino operators, Las Vegas Sands is struggling to cope with the limitations brought about by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic which has substantially affected the casino industry since March 2020. Even Sands’ properties outside the U.S. like Macau and Singapore are struggling with their bottom line figures. With no end to the pandemic yet in sight, online gaming has been viewed as one of the best ways for land-based casinos to diversify operations and generate more income.

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Casino, Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania’s Casino Industry is Finally Reopening

Nickolas BransonBy Nickolas Branson

Pennsylvania Casinos

The state of Pennsylvania is home to a huge number of casinos. In early December, state officials ordered all casinos to temporarily close their doors. After weeks of being shut down, Pennsylvania’s casino industry is now finally up and running again.

No one knows the impact that these shutdowns will have on this industry in the long-term. Hope is that things bounce back quickly. Now is the perfect time to talk about how casinos in Pennsylvania might fare over the next few months.

Let’s get into it!

Sports Betting Continues to be Profitable for Pennsylvania

Since May of 2018, every single state has been able to set its own laws on sports betting. 26 states have now chosen to regulate this popular form of gambling. Specific regulations towards sports betting differ from state to state.

Most areas of the country are seeing a massive amount of revenue come in from this industry. That seems to be mostly true for the states with regulated internet sports betting platforms. Places like New Jersey are seeing hundreds of millions wagered on sports online every single month.

Lawmakers in Pennsylvania legalized sports gambling almost immediately after PASPA was struck down. The first legal sports wager was placed here in November of 2018. It’s proving to be a very profitable industry for the state each month.

This past November, Pennsylvania saw a total of $492 million in sports betting handle. That was a large drop from the $525 million in sports betting handle seen in October. The state is still seeing significantly more money come in from its sports gambling platforms than many other states in the area.

The casino industry in Pennsylvania isn’t faring quite as well. In fact, lawmakers have been ordering all commercial casinos here to close their doors for the past few weeks. Today, that mass casino shutdown finally came to an end.

Here’s what casino fans in the state can expect.

Pennsylvania’s Casino Industry is Set to Reopen Today

Pennsylvania, like many of the other states in the north-east area of the country, is home to a large and successful casino industry. There is a mix of Native American-run and commercial gambling venues in this state. Several popular “racinos” are also operating throughout Pennsylvania.

In early December, lawmakers ordered all of the commercial casinos to close their doors to the public. Health experts had been calling for this move for months. Eventually, it became clear that the state needed to implement tougher restrictions to cut down on rates of Covid-19.

Today, Pennsylvania’s casino industry was finally given the green light to open its doors again. 13 casinos here can now begin operating. They must all run at just 50% occupancy until further notice.

Despite the difficulties, casino revenue actually increased in Pennsylvania this year. Doug Harbach, a spokesman for the PA Gaming Control Board, spoke about the economic situation here to the media this weekend.

“Even with the decrease in revenue from casinos due to covid-19 closures, it is likely that (the 2020) calendar year will see an approximate 25% increase in the total local share tax revenue from all forms of legalized gambling,” he said. 

2021 is expected to be a much better year for the casino industry in Pennsylvania. All of the casinos here have already been given permission to open back up. With effective health regulations set in place, we could see visitation rates at these properties increase significantly throughout the year.

Nearby Atlantic City is working hard to bring in more gamblers right now. Many analysts expect big things for the popular New Jersey city moving forward.

How Will Atlantic City Fare in 2021?

Pennsylvania is quickly developing a successful casino industry. There’s no doubt that New Jersey still has the biggest casino market on the east coast, though. Atlantic City began opening back up again in July and has been trying to increase its tourism rates ever since.

It hasn’t been easy here. State officials have chosen not to implement another wave of casino shutdowns. Instead, they’ve been slowly ordering more regulations inside these venues. That includes lower occupancy levels and tough rules for casino restaurants and bars.

Fortunately, 2021 is expected to be significantly better than 2020 was for the casino industry here. Several analysts feel that vaccines could help to promote travel as the year goes on. Many will be looking for a fun vacation of gambling and entertainment that can be found in Atlantic City.

No one can say with 100% certainty that things will improve. We learned last year that anything can happen. Even Las Vegas, the world’s largest gambling destination, is still struggling to bring in gamblers.

