FANTINI’S GAMING REPORT^©

 More Important Than Your Morning Coffee^™

 

  May 23, 2023

Ashley Diem – Publisher and Executive Editor     

Hannah Wilmarth – Editor

David Dittman – Writer

Wolveridge Langan - Writer

 

 

TOP STORIES

            COHEN’S NEW YORK CASINO FACES ROADBLOCK

            MACAU HOTEL OCCUPANCY UP

            EARNINGS HIGHLIGHT BETTING CHALLENGES

            888 SELLS LATVIA BUSINESS

            EKG: Q1 iLOTTERY GREW BROADLY

            MORE KINDRED EXECUTIVES MOVING ON

INVESTORS

            EARNINGS US: ELYS

            EARNINGS INTERNATIONAL: GALAXY ENT

            REVENUE REPORTS: MS, NH, SD, DC

ANALYSTS: AGS, CHDN, IGT, LVS, MGM, TAH, WYNN

            MARKETS

COMPANIES

            US LISTED: APO, CZR, LVS, MSGE

US PRIVATE: DREAMSCAPE, WOODBINE

INTERNATIONAL: AINSWORTH, ENTAIN, FLTR, INSE, LET, NXQ, ZITRO

SPORTS BETTING: BETVICTOR, CZR, CHECKD, DKNG, FANATICS, FLTR, JACK, JCM

INTERACTIVE: CT, ELITBET, GALAXSYS, GAMING CORPS, IWG, MILL, NGMS, NETBET, NUXGAME, OCTOPLAY, RAW, ROOTZ, RUBYPLAY

JURISDICTIONS AND MARKETS

            US: CA, LV, LA

            INTERNATIONAL: BRAZIL, PHILIPPINES, UK

SPORTS BETTING: US

 

FANTINI’S GAMING SHOW: ZITRO

EVENTS

CALENDAR

            CONTACT US

TOP STORIES

COHEN’S NEW YORK CASINO FACES ROADBLOCK

            New York Sen. Jessica Ramos will not introduce a bill necessary for MLB’s New York Mets owner Steve Cohen’s proposed casino in this year’s legislative session ending June 8, The New York Post reported.

            Ramos is important to the issue as she is the local Senator for the area in which Cohen is proposing the casino.

            Legislation was introduced by Assemblyman Jeffrion Aubry in March to allow the redevelopment of overflow parking at Citi Field, but the bill must have support from the state Senate.

            That bill, A5688, has been in committee since March.

            Cohen will continue to take input from Ramos and residents about redevelopment.

Protests against the planned casino continued through the weekend, The Post said.

            LVS has been facing local opposition, especially from Hofstra University, which filed a civil complaint against the Nassau County Planning Commission alleging open meeting violations regarding the lease agreement for the coliseum.

            Local support is a key component of the licensing process in New York as a site-specific committee of six advisors will need to approve any casino proposal by a two-thirds margin in order to secure a license.

            Others bidding for one of three available casino licenses include Caesars, Bally’s, Mohegan Entertainment and Soloviev Group, Saks Fifth Avenue, Rush Street Gaming and Vornado, MGM Resorts, Wynn Resorts, Hard Rock and Genting Malaysia.

            Lastly, the New York state budget for the next fiscal year will direct initial tax revenue from the three licenses to fund the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

            License fees are set at $500 million each.

            However, the state gaming commission has not yet set a timeline to award licenses.

MACAU HOTEL OCCUPANCY UP

            Macau’s hotel occupancy was 86.2 percent, up 53.5 percentage points year-over-year.

            Hotels with the highest occupancy were three-star, at 94.6 percent. Occupancy at five-star hotels was 85.8 percent and at four-star was 80.1 percent.

            Room rates jumped 66.6 percent to an average of US$170.70.

            Elsewhere, JPMorgan Securities Asia Pacific forecast that gross gaming revenue was US$1.38 billion over the first 21 days of May, implying a run-rate ahead of what was a surprisingly strong April.

Analysts noted that the month-to-date data suggests mass demand is approximately 85 percent and VIP is approximately 25 percent of pre-pandemic levels. Both figures are ahead of 67 percent and 15 percent recovery rates for the full first quarter.

