A long-planned initiative to create bigger jackpots by linking Nevada slots to those in New Jersey is up and running. The New Jersey Gaming Enforcement Division says the progressive slots system links 100 machines in Atlantic City with 600 in Nevada. The progressive jackpots grow in size as more gamblers play them. “The division is pleased to have been at the forefront of passing regulations and reaching out to other jurisdictions to enable this expanded gaming opportunity for Atlantic City,” said director David Rebuck. “Much like multi-state lotteries, this new technology and cooperative regulatory agreements will allow combined progressive jackpots…

iGaming Business – Australian entertainment group Crown Resorts has cited the success of its operations in the Chinese gambling resort of Macau as one of the main reasons behind a significant growth in net profit during the 12 months through to June 30, 2014. The company reported net profit of AUS$655.8 million (€457.1 million/US$611.3 million), an increase of 65.7% on the AUS$395.8 million achieved in the previous year. Revenue at Crown Resorts grew to AUS$3.1 billion, a 6.7% rise year-on-year from AUS$2.9 billion. Elsewhere, earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and significant items jumped by 16.7% from AUS$751.9 million last year…

Poker Fuse – Once again this year the Global Gaming Expo (G2E) will be held at the Sands Expo and Convention Center in Las Vegas, but this time their host, Las Vegas Sands Chairman and CEO Sheldon Adelson, will also be a keynote speaker. Adelson will be giving one of two keynote speeches at the trade show which runs from September 30 to October 2, and with an audience composed of the illuminati of the land based and online gambling industry, he is expected to expound on his opposition to online poker in the US. The Coalition to Stop Internet…

CNBC – As another casino in Atlantic City, N.J., plans to close its doors, some believe allowing sports betting could help invigorate a struggling industry. Most states don’t allow wagers on sporting events, thanks to a federal ban. In Nevada, where sports gambling is legal, it accounts for $4.25 million of the $11.2 billion in statewide gaming revenues. ““Sports betting unregulated is a debacle. It’s horrible because it puts money into the wrong people’s hands,” said Bill Pascrell III of Princeton Public Affairs Group. “Why should Nevada and Delaware have a monopoly? … It’s a state’s rights issue,” he said…

Governor Chris Christie isn’t planning to intervene in the closings of three New Jersey casinos over the coming weeks but says he’s committed to finding a way to bolster the region’s economic health. Casino workers facing jobs losses gathered outside the Ocean City Music Pier and chanted “save our jobs” and “five-year promise” as the governor arrived for a town hall meeting Thursday. Christie, in 2010, unveiled his first-term recovery plan for New Jersey casinos and said the tourism district needed five years to reverse its fortunes. Christie told the audience that a Sept. 8 summit he has scheduled for…

Analysts have been warning for months about the Macau gaming crackdown and a summer slowdown in VIP gaming after officials arrested several local lenders on charges of illegal money laundering. MGM Resorts International, Sands, Wynn Resorts and others with casinos in Macau have been impacted by weakness there. Naturally, revenue for Las Vegas Sands and other Macau-centric casinos collectively fell 3.6% in July to $3.5 billion, Macau officials said recently, led by a slide in high-roller VIP segment gaming. Telsey Advisory Group analyst Chris Jones said Monday that the mass market segment in Macau — tourists and casual middle-class visitors…