This Week in Gambling

Even though Sin City is on it’s way back, an American credit rating agency says a full financial Las Vegas recovery should be complete by 2023. Fitch Ratings, one of the “Big Three” credit rating agencies, says that a rebound from the pandemic is happening more quickly than expected, as evidenced by the recent billion dollar month. And indications are that the city will return to “normal” sooner than the previous 2024 forecast. Part of the reason for the increased enthusiasm is the record revenue despite a pretty much absent convention industry. Many believe that business travel will increase dramatically…

Maybe we’re moving toward recovery too fast? Maybe, as the Clark County Commission has decided it’s time for Las Vegas casino workers to mask-up again. They voted to reinstate masks for employees only (for now) while they are on duty indoors at casinos, stores, and clubs. Actually, it;s not completely accurate to lay this decision on the Commission exclusively. They made this move after several casinos decided on their own to place mask mandates on their employees. In fact, the Venetian has returned to mandatory weekly testing of employees. This decision was somewhat predictable, given the recent rise in Coronavirus…

It is with shock and great sadness that the poker world has learned of the death of Layne Flack. The man known as “Back to Back Flack” was found in his home on Monday after passing in his sleep at the age of 52. The response from fellow poker pros was swift, with Mike Matusow saying he felt “gutted” after hearing the news, and Phil Hellmuth calling him legendary. Daniel Negreanu said via Twitter that he and Layne went “way back”, and “Knowing Layne, I imagine he would want us all to celebrate his life and share some laughs about…

There’s trouble brewing with New York online sports betting. The activity was finally approved just a few months ago in April. Now, however, the state is trying to squeeze every penny they can out of operators. So much, in fact, that industry insiders fear it just won’t work. We’re all together again and it’s time for This Week in Gambling! On our last program we spoke about online poker… the week before that we spoke about online casino games… this week we’re talking about online sports betting because, ya know, I like to keep you guessing! This week’s big story…

Despite multiple years and millions of dollars fighting online gambling, the Sands Corporation has stated that the company is “…determined to grow its leadership position” for digital gaming within the industry. The announcement comes as the company has hired Davis Catlin, who joins the company after spending the past fourteen years at an investment firm. Their ambition is to grow technologies in the business-to-business space of digital gaming. Despite online gaming being around for over two decades, the Sands stated that “Digital gaming and other related offerings are still very much in the early stages of development…”, and we hope…

One of the worlds most popular puzzle games is now an online slot! The Rubik’s Cube slot, to be precise! A 5 reel, 25 payline game from Playtech with a Bonus Round, Bonus Spins, and both Wild and Scatter Symbols! You can even take the Rubik’s Cube online slot with you on mobile devices! Playtech has launched the Rubik’s Cube slot, a new game based on one of the world’s most iconic puzzle games. Bringing a new twist to the retro favorite, Rubik’s Cube features striking 3D graphics and a compelling Sticky Wilds mechanic – plus, a built-in modifier that…