JPMorgan expects Macau to post May gaming revenue of $1.9 billion, which would mark a 60 percent total recovery to pre-pandemic levels. Gaming revenue was up 449.9 percent year over year and 15.6 percent month over month in April.

EARNINGS HIGHLIGHT BETTING CHALLENGES

Earnings season highlighted a couple of emerging trends, including a topic of growing policymaker interest explored last month, including the impact of state bans on cost per acquisition and revenue sharing marketing agreements, Chris Krafcik and Adam Krejcik of Eilers & Krejcik Gaming said in the May US Sports Betting Policy Monitor.

Bans have already been enacted in Connecticut, Illinois, New York and Massachusetts, while other heavily regulated states, including Colorado and Ohio, are good candidates to consider them next, they said.

The handful of states still seriously considering sports betting legalization face a variety of significant obstacles, and it’s entirely plausible that some may not overcome them in the foreseeable future.

While a bill is not going to pass the Texas Senate this year, legalization made serious progress in the Lone Star State this session, with an enabling bill authorizing online betting passing the state House. No bill made it out of committee in either 2019 or 2021.

The 35-page US Sports Betting Policy Monitor report is available by subscription or single copy from Cindy Konowitz at +1 302 730 3793 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

888 SELLS LATVIA BUSINESS

            888 is selling its Latvia business to gaming operator Paf Consulting for €28.25 million on a cash-free, debt-free basis.

            An initial €24 million will be paid in cash, and an earn-out of €4.25 million will be payable next year based on this year’s audited financial results.

The sale should close in coming weeks, and proceeds will be used for general corporate purposes.

888’s Latvia business is an independent entity with its own management team and technology platform operating on a local license under William Hill and Mr. Green brands. 888 will continue to provide a brand license to allow the brands to continue operating there for a limited time.

            The sale is not expected to have a negative impact on ongoing operations and is consistent with plans to focus on core and growth markets. Last year, the Latvia business generated £2.5 million in EBITDA.

            888 is continuously reviewing its assets to ensure they contribute to the long-term strategy and will maximize value for shareholders, Executive Chair Lord Mendelsohn said.

            888’s exposure in the Baltic region is limited, meaning it is not a core growth market the company will prioritize for investing, he said.

EKG: Q1 iLOTTERY GREW BROADLY

           First quarter iLottery sales jumped 39 percent year-over-year to $1.9 billion with another quarter of broad-based growth across markets, according to the Eilers & Krejcik US iLottery Tracker.

            Looking ahead, full-year iLottery sales will likely grow 26 percent to $7.6 billion. Draw sales may face a more challenging comparable period with record multi-state draw activity in the second half of last year.

            eInstant sales jumped 35 percent to $1.6 billion, and draw games increased 65 percent to $327 million.

            iLottery bills in Hawaii, Indiana and Maryland died this year. There is still some chance of enacting legislation in Ohio and Massachusetts but low momentum in Louisiana.

            A subscription to the quarterly US iLottery Tracker is available by contacting Cindy Konowitz at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or at +1 302 730 3793.

MORE KINDRED EXECUTIVES MOVING ON

Kindred resignations continue to pile up with Chief Marketing Officer Elen Barber and Chief Commercial Officer Anne-Jaap Snijders both stepping away in the fall of this year.

Their resignations follow the review of Kindred’s commercial and marketing operations in the second half of last year led by Barber, Snijders and interim CEO Nils Andén.

Kindred said both Barber and Snijders’ departures are not connected to last week’s resignations of former CEO Henrik Tjärnström and CFO Johan Wilsby.

           

INVESTORS

EARNINGS US: ELYS

• ELYS GAME TECHNOLOGY’s online gaming revenue fell 7.6 percent while land-based gaming revenue grew 369 percent year-over-year in the first quarter.

            Loss before income taxes was $2.3 million this year vs. $2.4 million last year.

            ELYS’ ability to generate sufficient cash flow from operations is dependent on continued demand for gaming services, but the company expects it must source additional funding through either debt or equity funding in order to continue executing its growth plan and to continue operating for the next 12 months.

