AGA SmartBrief

A planned project to reconstruct a portion of Interstate 91 in Springfield, Mass., could be an important factor in the casino competition in the city and in Western Massachusetts. "If 1-91 construction or lack thereof is going to have an impact on access to or from or traffic flow in the area, that would be relevant," said Stephen P. Crosby, chairman of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission. The Republican (Springfield, Mass.) (3/31)

This week, the Global Gaming Business Podcast features an interview with Kent Young, the president and founder of Spin Games, one of the independent content providers to the slot manufacturing industry.

Lawmakers from Manchester, N.H., have introduced a bill that would limit the size of entertainment venues that potential casinos in the state might build in the future to protect music venues from casino competition. "The gist is going to be there will be no non-gambling venues over 1,500 seats on casino grounds," state Rep. Patrick Long said. The Union Leader (Manchester, N.H.) (3/31)

Erma Bombeck, American humorist

Caesars Entertainment and the owners of the Suffolk Downs racetrack in East Boston, Mass., will hold three open houses at the racetrack in April to give the residents of East Boston and Revere the chance to view the model of a $1 billion resort casino proposed by the companies. "In our continuing effort to provide local residents with as much detail as possible about our development, this model offers a more tangible vision of what the property would look like and how local traffic conditions would be improved," said Chip Tuttle, Suffolk Downs' chief operating officer. Las Vegas Review-Journal (3/28)

Deadwood, S.D., casinos reported a total gross revenue of $15.7 million for February, compared with revenue of $15.6 million in the same month last year. Revenue from table games increased by 31.3%, from $1.5 million to $2 million. The Black Hills Pioneer (Spearfish, S.D.) (3/28)

Wynn Resorts' chief operating officer, Marc Schorr, will retire and step down from the company's board of directors June 1, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. "Schorr was an extremely talented gaming executive and his talent will surely be missed at Wynn. It is unclear at this point, if the company will look to fill the position internally or seek someone from the outside," said Bill Lerner, a Union Gaming Group analyst. Las Vegas Review-Journal (3/28)

Rush Street Gaming officials provided details of their plans for a $200 million slot machine parlor the company hopes to build in Worcester, Mass. Company executives said the gaming facility would include 1,250 slot machines, two restaurants, a bar and a food court. "We think this is a natural place to have a casino," Rush Street Chairman Neil G. Bluhm said. Telegram & Gazette (Worcester, Mass.) (3/28)

Penn National Gaming's racino development in Austintown, Ohio, could be delayed by up to six months after the Ohio Racing Commission denied the company's current plans for the gaming facility. The commissioners want Penn to add more grandstand seating and more horse stalls. The delay is "the big disappointment [because] there has been our local labor force out there working, and now they are going to stop working. And those are the people that are spending money in our restaurants and in our stores," Austintown Township Trustee Jim Davis said. WYTV-TV (Youngstown, Ohio) (3/27)

Vornado Realty Trust, one of Suffolk Downs' major stakeholders, has obtained approval from the Massachusetts Gaming Commission to divest its 19.9% stake in the track because the company's executives don't want to undergo background checks required for casino license applicants. "This change to our list of qualifiers will have no impact on our application for a gaming license," Suffolk Downs chief operating officer Chip Tuttle said. The Boston Globe (tiered subscription model) (3/28)

Howard Cooper, a lawyer for the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, has sent a letter to the Massachusetts Gaming Commission saying that the panel "lacks the lawful authority" to seek casino proposals for the state's southeastern region. Cooper wrote in the letter that the initial agreement between state Gov. Deval Patrick and the tribe states that the commission "will not issue a request for Category 1 license applications in Region C unless and until it determines that the tribe will not have land into trust for it by the United States Secretary of the Interior." Cape Cod Times (Mass.) (tiered subscription model) (3/28)

West Virginia's Senate Judiciary Committee approved two gambling bills Wednesday. One of the bills would trim fees paid by the state's four racetrack casinos for the ability to offer tables games, while the other would authorize a new casino in Franklin. State Sen. Herb Snyder proposed an amendment to the first bill that would cut subsidies to the casinos for purchasing slot machines. San Francisco Chronicle (free content) (3/28)

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Epicurus,Greek philosopher

Wynn Resorts has disclosed more details of a $1.2 billion casino the company hopes to build on the Mystic River in Everett, Mass., after residents said last week that they wanted to see what the gaming facility would look like. The proposal for the property would have 550 hotel rooms in 19 stories and entertainment and retail space. The Boston Globe (tiered subscription model) (3/27)

The Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency has given Galaxy Gaming, a casino products developer and maker, the green light to do business in the state. "Recent legislation now allows live table games in Maryland, which makes this a very attractive market for us. This is a rapidly growing market with 12 casinos now operational or planned," said Dean Barnett, regional sales manager with the company. Las Vegas Review-Journal (3/27)

Bets placed at Pennsylvania's horse racing tracks rose 12% to $776.9 million in 2012, compared with $690.3 million in 2011, according to the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. "The horse racing industry continues to benefit from the revenue that casinos generate here in Pennsylvania," said board Chairman William H. Ryan Jr. The Patriot-News (Harrisburg, Pa.) (3/27)

Atlantic City's Revel casino, which has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, needs additional funding and less debt, the resort's lawyers said during the first day of the bankruptcy hearing Wednesday. "We believe Revel is an anchor tenant for the revitalization of Atlantic City. The good news is we believe the problems are eminently fixable," Revel lawyer Marc Kieselstein told U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Judith Wizmur. The Press of Atlantic City (N.J.) (3/28)

As several U.S. states attempt to legalize sports betting as a way to increase revenues, they are facing opposition from professional sports leagues. A.G. Burnett, chairman of the Nevada State Gaming Control Board, said that sports leagues are protected in Nevada due to regulations on sports betting and that leagues might be better off if gambling and its regulations expanded. "What we have here is a regulatory process specifically to monitor what happens on both sides of the counter. This is all we do, and we're good at it," Burnett said. The New York Times (tiered subscription model) (3/27)

The village board of Algonquin, Ill., has voted to allow video gambling in the town. "It was a real, real tough decision for me. But I believe these businesses have to have an opportunity to stay competitive in some local communities," Trustee Jerry Glogowski said. Next week, the board will vote on an ordinance that regulates video gambling beyond the state's conditions. Daily Herald (Arlington Heights, Ill.) (3/27)