AGA SmartBrief

During 2012, the AGA launched the "All In" campaign to showcase the positive impact gaming industry corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts are having on communities nationwide. The campaign focused on four specific areas -- philanthropy, responsible gaming, diversity and environmental sustainability -- and in conjunction with events throughout the year, the AGA coordinated industry activities, developed multimedia web resources and released white papers quantifying AGA member contributions in the areas of giving and volunteering and environmental sustainability. Visit the AGA website to learn more about this campaign that the AGA plans to reprise in 2013.

Attending G2E Asia 2013 (May 21-23 at the Venetian Macao)? If so, be sure to check out our newly designed floor plan. If you are still looking to exhibit at G2E Asia 2013, the show floor is selling out fast so contact us today! For companies in the Americas and Europe, contact Todd Sheahan at +1-203-840-5397, and for companies in the Asia Pacific region contact Sean Chen at +86 755 2383 4566.

Romain Gary,French diplomat, novelist, film director and aviator

Two gaming companies made public presentations Monday of the casinos they hope to build in Springfield, Mass. MGM Resorts International officials discussed their casino project for the South End of the city. "MGM Springfield, we hope, will bring millions of people to the city and cars back into the city," MGM CEO James J. Murren said. Meanwhile, Penn National Gaming executives presented details of a casino for the North End. "Simply put, we are the only company in the process who knows how to build a successful project in markets just like Springfield," Penn National CEO Peter M. Carlino said. The Republican (Springfield, Mass.) (3/11)

Las Vegas Sands, which is set to build a $9.8 billion billion casino-resort complex in Alcorcón, Spain, later this year, is currently focused on developing big resorts, according to Sands spokesman Ron Reese. The company is also working to sell its casino in Bethlehem, Pa. "It's safe to say that Las Vegas Sands is focused on large-scale integrated resorts, rather than smaller, regional sites. That said, we're very proud of our investment in Bethlehem," Reese said. The Morning Call (Allentown, Pa.) (3/11)

New Jersey's Division of Gaming Enforcement released figures Monday showing that casinos in Atlantic City took in $212.3 million in gambling revenues in February. Kevin DeSanctis, Revel's chief executive officer, said the gambling resort has seen an improvement in its leisure and group business. "Our numbers are starting to head in the right direction -- more than 44 groups held meetings at Revel in February, and we exceeded our leisure bookings forecast," DeSanctis said. The Press of Atlantic City (N.J.) (3/12)

A judge issued a temporary restraining order against the construction of the Horseshoe Baltimore casino Monday until a hearing on a lawsuit filed by Westport residents against the city, the Maryland Department of Environment and CBAC Gaming takes place Friday. Caesars Entertainment officials declined to comment on the issue. The Baltimore Sun (3/11)

The Rancho Cordova, Calif., City Council passed a 45-day moratorium that prohibits any Internet cafe casino from opening while they search for options to ban the establishments. The "mini-casinos" -- which operate sweepstakes and casino games on computers -- are considered illegal. "There's no licensing requirement, no background check and no regulation. Where's the integrity?" American Gaming Association executive director Judy Patterson said of the businesses. The Sacramento Bee (Calif.) (free registration) (3/11)

The Plain Dealer (Cleveland) (3/12)

Salem, N.H., voters are considering a nonbinding referendum today on whether the town should host a casino. Other efforts to expand gambling in the state have been put forward by some state leaders. State Sen. Chuck Morse has sponsored a bill that would expand gambling at Rockingham Park in Salem, and the state Senate Ways and Means Committee sent it to the full Senate last week. Gov. Maggie Hassan supports the bill. The Eagle-Tribune (North Andover, Mass.) (3/11)

888 Holdings has formed a joint venture with Avenue Capital Group as it prepares to launch its business in the U.S. The All American Poker Network will introduce the online betting firm's brands once it is licensed and state or federal regulations are finalized. "Working with a substantial financial partner provides the firepower that we need to take advantage of the significant opportunities that will be provided by a regulated U.S. gaming market," 888 CEO Brian Mattingley said. Reuters (3/11)

New York Assemblymen James Tedisco and Tony Jordan and state Sen. Kathy Marchione unveiled a new casino bill Monday that requires sites of proposed casinos in the state to be identified. The legislation also calls for Saratoga Gaming & Raceway to be one of the sites selected for a Las-Vegas style casino. "It doesn't make sense to build more gaming centers. We already have a racino here. We don't need to reinvent the wheel," Tedisco said. The Saratogian (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.) (3/11)

Mark your calendars for the 14th annual National Center for Responsible Gaming (NCRG) Conference on Gambling and Addiction Sept. 22-24. Co-located with G2E, the 2013 NCRG Conference is offering more sessions for gaming industry and regulators in the "NCRG at G2E" track. Come learn about the best practices in responsible gaming programs and patron education efforts, as well as the latest research on gambling disorders. For more information, visit the NCRG Conference website.

Unity Technologies is the creator of Unity, an intuitive and flexible development platform used to make wildly creative and intelligently interactive 3-D and 2-D content. The "author once, deploy everywhere" capability ensures developers can publish to all of the most popular platforms. Unity Technologies is headquartered in San Francisco and has offices in Canada, Denmark, Lithuania, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Japan and Korea. For more information on Unity Technologies, please visit http://unity3d.com. Unity Technologies will exhibit at G2E Asia 2013 May 21-23 at The Venetian Macao.

Winston Churchill,British prime minister

Penn National Gaming revealed revised sketches for the casino it wants to build in Springfield, Mass., a day ahead of Monday's planned public presentation of the $807 million casino. "We believe one of the benefits of the updated design is that it will link the casino and hotel more seamlessly to Main Street and encourage visitors to venture into the downtown area," said Tim Wilmott, the company's president and chief operating officer. The Republican (Springfield, Mass.) (3/10)

The Nevada Gaming Control Board said the state's casinos together took in $909.2 million in January, compared with $1.038 billion in the same month last year. Meanwhile, gaming revenues for the Strip were $507 million. According to gaming analysts, it should be taken into consideration that the Chinese New Year was celebrated in February this year, while it fell in January last year. "We believe the January-February combined comparison will offer a more meaningful look into annual growth,"said Cameron McKnight, a Wells Fargo Securities gaming analyst. Las Vegas Review-Journal (3/8)

The Treasure Island in Las Vegas is working on bringing a consulting firm on board that will conduct a study to determine necessary factors such as size and location for a convention center it is planning to add. "It's something we want to do," said Michelle Knoll, the resort's senior vice president of communications. "We just want to be certain it makes sense." VegasInc.com (Las Vegas) (3/8)

Dan Murphy, Kraft Group's vice president of business development and ­external affairs, confirmed that the company's plan to build a casino in Foxborough, Mass., with casino mogul Steve Wynn is over. "We have no desire, no ­intention and no plans. We have moved on," Murphy said. Wynn and New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft suspended their plans to develop a casino in the city last year. The Boston Globe (tiered subscription model) (3/9)

This week, the Global Gaming Business Podcast features an interview with Paul Steelman, the founder and president of Steelman Partners, on Resorts World Las Vegas, the new Genting development on the Las Vegas Strip.