AGA SmartBrief

Figures released by the Ohio Casino Control Commission show that the state's three casinos took in gross revenues of $53.2 million in January. "It's hard to look at the numbers from month to month and find a trend. Once the fourth casino opens in March and all four casinos have been open for a year, we'll have a better basis to make comparisons," said Tama Davis, a spokeswoman for the Ohio Casino Control Commission. Dayton Daily News (Ohio) (2/7)

Maine's Department of Environmental Protection has reissued a land use and construction permit to the Oxford Casino for the gambling facility's expansion project. Plans include adding a pool, conference center, restaurants, parking space, a skating rink and an RV park. Kennebec Journal (Maine) (2/7)

The Massachusetts Gaming Commission has hired N. Richard Day, a casino regulator in Washington state, as its new executive director. "He has 11 years of experience running a facility similar in size to the one we will be. He knows this business cold. He has a great law enforcement background. It's very exciting," commission Chairman Stephen P. Crosby said. The Republican (Springfield, Mass.) (2/7)

Key New York lawmakers say they should participate in deciding where any casinos are built in the state. Senate leaders Jeff Klein and Dean Skelos say they agree with a previous call by Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver for a legislative role in the process. The Wall Street Journal (2/6)

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who vetoed legislation Thursday that would legalize online gambling in the state, said he would favor the bill with a few conditions. Christie said he would sign the bill into law if lawmakers limit it to a 10-year trial period and include a higher tax rate on casinos. "With these goals in mind, I have concluded that now is the time for our state to move forward, again leading the way for the nation, by becoming one of the first states to permit Internet gaming," Christie said. The Press of Atlantic City (N.J.) (2/8)

Casino hotels in Macau are now fully booked for Feb. 12 to 14 for the Chinese New Year holiday, said Deutsche Bank AG analyst Karen Tang. According to Tang, the increase in hotel occupancy could help lift casino revenue in the gaming hub by 15% on a year-over-year basis. "For resorts, this is almost like reaping the windfall of lucky money," said Lantis Li, an analyst at Capital Securities Corp. Bloomberg Businessweek (2/8)

Take a peak behind the curtain with CINTAS uniform designer Natalia Masiewicz at the G2E 2012 Ultra Lounge Uniform Fashion Show, sponsored by CINTAS, by watching the exclusive video on the G2E Blog. Natalia will take you through her new design that provides functionality and shows off the luxurious side as well!

Woodrow Wilson,28th U.S. president

The bidding process for a new casino in Maryland officially began Wednesday when the state Video Lottery Facility Location Commission issued a request for proposals for a casino just outside Washington, D.C., in Prince George's County. Under the rules issued by the commission, applicants must have agreements with labor unions that represent casino and hotel workers in Maryland. American City Business Journals (2/6)

Market East Associates, one of the companies seeking a license to build Philadelphia's second casino, has partnered with Mohegan Sun for its gaming project. "Mohegan is one of the nation's top entertainment and gaming destination operators. We couldn't be more excited about teaming up with them for the sake of developing a world-class gaming and entertainment project," said real estate developer Ken Goldenberg, who assembled Market East Associates. The Philadelphia Inquirer (2/6)

Davenport, Iowa, is planning to submit a casino license application to the state Racing and Gaming Commission on April 18 as part of the requirements for the acquisition of the Rhythm City riverboat casino. The city wants to purchase the gaming facility from the Isle of Capri for a plan to develop a land-based casino. "If everyone is making good progress, we would be looking for March preparing the application and the April IRGC meeting," Davenport City Administrator Craig Malin said. Quad-City Times (Davenport, Iowa) (2/6)

The Horseshoe Casino Cincinnati, which will open next month, has agreed to partner with seven hotels in the city as part of its plan to team up with local attractions and businesses. "The urban location of the casino places it conveniently near the most luxurious hotels in downtown Cincinnati. We're delighted to send our guests to these downtown hotels to explore some of the best hospitality that Cincinnati has to offer," said Mike Warren, vice president of marketing for the casino. Cincinnati.com (2/7)

Economic development officials in Warren County, Iowa, are exploring the possibility of casino gambling in the county. Jason White, executive director of Warren County Economic Development Corp., said the group is considering opportunities that could lift the county's tax base and benefit residents and local schools. "Given the focus and attention some communities in the metro have given this, we thought it might be within our realm to at least investigate whether that was even a possibility for us," White said. The Des Moines Register (Iowa) (tiered subscription model) (2/6)

Ameet Patel, vice president and general manager of Ohio's Hollywood Casino Columbus, said the casino would install six additional poker tables and scale down the number of its slot machines by about 500 due to customer demand. Patel also said that the gaming facility's bar will be expanded. "We've also seen big crowds in our bar and lounge area, particularly on weekends, and we want to provide more room for our customers to enjoy the food, beverage and entertainment offerings we're providing," Patel added. The Columbus Dispatch (Ohio) (2/6)

Geno Iafrate, Pinnacle Entertainment's executive vice president of regional operations, said construction af a $20 million hotel at the company's Boomtown Casino in Harvey, La., will begin at the end of this month. The 150-room hotel, which will include a fitness center and a meeting venue, is expected to be completed in about 13 months. Iafrate also told the Baton Rouge Rotary Club this week that the area's casino market could be bringing in up to $50 million a month. The Advocate (Baton Rouge, La.) (2/7)

Springfield, Mass., City Councilor Bud L. Williams said he hopes the state gaming commission and the company that could be awarded with a license to operate a casino in the city would consider hiring residents with minor criminal records. "When dealing with an urban setting, there is a lot of challenges with people having a history with the criminal justice system. We have to take a hard and fair look at it and be sensitive enough to have a discussion about it," Williams said. The Republican (Springfield, Mass.) (2/5)

The Lower Brule Sioux tribe of South Dakota is seeking to build a $34 million casino in Oacoma, S.D., with RM Rangel as the project's contractor. On Tuesday, Richard Rangel of RM Rangel made a public presentation of plans for the casino, which would include 500 slot machines and four poker tables. The Daily Republic (Mitchell, S.D.) (2/6)

A $1.2 billion casino hotel development in Manila, Philippines, owned by Enrique Razon Jr.'s Bloomberry Resorts Corp., will open on March 16. Among the shareholders of the casino are Australian billionaire James Packer and Macau gaming executive Lawrence Ho. "Many of the most modern resorts and gaming equipment and facilities are installed and will be used in Solaire Manila," Bloomberry said. The Philippine Star (Manila) (2/7)

If you missed the interview with Christine Reilly, senior research director at the National Center for Responsible Gaming (NCRG) at G2E 2012, then take a few minutes to watch the video on the G2E Blog. The 2012 NCRG's Conference on Gambling and Addiction is focused on recovery, risks with online gambling and future trends within the industry.

Jules Renard,French author