AGA SmartBrief

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

The casino at the Hialeah Park racetrack in Hialeah, Fla., may open in June or July, according to General Manager Steve Calabro. "We've been working on this a long time," Calabro said. The gaming facility, which is the first part of a three-phase plan to improve the park, will include 870 slot machines and 20 poker tables. Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) (2/6)

Maryland casinos generated $44.3 million in January. The Maryland Live! casino took in nearly $36 million last month, while the Hollywood Casino Perryville reported revenue of $5.45 million and the Casino at Ocean Downs pulled in $2.9 million. American City Business Journals (2/5)

The administration of New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has released a statement dismissing reports of a casino development in the city's Willets Point, Queens, neighborhood. "There is no casino being built at Willets Point, period," said Julie Wood, a spokeswoman for the mayor. "The agreement with the Queens Development Group to clean up and transform this long-blighted area into a dynamic, mixed-use district expressly prohibits any gaming uses," added Nick Kelly, a spokesman with the city's Economic Development Corporation. The New York Times (tiered subscription model) (2/5)

A proposed casino gambling amendment for Kentucky is stalled due to opposition from some racetracks in the state, Gov. Steve Beshear said. "The chances are still unknown and very uncertain because of the opposition of those racetracks. I feel that if those tracks were on board, we would have the votes in the Senate now to pass that type of amendment," Beshear said. Lexington Herald-Leader (Ky.) (2/5)

New Jersey Sen. Raymond Lesniak said state lawmakers may put online gambling up for a referendum should Gov. Chris Christie veto legislation that awaits his decision. "A referendum is very, very dangerous," Lesniak said. "It could preclude New Jersey from having Internet gaming even if the federal government allows it." Christie has until Thursday to sign or veto the bill. The Press of Atlantic City (N.J.) (2/5)

Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval has requested that state lawmakers act within a month on an online gambling bill that would allow him to make interstate agreements on authorizing online poker. "Nevada has always been the gold standard of both gaming regulation and agreements, and I intend to see to it that our state will lead the world into this new frontier," Sandoval said. Las Vegas Sun (2/5)

Mashpee Wampanoag tribe Chairman Cedric Cromwell said he is optimistic about the tribe's land trust application, approval of which is a requirement for the tribe's plan to open a casino in Taunton, Mass. "The letter we got from the assistant secretary not too long ago is very important. It mapped out timelines. So we look forward to hearing some positive news very soon around our initial reservation exception, which includes Taunton and Mashpee land," Cromwell said. Taunton Daily Gazette (Mass.) (2/4)

The European Commission has proposed including online gambling in European Union legislation to counter fraud. The proposal could become law if it obtains approval from all 27 member countries. Reuters (2/5)

Global Gaming Women (GGW) announced today that it would launch the Global Gaming Network -- a first-of-its-kind online mentoring network designed to connect women professionals in the commercial casino industry -- in the first quarter of this year. Global Gaming Network will allow women from all levels of the gaming entertainment industry to identify and connect with potential mentors to share their advice, experience and best practices. Read more here.

The G2E Team will be at the 2013 ICE Gaming Show taking place Feb. 5-7 in London at Booth #S0-169. Stop by the booth to learn more about G2E and be sure to drop your business card to be entered into a drawing to win a five-day all-access conference pass to G2E 2013, Sept. 24-26 at the Sands Expo & Convention Center in Las Vegas. If you want to connect with the G2E Team to discuss exhibiting at G2E and/or G2E Asia 2013, e-mail Todd Sheahan.