3799 stories by Philip Conneller
California State Lottery Draws Flak Over Ellen DeGeneres $212,500 Scratch-Off Giveaway
Every audience member at a recording of The Ellen DeGeneres Show on December 2 was delighted to go home with a $500 bundle of scratch-off tickets, courtesy of the California State Lottery (CSL). The Lottery hoped the stunt would promote the idea...
Melco Backs Out of Deal to Buy James Packer’s Crown Resorts Shares, Citing Coronavirus Scare
Lawrence Ho’s Melco Resorts has pulled out of a deal to acquire an additional 10 percent of Crown Resorts from Australian billionaire James Packer, blaming the economic pressures of the coronavirus. Melco agreed to a deal in May to purchase 20 percent...
Mashpee Tribe Back in Court to Fight for Sovereignty and $1 Billion Genting-Backed Casino
The Mashpee Wampanoag tribe had its day in a federal appeals court Wednesday, as its lawyers argued for the tribe’s right to self-governance and to build a $1 billion casino in Taunton, Massachusetts. The tribe is hoping the court will overturn a...
Flutter Entertainment-Stars Group Merger to Be Probed by UK Antitrust Regulators
The proposed $12.2 Billion takeover of PokerStars parent The Stars Group (TSG) by Flutter Entertainment is to come under the scrutiny of the UK’s antitrust regulator, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). The planned all-share transaction would create an online gambling behemoth,...
Former Illinois State Rep. Luis Arroyo Pleads Not Guilty to Bribery Charge Linked to Gambling Bill
A former Illinois state representative charged with bribing an unnamed state senator to win support for gambling legislation pleaded not guilty in a federal court this week. Luis Arroyo was the Assistant Majority Leader in the Illinois House of Representatives before his...
Montana Mock Molotov-Cocktail Casino Bandit Pleads Guilty, Faces 40 Years
A Belgrade, Montana man who tried to rob a local casino while brandishing what turned out to be a fake explosive device pleaded guilty to felony robbery and arson Tuesday, The Bozeman Daily Chronicle reports. On April 27, 2019, Jacob Burritt, 28,...
Nevada Resort Association Takes Aim at Casino Tax-Hike Ballot Measure
Nevada’s casinos are looking to sabotage a ballot initiative that calls for a major hike on gaming tax. The Nevada Resort Association (NRA), which represents all the state’s major casinos, filed a lawsuit in Carson City District Court Tuesday that picks holes...
Maryland Lawmakers Launch $375 Million Push to Keep Preakness in Baltimore
A legislative effort is underway in Maryland to keep the Preakness at Pimlico. A bill introduced in Annapolis Monday would earmark $375 million funded by state bonds to rebuild Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore and Laurel Park, the state’s two biggest racetracks....
New Hampshire Sports Betting Beats Expectations, Takes $20.8 Million Handle in First Month
New Hampshire’s sports betting market booked a net profit of $1.2 million on a $20.8 million betting handle in the first month of its existence. According to the New Hampshire Lottery, the figures have exceeded expectations, with over 27,000 unique users since...
EA Hits Almost $1 Billion in Microtransactions, Gets Slapped with Lawsuit Over FIFA 20 Team Packs
FIFA 20 publisher Electronic Arts (EA) announced in a financial briefing late last week it had made nearly $1 billion from microtransactions alone in the quarter that ended Dec 31. That was an “all-time high” for the Redwood City, California-based video-games company,...