            ELYS will focus on expanding in the US and Italy at a sustainable rate, it said.

            10Q filing: https://ir.elysgame.com/financial-information.

            FIRST QUARTER HIGHLIGHTS:

Earnings per share: (7 cents) vs. (11 cents)

Revenue: $12.432 million vs. $12.236 million

Shares outstanding: 32.495 million vs. 23.515 million

Balance sheet: Cash: $3.241 million vs. $3.400 million as of December 31

EARNINGS INTERNATIONAL: GALAXY ENT

• GALAXY ENTERTAINMENT is well-positioned to continue investing in development opportunities given its pipeline and strong balance sheet, the company said in its first-quarter earnings release.

            Revenue jumped 72 percent year-over-year to US$902 million while adjusted EBITDA more than tripled to $244 million. Galaxy Ent was also particularly encouraged by Golden Week visitation earlier this month, it said.

The company is actively marketing for international customers and building its entertainment offering to capitalize on event facilities.

Galaxy Ent is now fully staffed following the removal of COVID restrictions in Macau and is recruiting staff for Raffles at Galaxy Macau and Andaz Macau, which should open later this year.

            The launch of those two properties will significantly increase room capacity and drive visitation across Galaxy Ent’s casinos.

            It also soft-opened its Galaxy Arena and Galaxy International Convention Center in April.

            The company continues to make progress on phase four of Galaxy Macau, which includes food and beverage, entertainment, gaming and upgraded hotel rooms. This will bring total Macau hotel capacity to 7,500 rooms.

            Full report: https://www.galaxyentertainment.com/uploads/investor/2c935d5e0fe522746fcd2b4a8517cd33bbf321df.pdf.

            Results are in Hong Kong dollars, which trade around 7.8 to one US dollar.

            FIRST QUARTER HIGHLIGHTS:

Net revenue: $7.05 billion vs. $4.1 billion

Adjusted EBITDA: $1.91 billion vs. $575 million

By segment:

Galaxy Macau:         $1.85 billion vs. $724 million

StarWorld:                 $216 million       $424

Broadway Macau:    ($ 10 million)      ($ 17)

City Clubs:                 $   3                    $   8

Construction:            $101                    n/a                      

Balance sheet: Cash: $21.3 billion as of March 31

                             Debt: $7.4 billion

REVENUE REPORTS: MS, NH, SD, DC

            For the 19 states that reported, total gaming revenue has risen 7.61 percent to $3.433 billion in April and 12.47 percent to $21.137 billion year-to-date.

                                    April                            Percent          Year-to-Date             Percent

                                                                        Change                                              Change

Land-based               $2.388 billion            -   2.76           $15.841 billion          + 3.69

Sports betting           $551.759 million       +68.04            $ 3.214 billion          +77.93

iGaming                     $492.007 million       +22.73            $ 1.959 billion          +22.73

• MISSISSIPPI:

TOTAL GAMING                 

                       

Central                                   $ 30.465 million       +19.42 percent

Coastal                                  $131.245                   + 6.08

Northern                                $ 49.481                   - 13.03

                       

Total                                       $211.191 million       + 2.45 percent

Without Sports Betting        $206.844                   + 2.44

                       

SPORTS BETTING            

                       

REVENUE                

                       

Central                                   $ 1.219 million         +29.44 percent

Coastal                                  $ 2.525                     + 0.19

Northern                                $ 0.603                     - 19.27

                       

Total Revenue                      $ 4.347 million         + 3.27 percent

                       

Total Handle                         $31.805 million         - 10.42 percent

            Full report: https://www.msgamingcommission.com/reports/monthly_details/1124.

• NEW HAMPSHIRE:

Mobile                        $ 6.084 million         +113.26 percent

Retail                          $ 0.587                     +   0.51

                       

Total Revenue          $ 6.670 million         + 94.11 percent

                       

Total Handle             $65.084 million         -   11.03 percent

                       

*DraftKings is the official partner of the New Hampshire Lottery.                  

