Las Vegas Review Journal – The founders of the social gaming product DoubleDown Casino have left the company, two years after it was purchased by International Game Technology. The news follows IGT’s first-quarter earnings release, in which the slot machine giant said it could see a profit decline this year because of several “acquisition-related expenses” surrounding DoubleDown. Trade magazine Venturebeat.com first reported the departures of DoubleDown founders Greg Enell and Cooper DuBois from IGT. Company spokesman Phil O’Shaughnessy confirmed the exits. IGT acquired DoubleDown for roughly $500 million in February 2012. IGT paid $250 million in cash for the Seattle-based…

Sioux City Journal – After years of trying in vain to legalize casinos in Nebraska, gambling advocates believe their luck is about to change. “In my mind, I think it’s a question of when, not if” expanded gambling wins approval, Ho-Chunk Inc. President and CEO Lance Morgan said. Ho-Chunk, the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska’s economic development corporation, has a lot riding on the outcome. Ho-Chunk last year unveiled its vision for a $30 million casino and entertainment venue at the site of the former Atokad horsetrack in South Sioux City. Getting the project off the ground requires amending Nebraska’s constitution,…

iGaming Business – A number of Japanese business leaders have pledged their support to a campaign to legalise casino gambling in the country. According to Bloomberg, the legalisation of casinos in the country would open up what is estimated to be the world’s second-largest gambling market. Takeshi Niinami, chief executive officer of Japanese convenience store chain Lawson, and Shingo Torii, executive vice-president of brewing and distillery group Suntory, are amongst those forming a group to support a legalisation bill introduced by lawmakers Submitted by Japan’s ruling party last month, the bill would legalise resorts that combine casinos with hotels and…

Luxury boutique chain Nobu Hotel will set up its first Asia hotel in a $1.3 billion Philippines gambling complex operated by Melco Crown Entertainment Ltd , mainly targeting wealthy Chinese punters. The Manila-based City of Dreams casino resorts is a joint venture of Melco Crown and local leisure firm Belle Corp . The Nobu will be one of three in the complex, which aims to open by the middle of the year and will also feature the largest nightclub in the city and a Hollywood-style theme park. “This is a bet on the Philippines and it is a bet on…

Earlier this month representatives of online gambling operators and regulators from Spain, Germany, Portugal, France and the UK met for a round of informal talks with the Italian Autonomous Administration of the State Monopolies (AAMS) to discuss ways of improving the sharing and exchange of information and good practices. The idea is to try and help the work of the Group of Experts on Gambling Service which was created by the European Commission in 2012. During the meeting the group visited the premises of the Italian company SOGEI and discussed a number of issues ranging from the evolution of regulated…

New York Times – Singapore’s tourism receipts doubled to $18 billion within two years of opening the Marina Bay Sands and Sentosa casino resorts in 2010, and visitor arrivals jumped nearly 50 percent. Lured by Singapore’s success, the Taiwan Legislature could soon allow the opening of casinos. And Japan, with an official goal of tripling the number of foreign tourists in 20 years, is considering building casinos. Analysts believe that gambling in Japan could generate gross revenue of $15 billion annually. But these countries should also pay attention to another aspect of Singapore’s experience apart from revenue. Singapore has gone…