NBA 2017 All Star Game in New Orleans

The NBA announced that the 2017 All Star Game will be played in New Orleans. The game was moved from Charlotte, North Carolina due to the legislation that requires transgender patrons to use the restroom of the sex to which they were born in government buildings. The law also does not protect LGBTQ individuals from discrimination in the workplace and housing.

New Orleans by Day

New Orleans by Night

"New Orleans is a world-class destination for sports and entertainment and we are very appreciative that the city is once again hosting our All-Star festivities," NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said.

The date of the game is February 19th. The economic impact on the weekend should be approximately  70 to 100 million. New Orleans is well equipped to handle the game on relatively short notice They have over  50,0000 hotel rooms and have the benefit of having hosted the game before in 2014.

The  NBA has evolved into a diverse international game both on and off the court. They have shown the ability to be innovative and are looking for additional ways to market a popular product. This includes advertisements on jerseys, games played in other countries and the initiation of the conversation about sports betting. The sports betting subject will be featured at the G2E 2016 in Las Vegas and will include David Stern, Former NBA Commissioner and Geoff Freeman, CEO of the American Gaming Association.

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                                                        36 days until #G2E2016

This Week in Gaming Review

New York has made a major move with authorizing the regulation of Daily Fantasy Sports. New York has 13% of the market of Fantasy Sports Players. This is great news for FanDuel and DraftKings. There was talk of these two merging. They may not have to if other states decide to follow New York.

The news was not as good for New Jersey and the quest for sports betting. The 3rd Circuit Court decided in a vote of 10-2 that the federal ban should be upheld. The next move is taking the challenge to the United States Supreme Court. There is no timetable or guarantee that the top judicial body would hear the case. An act of Congress may be a viable alternative. The American Gaming Association is in favor of having the sports betting ban repealed. Fantasy is clearing the way.

MGM is in Atlantic City doing auditions for dealers. They are mandated to hire a large percentage of their staff from the residents in the DC area where the casino is located. They have a sizable labor pool to choose from. Atlantic City is a great place to start.

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                                                        42 days until #G2E2016

AGA Responsible Gaming Week

This week is the American Gaming Association Responsible Gaming Week. It runs from August 1st thru 5th. Responsible Gaming Education Week (RGEW) was created by the AGA in 1998 to increase awareness of problem gambling among gaming industry employees and customers and to promote responsible gaming nationwide.

The AGA and the entire gaming industry realize that education is essential to promoting responsible play and increasing awareness of gambling disorders, and RGEW provides gaming companies with an opportunity to expand on work they do every day educating employees and patrons about the issue.

In preparation for RGEW the AGA and the  (NCRG), released new responsible gaming videos. The video by the NCRG, “What is a Gambling Disorder?” , “explains in simple language the science that informs our understanding of gambling disorders.” The AGA’s video, “What Are the Odds?”, is meant to “illustrate the house advantage inherent in all casino games and demonstrates how America’s favorite game – the slot machine works.

I support this initiative. My app is indicative of my commitment to this endeavor.  The best practices are the preventive ones. Who better to provide this information than the companies and the employees that work in gaming.  They know the warning signs that lead to the onset of problem gambling.   Keep it fun!

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                                                        58 days until #G2E2016

East Coast Gaming Congress - Day Two Recap

Day Two of The East Coast Gaming Congress was insightful because the panels were tackling issues that had the old guard vs. 21st Century thinking. I shuttled between Gender Equality in the Gaming Industry and Atlantic City.. And North Jersey?  They were in adjacent areas so I was able to cover both.

Virginia McDowell

The Gender Equality Panel consisted of Jan Jones Blackhurst,Vice President of  Government Relations at Caesars Entertainment, James Allen, CEO of Hard Rock International and Jane Bokunewicz,Assistant Professor of Tourism Management from Stockton University.  The moderator was the esteemed Virginia McDowell, President  and Board Chair of Global Gaming Women. This session should have been held by itself.  The turnout was light but the message was powerful. Women are underrepresented in management positions and are paid substantially less than their male counterparts. But the message and the numbers do not resonate unless they are heard by everyone. Most of the attendees were women and minorities. The data supports that companies that are diverse do better than one's that are not. Companies that have women in position of leadership are making more money than those where only men are present.

