Gambling in the USA
Virginia Casino Bill Set to Go Before Full Senate for First Time
The Virginia casino gambling bill is set to go before the full Virginia State Senate for the first time. A committee voted to drastically increase the proposed tax on casino gaming revenues and the license fee for casino operators in reporting out a bill to allow casinos by referendum in the state.
Senator Louise Lucas’s SB 36 was reported out of the Senate Finance and Appropriations committee, which voted 14–2 to approve a substitute version of that bill, with a few changes.
The revised version would impose a 27% tax on the first $150 million in casino gaming revenue, a 31% tax on revenues between $150 million and $300 million and 40% on revenues above $300 million, Bristol Herald Courier reports. The previous bill would impose rates of 15%, 20% and 28%, respectively.
The latest version of the bill also proposes increasing the local share of tax revenues to 9% on the first $150 million in gaming revenues, 10% from revenues between $150 million and $300 million and 11% from revenues above $300 million. The previous version of the bill specified 5%, 6% and 7%, respectively.
The Bristol Resort and Casino group issued a statement in response to the vote. “We are still reviewing the specific changes to the bill and this is a long process before session ends. That being said, we are pleased to have the legislation that specifically includes the five original cities pass yet another committee and we look forward to the upcoming floor vote,” according to the statement.
Sen. Lucas appeared surprised by some of the changes. “The [tax] rate is causing the most concern. Is there any way we can work out these differences in conference?”
“I am sure the House and the Senate are going to have different versions so it will go to conference. I don’t know what the outcome would be, but it [rates] would certainly be on the table,” Committee Chairwoman Sen. Janet Howell, D-Reston, said.
There were a total of 10 changes to the casino bill, including one that would require that all slot machines in casinos be connected to a central gaming system and another to allow the Colonial Downs Group to have up to 2500 additional historic horse racing games in its locations.
Gambling in the USA
GGPoker sets $300m guarantee for 2026 GG World Festival series
Online poker festival runs May 3 to June 9 and includes a $3m leaderboard plus three $10m guaranteed flagship events.
GGPoker has announced the return of its GG World Festival tournament series, set to run from May 3 through June 9, 2026. The operator said the schedule will offer $300,000,000 in guaranteed prizes across the series, up from the $250m guarantee it offered last year.
The festival is split into four buy-in tiers: Low ($3–$25), Medium ($26–$150), High ($151–$1,050) and Super ($1,051+). GGPoker said the series will include hundreds of tournaments over five weeks.
GGPoker is also bringing back its festival leaderboard with $3,000,000 in additional prizes across the four tiers: $300K (Low), $700K (Medium), $1M (High) and $1M (Super).
Three events will anchor the schedule, each with a $10,000,000 guarantee: the $525 World Bounty Festival (Day 2) on May 18, the $10,000 GGMillion$ Main Event (Day 2) on May 25, and the $1,500 GG World Championship (Day 2) on June 1.
“Last year we set the bar at $250 million, and the community response was legendary,” said Daniel Negreanu, GGPoker Global Ambassador. “But at GGPoker, we don’t just want to meet expectations; we want to smash them over and over again. This year, we’re going to $300 million. Whether you’re playing a $3 Low Tier tournament or the $10K GGMillion$ Main Event, you’re part of the biggest thing to ever happen in online poker. This is the stage where legends are made.”
Relevant data as follows:
- GG World Festival page on GGPoker: https://ggpoker.com/tournaments/ggpoker-world-festival Primary source for dates, schedule structure and guarantees referenced in the article.
- GGPoker tournaments hub: https://ggpoker.com/tournaments/ Supporting context on GGPoker’s tournament offerings and satellite qualifiers mentioned in the release.
- GGPoker homepage: https://ggpoker.com/ Company reference link for readers seeking broader operator information.
The post GGPoker sets $300m guarantee for 2026 GG World Festival series appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Gambling in the USA
GGPoker Shatters Records with Monumental $300M-Guaranteed GG World Festival
The world’s biggest online poker series returns with a history-making prize pool, $3M leaderboard, and three $10M flagship events
GGPoker, the World’s Biggest Poker Room, today announces the return of the GG World Festival, the richest tournament series in the history of online poker. Running from May 3 through June 9, this year’s festival features a staggering $300,000,000 in guaranteed prizes, the largest total guarantee ever offered in a single online series, eclipsing last year’s record-setting $250M prize pool.
