Industry News
Sandy’s Racing & Gaming Celebrates Grand Opening
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear helped open the doors Thursday at Sandy’s Racing & Gaming – a $75 million entertainment facility in Eastern Kentucky that creates nearly 250 new jobs and millions of dollars in new tax revenues.
With nearly 700 historical horse racing games, two performance stages and a BetMGM Race & Sportsbook, the 75,000 square-foot facility is unlike anything else in the area.
“Last year, we promised to bring a first-class facility to Boyd County,” said Larry Lucas, Chairman of Revolutionary Racing Kentucky, which is making the investment together with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. “Today, we can say – promises made, promises kept.”
The project will also include Kentucky’s only quarter horse racetrack and an equestrian center, located on 182 acres behind Sandy’s. While track construction is officially set to begin in early 2024, Thursday’s festivities included a ceremonial blast, leveling some of the hills at the track site. The first races are set to happen there in 2025, marking continued growth for Kentucky’s thriving horse racing industry.
“Sandy’s Racing & Gaming is bringing top-tier racing, gaming and entertainment to Northeastern Kentucky, along with hundreds of new jobs for the people who call Boyd County and the surrounding region home. Congratulations to Revolutionary Racing and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians for creating this exciting destination,” Gov. Beshear said.
Last summer, the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission awarded the state’s ninth and final horse racing license to Revolutionary Racing Kentucky. Construction began in April and was led by Lexington’s D.W. Wilburn Construction and the Tri-State Building Trades. More than 300 local union workers were employed throughout the project and 90% of all materials and supplies were made in the US.
Amenities include a 5200 square-foot sportsbook, which features dozens of leather recliners and three cinema-sized screens. Daily entertainment will take place on two stages, which include dueling pianos, as well as local and national performers. Country star and Boyd County native Cole Chaney starred as the opening-night headliner, while last year’s “American Idol” winner Noah Thompson delivered a surprise performance.
A craft-focused kitchen offers multiple dining options, with all meat locally sourced from AW Meat House in Argillite. Menu highlights include the Big Sandy Burger, flatbreads, root beer floats made with The Peddler in Huntington, West Virginia and Sandy’s Ale – a craft beer made by Mikerphone Brewing in Illinois, which is only available at Sandy’s.
MGM Resorts International has reached a significant milestone in its renewable energy strategy, now powering up to 100% of its daytime electricity needs on the Las Vegas Strip with solar energy. The achievement was made possible after the Company began receiving 115 MW of solar energy and 400 megawatt-hours (MWh) of battery storage in December of 2025 from the recently completed Escape Solar and Storage Project, located in Lincoln County, Nevada.
By combining power from the newly activated Escape Solar and Storage Project with the Company’s 100-megawatt (MW) Mega Solar Array, MGM Resorts has more than doubled its access to renewable energy. In addition, the battery system from Escape Solar allows MGM Resorts to store solar energy generated during peak production hours and use it during evenings and other lower-production periods.
“With this new project coming online, we are accelerating progress toward our goal of using 100% renewable electricity domestically by 2030. Together with our Mega Solar Array, the new Escape Solar and Storage Project reflects our focus on scalable, impactful clean-energy solutions. It also demonstrates that our industry can operate more sustainably while delivering long-term cost stability, strengthening our business and supporting a more resilient energy future,” said Bill Hornbuckle, CEO and President of MGM Resorts.
MGM resorts announced a 25-year power purchase agreement with Escape Solar LLC in September of 2024 to amplify the Company’s renewable energy capabilities and extend production to cover up to 100% of its Las Vegas properties’ total daytime needs.
As an operator of large-scale resorts, MGM Resorts remains focused on expanding renewable energy use to lower long-term energy costs and mitigate exposure to energy price volatility. Since 2016, the Company has significantly reduced carbon emissions through investments in renewable energy projects, including:
• 323,000-panel Mega Solar Array providing 100 MW to MGM Resorts locations in Las Vegas
• 26,000 solar panels atop the Mandalay Bay Convention Center providing 8.3 MW to that property
• 100-kW rooftop solar array to help power T-Mobile Arena
• 3456 solar panels atop the parking garage at MGM Springfield in Massachusetts.
