Tallahassee - If the Seminole Tribe of Florida follows through with plans to expand its casinos and resorts, it will siphon off USD 95 million in annual tourist and convention business from around the state and gain an even greater competitive advantage. Those were the conclusions of Amy Baker, the Florida Legislature's chief economist, in a report presented to the House Committee on Seminole Indian Compact Review on Friday.

The operator of the Seminole Tribe’s Hard Rock hotels and casinos told a House committee Monday that the state can immediately use USD 288 million and will soon have another 45,000 jobs if the gambling agreement Gov. Charlie Crist signed with the tribe stays in place. James Allen, the Seminole Gaming CEO and chairman of Seminole Hard Rock International, told a House committee on Monday...

Tipp24 AG plans to restructure its business fields as of 1 January 2009. This will include pooling the majority of its activities in connection with brokering or offering lottery products with MyLotto24 Ltd. and its subsidiaries. MyLotto24 Ltd. has been operating in the UK since 2007.

With the US economy in the tank and foreign countries more open to big gambling resorts, MGM Mirage is damping up its expansion efforts with a new division focused on international gaming expansion. Lloyd Nathan, who joined the company in 2002 and most recently served as managing director of MGM Mirage International in Hong Kong, heads the new Global Gaming Division.

A CAD 50-million casino expansion for downtown Nanaimo is on hold until at least 2010. The Great Canadian Casino Company, which operates the Nanaimo casino, has shelved all its expansion plans for many of its 17 B.C. casinos, while the U.S.-based lending squeeze plays itself out on the world economic stage. "We are pushing most of our projects into 2010 so any work that was going to commence in 2009 has been moved into the next year...

New York legislators want to tap casino gambling for greater revenues, but the requirements of passing a state constitutional amendment make the opening of new casinos unlikely anytime soon. So Governor David Paterson and some lawmakers are considering changing rules for existing video lottery machines and slots at racetracks. Current regulations require racinos to operate no more than sixteen hours a day, or one hundred twelve hours per week.

It is seven years since Sir Alan Budd published a report that was supposed to usher in a new era of gambling regulation in the UK more relevant to the 21st century. Given what has happened since, the respected economist must wonder why he bothered. Although the Gambling Act 2005, which came into force last year, did adopt some of his 175 recommendations, the main thrust of the Budd report was ignored as the Government's deregulatory strategy lost its way amid controvesy and political dithering.

The Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority announced this week it will suspend the next components of its expansion due to uncertainty in the economy and its impact on the region’s gaming market. Mitchell Etess, president and CEO of the authority, said not even casinos are immune to the economic downturn. “Anybody who follows the industry realizes that this has been felt here and Atlantic City as well as the whole industry,” Etess said.

Even though Governor Charlie Crist had his compact with the Seminole Indians voided, he is still on his way to getting what he wants for the state, expanded gambling options. South Florida casinos are leading the way. Dania Jai-Alai has become the latest establishment to expand the hours of operation for their poker room. Dania Jai-Alai has become the latest establishment to expand the hours of operation for their poker room.

Investors looking into buying Towcester Racecourse have been told the GBP 10m venue could be expanded to include a hotel and casino. Lord Hesketh, who owns the South Northamptonshire venue, put it up for sale with estate agents Knight Frank yesterday. Details issued by the agents claim the venue has the potential to become a "racino", a combination of a racecourse and casino.

Congress of the Union must elaborate an “agressive” Law of Games and Draw, because Mexican Department of the Interior boosts the “illegal” construction of casinos in the country, considered PRI senator Francisco Arroyo Vieyra. When asked about the license granted by SG for the installation of a casino in one of the most expensive areas of León, the legislation said that the business is located in Clouthier Boulevard, near Plaza Mayor.

Despite the slowing economy, which prompted several gaming companies to put the brakes on expansion in Atlantic City, a city councilman there says development of the city’s most coveted tract of land is “way behind schedule.” Councilman Dennis Mason and other city officials have laid out a timetable for the development of Bader Field, the 140-acre former airport valued at approximately USD 1 billion.