Gambling in the USA

Casinos Across the U.S. Continue to Close as COVID-19 Spreads

Published

5 years ago

March 26, 2020

Reading Time: 3 minutes

More and more casinos across the United States are closing their doors as the nation goes into shutdown following the coronavirus outbreak.

Over the past few days, the rapid spread of the virus has forced millions of citizens to quarantine themselves at home. Offices, hotels, and venues across the country have had to cease operations, unclear when they can open again. The country is facing an economic crisis as a result and the gambling industry could be one of the worst-hit.

Both Wynn Resorts and MGM Resorts International shuttered their Las Vegas casinos last week. However, full-time employees have been given assurances that salaries will continue to be paid during the period. The move follows recommendations from the CDC to limit public gatherings to no more than 10 people.

European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

Speaking to CNBC, Vegas-based race and sports manager Duane Colucci of Rampart Casino highlighted the industry’s struggle to prepare for such a situation. “It’s so hard to fathom. You can’t prepare for something like this, especially in the race and sportsbook industry,” she said. She hopes that work-from-home regulations will be relaxed to allow casinos to take bets online.

On the east coast, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy has closed all casinos, bars, and restaurants in Atlantic City, rendering the popular gambling hub a ghost town.

A move online

Online gambling has managed to continue through the struggles largely unaffected, with many digital casinos accepting US players around the world. Virtual horse racing also continues to operate online, along with certain sporting events in less-affected countries like Mexico and Russia.

Sportsbooks across the country have begun taking bets on all-and-everything in an attempt to pick up the slack. For example, the popular Costa Rican-based betting site Bovada has even been taking bets on the maximum temperature in various U.S. cities.

Sports betting sites like FanDuel and DraftKings are investigating new events on which to take bets. They both took some bizarre wagers on last week’s U.S political debate, including the amount and frequency of Trump’s tweets. Some other online betting sites have come up with some questionable solutions, like hosting simulated versions of real-life sports events that have been canceled.

Across the pond in the United Kingdom, physical casinos are also feeling the pinch. However, with the UK’s more favorable online gambling regulations, many are surviving through their online partner sites. eSports, where players compete entirely online, is another industry that has garnered increased popularity. Many sports betting sites are now enticing players to redirect their bets to eSports as a way to mitigate lost revenue on real-life sports.

A drain on savings

While online gambling might solve the problem of social distancing that COVID-19 presents, it doesn’t solve the problem of dwindling capital in most households. The longer that citizens are kept away from their work, the less likely they are to spend their savings on unnecessary activities. While gambling may be a favorite past-time for many, risky investments tend to reduce significantly during times of crisis.

The overall casino and gambling industry will struggle to survive this outbreak if the lockdown continues for too long. According to the UK paper The Guardian, around 35 companies are currently investigating a COVID-19 vaccine. However, it’s an arduous process that involves several critical testing phases in order to gain regulatory approval.

Annelies Wilder-Smith of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine believes a COVID-19 vaccine will take at least 18 months to develop, under the best possible conditions. During that time there is no telling how far the virus could spread and how devasting the effects on the economy could be.

Gambling in the USA

Gaming Americas Weekly Roundup – June 2-8

Published

6 days ago

June 10, 2025

Niji Narayan

gaming-americas-weekly-roundup-–-june-2-8

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Welcome to our weekly roundup of American gambling news again! Here, we are going through the weekly highlights of the American gambling industry which include the latest news and new partnerships. Read on and get updated.

Latest News

Merkur Gaming is going to participate in this year’s Peru Gaming Show, taking place from June 18 to 19 at the Centro de Convenciones Jockey Plaza in Lima. Representatives from the company’s German headquarters and its local subsidiary, Merkur Gaming Peru, will be on site to present the latest product innovations and engage with customers and visitors alike. The main attraction at the Merkur Gaming stand will be the linked progressive jackpot system Clash Link. This system stands out for its wealth of unique jackpot mechanics, which keep the excitement level consistently high.