            Full report: https://www.nhlottery.com/Files/PDFs/Financial-Reports/2023/Sports_Betting_Summary_FY23-(9).aspx.

• SOUTH DAKOTA:

All-sources                $10.082 million         + 3.03 percent

                       

Total Casino            $10.059 million         + 2.66 percent

                       

Sports Betting                      

                       

Revenue                    $22.503 million         N/A

Handle                       $493,045                   +33.79 percent

            Full report: https://dor.sd.gov/businesses/gaming/.

• WASHINGTON, DC:

SPORTS BETTING            

                       

Gambet (Intralot)                  $ 0.721 million         +19.56 percent

BetMGM                                $ 0.139                     + 9.19

Grand Central (ELYS)         $ 0.061                     -   7.81

Caesars                                 $ 0.524                     - 17.54

Cloakbook (ELYS)               $ 0.001                     N/A

FanDuel (FLTR)                   ($ 0.026)                    N/A

                       

Total Revenue                      $ 1.419 million          -   0.86 percent

                       

Handle                                   $14.052 million         - 23.55 percent

                       

MULTIPLE PROPERTIES             

                       

Elys Game Technology       $ 0.061 million         -   7.04 percent

            Gambet report: https://dclottery.com/about-us/newsroom/dc-lottery-sports-wagering-monthly-report-april-2023.

            Lottery report: https://dclottery.com/olg/financials/april-2023-unaudited.

ANALYSTS: AGS, CHDN, IGT, LVS, MGM, TAH, WYNN

• CHURCHILL DOWNS. Barry Jonas of Truist revised estimates but maintained his target of $165, based on 12.5 times 2025 EBITDA, following the two-for-one stock split.

            While stock splits have no fundamental impact, this could widen the stock’s appeal to more investors, he said. However, he’s waiting for more state revenue data for a wider review and will have more following a trip to Virginia to see historical horse racing properties.

            He forecasts EBITDA of $1.057 billion this year, $1.243 billion next year and $1.355 billion in 2025 with earnings per share of $6.18, $6.49 and $7.57.

• STIFEL MEETS WITH GAMERS. Steve Wieczynski of Stifel heard mostly favorable comments coming away from management meetings with 12 gaming companies, though varying by market. The most optimistic were Wynn, Las Vegas Sands, MGM Resorts, AGS and IGT.

            Las Vegas Strip demand remains robust but is facing tougher year-over-year comparisons. Forward group bookings are well ahead of 2019 levels, and international visitation is increasingly returning, he said.

            Macau visitation continues to improve and is mirroring the Strip’s reopening at structurally higher margins, he said.

            In regional, any softness in spend remains relegated mostly to the South, he said.

            Gaming operations and replacements remain stable for suppliers, and product development for online sports betting and iCasino remains dynamic, he said.

• DB, TOO. Carlo Santarelli of Deutsche Bank also found commentary to be optimistic amongst Las Vegas gamers, while the outlook for regional gaming is tougher.

            The current cadence of activity and outlook for the second half this year remains steady on the Las Vegas Strip. However, given tougher comparisons, he assumes second quarter revenue will be flat or grow 1 percent year-over-year. April is likely to be the strongest month in the quarter, he said.

            Elsewhere, in terms of the Oakland A’s coming to Vegas, opinions were mixed. This has created the impression the A’s are posturing and waiting for Oakland to negotiate to keep them from moving to Las Vegas as there has been little to no formal planning, he said.

            In Macau, trends remain on track, and valuation remains reasonable for Las Vegas Sands and Wynn. However, some US management teams are skeptical that Macau can reach 2019 visitation levels this summer as transportation friction remains, he said.

• TABCORP. Melinda Baxter of Morgan Stanley upgraded her rating to overweight and raised her target to A$1.30 saying the license renegotiation in the Australian state of Victoria has the potential to reset earnings expectations.

            TAH could also gain digital market share and achieve reduced operational expenditures, she said.

            However, estimates take into consideration market risk given weaker consumer trends, she said.

            She forecasts EBITDA of $386 million this fiscal year, $414 million next fiscal year and $438 million in fiscal 2025 with earnings per share of three, four and six cents.