Casino companies in New Jersey are certainly optimistic. Many have recently begun offering more entertainment options to their patrons. We’ll be sure to offer more updates on how the casino industry is faring over the next few months!

Are you excited to see Pennsylvania’s casino industry open back up? Let us know in the comments section below!

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California, Casino

Five Popular California Casinos Offer NYE Celebrations

James MurrayBy James Murray

New Year's Eve

Nine months ago, all of the casinos in California closed their doors to the public. It was an unprecedented situation for the state’s gambling industry. Fortunately, most have since reopened and are seeing modest revenue increases. New reports now claim that five popular California casinos are now set to host major NYE celebrations.

There’s a serious debate raging over whether or not these venues should be allowed to hold these events. They sit on sovereign land, however, meaning they don’t need to abide by state regulations. Today, we’re going to talk about what is being planned.

Let’s get into it!

California’s Casino Industry is Still Working to Recover

The state of California is home to more than 60 casinos. Interestingly, the state does not allow any commercial casinos to operate in this state. All of the gambling venues operating here are Native American-run.

This gives these casinos the ability to operate outside of state regulations. They sit on sovereign land and can set their own rules. Despite that fact, all of the casinos around the state closed their doors back in March.

Unlike most other businesses in the state, however, the casinos here were quick to start operating again. Some opened their doors within just a month or two. Some of California’s top officials began pleading with Native American tribes to implement more intense safety regulations.

Since that time, this industry has been slowly recovering. Revenue remains far below what was seen in 2019. It’s not a surprise, as all casinos are operating at significantly reduced capacity. Many are simply happy to see any guests come in under the current circumstances.

State leaders have been advising the public to avoid any large gatherings for New Year’s Eve. Doing so, they argue, could lead to greater issues for California leading into 2021. Some of the casino owners in the state aren’t listening and now plan to host major celebration parties.

It’s a troubling development for health officials. Here’s what we know about the parties being held in different casinos around California.

NYE Celebrations Are Being Held at Five Popular California Casinos

New Year’s Eve tends to be one of the largest celebration weekends of the year. Prior to 2020, this holiday brings massive parties around the country. Major tourism hubs such as Las Vegas would see millions of visitors arrive to take part in the festivities.

Many of the biggest casinos in California would also hold New Year’s Eve events for their guests. These celebrations helped the casinos earn a huge amount of money each year. It’s not recommended, yet some of the most popular California casinos are choosing to hold NYE celebrations this year.

The Thunder Valley Casino Resort has announced that it plans to host a 6,000-person “invite-only” New Year’s Celebration. It’s a similar event to the one originally planned to take place at the Graton Resort and Casino, which plans to hold a 4,000-person NYE celebration. This has since been scrapped due to pressure from the public.

The Cache Creek Casino Resort hasn’t changed its big plans for New Year’s. In fact, it continues to promote its celebration event. The owners of this venue have refused to state how many guests will be attending the party tonight.

Harrah’s, in Ione, all plan to stay open for New Year’s Eve. The casino released a statement on its plans for the holiday to the media this week.

“As part of Harrah’s Northern California’s ongoing quest to keep guests and team members safe, the casino is following a comprehensive outline of enhanced health and sanitation protocols,” the statement read. “Guests returning to the property will notice changes to the experience, including limited guest capacity on the casino floor and dining outlets, social distancing procedures and enhanced sanitation protocols.”

State leaders aren’t happy to see the path these casinos are taking. Hopefully, these events are able to take place in a fun, safe manner. Stay tuned for updates!

The Sports Betting Industry in California Could Launch in 2022

California is the most populous state in the country. Since 2018, many gambling proponents have been pushing hard to get sports betting legalized here. Unfortunately, it’s failed to come together for a number of different reasons.

Many now believe 2022 is the year this finally changes. Earlier this month, sports betting supporters managed to pull together the required signatures to county governments to get sports betting on the November 2022 ballot. It was a crucial step needed to get this measure approved.

The current plan is to allow land-based sportsbooks to begin operating within tribal casinos. As of now, there is no plan to legalize and regulate online sports betting. That could come sometime within the next few years, though.

Many of the popular California casinos are supporting this measure. Sports betting has proven to be extremely lucrative around the country. Places like New Jersey are seeing hundreds of millions in monthly betting handles.

