Welcome to our weekly roundup of American gambling news.

Last week, several gambling companies have re-entered into their businesses despite the ongoing pandemic. Here, we are going through the weekly highlights of the American gambling industry which includes casino reopening, new partnerships, product launches, award winnings, latest approvals, and recent announcements. Read on and get updated.

Casino Reopening

Most of the casinos have resumed their operations this week. Some are on the preparations to restart their business.

Rodney Butler, Chairman of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, said that the plans to partially reopen Foxwoods Resort Casino on June 1 are still moving ahead despite opposition from Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont.

Rodney Butler told in an interview that Lamont is welcome to tour Foxwoods and see firsthand the safety precautions being taken to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, ranging from fewer open slot machines to air filtration systems.

New Deals

AGS announced a new partnership with the Kindred Group to provide its online, real-money games for the Kindred Group’s Unibet brand in New Jersey.

The Vancouver Titans esports team entered into a new partnership agreement with Pizza Hut Canada and designated Pizza Hut as the Official Pizza of the team and their fans.

Microgaming signed an exclusive distribution agreement with game design and development studio, Neko Games. The studio’s Super Showball video bingo game is live on Microgaming’s content aggregation platform from 26 May 2020.

Churchill Downs Incorporated (CDI) and Aristocrat Leisure entered into an agreement in principle to settle the Kater v. Churchill Downs, and Thimmegowda v. Big Fish Games lawsuits.

New Launchings

The igaming publishing company Oddschecker Global Media announced the launch of RacingPicks, a standalone horse racing site. The site’s purpose is to provide day-to-day expert content to the American racing community.

TransAct Technologies Incorporated launched its new Epicentral Clean2Play Sanitization Tracking System for casinos. This new casino product provides real-time printed proof that a slot machine has been cleaned, sanitized, and is ready for play.

The D.C. Lottery is set to launch its sports betting platform in the coming days. The online sportsbook GambetDC will take its first wagers in June, even though a large number of global sports events remain canceled due to COVID-19.

Awards

Michigan State Rep. Brandt Iden received an honorary American Gambling Award for his extraordinary efforts in legalizing sports betting, online poker, and online casino gaming throughout the state in 2019.

Latest Approvals

Illinois lawmakers have approved an approximately $40 billion state budget that largely maintains spending, along with a plan to push forward a Chicago casino.

The budget, which largely relies on federal funding, mostly maintains funding from the current budget, which the exception of health care agencies affected by the COVID-19 outbreak.

Legislators also approved a plan pushed by Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot to change the tax structure for a casino in the city. The Chicago casino was included in last year’s gambling expansion authorizing six new casinos, part of a critical funding source for the state’s $45 billion capital plan.

Financial Help

Ontario Lottery and Gaming (OLG) is going to receive a $500m loan from the Provincial Government.

With Ontario’s state of emergency shuttering casinos, slot machines, and racetracks for the past two months, the gaming monopoly was in dire need of a cash injection.

Announcements

Brazilian Deputy Bacelar has affirmed that the legalization of all gambling verticals could play a key role in economic stability in the country.

He stated that following the current health pandemic, he is in favor of legalizing all gambling verticals, including jogo do bicho, on the grounds that gambling could save Brazil from its current financial crisis and rejuvenate the economy.