AGA SmartBrief

Norman Vincent Peale,American minister and author

The Florida Senate Rules Committee has voted unanimously to approve a bill banning all slot machine-like games at Internet cafe casinos in the state. "In my opinion, the bill does not keep charities from conducting drawings and raffles -- just as they have been able to do for years. If they -- because of existing loopholes in the statutes -- have moved into areas they should not have, they will have to adjust," said state Sen. John Thrasher, the sponsor of the bill. The Miami Herald (free registration) (4/2)

The Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, N.J., officially closed its horseracing simulcasting parlor last weekend, joining other casinos as the simulcasting business in the city loses luster. "It just doesn't grab people like it used to," said Israel Posner, executive director of the Lloyd D. Levenson Institute for Gaming, Hospitality and Tourism at the Richard Stockton College of New Jersey. The Press of Atlantic City (N.J.) (4/2)

Stations Casino-owned Ultimate Poker, which is awaiting approval for its website to launch it in Nevada, has tapped two-time World Poker Tour champion Antonio Esfandiari as brand ambassador of the online site. "We're thrilled to have Antonio Esfandiari represent our company. Antonio is the ultimate champion and modern poker player. He brings the gaming lifestyle to the online arena with his work-hard, play-hard attitude," Ultimate Poker Chairman Tom Breitling said. VegasInc.com (Las Vegas) (4/2)

Gross slots revenue from Pennsylvania's 11 casinos was $229.3 million in March, according to the state Gaming Control Board. Last month, the number of slot machines in use at state casinos was 26,215, compared with 26,344 in the same month last year. American City Business Journals (4/2)

The Hollywood Casino Hotel & Raceway in Bangor, Maine, has hired 12 more employees due to the expansion of the casino's table games. "This is a direct reflection of the feedback we have received from our customers. Customer demand brought us craps late last year, and it has been such a popular game that we are expanding its hours, which is also allowing us to hire new employees," said John Osborne, the casino's general manager. Bangor Daily News (Maine) (free registration) (4/2)

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said he will work to enable legislation for a constitutional amendment that would authorize a nontribal casino upstate and end Seneca Nation's gaming monopoly, as part of an effort to place a non-Indian casino in Niagara Falls. He also said that he will soon proceed with the process of bidding gambling rights. The Buffalo News (N.Y.) (4/2)

Zynga will launch a real-money gambling business in the U.K. when it begins offering casino and poker games Wednesday in Britain. The company, which has partnered with Bwin.party Digital Entertainment, will introduce its ZyngaPlusPoker and ZyngaPlusCasino games. "This is just the beginning for us and we're looking forward to seeing what our U.K. players think," Zynga Chief Revenue Officer Barry Cottle wrote in a blogpost. Reuters (4/2)

Macau casinos have set a new revenue record of $3.92 billion, according to the Macau Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau. March results beat last December's revenue of $3.5 billion. "March marks the first of potentially six all-time monthly gross gaming revenue records we should see in calendar year 2013," Sterne Agee gaming analyst David Bain said. Las Vegas Review-Journal (4/2)

In his April column in Global Gaming Business magazine, American Gaming Association (AGA) President and CEO Frank Fahrenkopf discusses the advancements that have been made on the state level regarding gaming regulatory reform since the 2011 release of the AGA white paper "Improving Gaming Regulation: 10 Recommendations for Streamlining Processes While Maintaining Integrity." He also talks about what is being done to build on momentum and keep the process going. Read the whole column.

Cammegh's exhibit profile included the world's leading Roulette Wheels and Billboard display systems and EyeCard product. EyeCard is a camera-based card recognition system reading face up cards for baccarat and blackjack, automatically displaying the cards and game results on the Billboard Display. For more information on Cammegh Limited, please visit www.cammegh.com. Cammegh Limited will exhibit at G2E Asia 2013 May 21-23 at The Venetian Macau.

Georges-Louis Leclerc,French naturalist, mathematician, cosmologist and author

If you missed the interview with SHFL entertainment Inc. Chief Executive Officer and Director Gavin Isaacs, at G2E 2012, then take a few minutes to watch the video on the G2E Blog. Gavin discusses the future of gaming, the rebranding of SHFL entertainment Inc. and its expanding product showcase that now includes gaming tables, proprietary tables and slot machines.

Josiah Gilbert Holland,American writer and poet

Churchill Downs said it has entered a deal to acquire Oxford Casino in Maine from Black Bear Realty for $160 million, pending approval from the Maine Gaming Control Board. "The acquisition of Oxford continues our focus on investing capital in gaming-friendly states, in newer properties, in what we believe are competitively defensible markets, and at valuations that we believe will result in significant future free cash flow generation at rates of return attractive to our shareholders," Churchill Downs Chairman and CEO Robert Evans said. Fox Business (3/29)

Boyd Gaming's Gold Coast Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas looks to reopen its 400 remodeled hotel rooms in the coming weeks. The rooms have been improved with new carpets, furniture, wall coverings and drapes. "We felt it was time to reinvest in our product, providing our guests with a modern, boutique-like hotel experience," said Kerrie Burke, vice president and general manager of the Gold Coast. The 87,000-square-foot casino will receive an overhaul starting this summer. VegasInc.com (Las Vegas) (3/29)

Maryland is making a play to keep casino customers in state who now gamble in nearby states with the authorization of table games at the Hollywood Casino Perryville in Cecil County and the Maryland Live! Casino in Anne Arundel County. "Any time competition is added, you see short-term negatives," said Al Britton, general manager at Hollywood Casino in West Virginia. "But there's a pretty healthy market in this area. We feel fairly confident in our ability to compete." The Washington Post (3/31)

Rock Ohio Caesars' Thistledown racetrack in North Randall, Ohio, is days away from its April 9 opening after undergoing an $88 million renovation for conversion to a racino. Marcus Glover, a vice president of Caesars Entertainment, said the Horseshoe Casino in Cleveland and Thistledown will be offering different attractions. "We will position these properties more to be complementary than to cannibalize each other. That will help big-time," Glover said. The Columbus Dispatch (Ohio) (3/31)

The Bellagio casino resort in Las Vegas has recently added to its offerings a private gaming room, which is exclusively for high rollers by invitation. According to Debra Nutton, senior vice president of casino relations, customers must risk $300,000 due to the gaming rules that govern private play. VegasInc.com (Las Vegas) (3/29)

Atlantic City, N.J., took in a record amount of state luxury tax revenues and drew a larger share of tourists in the past year, according to tourism studies. "There's a realization that we need to be a full-service destination. There are clear signs that we are doing that," researcher Brian Tyrrell said. Despite having lower gaming revenues in the previous months, resorts in the city helped the state collect a record $12 million in luxury tax in last year's third quarter. The Press of Atlantic City (N.J.) (3/30)