AGA SmartBrief

Hong Yen Technologies Inc. is a leading manufacturer of various high quality slot cabinets and casino equipment all over Asia. Slot cabinet products include a wide array of Upright, Slant Top, Bingo and Bar Top cabinets. Hong Yen Technologies Inc. is based in Taiwan and operates state-of-the-art factories in China for metal fabrication, welding, grinding, buffing, powder coating and plating. These enhancements shorten total lead time, lower overall costs and benefit well-known, global ODM and OEM customers. Hong Yen Technologies will exhibit at G2E Asia 2013 May 21-23 at The Venetian Macao. Check out Hong Yen Technologies Inc.'s listing at G2E Asia 2013 for more information.

L.E. Landon,British writer and poet

U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Judith Wizmur on Monday approved a plan to overhaul the finances and ownership of the $2.4 billion Revel casino resort in Atlantic City, N.J., before the end of May. Under the reorganization plan, Revel will exchange an ownership stake for $69 million and other financing from its main lenders along with cancellation of $1 billion in debt. "What we are looking for is reasonable probability of success," Wizmur said. "Here, I believe that showing has been made." The Press of Atlantic City (N.J.) (5/14)

Penn National Gaming clarified that its $700 million casino proposal for Prince George's County, Md., would include 3,000 slot machines. This figure contrasts with information released by the state, which indicated inclusion of just 500 slot machines. The state required that applicants submit $3 million for every 500 slots, and Penn included $3 million with its application. "We have made clear to the state in our submission that we are designing the facility for at least the full statutory allotment of (3,000 slot machines) and will submit the remaining fees upon licensing," Penn spokeswoman Karen Bailey said. The Washington Post (5/13)

The Golden Nugget opened its new baccarat pit in downtown Las Vegas with four gaming tables that can accommodate 32 players. The pit has three 60-inch televisions and a guest lounge near a restaurant. The casino will hold a $30,000 baccarat tournament Wednesday through Saturday as part of its grand opening. "This new baccarat pit has both the luxury feel that will appeal to our destination guests and the convenience factor that should bring in the local players," said Jason Sides, Golden Nugget director of casino operations. VegasInc.com (Las Vegas) (5/13)

A House subcommittee considering gambling expansion in New Hampshire has proposed reducing the amount of revenue a host community would receive from 3% to 1%. The subcommittee will vote Wednesday on the plan. Leaders in Salem, which is home to proposed casino site Rockingham Park, are concerned the town would not receive enough funding to offset the costs of infrastructure and services. The Eagle-Tribune (North Andover, Mass.) (5/14)

Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Executive Ed FitzGerald said the county is planning to fund developments of three downtown sites in Cleveland with grants and loans supported by the county's $7 million share of casino tax revenues. The developments include a makeover of the PlayhouseSquare district's public spaces, renovation of the East Ohio Building and building the second phase of the Flats East Bank project. The County Council will consider the grants and loans today. The Plain Dealer (Cleveland) (5/13)

Station Casinos has opened a bingo hall at former concert venue Green Valley Ranch in Las Vegas. The gaming hall has a glass wall to divide 312 seats for nonsmoking players and 88 seats for smokers. The venue will be included in Station's bingo tournaments, which can have $500,000 payouts. Las Vegas Sun (5/13)

Commercial developers will weigh the possibility of a tribal casino as they consider their prospects for success in bidding for the chance to build a casino in southeastern Massachusetts, said Clyde Barrow of the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. "If you're skeptical of it, as a lot of people are, then it becomes an attractive opportunity, particularly for potential losers in the other regions," Barrow said. Even with moves that allow the bidding process to proceed, casinos in two other regions could arrive first and provide competition, Duff & Phelps' Carl Jenkins said. The Boston Globe (tiered subscription model) (5/13)

