France 24 – Australian tycoon James Packer on Friday said he plans to pump Aus$400 million (US$384 million) into a five-star gambling resort in Sri Lanka, cashing in on the country’s tourism potential. The billionaire, who operates casinos in Melbourne, Perth and Macau and is planning a complex in Manila, said the project on the banks of Beira Lake in Colombo would create 2,500 jobs. Sri Lanka is banking on high-end casinos to attract high-rollers and boost tourist arrivals to 2.5 million by 2016 from the current level of about a million tourists a year. Packer said he was in…

iGaming Business – Chinese sports lottery software and systems developer AGTech Holdings’ Beijing subsidiary AGTech GOT Technology has won a tender to supply the Guangdong Sports Lottery Administration Centre with football single match betting (SMB) computerised sports lottery terminals. AGTech, which is supplying SMB terminals for the first time in China, said that its GOT terminals are compatible with all computerised sports products in the country. Guangdong currently ranks as China’s third largest province in terms of sports lottery sales during the last few years, while SMB is proving to be one of the country’s fastest growing products. “By entering…

Card Player – A woman who won a $1-million prize in a promotion at an Oregon tribal casino is suing the firm who insured it for stiffing her on her seven-figure payout, according to KGW. In 2012, Beverly Mackey, who currently lives off of disability and social security payments and a small pension, hit the grand prize in the Chinook Winds Casino’s “Swipe, Play & Win” promotion. To her devastation, the insurer of the contest, Nevada-based Odds On Promotions, reportedly refused to pay, claiming that it had made a terrible blunder. It said a company technician put the odds of…

New York Times – Baha Mar, a $3.5 billion luxury resort, is scheduled to open in December 2014 on the island of Nassau in the Bahamas. The ambitious project is on a 1,000-acre property set along 3,000 feet of beach that will have four hotel brands in separate towers for a total of 2,200 rooms: the Baha Mar Casino & Hotel, Rosewood at Baha Mar, Mondrian at Baha Mar and Grand Hyatt at Baha Mar. There will also be a 100,000-square-foot casino; an ESPA-branded 30,000-square-foot spa; 32 restaurants, bars and clubs; a Jack Nicklaus golf course; 14 pools; a water…

Players of progressive slot machines may see jackpot increases in the future thanks to some companies’ desire to compete with large lottery payouts in other states. The three-member Nevada Gaming Control Board conducted a workshop Wednesday on a petition by IGT and Bally Technology to change regulations that aim at get more players to spend their money on the progressive machines. The proposed amended regulation for these jackpot increases would allow a Nevada company with a network of progressive machines to tie the Nevada progressive machines into the slots owned by the company in other states where gambling is legal. If…

Sun Herald – Island View Casino owners are ready to refurbish the hotel tower south of U.S. 90 after signing a 50-year lease Thursday with the Mississippi state Port Authority. “We’re starting demolition (of the interior) within the next week or so,” said Rick Carter, who owns the casino resort with childhood friend Terry Green. “It’s going to be phenomenal.” The agreement begins with a 10-year lease and has multiple extensions. Carter said 35 years remained on the lease assumed when he and Green bought the former Grand Casino from Harrah’s Entertainment after Hurricane Katrina. That lease was for a…

KTRK ABC – Nine people were arrested Saturday, including six licensed peace officers, following an 11-month investigation into a suspected illegal horse racing track in Crosby, according to the Harris County District Attorney’s Office. The nine defendants have been charged with racing without a license. According to investigators, the group was operating an illegal horse racing and gambling business at Rancho El Herradero on Sralla Road. The six officers were allegedly providing security at the facility. Multiple undercover surveillance operations took place during the lengthy investigation, according to the DA’s office. “Peace officers take an oath to uphold the law,”…

Reuters – Gambling firm Rank Group warned its first half profit will be lower than last year, dragging down its full-year expectations after revenues fell during the summer and a disappointing performance at its bingo chain Mecca. Rank, majority-owned by Malaysia’s Guoco Group, said it will be taking action to cut costs after like-for-like revenues fell 7 percent in the 15 weeks to October 13. “The board anticipates operating profit for the full year to be marginally below market expectations,” Rank said in a trading statement, forecasting a stronger second half to its financial year. SOURCE