Areas of Expertise
7779 stories by Devin O'Connor
600/1 Longshot Wins PGA Tour Event, FedExCup Playoffs Tee Off Next
Each week on the PGA Tour, a rush of betting money comes in on the game's top players: Brooks Koepka, Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas, Jon Rahm, Dustin Johnson. But the stars were outplayed Sunday by Jim Herman, who entered the week ranked...
Puerto Rico Inches Closer to Sports Betting, DFS, and Esports Launch
Puerto Rico is moving closer to getting sports betting, daily fantasy sports (DFS), and esports operations in the United States territory. People in Puerto Rico will soon be able to bet on their favorite sports teams, including their beloved national baseball program....
First Japan-Led Integrated Resort Consortium Revealed, French Casino Operator Partnered
The first Japan-led integrated resort (IR) consortium was announced today, as Tokyo-based Pixel Companyz has brought in French casino operator Partouche Group to make a bid on one of the three forthcoming commercial gaming licenses. Joji Kokuryo, managing director of Bay City...
US Commercial Casino Revenue Down 79 Percent in Q2, But Industry Leaders Confident in Recovery
US commercial casino revenue dropped nearly 79 percent in the second quarter of 2020 due to COVID-19 shuttering gaming floors. But industry leaders believe a strong recovery is already underway. The American Gaming Association (AGA), the gaming industry's preeminent lobbying firm in...
Paragon Gaming Founder Sells Nevada Estate for Record Price
Paragon Gaming co-founder Diana Bennett has sold her Henderson, Nev. estate for a record $11.25 million, the highest price ever paid for a residential home in the city that neighbors Las Vegas. Originally listed for $13.5 million, the property at 770 Dragon...
Former Casino Lobbyist Sara Slane Investor in B2B Sports Betting Startup
Sara Slane -- the former senior vice president of public affairs at the American Gaming Association (AGA) -- is an investor in a new business-to-business sports betting startup. There's nothing "simple" about the company Slane's betting on, Simplebet. The B2B is setting...
MGM Resorts Employee COVID Fund Receives Additional $2M from Kerkorian Estate
MGM Resorts said this week that the estate of its late founder, Kirk Kerkorian, has given an additional $2 million to the company's Employee Emergency Grant Fund that is supporting workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Kerkorian died in 2015 at the age...
FBI Asked to Review President Donald Trump Call with Sheldon Adelson
President Donald Trump and Las Vegas casino tycoon Sheldon Adelson spoke on the phone last week. Now, two Democratic members of Congress want the FBI to review the conversation to determine if there was any instance of bribery. Reps. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.)...
Atlantic City Casinos See Revenues Decline 23 Percent in July, Win Totals $248M
Atlantic City casinos won $248.6 million last month -- their total gross gaming revenue (GGR) derived from brick-and-mortar operations, online casinos, and land-based and mobile sports betting. July's GGR represents a 23 percent decline in casino year-over-year win. Revenue at the nine...
Former Caesars CEO Tony Rodio Leading Danville Virginia Casino Campaign
Tony Rodio led the former Caesars Entertainment corporation through its $17.3 billion merger with Eldorado Resorts. Now, the gaming executive is leading the newly formed group's efforts to win approval to build a casino resort in Danville, Va. It became official last...