Nevada Gaming Control Board Chairman A.G. Burnett said that a team of gaming agents and officials from Ultimate Gaming are now investigating a connection between Ultimate Poker and Iovation, a service provider not authorized in Nevada. Ultimate Gaming stopped using the company's services last week. "This is in the category of where the ultimate responsibility rests upon the licensee (Ultimate Gaming), and I know that they are addressing the issue. We, in turn, will analyze what we received back from Ultimate, and then decide how to proceed from here," Burnett said. Las Vegas Review-Journal (5/13)

Thomas à Kempis,Dutch religious scholar

Penn National Gaming announced it plans to build a $700 million casino resort at Rosecroft Raceway horse track in Prince George's County, Md. The state's Video Lottery Facility Location Commission could decide between Penn's project -- which would include video-lottery terminals, table games and poker and a hotel -- and MGM Resorts International's proposal for National Harbor by year's end. Bloomberg (5/10)

Wynn Chairman Steve Wynn attended a public meeting Friday to discuss his company's proposed $1.2 billion casino hotel on the Mystic River in Everett, Mass. Wynn told the crowd of a few hundred that the resort would connect guests to the environment by using many plants and natural lighting. "You don't care about marble or crystal chandeliers or onyx," Wynn said. "If those materials produce the right emotions, you use them. What really matters is what people feel." The Boston Globe (tiered subscription model) (5/11)

In March, Nevada saw a 7% rise in revenue for a total of $914.7 million, according to the Nevada Gaming Control Board. The board said baccarat contributed $35 million of the $60 million increase over the same period in 2012. The Las Vegas Strip made gains of 13.3 percent in March. Las Vegas Sun (5/10)

Maryland Horse Industry Board Executive Director Ross Peddicord expects that a casino in Prince George's County, along with other casinos in the state, will continue to inject new life into the horse racing industry. Horse racing currently receives 1.75% of casino revenue, which it uses to boost purses and improve racetracks. "The more casino revenue that comes in, the better the horse racing industry in Maryland will be. It makes a big difference in terms of helping bolster the industry," gaming analyst James Karmel said. The Examiner (Washington, D.C.) (5/11)

The Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Commission has approved plans for the Casino at Ocean Downs in Worcester County, Md., to offer its 800 slot machines 24/7 starting Friday and running through Sept. 30. However, the casino decided "to go to 4 o'clock in the morning and not go 24 hours for liquor sales," said casino owner William Rickman. Delaware County Daily Times (Primos, Pa.) (5/12)

Dismantling of the old NASCAR Cafe began Friday as part of the ongoing $415 million renovation plans for the closed Sahara Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. The remodeled resort, to be called the SLS Las Vegas, plans to open 1,600 rooms in the fall of 2014 and will feature restaurants, nightclubs and retail space. Las Vegas Review-Journal (5/10)

The Horseshoe Casino Cleveland is gaining momentum as it wins praise for keeping downtown streets livelier at night and especially on weekends. "A night on the town is now dinner and a movie and maybe a casino visit. Before it was just dinner and a movie," Horseshoe General Manager Marcus Glover said. The momentum is expected to continue with Rock Ohio Caesars' purchase of the historic Higbee Building -- which it has been leasing for the casino -- for a proposed expansion. The Plain Dealer (Cleveland) (5/13)

This week, the Global Gaming Business Podcast features a discussion with Jeff Hartmann, the interim president of Revel in Atlantic City, on what he plans to do at the distressed property now that he's taken over for Revel founder Kevin DeSanctis.

Las Vegas resident Daniel Healy took the top prize of $4,173 in the May 5 Ultimate Poker tournament on UltimatePoker.com. About 200 players took part in Station Casino's Ultimate Poker, the first authorized wagering poker website in the U.S. "It is really exciting to be a part of history, winning the first tournament. I have been keeping up with the news updates and poker blogs ever since Black Friday hit and was extremely excited to hear that online poker is here," Healy said. VegasInc.com (Las Vegas) (5/10)