 

The Atlantic City ...And North Jersey panel had the most fireworks. The groups were divided by the trio that wanted a gaming expansion into North Jersey and one that was opposed. The Atlantic City group wants to maintain the momentum that they have by citing the increases in hotel occupancy and revenue over this time two years ago. They feel that casinos in North Jersey would derail that growth.

The North Jersey supporters of Jeff Gural and Paul Fireman, the two primary investors of the proposed Meadowlands and Jersey City project respectively, think that they are going after a market that Atlantic City does not have presently. No happy medium was reached.

 

The Casino Floor of Tomorrow gave a glimpse at what everyone thought the future gaming floor would look like. The consensus of this panel was that while we can't forget about our present customers, we must allocate a percentage of our space that will engage a younger crowd.

Geoff Freeman

Geoff Freeman, President & CEO, American Gaming Association, requested that the gaming industry do 3 things. The industry should expose the problems, see the opportunities and unify the stakeholders. This includes Sports Betting and Daily Fantasy Sports.

Part Two of the Day 2 recap will be on my Facebook and Twitter  mediums.


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This week in Gaming Review

Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board Director of the Office of Compulsive and Problem Gambling, Elizabeth Lanza, has received the “2016 Person of the Year Award” from the Council on Compulsive Gambling of Pennsylvania.  Director Lanza received the award last week during the organization’s “2016 CCGPA Statewide Conference East” in Trevose. This is outstanding news and well timed. This is National Problem Gaming Awareness Month. I suggest we take a moment to revisit some of the initiatives the AGA recommends regarding responsible gaming.

New Jersey is strongly exploring the concept of skill based games with regulations that will fast

track new product to the casino floor. I expect more new about this at the IGNA and the ECGC. The I Gaming North America will be held 4/5/16 thru 4/7/16. The East Coast Gaming Congress will take place 5/25/16 thru 5/26/16. I plan to follow attendees and provide commentary during both events.

New Jersey is also looking at Daily Fantasy Sports as a revenue generator. State Senator Jim Whelan proposed a bill that would regulate daily leagues only and tax them at the current casino rate of 9.5%.

More news from PokerStars this week. In a press release, PokerStars parent company Amaya stated:

“Amaya Inc. (NASDAQ: AYA; TSX: AYA) today announced that it expects to initially launch its PokerStars brand in New Jersey on Monday, March 21, 2016.  The launch quickly follows the September 2015 authorization by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (the “DGE”) to operate the PokerStars and Full Tilt brands in the State. Amaya currently expects to conduct an interim testing period with the DGE and a beta period for a limited player base beginning in mid-March.”

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This Week in Gaming Review

 

The hearing on Sports Betting was held in Philadelphia on Tuesday. This will impact New Jersey and Pennsylvania “Look for either an 8-4 or 7-5 victory in favor of the leagues,” said Daniel Wallach, a sports and gambling lawyer at Becker & Poliakoff in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. “I don’t expect New Jersey to raise the white flag if it loses. The state is nothing if not persistent.”

 

As part of a grassroots efforts, the American Gaming Association recently launched a website – SportsBettingInAmerica.com – that serves as the hub for information and support from people across the country. If you agree that sports betting law should be changed, join the effort and sign up.

 

International news gives support to the movement for Sports Betting in America. The following is an article from I Gaming Business. Spain’s gambling regulator, the Dirección General de Ordenación del Juego (DGOJ), has revealed that the country’s online gaming market experienced a 26% year-on-year increase in revenue in the 12 months through to December 31, 2015.

Gross gaming revenue for the full year totalled €319.6 million ($357 million), while turnover also increased 28% year-on-year to more than €8 billion.

Sports betting served as the main source of income for operators, generating a total of €179 million of the overall revenue figure and representing an increase of 49% on the previous year.

Although the online slots market also jumped 80% to €67.5 million, the DGOJ did report that revenue from poker dropped to €59.8 million, while bingo also fell to €7.8 million.

The largely positive full-year results come after an impressive fourth quarter in the country, during which revenue hiked 40% year-on-year to €94.7 million.

Sportsbook revenue came in at €53.5 million for the three months to December 31, with casino generating €22.6 million, poker €14.5 million and bingo just €2.1 million.

 

 

The decision will be rendered sometime later this spring or early this summer. I am not confident that New Jersey will prevail. I do think this battle will pick up on a national level.

 

I am headed to Las Vegas this week. I will share part of my time with you once I return.

 

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