MARKETS

            US stocks opened the week ahead as North American advancers beat out decliners 30 to 23.

            Codere Online jumped 10.65 percent marking the fifth straight positive close and setting a 52-week high at $3.43.

DraftKings more than doubled its average volume while setting a 52-week high at $25.22 after rising 4.60 percent.

            Lottomatica, which only started trading this month, set a 52-week closing low after dropping 3.65 percent, despite reporting better year-to-date profit and revenue in the first quarter this year.

            Other stocks to note: Churchill Downs traded at an adjusted price today after a two-for-one stock split was approved last month. CHDN saw no significant movement today.

            52-week closing highs:

Codere Online          +10.65 percent to $3.43

DraftKings                 + 4.60                    $25.22

Flutter                         + 1.98                    16,725 pence

Kambi                         + 0.62                    226.0 Swedish kronor

Evolution                    + 0.06                    1,433.20 Swedish kronor

            52-week closing lows:

Lottomatica               - 3.65 percent to €7.66

            Five percent movers:

Codere Online                      +10.65 percent

GAN                                       + 5.88

eSports Entertainment        + 5.85

Table Trac                             - 6.79 percent

COMPANIES

US LISTED: APO, CZR, LVS, MSGE

• APOLLO GLOBAL, MADISON SQUARE GARDEN ENTERTAINMENT. Operators of the MSG Sphere at The Venetian in Las Vegas are offering refunds or seats at a different U2 UV Achtung Baby performance following the discovery of obstructed sight lines.

Around 800 seats in the venue cannot see the entirety of the screens which wrap around the venue because of an overhang in the seats above them.

• CAESARS. The first renovations in 16 years of the Miracle Mile Shops at the Planet Hollywood resort are set to be completed in June, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported.

Updates include modern light fixtures, interactive displays, more seating in the mall’s walkway, new ceilings, projection technology for light shows inside the mall, and more than 21,000 square feet of LED screens throughout the interior and exterior of the property.

New attractions at the property include two indoor light shows. Holdover attractions include the painted ceilings above some of the walkways and portions of the Moroccan facades original to the Desert Passage Mall.

• LAS VEGAS SANDS. Chairman and CEO Rob Goldstein was re-elected as an executive director of Sands China during the company’s annual meeting.

Charles Forman and Kenneth Chung were also re-elected, as non-executive directors.

Shareholders approved a general mandate to the directors to repurchase up to 10 percent of the issued shares of Sands China.

US PRIVATE: DREAMSCAPE, WOODBINE

• DREAMSCAPE, which owns the Rio Las Vegas, will take over operations from Caesars later this year.

Dreamscape appointed Trevor Scherrer as President of gaming and entertainment. He most recently was a development advisor on the Resorts World Las Vegas opening team, Gambling Insider reported.

Janice Fitzpatrick, with more than 40 years of experience, was appointed CFO; Tom Evans becomes chief marketing officer; and Kevin Sweet chief gaming officer. Sweet was most recently VP of Slot Operations and Marketing at The Cosmopolitan Las Vegas.

• WOODBINE ENTERTAINMENT. Despite ongoing protests at Casino Woodbine, the property is operating 24/7 with access to all slots, table games and live and simulcast racing, the company said.

The operator continues discussions with the Public Services Alliance of Canada to find an agreement on a new collective contract to end the casino’s lockout of its 945 employees started earlier this month.

INTERNATIONAL: AINSWORTH, ENTAIN, FLTR, INSE, LET, NXQ, ZITRO

• AINSWORTH GAME TECHNOLOGY. Non-executive chairman Danny Gladstone said the company hopes to resume its dividend next year as operations continue to normalize in the aftermath of the pandemic, Inside Asian Gaming reported.

Gladstone said Ainsworth is focusing its resources on returning to full capacity this year.

“Our priority remains to maintain a strong balance sheet to self-fund our growth strategies and product investments,” Gladstone said to shareholders at the company’s annual general meeting.

• ENTAIN funded a lobbying campaign designed to water down or overturn the UK gambling white paper, including an operation to mobilize people to complain to their member of parliament about proposals to change gambling laws, The Guardian reported.