The 2026 edition of the GG World Festival has been designed by poker players, for poker players, with hundreds of individual tournaments running over five action-packed weeks. To ensure players of all bankrolls can participate in the record-breaking action, the schedule is divided into four buy-in tiers:
- Low Tier: $3 – $25 buy-in
- Medium Tier: $26 – $150 buy-in
- High Tier: $151 – $1,050 buy-in
- Super Tier: $1,051+ buy-in
In addition to the massive tournament guarantees, the GG World Festival Leaderboard returns with $3,000,000 in extra prizes, rewarding the most consistent performers across all four tiers throughout the series ($300K in prizes for the Low Tier Leaderboard, $700K for the Medium Tier Leaderboard, $1M in prizes for the High Tier Leaderboard and $1M in prizes for the Super Tier Leaderboard).
2026 Festival Highlights
The series is anchored by three marquee events, each boasting a $10,000,000 prize guarantee:
- May 18 – $525 World Bounty Festival [Day 2] – $10M GTD: The fan-favorite format where any knockout could lead to a massive, life-changing mystery bounty
- May 25 – $10,000 GGMillion$ Main Event [Day 2] – $10M GTD: The premier high-stakes showdown, attracting the world’s elite players and “Super Tier” specialists
- June 1 – $1,500 GG World Championship [Day 2] – $10M GTD: The ultimate test of skill, crowning the 2026 champion with a massive eight-figure prize pool
“Last year we set the bar at $250 million, and the community response was legendary,” said Daniel Negreanu, GGPoker Global Ambassador. “But at GGPoker, we don’t just want to meet expectations; we want to smash them over and over again. This year, we’re going to $300 million. Whether you’re playing a $3 Low Tier tournament or the $10K GGMillion$ Main Event, you’re part of the biggest thing to ever happen in online poker. This is the stage where legends are made.”
Players can qualify for festival events through an extensive schedule of satellites and promotions at GGPoker. New players can also jump into the action with the GGPoker Welcome Bonus and the Honeymoon for Newcomers promotion.
For more information about this year’s GG World Festival, please visit: ggpoker.com/tournaments/ggpoker-world-festival
The post GGPoker Shatters Records with Monumental $300M-Guaranteed GG World Festival appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
casino
Plaza adds Monday Night RAW ticket raffle to WrestleMania 42 viewing party
Downtown Las Vegas casino also brings in WWE Hall of Famer Rob Van Dam for a live Q&A on April 18.
Plaza Hotel & Casino will host WrestleMania 42 viewing parties on April 18 and April 19 in its showroom in downtown Las Vegas, adding a ticket giveaway for WWE Monday Night RAW on the second night.
The casino said all guests attending the Sunday, April 19 viewing party can enter a free raffle to win two tickets to Monday Night RAW on Monday, April 20 at T-Mobile Arena, seated in one of the venue’s premier Loge Boxes.
On Saturday, April 18, the Plaza will feature WWE Hall of Fame wrestler Rob Van Dam (RVD) as a special guest. The property said RVD—also billed as “Mr. Monday Night”—will lead a live Q&A at 1:30 p.m. ahead of the WrestleMania 42 start time at 3 p.m., and will be available for autographs and photo ops.
Both events are 21+ and run in the Plaza showroom, with doors opening at 1 p.m. and the viewing party starting at 3 p.m. The Plaza said it will offer drink specials and buckets of beer priced at $30 for domestic brands and $35 for imported.
Tickets with seat selection are priced at $40 per person (plus fees and taxes), according to the casino, with details and purchasing available via the Plaza’s website.
Relevant data as follows:
- Plaza Hotel & Casino WrestleMania viewing party details: https://www.plazahotelcasino.com/entertainment/wrestlemania-viewing-party/ Primary source for ticketing, schedule, and pricing referenced in the article.
- WWE Monday Night RAW: https://www.wwe.com/shows/raw Official WWE show page to support the RAW reference and event context.
- T-Mobile Arena events calendar: https://www.t-mobilearena.com/events Venue source to corroborate event location and provide broader event context.
- Plaza Hotel & Casino: https://www.plazahotelcasino.com/ Company homepage for readers seeking more information on the property hosting the viewing parties.
The post Plaza adds Monday Night RAW ticket raffle to WrestleMania 42 viewing party appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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