Australian Gambling – When the Abbott Government, with the help of the opposition party, repealed poker machine reform laws last fortnight, Paul Bendat spent no time mourning the bill. The veteran lobbyist told Australiangambling he was only ever interested in laws that will actually make a difference to help problem gamblers. For more than six years, that’s what Bendat has been trying to do – make a difference. When asked about poker machine reform, Bendat wanted to make one point very clear – he and the rest of the people fighting for gambling machine reform have no intention of getting rid…

Companies controlled by billionaires James Packer and Cheng Yu-tung have lodged bids to develop casinos in Australia’s Queensland, as the state government plans to lure Asian tourists with new resorts based on the success of Singapore casinos. Packer’s Crown Resorts Ltd. (CWN) and a venture including Cheng’s Chow Tai Fook Enterprises Ltd. are among 12 groups that have filed applications for new casinos in a state which is already home to four, Queensland deputy premier Jeff Seeney said in a statement posted on a government website today. With a shoreline longer than India’s that’s lapped by the Great Barrier Reef,…

This Week in Gambling – Nevada doesn’t want them. New Jersey rejected them. So now they’re knocking on California’s door? In an effort to come out of exile, PokerStars is attempting to work a deal with Morongo and some Southern California card clubs that would open the U.S. market to their participation in iGaming. As a reminder, this is the group that refused to shutter its site, even after the enactment of the 2006 Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA), making online gambling illegal. In 2011, the Department of Justice issued orders mandating the site close down, filed a civil…

Sydney Morning Herald – Clubs NSW chief executive Anthony Ball claims: ‘‘Fairfield Clubs do a fantastic job in supporting local community groups that might otherwise notexist if it wasn’t for their support’’ (‘‘Punters in west pile money in pokies’’, March 23). That is all well and good, but even Mr Ball would have to concede that the $298 million the clubs raised from annual poker machine profits is quite a lot tohave taken from the local community in the first place. Both the NSW and federal governments justify their softly, softly approach to problem gambling by citing individual rights (‘‘Time…

Yahoo – Nevada’s gambling revenue in February plunged 13.7 percent, a decline blamed on a huge drop in baccarat winnings and a tough comparison from a year earlier when the Las Vegas Strip recorded its highest win total ever, state regulators reported Friday. Casinos statewide reported a win of $926.1 million in February, down from nearly $1.1 billion raked in during the same month the year before. The tumble on the Strip, home to Nevada’s posh resorts, was even more dramatic. Casinos there reported gambling revenue of $555.7 million, down 20.1 percent compared with $696.1 million won in February 2013,…

Reuters – Japan’s Universal Entertainment Corp has terminated a deal under which Century Properties Group Inc was to invest in its casino complex on Manila Bay and develop part of the $2-billion project, the Philippine developer said. Century Properties said in a statement it would contest a notice of termination received on Wednesday from the “Okada Group”, a reference to Tokyo-listed Universal Entertainment and other firms controlled by billionaire gaming magnate Kazuo Okada. Century officials said the Japanese group sought changes to terms of the agreement that would have eliminated its exclusive rights for the luxury commercial and residential portion…