A lot can happen between now and November of 2022, though. We’ve seen the state’s efforts to get this industry running fail several times already. Hopefully, things finally come together within the next couple of years.

Are you surprised to see casinos in California holding NYE celebrations? Let us know in the comments section below!

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Casino, Virginia

Rosie’s Gaming is Opening a New Casino in Northern Virginia

James MurrayBy James Murray

Rosies Gaming

Virginia has been slowly expanding its gambling industry for years. Rosie’s Gaming now operates slot-style gambling venues throughout the state. New reports claim that this company is set to open a new casino in Northern Virginia early next month.

Residents in this area of the state have reason to be excited! Today, we’ll talk about the details of this new gambling venue. We’ll also discuss some of the ways that the state’s gambling industry could change next year.

Let’s get into it!

Virginia’s Sports Betting Industry is About to Launch

Since May of 2018, every state around the US has been able to set its own laws on sports betting. The removal of PASPA completely changed the country’s gambling industry. 26 states have now officially legalized sports betting and most are earning a huge amount of revenue each month.

Virginia has been an anti-gambling state for many years. Lawmakers have been pushing against expanding the number of gaming options available. In November of 2020, however, the state finally approved sports betting legislation.

It’s the biggest move ever made for the gaming industry here. It will take time for any sports gambling options to become available, though. The state is currently working to come up with specific plans to regulate this industry.

Hope is that the first sports betting options will launch before next year’s Super Bowl. The Virginia Lottery Commission has yet to formally announce a launch date. The current plan is to allow approximately 12 different online sports betting sites to launch here.

This is expected to bring the state a huge amount of revenue every year. Analysts expect approximately $400 million to be wagered on sports in 2021. Interestingly, no land-based sportsbooks will launch in this state.

Virginia is slowly developing a casino-type industry, too. Several gambling venues have opened here recently. A new one is now set to reopen its doors in the northern area of the state!

Here’s What We Know About the New Casino in Northern Virginia

As we mentioned earlier, Virginia has been largely anti-gambling over the years. Finally, this past November, lawmakers approved a measure to allow casinos in five different cities. Hope is that these venues help to bring some much-needed revenue to these parts of the state.

There are already several casino-like venues operating here. Rosie’s Gaming currently operates three gambling venues throughout Virginia. These aren’t traditional casinos, though.

Instead, the venues operated by Rosie’s Gaming offer slot-style games to their customers. These games play similar to slot machines, but are actually tied to the results of past horse races. Players themselves are unlikely to notice the difference. It’s a sort of loophole that the state is allowing.

Rosie’s Gaming has just announced that it plans to open a new casino in Northern Virginia early next month! It’s easy to see why. Hundreds of millions are being wagered on these machines every month. Expanding is a great way to compete with the casino industry in neighboring Maryland.

This newest gambling property will open its doors in Dumfries. Mayor Derrick Wood believes this could help to make Dumfries a tourist destination with other residents in the north of Virginia.

“Everybody ain’t gonna like you, everybody ain’t gonna like me, and everybody ain’t gonna like every business that comes to town,” he said.“Dumfries has always been a place people drive through. Now we are trying to create a sense of destination.”

It won’t be long before real resort-style casinos open their doors in Virginia. We’ll continue offering updates on the gambling industry here over the next few months!

Online Casino Options Available in Virginia

Things tend to move slowly in the US gambling industry. It can sometimes take years for states to get their casinos operational after legalizing these venues. No one really knows when the casino-resorts in Virginia will begin opening their doors to the public.

Fortunately, there are some fantastic online casinos in Virginia available right now! Most of them are great, offering a huge range of different games and safe payment options. Our experts have reviewed most of the ones operating in the state right now.

We love Bovada Casino. This website launched back in 2011 and has become one of the most popular internet casino gaming platforms in the country. It provides all of the most popular casino games you’d expect including slots, table games, and poker.

Bovada also features an incredible live dealer casino section. This makes it feel as if you’re playing inside an actual land-based casino with a dealer connected via video stream. Check this site out today!

We’ll see the new casino in Northern Virginia open its doors early next month. It will be interesting to see how popular this new venue becomes in 2021.