When the UK government released the white paper last month, Entain CEO Jette Nygaard-Andersen called it “an important step towards having a robust regulatory framework that is fit for the digital age and creates a level playing field for all operators.”

Ahead of its release, a group funded and managed by Entain, the Players’ Panel, claiming to represent ordinary gamblers, wrote to people who had signed up to receive information about its work, The Guardian said.

“The government has decided to limit when and how much you can bet,” said the email. “This is going to significantly impact your ability to bet responsibly.” The Players’ Panel then urged recipients to write to their MP opposing the reforms.

• INSPIRED ENTERTAINMENT will continue to provide FLUTTER’s Paddy Power with virtual sports products under a long-term contract extension.

The agreement includes INSE’s Virtual Sports products in all Paddy Power’s retail betting shops in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

• LET GROUP’s Suntrust Resort Holdings announced that construction on its US$1 billion casino resort in Manila had reached level 10 as of the end of the first quarter and reaffirmed a plan to open the facility next year.

The complex, part of the Westside City project, will feature 460 five-star rooms and a casino for both mass and VIP markets.

Suntrust continues to seek financing to complete the development of the project from a Philippines-based financial institution.

• NEXTEQ is the new name of UK hardware platform and gaming cabinet provider Quixant, and the company is now trading under ticker NXQ.

NXQ’s new name matches the group’s multi-segment growth, CEO Jon Jayal said. Shareholders are unaffected by the change.

• ZITRO appointed Andreas Leitinger as sales manager in Slovenia to oversee key markets including Germany, Luxembourg and others.

            Leitinger was previously in charge of regional sales at InterGames.

            Krystian Konopka was promoted to sales manager for Poland, Ireland, Sweden and Egypt. He was area sales manager for Barcelona and Catalonia in Spain.

SPORTS BETTING: BETVICTOR, CZR, CHECKD, DKNG, FANATICS, FLTR, JACK, JCM

• BETVICTOR launched odds for this year’s Canadian Elite Basketball League season as the new official sports betting partner.

• CAESARS opened Caesars Sportsbook and sports bar for retail and mobile betting at Kansas Crossing in Pittsburg, Kansas.

• CHECKD GROUP launched its new Flashpicks app, a sports betting hub that allows users to create and track betting selections in North America.

Major sportsbooks of FLUTTER’s FanDuel and DRAFTKINGS are incorporated within the app, which allows users to select their preferred odds and lines from all the included sportsbooks.

• DRAFTKINGS. The Massachusetts Gaming Commission will hold a hearing on alleged unauthorized wagers on UTR Pro Tennis in March.

DKNG is accused of allowing wagering in Massachusetts from March 10 through March 22 on the secondary pro circuit created by Universal Tennis without seeking commission approval to add it to its betting menu.

DKNG, which self-reported the violations to the commission, accepted 864 tennis wagers at a total of $7,867.

The commission plans to hold a public hearing and discussing the violations will discourage other operators from making similar mistakes.

• FANATICS complied with a request from the Ohio Casino Control Commission to discontinue a promotion that provided potential bonus bets to customers who bought merchandise online.

Fanatics has ceased the promotion in question, a spokesperson for the commission told Sports Handle.

A Fanatics representative confirmed the company immediately complied with the commission’s request.

• JCM GLOBAL installed a sports ticker at JACK ENTERTAINMENT’s JACK Thistledown Racino and additional sportsbook displays at both the racino and JACK Cleveland Casino.

The installations are a part of JACK’s new betJACK sportsbook areas.

 

INTERACTIVE: CT, ELITBET, GALAXSYS, GAMING CORPS, IWG, MILL, NGMS, NETBET, NUXGAME, OCTOPLAY, RAW, ROOTZ, RUBYPLAY

• CT INTERACTIVE launched casino games on the Bulgaria-based online casino ELITBET platform as part of CT’s continued online expansion.

• GALAXSYS will supply its portfolio of non-traditional slot games to NEOGAMES subsidiary Pariplay on their Fusion aggregation platform.

