Gambling in the USA
MGM Resorts International Pledges $1 Million For Employee Emergency Fund And Donates Close To Half A Million Pounds Of Food, Equivalent To 400,000 Meals Across The US

MGM Resorts International announced an array of initiatives intended to support those impacted economically by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, including a $1 million crisis and disaster relief pledge into an employee emergency grant fund and donating the equivalent of 400,000 meals across the United States.
“As we confront extraordinary events and an unprecedented global pandemic crisis, we know that this is an extremely challenging and uncertain time for many of our employees, their families, friends and neighbors and we are committed to help those in need,” said Bill Hornbuckle, Acting CEO and President of MGM Resorts International. “We have done a number of things to help our colleagues, including significantly expanding eligibility coverage for the MGM Employee Emergency Grant Fund. MGM Resorts International is donating $1 million towards disaster relief to offer additional support to employees impacted by the crisis and who may be experiencing hardships.”
Hornbuckle added, “We’ve also stepped up our commitment to communities around the country. Over the past week, MGM has donated the equivalent of 400,000 meals through local food banks to alleviate food insecurity in the United States.”
In November, MGM Resorts launched its bold vision for social impact and sustainability, Focused on What Matters, a companywide program focused on a goal-centered approach to making positive impacts in its communities. Company goals by 2025 include 5 million meals to be donated through its Feeding Forward program and surpassing 1 million volunteer hours within the community.
“In battling the current global crisis, at MGM Resorts we intend to embrace humanity, exemplify inclusion and exhibit compassion. Our commitment to our employees and the communities in which we operate, conduct business and serve our customers, remains steadfast,” said Jyoti Chopra, Senior Vice President, Chief Diversity & Sustainability Officer for MGM Resorts International.
Additional information below:
MGM Resorts Emergency Relief Fund
The MGM Resorts Emergency Relief Fund provides employees and their immediate families with short-term relief in making payments or to meet obligations during unexpected hardships and emergencies. MGM Resorts’ $1 million pledge will provide expanded coverage for the fund to assist those impacted by the coronavirus, including: full-time employees, on-call employees and those facing layoff, separation or furlough.
Community Food Donations Across the Nation
Because of the difficult decision to temporarily close its properties across the country, to date MGM Resorts International has donated over 480,000 pounds of food – or 400,000 meals – to the communities in which it operates. The company is working with local food banks to ensure all available fresh food from its resorts is safely and quickly donated to charitable organizations in several underserved areas.
MGM Resorts International (Las Vegas, NV): Across Las Vegas, MGM Resorts has provided extensive on-the-ground support and in-kind donations to several local community organizations and agencies. So far, the resort group has donated 301,000 pounds of food to Three Square Food Bank, providing 251,000 meals to community members in need. Nonperishable food has been donated from multiple MGM Resorts’ properties across The Strip along with bags for the distribution of food and meals to those in need. MGM will continue to work with Three Square as well as other food banks throughout the city to manage donation intake and food storage.
MGM National Harbor (Oxon Hill, Md.): MGM National Harbor worked with food donor partner Nourish Now to contribute 55,000 pounds of food to community nonprofits such as Nourish Now. The food will provide more than 45,000 meals to Maryland residents throughout Montgomery County and Prince George’s County.
MGM Springfield (Springfield, Mass.): MGM Springfield has donated 12,000 pounds to the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, Open Pantry Community Services and Friends of the Homeless. These donations will provide over 10,000 meals to Springfield residents in need.
Beau Rivage (Biloxi, Miss.): Beau Rivage has donated 25,000 pounds of food to multiple organizations including Extra Table, Loaves & Fishes, Lord is My Help and the Hancock County Food Pantry for individuals and families across the city. The effort will provide more than 20,000 meals to South Mississippi families who may have suddenly found themselves in need.
Gold Strike: (Tunica, Miss.): Gold Strike has donated 10,000 pounds of food which is more than 8,000 meals to Sacred Hearth Southern Mission.
MGM Northfield Park (Northfield, Ohio): Working with JACK Casino and JACK Thistledown, MGM Northfield Park has donated more than 3,000 pounds equal 2,500 meals of food to the Greater Cleveland Food Bank, offering support to the Northeast Ohio community. They are continuing to donate throughout the week.
MGM Grand Detroit (Detroit, Mich.): To provide critical help to the city, MGM Grand Detroit has donated approximately 15,000 pounds of produce and dairy products to Forgotten Harvest, a food distribution channel equal to 12,500 meals. MGM Grand Detroit also donated 3,000 gloves to medical professionals in the City of Detroit.
Borgata: (Atlantic City, NJ): The Borgata has donated more than 35,000 pounds or about 30,000 meals to the Boys and Girls Club of Atlantic County and to the Community Food Bank of NJ.
Empire City:(Yonkers, NY): Cariats of Port Chester NY received approximately 25,000 pounds of food from Empire City which equals to 20,000 meals.