Are you excited to see Virginia’s gambling industry expand? Let us know in the comments section below!

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Casino, Michigan

Detroit Casinos Are Expected to Reopen This Week!

James MurrayBy James Murray

MGM Grand Detroit

The state of Michigan is home to a huge number of world-class casinos. A few of them are located in Detroit. Back in November, Governor Whitmer ordered all of the casinos throughout Michigan to close down. On December 23rd, Detroit casinos are expected to open their doors again.

Gambling fans in this area are excited. Some health experts, however, fear that reopening the state’s casinos could lead to another increase in Covid-19 cases. Today, we’ll talk about the current plan to get casinos reopened in Michigan.

Let’s get into it!

US Casinos See Major Dips in Revenue Last Month

The entire US casino industry has been surging for the past few years. Major gambling destinations such as Atlantic City and Las Vegas saw their casino revenue increase. Many smaller casino hubs also began seeing a large increase in their gambling earnings.

We also saw states recently expand their casino industries. There are currently several different casino-resorts scheduled to open in Nevada next year. Illinois also approved a capital plan that allows several new casinos to open throughout the state.

As most are aware, the progress being made in this industry came to a complete halt this year. Every state ordered casinos to shut down back in March. It took months for any casinos to allow their commercial casinos to reopen again.

It’s been nine months since the shutdowns took place. Incredibly, this industry is still a long way away from a complete recovery. Several states recently ordered their commercial casinos to close their doors again. It’s proving to be incredibly difficult for the casino companies operating throughout the United States.

Michigan was one of the states that recently ordered commercial casinos to close down once again. This shutdown was never expected to last forever. We’re now beginning to hear about when the casinos here will finally reopen to the public.

It’s been a difficult time for the casino companies in Michigan. Here’s what you need to know about the major casino-resorts in the city of Detroit!

Detroit Casinos Have Permission to Reopen on December 23

There are a huge number of different casinos spread around the state of Michigan. Many of these are Native American-run casinos that aren’t forced to abide by state regulations. The commercial casinos here, however, have been closed down since mid-November.

New reports claim that Detroit casinos have been given permission to open back up on December 23. Over the weekend, Governor Gretchen Whitmer lifted regulations that are keeping casinos closed to the public. These venues can reopen on Wednesday with a total capacity of 100 individuals.

MGM Grand Detroit remains the largest and most profitable gambling property in this city. David Tsai, president of Midwest Group, MGM Resorts International, spoke about the plans to reopen this property to the media this week.

“Our team is prepared to welcome back just as many guests on our casino floor as we had prior to our closing in November, socially distanced across our 150,000+ sq. ft. casino floor,” Tsai said. 

The MGM Grand Detroit is set to reopen at 5 pm on Wednesday. MotorCity Casino Hotel will open its doors again at 1 pm Wednesday. Greektown Casino-Hotel, the final casino in the city of Detroit, will finally open back up at 9 pm on Wednesday. Each of these properties will continue to order mask-wearing and are limiting the number of games available to players.

Casino revenue in Michigan has dropped by 55% throughout 2020. Hope is that the situation here begins to improve as 2021 progresses.

MI’s Online Sports Betting Industry is Set to Launch Early Next Year

Land-based casino revenue has been dropping consistently throughout the year. Sports betting revenue, however, has been increasing throughout the year. Many of the states with legal sports betting options are bringing in much-needed tax money from this industry.

Sports betting has also helped to bring many of the country’s casino companies revenue. Some of the top casino operators in the country have recently begun shifting their focus to sports gambling. Lawmakers in Michigan finally legalized sports betting back in 2019.

In March of this year, the first sportsbooks in this state finally launched. Only land-based sports betting is currently available here. Many have been asking state officials to finally announce when online sportsbooks will launch.

It seems we now have an answer. New reports have recently surfaced that claim the state’s first online sports betting options will become available in early 2021. This move is almost guaranteed to bring a massive increase in revenue here.

Based on the way things are going, Michigan’s gambling industry is set to expand in a big way next year. Detroit casinos will reopen to the public this week. Online sportsbooks are set to go live in early 2021.

Are you excited to see the casinos in Detroit reopen to the public? When do you expect the casino industry to recover here? Let us know in the comments section below!