A casino a mere 50-minute ferry ride from Singapore may still become a reality. Two months after Bintan officials said that plans to build a casino have been scrapped, island regent Ansar Ahmad said otherwise. The proposal, from Malaysian developer Landmarks last October, was submitted to the Jakarta government for approval early this year. If approved, the casino will be the first to host legalised gaming in Indonesia.
They are associated with style and glamour for those with plenty of cash and an appetite for risk. But Britain's casinos are facing more mundane pressures as they deal with a combination of gambling taxes, the smoking ban and changes to gaming legislation. Genting Stanley, the UK's largest operator, says the future of the industry relies on attracting younger customers in their 20s and early 30s who visit casinos not only to gamble but also to spend money in their bars and restaurants.
It is hard to believe the scale of Foxwoods Resort Casino. By floor space, it is the largest in the world. Its gaming rooms, hotels, theatres and shopping malls tower over thickly wooded forests in this once sleepy corner of New England. It is a shining city upon a hill, to which 40,000 people a day flock - from New York, Boston and beyond - to play on more than 7,000 slot machines and gamble at hundreds of tables.
The second talk held in the first day of ey!08 Encuentro Yogonet Panama, was “Online Connection, The model for Panama?”. In this opportunity, Karen Sierra-Hughes (GLI) and Dario Piccirilli (University of La Plata, Argentina) commented their knowledge to the public present. To start the talk, Karen Sierra-Hughes brought an overview on GLI functions, in which he commented that the lab performs tests since 1989 in more than 400 jurisdictions worldwide, with services available 24 hours and more than 400 employees in 11 labs worldwide.
More than 500 people were evacuated from Adelaide's SkyCity casino after a small fire ignited in a wall space last night. A transformer, situated between the central marble hall and a toilet, overheated and sparked the fire just before 7pm. A smoke detector activated a sprinkler in the toilet and alerted the Metropolitan Fire Service to the blaze. Within minutes SkyCity staff evacuated the building and MFS firefighters located the fire and doused the flames after breaking into the wall cavity.
The Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) passed a resolution that it would stop issuing trade licenses to floating casinos in Panaji. The resolution was passed at its monthly meeting. During the meeting, an almost unanimous decision was taken not to issue trade and occupation licenses to any of the casino operators lining up to ply their business on the Mandovi. Although, there was an initial proposal to stop the operation of the existing casino operator, this didn’t happen.
Las Vegas -- Billionaire Sheldon Adelson landed Chinese government support in his quest for a lucrative gaming franchise in Macao in 2001 after relaying assurances from a Republican Party boss that a congressional measure opposing Beijing's bid for the 2008 Olympics would "never see the light of day," according to court testimony in a civil suit here. The intelligence came out of a phone call between Adelson and then-U.S. Rep. and Majority Whip Tom DeLay (R-Texas).
San Jacinto, California -- The National Indian Gaming Commission has warned a Riverside County Indian band that its casino could be closed in a "worst-case scenario" if violence continues, it was reported Sunday. "Closure of the facility might be necessary" if violent incidents continue near the Soboba Casino, Gaming Commission Chairman Phil Hogen told the Riverside Press-Enterprise.
Boston - The contentious issue of whether to expand gambling in Massachusetts could be back on the Statehouse's agenda this summer, driven by the Mashpee Wampanoag's effort to build an American Indian casino in Middleboro. The House seemingly dealt casinos a fatal blow in March, defeating Gov. Deval Patrick's plan for three commercial casinos by a lopsided vote of 108-46. But Statehouse insiders are now looking at three new fronts in the battle, which will unfold over the coming months:
Middleborough - Reports that Governor Deval Patrick was poised to begin negotiating a contract, or compact, with the Mashpee Wampanoag for a casino in Middleborough caused some ripples of concern across Southeastern Massachusetts this week. According to the Statehouse News Service, Patrick on Monday had said that, although he expects no additional casino legislation to be forthcoming this session...
The Oregon Court of Appeals has ruled that a community organization can challenge the governor’s approval of a casino in Florence. The ruling could have ramifications for tribal casinos throughout Oregon. KLCC’s Rachael McDonald reports. People Against a Casino Town, or PACT, has been fighting the Three Rivers Casino since 2003 when the governor signed a compact giving the project the go-ahead.
Atlantic City - Gov. Jon S. Corzine made two stops in the resort today, first addressing conventions of the New Jersey State AFL-CIO and then the New Jersey Association of Counties. The governor at the AFL-CIO union convention at the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa received support of his endorsement of a bill that would keep gaming halls and horse tracks open in the event of a shutdown caused by state budget problems.