ABOUT MGM RESORTS INTERNATIONAL
MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM) is an S&P 500® global entertainment company with national and international locations featuring best-in-class hotels and casinos, state-of-the-art meetings and conference spaces, incredible live and theatrical entertainment experiences, and an extensive array of restaurant, nightlife and retail offerings. MGM Resorts creates immersive, iconic experiences through its suite of Las Vegas-inspired brands. The MGM Resorts portfolio encompasses 29 unique hotel and destination gaming offerings including some of the most recognizable resort brands in the industry. Expanding throughout the U.S. and around the world, the company recently acquired the operations of Empire City Casino in New York and Hard Rock Rocksino in Ohio, which was rebranded as MGM Northfield Park. In 2018, MGM Resorts opened MGM Springfield in Massachusetts, MGM COTAI in Macau, and the first Bellagio-branded hotel in Shanghai. The over 80,000 global employees of MGM Resorts are proud of their company for being recognized as one of FORTUNE® Magazine’s World’s Most Admired Companies®. For more information visit us at www.mgmresorts.com.
SOURCE MGM Resorts International
Gambling in the USA
Gaming Americas Weekly Roundup – March 17-23

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
PENN Entertainment announced that its stand-alone Hollywood Casino app has launched in New Jersey. The new Hollywood Casino platform is available on Android, iOS and desktop and can also be accessed via the ESPN BET app. Customers can login to Hollywood Casino using their ESPN BET credentials, allowing for a seamless experience across PENN’s online betting and casino platforms. Ranked by Eilers & Krejcik as the #2 overall iCasino product in the US, Hollywood Casino offers a variety of online slots, table games and live dealer content, including original titles from PENN Game Studios, the company’s in-house casino game development studio. Hollywood Casino also includes bespoke live dealer tables and exclusive games such as the recently launched Devils Blackjack, an original title leveraging PENN’s partnership with the New Jersey Devils.
Quixant has announced its attendance at and sponsorship of this year’s Indian Gaming Tradeshow and Convention (IGA), to be held between March 31 and April 3, 2025 at the San Diego Convention Centre. Described as the largest gathering of tribal leaders and casino executives in North America, IGA 2025 is a key date in the gaming event calendar. Quixant will support the event with sponsorship at the prestigious annual golf tournament, the Chairman’s Golf Classic, which raises funds for the Native Forward Scholarship Fund to improve tribal education throughout North America. The team look forward to engaging with attendees, to explore their opportunities ahead and understand how Quixant can support and enable their success. Quixant’s product range offers game-changing hardware and software solutions that expedite speed to market. Its specialist gaming hardware platforms, IQ, IQON and QMAX can be tailored to different product needs, budgets and markets.
Partnerships
Soft2Bet has announced its plans to launch in the US headlined by the debut of its award-winning Motivational Engineering Gaming Application (MEGA) product, made possible through a market access agreement with Caesars Entertainment. The launch will see Soft2Bet unveil a new iGaming brand in New Jersey, following necessary regulatory approvals, and with a targeted launch in the Summer of 2025. Soft2Bet’s award-winning MEGA will soon be available to operators in the US. The MEGA product, which Soft2Bet unveiled in 2023, has quickly redefined and transformed gamification with increased engagement, customised player experience and a proven player retention model. Operators around the world using Soft2Bet’s MEGA gamification technology platform have seen positive impact with high engagement and retention.
Aeropay, a leading financial technology company specialising in pay by bank, has announced its membership in the Coalition for Fantasy Sports (CFS), marking the first time a vendor has joined the organisation. This strategic partnership underscores the Coalition’s expanding influence and reinforces its position as the foremost authority on daily fantasy sports. The Coalition for Fantasy Sports, comprising industry leaders such as PrizePicks, Underdog Fantasy, Betr, Dabble and the recently added Splash Sports, continues to advocate for innovation, responsible play and consumer protection within the fantasy sports industry. By welcoming Aeropay, CFS broadens its scope to include key service providers, enhancing its ability to address the multifaceted needs of the industry.
The post Gaming Americas Weekly Roundup – March 17-23 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Bruce Smith Enterprise
Bruce Smith Enterprise and The Cordish Companies Break Ground on New Live! Casino & Hotel in Petersburg, Virginia

Bruce Smith Enterprise and The Cordish Companies celebrated the groundbreaking of the new LIVE! CASINO & HOTEL VIRGINIA in Petersburg. The milestone officially commences construction on a transformative project that will generate billions of dollars in economic benefits and spinoff development, create thousands of new jobs, and set a new standard for gaming, hotels, and entertainment in the Commonwealth. Live! Casino & Hotel Virginia is part of a larger $1.4 billion master plan by the partnership, scheduled to be developed in phases, that will bring a world-class mixed-use resort destination to Petersburg.
Executives from Bruce Smith Enterprise, The Cordish Companies, and Cordish Gaming were joined by Petersburg City Mayor Sam Parham and members of Petersburg City Council, Virginia State Senator Lashrecse Aird, Virginia State Delegate Kim Taylor, and many other business and community leaders at the project site in Petersburg. The development site, ideally located on Brasfield Parkway at the intersection of Wagner Road and Interstate I-95 just 20 miles south of Richmond, will provide easy access on and off the East Coast’s major north-south interstate.
