AGA SmartBrief

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)

The Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City, N.J., said that it will continue to offer eCasino, an in-room gaming system that allows guests to gamble in their rooms using the television sets. New Jersey gaming regulators cleared Borgata's application to extend the trial period of eCasino until Aug 1 to modify its software and include slot machine features. "We think it serves as a great foundation for moving forward with Internet gambling," said Joe Lupo, senior vice president of operations. The Press of Atlantic City (N.J.) (5/12)

According to an annual AGA survey, the slot machine consistently is named the public's favorite casino game. But, despite their popularity, there are a lot of misconceptions about how slot machines work. The main point to remember is that each spin or play is a completely random event independent of any spins that came before it. A lot of the myths about the machines fall apart when you consider this fact. Learn more about how slot machines operate by downloading "Taking the Mystery Out of the Machine: A Guide to Understanding Slot Machines."

Keep up with how G2E is preparing for 2013, including new exhibitor announcements, conference updates and networking opportunities. Plus find out the latest with what's going on in the gaming industry by connecting with us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and the G2E Blog. Check out 2012 video highlights and interviews from the show floor on YouTube and www.globalgamingexpo.com. Remember to save the date for G2E 2013, taking place Sept. 23-26 (Exhibits: Sept. 24-26) at the Sands Expo & Convention Center in Las Vegas.

Miles Davis,American jazz musician

MGM Resorts International on Thursday submitted an $800 million casino resort proposal with the Maryland Video Lottery Facility Location Commission. The planned luxury casino resort would include 200 gaming tables, 4,000 slot machines, restaurants and entertainment space and would open in 2016 if it obtains a license. Reuters (5/9)

Revel casino in Atlantic City, N.J., is set today to open the $3 million Pearl Lounge, a venue that includes a VIP players' lounge and 67 slot machines. Revel will also open a restaurant by Memorial Day weekend and a beach club behind the casino soon. The Philadelphia Inquirer (5/9)

The National Park Service ruled against Rock Ohio Caesars' proposed construction of a skywalk that would connect the Horseshoe Casino Cleveland in the historic Higbee Building to a parking garage. The bridge would "negatively impact the historic character" of the Higbee Building and its Tower City Center surroundings, according to hearing officer John Burns. While the ruling doesn't prevent the construction of the pedestrian bridge, the property owner would have to repay tax credits given for renovation of the historic building. The Plain Dealer (Cleveland) (5/9)

Ellenville, N.Y., Mayor Jeffrey Kaplan said Gov. Andrew Cuomo's gaming plan, which puts the counties of Sullivan and Ulster under one region, increases competition for a license and puts the renovation of the Nevele Hotel at risk. Under the plan, Sullivan County's Monticello Casino and Raceway and Ulster County's Nevele Hotel casino project would compete for only one of three possible licenses. Some say more flexible boundaries would give both proposals a chance. YNN Hudson Valley (Albany, N.Y.) (5/9)

The Massachusetts Gaming Commission has selected a team of researchers from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst School of Public Health and Health Sciences to study the social and economic effects of gambling as the state prepares for gambling expansion. "[T]his is the first time to actually have the opportunity to document these impacts as they unfold over time," said Rachel A. Volberg, a UMass professor who has studied gambling and problem gambling for nearly three decades. The Republican (Springfield, Mass.) (5/9)

As part of New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's latest gaming proposal, the state's thoroughbred and standardbred industries would receive support only from casinos at racino sites with live table games. "[Racinos have] completely revitalized our industry and created New York as a destination location for breeding and racing horses, which is a huge economic engine for the state," said Jeff Cannizzo, New York Thoroughbred Breeders executive director, on the possibility that not all casinos would support the industry. Daily Gazette (Schenectady, N.Y.) (5/9)