New York Times – Even though Sheldon G. Adelson, the American billionaire casino magnate, abandoned his plans for a $30 billion casino and leisure resort on the outskirts of Madrid last month, he has nevertheless helped get the roulette wheels spinning here for the first time in almost a century. In mid-December, Mr. Adelson dropped plans to build a resort with six casinos, known as EuroVegas, after the Spanish government refused to accept his demands for financial concessions. Just days later, however, two small casinos opened in central Madrid, operated by Spanish companies that applied for new licenses in the…

iGaming Business – Ralph Topping, the chief executive of bookmaker William Hill, has revealed he is opposed to the “clustering” of betting shops in the UK and has called on MPs to take action before the situation starts to “alienate” communities. According to the Daily Mail newspaper, Topping said that he understands why people have objected to new betting shops opening on their local high street and claims to have seen “stark” examples of their direct impact. Topping also suggested handing licensing authorities more power to block such shops sprouting up if the regulators identified a damaging “cumulative impact”. “I’m…

Forbes – It’s tempting to paint James Packer as the billionaire heir who lucked into a winning hand on Macau casinos, but the reality is more complex. Packer–and his advisors–were ahead of many in seeing the business potential of the Internet and China’s emergence as a 21st-century powerhouse. The moves seem obvious now, but back in 1998, when Packer set up Australian online news portal Nine-MSN, or in 2004, when he was an early-stage investor in Australian jobs site Seek.com, or in 2005, when he grabbed a stake in carsales.com , these were viewed as highly risky ventures. All three…

Bloomberg – Lui Che-woo became Asia’s second-richest person by setting up a casino company that within a decade became the world’s third-biggest by market value. The 84-year-old says he’s just hitting his stride. “What can I do if I retire, watch the sun rise and set?” said the chairman of Galaxy Entertainment Group Ltd. (27) who first made his fortune in construction and also owns 13 hotels in the U.S., including seven Hiltons. “I want to do something meaningful. I don’t want to just sit there waiting to die.” Lui, the richest person in Asia after Hong Kong property tycoon…

Southtown Star – Some state lawmakers are betting that Gov. Pat Quinn is more likely to approve casino expansion now that a pension reform bill has been passed. Of course, that presumes that, unlike in recent years, the Legislature can agree on a bill and that Quinn finds it acceptable. State Rep. Bob Rita, D-Blue Island, said he wants to deliver a casino bill, which would add a Southland casino, to Quinn to sign by spring. Rita became the House’s chief sponsor of casino expansion last spring after Rep. Lou Lang, D-Skokie, withdrew after a possible conflict of interest arose….

WDRB – It’s a collision between church and state. One of Kentucky’s largest religious organizations, the Kentucky Baptist Convention, is adding its muscle to the fight over casinos in Kentucky. There are 750,000 Southern Baptists in Kentucky, and their leaders are praying they’ll send a loud and clear message to Frankfort to stop expanded gambling. The Kentucky Baptist Convention has produced a video for churches to play during Sunday services and place on their websites. It is also running ads on Christian radio stations with the same message. “The message is casinos in Kentucky will bring wreck and ruin to the family….