With the MGM’s Park, Jim Murren is playing the long game on the Strip. “We have a very strong feeling of what Las Vegas is going to look like five to 10 years from now,” the MGM Resorts International chairman said recently when describing the details of the Park, an entertainment and retail complex between the company’s New York-New York and Monte Carlo properties. “It’s very different from today—and when this is done in 2016 we’ll see if we’re right.” The Park is a bet on both the great outdoors (the kind of urban walking experience we’ve seen at Caesars’…

iGaming Business – Interactive gaming software and services provider GTECH has been awarded a 10-year online gaming, systems, terminals and integration contract to provide end-to-end services for the National Lottery of Belgium (NLB). Under the contract, which is due to begin this month, GTECH will provide the NLB with various gaming technology, performance-driven systems and an integrated business environment. GTECH will supply its Enterprise Series central system solutions to replace NLBs existing terminal base with 5,500 Altura GT100 terminals. In addition, GTECH will also deploy mobile and handheld terminals as well as self-service ticket machines. GTECH will additionally provide various…

iGaming Business – Finnish national lottery operator Veikkaus has announced the launch of a new daily geolottery game. Created and licensed by Swedish lottery supplier Genera Networks, the game is officially known as Nabor, but has been given the local name of Naapurit (The Neighbours) for Veikkaus. Finnish players can take part in the game by using their home address, with winners drawn in a raffle and secondary prizes distributed among ticket holders who live closest to the main winner. The Naapurit lottery will also be accompanied by a primetime television programme that will be broadcast on two channels. Tickets…

Cyprus Mail – Casino licenses should be expected by Spring 2015, the government said on Thursday, as legislation on the matter was scheduled to be ready at the end of the month. “We have completed the policy document and legislation is being prepared at this moment to be submitted to parliament by the end of May,” Tourism Minister Giorgos Lakkotrypis said. He added that the government expected to issue the licences eight months after the law was passed, through open tender procedures. Chairman of the House Trade Committee, ruling DISY MP, Lefteris Christoforou voiced his satisfaction over the development, which…

Sri Lanka will not oppose the casino planned for a $400 million mixed-use resort being developed by Australia’s Crown Casinos if it is operated using an existing license held by a local partner, a top government official said on Thursday. The government’s latest stance on casinos is contrary to what it said on April 25 when Australian gambling tycoon James Packer’s Crown project was approved by the country’s parliament. At that time the government said no casino would be allowed in the resort. Opponents of casinos believe they will lead to a boom in prostitution and damage religious values and…

US Poker – The dust has settled from the 140th Kentucky Derby. California Chrome celebrated in the winner’s circle on Saturday. Bettors that picked California Chrome to win took home $2.50 for every $1 bet.  Many other wagers were placed on the annual betting tradition. Churchill Downs held a large portion of the action. Win, place and show bets saw a 17.5 percent hold. Exotics had 22% taken from the prize pool. This was up from 16 percent and 19 percent in 2013, respectively. Churchill Downs booked $186.6 million in bets on Saturday across the entire race card. Winning bettors…