From NJ.com – It’s getting harder not to think of the Revel casino as the American Dream project of Atlantic City. Revel may be prettier to look at than the pile of mismatched bricks in the Meadowlands. But just like that vast retail and entertainment project once known as Xanadu, Revel was dogged by false starts and enabled by generous state subsidies. Unlike that kaleidoscope in the swamp, Revel opened for business in 2012. But it has yet to live up to the high expectations of investors and state cheerleaders. And now, to make matters worse, Revel is gambling with…

From The Epoch Times – Even as Italy’s economy slumps in recession, its gambling industry stays strong. The toll of gambling on mental health has received greater attention following the July 4 suicide of a teen on the Italian island of Ischia who had gambled away his family’s savings. The region of Lombardy has the most per capita spending on slot machines; 40 Lombardy mayors took a stand against gambling last week, calling for limits on the industry, in spite of the short-term economic benefits. The gambling industry employs more than 120,000, making it the third largest employer in Italy….

Macau casino workers are to be a centerpiece in a microfilm that features their real working conditions and status, according to the Macau Gaming Industry Laborers Association (MGILA). They have teamed up with local producer, Free Dream Production Studio, to make the film. “Although gaming is the leading industry in Macau, affected by the traditional views and inadequate understanding towards casino workers, both local residents and tourists associate the gaming sector with pornography and narcotics to some degree. They even label gaming-related work as an improper occupation, which hinders the casino workers’ self-esteem and mental health,” stressed the organizer yesterday…

From Hotel News Now – If all goes according to plan, ground will break before the end of this year for Europe’s first gaming mega resort, with investors envisaging a $6-billion project covering almost 1,500 acres with six casino-hotels totaling 18,000 rooms. Dubbed BCN World, the project, which is an hour’s drive south of Barcelona on the Mediterranean Sea, is expected to open in 2016. It is just the latest of a number of mega resorts planned around the world over the next few years, including one in Madrid. “Mega resorts are nothing new except in Europe,” said Ivar Yuste,…

A federal appeals court has ruled that the tribal slot machines leased by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe of Connecticut from non-tribal businesses can be taxed. The ruling by the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals on July 15 reversed a decision by a federal district court judge that said states and their subdivisions cannot tax property on Indian land regardless of who owns it. The Nation has the option of asking for a rehearing or filing a petition with the United States Supreme Court to review the appeals court ruling about the tribal slot machines tax, but no such decision has…

From iGaming Business – A month after its planned purchase of rival Ameristar Casinos Incorporated was approved by officials in Iowa, land-based casino operator Pinnacle Entertainment Incorporated has announced that the Louisiana Gaming Control Board has now approved the proposed deal. Pinnacle Entertainment runs seven casinos in the states of Louisiana, Indiana and Missouri in addition to a racetrack facility in Ohio and purchased Los Angeles-based sporting events organiser Federated Sports and Gaming Incorporated, which is responsible for the annual Heartland Poker Tour, a year ago. The proposed purchase would see Las Vegas-based Pinnacle Entertainment hand over $2.8 billion in…