PENN Entertainment has launched a new PGA TOUR-branded Blackjack game in New Jersey and Ontario. PGA TOUR Blackjack, now available via online Hollywood Casino in New Jersey and theScore Casino in Ontario, is the first iCasino game featuring PGA TOUR branding across any platform. PGA TOUR Blackjack, created by PENN’s in-house game development studio, PENN Game Studios, offers classic blackjack gameplay, plus poker and pairs side bets. The golf-themed table features official PGA TOUR logos, custom playing cards, chips and golf-themed celebrations. The new title is available on the standalone Hollywood Casino and theScore Casino platforms and is also accessible through ESPN BET in New Jersey and theScore BET in Ontario.

International Game Technology PLC announced the launch of IGT PlayDigital’s MEGA VAULT offering – a new innovation on its player engagement solution. Powered by the IGT PlayDigital Engagement Platform, a customisable suite of player engagement tools, MEGA VAULT brings together its industry-renowned engagement tools—Prize Drops, Leaderboards, Marketing Jackpots and more—into a single promotional experience. Designed to maximise excitement, engagement and rewards, MEGA VAULT aims to deliver seamless high-impact campaigns that captivate players and drive long-term retention.

Partnerships

Zitro has installed its revolutionary CONCEPT cabinets at the Casino La Cima in Mérida, Yucatán. The CONCEPT cabinets feature the Magic Lighting system, which syncs lights and sound with gameplay for a fully immersive experience, and the largest Screen Deck button panel on the market, offering unmatched comfort and ease of use for players and operators. This launch is backed by some of Zitro’s most successful titles — Fortune Legacy, Legendary Sword and King Fu Frog — all proven crowd favourites known for their engaging mechanics and strong performance.

Aristocrat Interactive, under NeoGames US, signed a six-year contract with the Michigan Lottery to provide its full solution of iLottery product offerings, reaffirming its leadership in the U.S. iLottery industry. Under the contract, from July 2026, Aristocrat Interactive will provide services to the Michigan Lottery for six years, with six additional one-year extension opportunities. The relationship with the Michigan Lottery began in 2014 with the launch of its iLottery programme using NeoGames’ iLottery platform and games. This new deal will provide the Michigan Lottery with eInstant games, draw-based games and add-on offerings produced by Aristocrat Interactive’s NeoGames Studio, along with continuing to leverage the company’s iLottery technology. Aristocrat Interactive will also provide the Michigan Lottery with a new website and mobile application services with Gambyt – a software company specialising in the lottery, casino and sports betting industries.

The post Gaming Americas Weekly Roundup – June 2-8 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Gambling in the USA

Gaming Americas Weekly Roundup – May 19-25

Published

3 weeks ago

May 27, 2025

Niji Narayan

gaming-americas-weekly-roundup-–-may-19-25

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Latest News

Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa has been named the luckiest casino in the US according to a recent study conducted by Casinos.com. The resort claimed the top spot based on an in-depth analysis of Tripadvisor reviews, measuring the frequency of luck-related keyword mentions. With a 25.49% luck rate, Seminole Hard Rock Tampa topped the list thanks to glowing guest feedback, including frequent mentions of jackpots, hand pays and bonus wins. 50 reviews mentioned the word “jackpot,” and 19 even referenced a “hand pay.” Casinos.com tracked keywords such as lucky, luck, won, winning, success, jackpot, hand pay, winner, bonus, profit to determine which U.S. casinos inspired the most winning moments among visitors.

The Missouri Gaming Commission has announced that it has officially begun accepting applications for sports betting license. The Commission made the announcement following the unanimous approval of a resolution drafted Tuesday that approved the licensing process. The resolution passed after Gov. Mike Kehoe’s office reviewed it. The licensing period opens roughly six months after Missouri voters narrowly approved a constitutional amendment legalising sports betting. The measure passed by less than half a percentage point, with a margin of less than 7500 votes.

Underdog Fantasy has relaunched its draft-style daily fantasy sports (DFS) games in New York, nearly two months after it withdrew all of its DFS competitions from the Empire State. The decision to withdraw all DFS contests from New York in March came after a ruling from the New York State Gaming Commission in which the commission determined Underdog was not in line with the state’s current DFS law. An Underdog Fantasy spokesperson confirmed the company is still working under a temporary license. The New York State Gaming Commission agreed to allow the company to offer its draft DFS games with the temporary license. Most DFS companies in New York operate with a temporary license.