“It has been a source of immense satisfaction and pride to partner in this incredible development. For far too long people have simply driven by the City of Petersburg, but today marks the beginning of a new era in which Petersburg will become a prime destination. This pivotal project will ignite tourism, create jobs, and ultimately deliver on the promise of greater opportunity and upward mobility for local families. As a champion of Petersburg and its residents, I am happily confident that this historic development will uplift, empower, and enrich this community for years to come,” said Bruce Smith, founder of Bruce Smith Enterprise.
Live! Casino & Hotel Virginia is slated to open in 2027. A temporary gaming facility will open by the end of 2025 to immediately begin creating an estimated 500 new jobs, vendor opportunities and economic benefits for the City. In its first 10 years, the project is expected to generate $2.8 billion in economic stimulus to the region; $504 million in tax revenues including $240 million to the City of Petersburg; $802 million in economic benefits during construction; $201 million in annual economic benefits each year after opening; and 7500 new jobs including 6100 during construction and 1400 new permanent jobs.
“Today marks a monumental day for The Cordish Companies as we expand our Live! brand into the Central Virginia region with the development of Live! Casino & Hotel Virginia. Our company is a national leader in successfully developing and managing large-scale urban revitalization projects across the country. Live! Casino & Hotel will be a transformative development that will bring a world-class gaming and entertainment experience to millions of visitors, create significant new jobs, and generate millions of dollars in economic benefits for the community that will provide a beneficial impact for generations. We look forward to making an immediate impact on the region with the construction of a temporary gaming facility that will be operational before the end of 2025, so that we can begin creating jobs, vendor opportunities and economic benefits for the City,” said Zed Smith, Chief Operating Officer for The Cordish Companies.
The post Bruce Smith Enterprise and The Cordish Companies Break Ground on New Live! Casino & Hotel in Petersburg, Virginia appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
Gambling in the USA
Gaming Americas Weekly Roundup – March 10-16

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
Fennica Gaming has announced that it has been granted a gaming supplier license in Ontario, Canada. This milestone marks a significant step in the company’s expansion strategy, allowing it to offer its cutting-edge gaming experiences to gaming operators in one of North America’s most dynamic regulated markets. The supplier license, granted by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), enables Fennica Gaming to introduce its portfolio of entertaining and high-quality games to gaming operators across the province. This registration empowers Ontarian operators, whether online or land-based, to access the omnichannel offerings developed in the Nordics.
PrizePicks announced it has received Internet Compliance Assessment Programme (iCAP) accreditation from the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG). PrizePicks is the first and only fantasy sports operator to receive the recognition. iCAP certification is granted to operators that meet the NCPG’s high standards for responsible gaming and consumer protection practices. Developed by the NCPG, iCAP is the leading online responsible gaming assessment Programme in the US. The rigorous certification process involves an independent, comprehensive review of an operator’s responsible gaming policies and practices, spanning Know Your Customer (KYC) protocols, staff training programmes, work culture, consumer protection measures, RG tool offerings, customer service standards and regulatory compliance.
The Public Health Advocacy Institute (PHAI) at Northeastern University School of Law supports Congressman Paul D. Tonko (NY-20) and Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) as they reintroduced the SAFE Bet Act, which addresses the risks associated with legalised gambling. As of 2025, 39 states and the District of Columbia have legalised sports betting, but the necessary safeguards are not in place to address the public health risks that legalising sports betting creates. The SAFE Bet Act, first introduced in September 2024, addresses those public health concerns. The SAFE Bet Act establishes federal standards while preserving the opportunity for anyone who wishes to participate in legal sports betting. These standards will address advertising, affordability and artificial intelligence issues.
Partnerships
The NCAA and EPIC Global Solutions announced an extension of their gambling harm education programme collaboration. This extended collaboration reinforces the NCAA’s long-standing commitment to protecting student-athlete well-being and the integrity of college athletics. Educating student-athletes on the dangers of sports betting continues to be a key priority for the Association. EPIC’s sessions have been a crucial piece of this education since January 2022. The NCAA and EPIC Global Solutions have partnered to educate over 80,000 student-athletes through in-person, experiential sessions at more than 270 campuses nationwide across all three divisions, making it the largest programme of its kind globally.
SCCG Management has announced a strategic partnership with Boosted Bets. This collaboration will focus on business development, capital-raising support, and global distribution, connecting Boosted Bets with strategic partners across SCCG’s ecosystem, including sportsbook platforms, operators, data providers, CRM and gamification partners. Boosted Bets introduces a new way for sports bettors to prove their skills through a contest-based wagering model. Players enter a paid challenge, receiving a simulated betting account with a larger bankroll—giving them the ability to place bets as if they were high-stakes bettors.
The post Gaming Americas Weekly Roundup – March 10-16 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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