Allowing gambling on video game competition may be a wave of the future in Nevada. “The market is huge,” says Christopher LaPorte, owner of Insert Coins, a video arcade in downtown Las Vegas. This would be a new way to invigorate the gaming industry, he says. A legislative study committee recommended Nevada change its law to permit the state Gaming Commission to decide on ways to expand the gaming market. Dan Reaser, a Reno lawyer representing game manufacturers, advanced the proposal. The idea would be to allow the Gaming Commission to approve rules to permit skill-based games and also to…

Las Vegas Sun – Gov. Brian Sandoval isn’t sold on allowing Nevada to become the first state to permit betting on the presidential and other federal elections. “As I think through it, unless I’m convinced otherwise, it is not something I would support,” Sandoval said today. He described himself as “more of a traditionalist” when it comes to betting. “The state has done fine on sports and horse race betting and other events,” he said. The governor hasn’t taken a public position on the issue until now. State Sen. Tick Segerblom, D-Las Vegas, is pushing a proposal to open up…

Chicago-based Hyatt Hotels Corp has signed an agreement to manage Melco Crown Philippines Casino Resorts City of Dreams hotel in Manila’s newest gaming hub, the two firms said on Tuesday. The two groups did not disclose any financial details of the agreement. The twin-tower hotel to be branded Hyatt City of Dreams Manila forms part of the $1.3 billion integrated casino resort that Melco Crown Entertainment will open this year in Entertainment City, Manila’s version of Las Vegas gaming strip. It is Melco’s first casino venture outside of Macau, seeking to offer wealthy Chinese punters and other Asian high rollers…

Reuters – Japan’s parliament will likely start discussing next week a bill to legalise casino gambling although proponents may hold off voting until the autumn in a strategic move to prevent opponents from killing it, a key supporter of the bill said on Tuesday. Takeshi Iwaya, a member of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and a leading casino proponent, said he had some success in recent weeks in garnering support for the bill from a coalition partner and the main opposition party. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s visit to two integrated resorts in Singapore last week, where he said casinos…

At the online gaming site associated the Foxwoods Casino, customers can play nearly every game and buy credits that build up reward points for merchandise and hotel stays at the real property. One thing they cannot do, at least for now, is wager real money. Foxwoods and its local rival, Mohegan Sun, the two biggest tribal-owned casinos in the United States, each have launched websites in case Internet gambling is legalized at the federal level or in their home state of Connecticut. While prospects for changes to the law remain uncertain, the casinos have found the sites offer value as…

iGaming Business – Swedish national state-owned lottery Svenska Spel has become the first operator to offer the latest solution from online gambling player protection software developer Playscan. Customers of Svenska Spel will now have access to Playscan 4.1, a software product that helps to protect players. The latest version includes additional input from gambling addiction support groups and usability research, in additions to a new risk scale and an in-depth view of the risk analysis. The design, which Playscan said helps the player understand and further reflect on the risks associate with gambling, runs on multiple platforms including desktop, mobile…