The post MGM Resorts Powers Up to 100% of Daytime Las Vegas Strip Electricity with Solar appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
DragoBet has launched its online casino and sportsbook as a service designed for use across multiple markets. The platform adjusts language, currency, and payment settings by region, while keeping casino play and sports betting available through a single account.
Players complete one registration and can use the platform on desktop and mobile devices, with the same account structure and balance maintained across all access points.
Casino and Sportsbook Offering
Drago Bet launches with a casino catalogue exceeding 10,000 titles, covering a broad range of play styles. The selection includes slot games, table formats, live dealer tables, jackpots, crash titles and other feature-based releases. Games are supplied by more than 100 established software providers, combining well-known titles with newer releases within the same library.
DragoBet sportsbook is built into the same environment as the casino and covers a mix of international competitions and locally followed events. Football, basketball, tennis and cricket make up the main focus, while a range of other sports is also included. Betting is available both ahead of kick-off and during live matches, with prices updating continuously as games unfold.
Account Structure and Payments
A single account and wallet connect both casino and sportsbook activity. A single account and wallet connect casino and sportsbook play, with one DragoBet login used to access all products under the same balance.
DragoBet casino supports a range of commonly used payment options, depending on market and currency. These typically include bank transfers, debit and credit cards, alternative card solutions, digital wallets such as Google Pay, Apple Pay, Revolut and N26, as well as cryptocurrency payments. The exact methods available are displayed within the platform.
Deposits are processed online, while withdrawals are handled following account verification in line with standard internal procedures.
Security and Compliance
The platform operates under an established offshore gaming framework. Standard operational controls are applied, including encrypted data transmission and transaction monitoring.
Know Your Customer (KYC) and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) procedures form part of the withdrawal process. These measures are applied to support account security and payment integrity.
Bonuses and Player Programs
The casino offers a structured DragoBet bonus system for new and returning players. The welcome package is delivered across multiple initial deposits, with defined wagering conditions. Additional promotions, reload offers and cashback campaigns are available on an ongoing basis.
A loyalty system, Dragon Throne Club, is integrated into the platform. The program is structured across multiple levels and provides cashback, rakeback and account-based rewards tied to continued play.
The post DragoBet Launches Multi-Regional Casino and Sportsbook Platform appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
AI-gamification specialist Promofy emerged victorious at this year’s Pitch ICE competition. The company’s CEO and founder Irakli Davarshvili fended off competition from 11 other companies bidding to win the prize money of €15,000 provided by the competition’s lead sponsor AWS.
In a pitch lasting three minutes followed by a three-minute Q&A, Davarshvili wooed the panel of judges, consisting of Adam Rosenberg, senior adviser, gaming & leisure, Blackstone; Meir Shachar, gaming advisor and CEO at Digicode and RUNWAI, respectively; igaming adviser and gaming industry expert Paris Smith; Maxime Sbeghen, head of investment at FDJ United Ventures; and Jeff Millar, managing partner at JJK Partners.
Davarshvili emphasised how “innovative, customisable and easy to use” Promofy’s gamification engine was, highlighting its AI flow and ability to rapidly build gamified campaigns.
He described 2025 as having been a “foundational year”, outlining how the company had achieved $800,000 in revenue, had more than 20 customers and was now looking to raise $2m to support Promofy’s further growth.
Other pitch participants included eyeDP, an AI-powered solution to help operators process and analyse unstructured data and documents; Whizdom AI, designed to personalise game recommendations for players; Swiss Shufflers with its patented card-shuffling deck; and fantasy sports platform Loserball which “makes losing as cool as winning”.
The post Promofy Wins This year’s Pitch ICE Award appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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