New Partnerships

Pollard Banknote Limited has congratulated the West Virginia Lottery on the successful launch of Royal Court Riches, its first eInstant game from the Pollard Digital Games Studio. Royal Court Riches has already demonstrated strong performance in multiple markets—in its first international launch, it achieved that jurisdiction’s highest tickets sold, total sales and gross gaming revenue within its first 30 days of release. Royal Court Riches is the first in a series of games from the Pollard Digital Games Studio slated to launch in West Virginia this year.

SYNOT Games has announced a new partnership with Caliente, one of Mexico’s top gaming platforms. This collaboration marks an exciting expansion for SYNOT Games, as it brings its acclaimed portfolio of gaming content to the Mexican market. It enhances Caliente’s offerings with an extensive array of high-quality slot games such as Respin Joker, Book of Secrets, Realm of Lions and Forest Maiden, designed to captivate players and boost engagement. Caliente with its strong presence in Latin America, is the perfect partner for SYNOT Games’ expansion into the region. The partnership aims to deliver an exceptional gaming experience, combining SYNOT’s visually rich, innovative games with Caliente’s extensive reach and reputation.

The post Gaming Americas Weekly Roundup – May 19-25 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Gambling in the USA

Gaming Americas Weekly Roundup – May 12-18

Published

4 weeks ago

May 20, 2025

Niji Narayan

gaming-americas-weekly-roundup-–-may-12-18

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Latest News

Scientific Games was recognised with three prestigious honours in the 23rd Annual American Business Awards. The global lottery company won two Gold ABA awards for its retail technology, SciQ and PlayCentral Powered by SciQ, in the Operations Management Solutions and Emerging Technology categories, respectively. Scientific Games’ recently retired VP, Instant Game Production, Joe Bennett, earned a Silver ABA Award for Achievement in Management—Manufacturing, recognising his career contributions in secure lottery instant game production. This year, more than 3700 nominations from organisations of all sizes and industries were submitted to the ABAs. Winners were scored by more than 300 professionals worldwide during a rigorous judging process evaluating innovation, integrity, effectiveness, creativity and growth.

MGM Resorts has announced that it has reached a new employment agreement with CEO & President Bill Hornbuckle through December 31, 2028. As part of his new employment contract, the Company has also agreed to offer Hornbuckle an advisory agreement at the end of the term to assist with its integrated resort project in Osaka, Japan until its opening. As CEO, Hornbuckle oversees all aspects of MGM Resorts’ strategy, operations and hospitality and gaming development projects. He leads the company’s global development efforts and its digital gaming strategy.

Minimum Deposit Casinos (MDC) has released new insights into the tightening regulatory landscape for sweepstakes-based gaming in the US. Recent moves by lawmakers in New York, Louisiana, and Montana suggest a coordinated push to eliminate or restrict these alternative online gambling models. In New York, Senate Bill 5935, introduced by Sen. Joseph Addabbo, has advanced through the legislative process and targets the operation and supply of sweepstakes-style platforms. The bill specifically addresses platforms that use two forms of digital currency — one of which can be redeemed for real-world prizes — a setup now under scrutiny by state regulators.

New Partnerships

Rush Street Interactive (RSI), in partnership with Integrity Compliance 360 (IC360), has launched a new initiative called Gaming Literacy Aiding Decisions (GLAD), an innovative programme designed to assist educators in enhancing high school student gaming literacy and promoting that cohort’s responsible relationship with this ever more socially prevalent activity. The GLAD curriculum will initially launch in New Jersey and Delaware where, this spring, RSI and IC360 have been working with educational districts on a speaker series and educator curriculum delivery. These initial efforts will help define success metrics and gather feedback to shape the programme’s future, which will ultimately be available to educators more broadly to curate the content that resonates best with students.

The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) has selected Caesars Entertainment as the Service Provider in the Windsor Casino procurement process. This is the final procurement process in the OLG’s land-based gaming modernisation initiative. Caesars Entertainment and its predecessor companies have partnered with the OLG to operate Caesars Windsor (fka. Casino Windsor) since the opening of the temporary facility in 1994. Caesars Entertainment will assume responsibility for gaming and non-gaming operations of the Windsor casino on behalf of the OLG under a 20-year operating agreement, which is expected to begin in 2026.

The post Gaming Americas Weekly Roundup – May 12-18 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.