Chicago Tribune – In what has practically become a harbinger of spring, state lawmakers who favor gambling expansion began their annual push Wednesday by debating the latest plan to bring a massive casino to Chicago. But neither Gov. Pat Quinn nor Mayor Rahm Emanuel breathed much life into the proposal, as they joined Republican governor candidate Bruce Rauner in declining to weigh in on the merits of the legislation. The newest version separates plans for a Chicago casino with up to 10,000 betting positions from a broader package that would add a total of five new casinos across the state…

Card Player – Late last week, IGT announced that its “Powerbucks,” a multistate wide-area progressive jackpot link, will be deployed at Caesars Entertainment properties in approved jurisdictions, starting with the states of New Jersey and Nevada. In other words, the games will be linked between the Silver State and the Garden State, leading to potentially bigger prizes. Recent changes to Nevada gaming regulations allowed for this. “We’re excited to transform the jackpot experience,” IGT said in a statement. “With Powerbucks, IGT re-imagines casino gaming thrills by creating more winners, more often, across multiple states. We all win when players engage…

Poker News – Last week, Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City filed a lawsuit against Phil Ivey seeking reimbursement of $9.626 million in winnings he won at the baccarat table during four sessions back in 2012. The nearly 60-page complaint, which PokerNews recently obtained in full, alleges that Ivey used “edge sorting” — a technique where in which he was able to spot tiny variations in the pattern printed on the backs of the cards. The suit also names card manufacturer Gemaco Inc., which designed the cards, as well as Ivey’s partner, Cheng Yin Sun, who reportedly accompanied…

iGaming Business – Gaming industry entertainment solutions provider Amaya Gaming Group has announced that its Cadillac Jack subsidiary has entered into multiple agreements to ship approximately 1,100 gaming machines to new and existing customers in the US. The shipments include outright sales of gaming machines as well as upgrading existing revenue share-generating gaming machines. The majority of the units will be Class II machines but will also include the supply of Class III machines into Oklahoma and California. Installation of the machines is due to take place during the second quarter of 2014. David Baazov, chief executive officer of Amaya Gaming,…

A new Reno casino in downtown is the first time since 1995 as the Silver Legacy has opened. Siri’s Casino opened its doors Friday at the site of the old Primadonna Club across from Harrah’s Reno. Owner Jeff Siri, who also is president of downtown Reno’s Club Cal Neva, says the new casino’s theme is based after Miami’s South Beach neighborhood. It features some 140 slot machines, a mermaid fountain, a full bar and a wide range of daiquiri drinks. Siri says he hopes the casino will help draw more visitors to the downtown and prompt other casinos to open….

iGaming Business – The UK Gambling Commission has announced it is to host a series of training workshops across the country to help local councils identify and manage the siting of illegal gaming machines in their respective constituencies. Training will be provided by Westminster City Training in partnership with the Gambling Commission’s Local Authority Liaison Unit (LALU), the latter of which regularly supports UK councils and polices forces on joint operations to remove illegal gaming machines. Many of the courses, a number of which are already fully booked, will be hosted in casino premises in order to give participants first-hand…