Bloomberg – Japanese lawmakers supporting a bill to legalize casinos said it would be tough to pass the law by next month, a sign that the opportunity to link approval with the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo is diminishing. “Passing the casino bill in the current session of parliament will be tough,” Sakihito Ozawa, a lower house member, said today at a forum in Tokyo. Japan’s parliament, or Diet, meets until June 22 and the bill must be sent to the upper house at least 20 days before the session ends, he said. The country’s ruling party and business leaders including…

New casino games are being invented today by students at UNLV, with many of them too young to even gamble. They’re enrolled in the class “Gaming Innovation Program” at the university, and in in its first year the class has been able to produced more than twelve new offerings for casinos. Those games include “888 Baccarat,” a non-commission version of baccarat which incorporates elements of Chinese culture. “Color War,” which is an easy-to-play table game based on the color of the cards dealt. Plus, “Flip Card Blackjack” where a card is dealt face down under the side-bet when the player…

Press of Atlantic City –  An Atlantic City man has hired an attorney to clarify whether registered medical marijuana users must be accommodated in casino smoking sections after he was told he could not take his prescription at Revel Casino Hotel. Daniel Price, a 23-year-old medical marijuana card holder, said he was turned away from Revel and directed to the Boardwalk when he asked a security guard if he could use the substance in late April. A registered medical marijuana patient since February, Price is prescribed the drug to treat both seizures and irritable bowel disease. “I asked the security…

One of the most recognizable names in horse racing is joining the field in New York’s sprint into big-time gambling. The company that owns Churchill Downs, home of the Kentucky Derby, is teaming up with a track to pursue a full-fledged casino just outside the state capital. The project is one of nearly two dozen coming into focus as the state moves to issue up to four casino licenses. Final bids are due on June 30, with a decision on locations expected in the fall. On Monday, a state gambling panel assigned to choose casino locations said that bidders in…

Las Vegas Review Journal – Anytime the investment community gets downwind of a potential hiccup in the Macau gaming market, a slash-and-burn mentality sets in. The victims are often MGM Resorts International, Las Vegas Sands Corp. and Wynn Resorts Ltd. The Las Vegas-based companies have subsidiaries listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and those stock prices usually take a beating. Sometimes, the companies’ share prices on the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq suffer collateral damage. In April, skittish investors worried about deteriorating liquidity in the high-end wagering credit market. A month earlier, it was fear that gamblers would…

Card Player – The Crown casino in Australia is going after a high roller for allegedly stiffing the house on a massive gambling debt of $6.8 million, according to the Herald Sun. The casino said that a 13-day gambling binge left the high roller, Zhao Li, with the debt, but that he neglected or refused to pay it despite “repeated requests” by Crown. According to Crown, back in October they granted him $13 million in credit. Crown Resorts, which is owned by billionaire James Packer, might want some of that money back as it looks to invest in properties in…