This Week in Gambling

In a horrific turn of events, tourists on the Vegas Strip watched as a homeless man leapt into the Bellagio fountains on Friday. Soon after, he was dead. Witnesses say the transient in his 40’s was interacting with tourists before he jumped into the fountain pool and began swimming toward the middle, where water depth can reach as much as 13 feet. The man then began struggling as one Las Vegas visitor jumped in to help and another called 9-1-1. Sadly, the rescuer was not able to reach the man, and police did not arrive in time. Clark County Fire…

A man used a prosthetic mask to help steal over $100,000 in an unusual casino theft. Federal prosecutors say that John Colletti used the mask to disguise himself as an old man to throw off people’s suspicion. Along with the mask, Colletti used several counterfeit driver’s licenses along with personal information was able to obtain online. He used that data and the fake licenses to withdraw funds from personal bank accounts via self-service kiosks at casinos in Michigan and Kansas. The kiosks, operated by Global Payments Gaming Services, are used by the casino industry for bill-breaking, jackpot processing, cash withdrawals,…

We all knew it was coming, but it’s still fun to say that Bally’s Las Vegas is once again open for business! Their reopening comes on the heels of  the reopening of Caesars Palace, the Flamingo, Harrah’s and the Paris welcoming guests back to Sin City. As previously announced, the Company has also reopened the gaming floor and other amenities at The LINQ and attached amenities the High Roller Observation Wheel, FLY LINQ and the Eiffel Tower Viewing Deck. The momentous reopening of Bally’s Las Vegas was celebrated in style with showgirls adorned in original costumes from Jubilee!, music, and…

New American Gaming Association (AGA) research shows sports bettors are moving their business away from illegal bookies and toward legal options. Average spending with illegal bookies fell 25 percent in legal sports betting states last year, while legal online and mobile betting spend increased 12 percent. Illegal offshore operators also saw a three percent increase in states with legal sports betting. The most influential factors for bettors who had shifted from the illegal to legal market are confidence that bets will be paid out (25%), awareness of legal options (20%), and a desire to use a regulated book (19%). “We’ve known…

SiGMA Group is pleased to announce the launch of SiGMA Africa. The event is set to take place in March 2022, with the first show opening in Cape Town, South Africa. SiGMA Africa will also launch its super show in Kenya and Ghana, bringing East and West Africa together throughout 2023 and 2024 respectively. An event calendar across four continents places SiGMA Group front and centre of the international gaming sector. SiGMA believes that setting the show in multiple regions will offer attendees a more inclusive and comprehensive overview of the vast and widely diverse African markets, increasing opportunities for investment…

Following a year long process with regulators in different jurisdictions, the merger between Caesars Entertainment and Eldorado Resorts is finally complete! And together they have created the largest gambling company in the world! We also cover news from Atlantic City and review a new casino skill game.   New Jersey gaming regulators gave the final approval Friday for a $17.3 billion merger of Eldorado Resorts and Caesars Entertainment, clearing the way for a deal that will create the world’s biggest gambling company. The New Jersey Casino Control Commission voted 2-0 in favor of the proposal, which for the time being…