• GAMING CORPS’ full suite of games, including Cone Miner and Penalty Champion will be available on all of Sweden-based casino operator THE MILL ADVENTURE’s platforms.

• INSTANT WIN GAMING and the Virginia Lottery launched Lotto Virginia, an on-demand digital-only lotto game with a progressive jackpot top prize through IWG’s InstantJackpot engine.

• OCTOPLAY will provide Malta-based gaming operator ROOTZ with its online slot titles, including Pearly Shores, Heavy Anchor and Hot Harvest.

• RAW GROUP will supply its games portfolio to online casino NETBET ITALY.

• RUBYPLAY will launch its slots portfolio on NUXGAME’s platform.

JURISDICTIONS AND MARKETS

US: CA, LV, LA

• CALIFORNIA. The proposed moratorium on new card rooms opening and existing ones expanding could create conflict with a San Jose measure designed to help local casinos, San Jose Spotlight reported.

The state legislature passed AB 341 last week, which would reestablish a moratorium on new cardroom licenses while also allowing cardrooms with 20 or fewer tables to add 10 tables over the next 16 years. Gov. Gavin Newsom has not signed the bill.

In 2020, San Jose voters approved the city’s two casinos adding more tables in exchange for paying higher taxes, up to a maximum of 128 tables, or an increase of 15 tables each.

The California Gambling Control Commission has twice blocked the casinos from adding tables, but the casinos are paying more taxes.

AB 341 includes an amendment to exempt San Jose from the ban. But it’s up to the Commission to honor it and the Commission denied the city’s request for more tables in 2021 and again last April.

• LAS VEGAS will be the third most popular destination in the country over Memorial Day weekend, although some consumers have inflation and cost concerns that are preventing travel, according to AAA.

AAA expects 42.3 million Americans across the country will travel 50 miles or more over the weekend, which is a 7 percent increase year-over-year.

The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority estimates that nearly one-third of visitors come to Las Vegas from California via car, and last year was the first year more people arrived in Las Vegas via plane than by car, with 51 arrivals flying.

Harry Reid International Airport is expecting 600,000 arrivals and departures between Friday and Monday, spokesperson Joe Rajchel told the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

            The average room rate for the weekend across 63 hotels is $280.48, the RJ said.

• LOUISIANA. The Shreveport City Council will vote May 23 on an ordinance that would allow smoking in the city’s casinos, KTAL/KMSS in Shreveport reported.

Shreveport would be the first municipality in Louisiana to roll back a workplace smoking ban, which went into effect on August 1, 2020.

Proposed changes to the ordinance would allow smoking only on gaming floors.

INTERNATIONAL: BRAZIL, PHILIPPINES, UK

• BRAZIL. Federal lottery operator CAIXA’s online lottery platform Loterias reported $1 billion in first-quarter sales, making its sixth consecutive quarter hitting the billion dollar mark, Gaming Intelligence reported.

• PHILIPPINES. PAGCOR will sell its self-operated Casino Filipino casinos within the next year or two, according to an official in the Philippines finance ministry, Asia Gaming Brief reported.

The official said that PAGCOR Chairman Alejandro H. Tengo asked for the timeline to account for employees who could be affected by the sale and to maximize the realized value of the licenses to operate the casinos.

• UK. The UK Gambling Commission’s consultation on potential changes to license conditions and codes of practice for GAMSTOP self-exclusion will close on Tuesday.

The commission has been seeking comments on a proposal to expand GAMSTOP’s self-exclusion program since February, for online as well as land-based operators.

Such a change requires the commission to update the social responsibility code on remote multi-operator self-exclusion duties.

The commission was also seeking comment on whether licensees should be required to inform the commission “when they become aware that a customer who has gambled with them has died by suicide.”

A final proposal relates to technical requirements for payment services regulations.

SPORTS BETTING: US

• US. Five NFL players were suspended in April for violations of its gambling policy, and now the NFL is investigating a second wave of alleged violations, ESPN reported.

Seven NFL players, at least one assistant coach, and an undisclosed number of team employees have violated the league's gambling policy in the five years since the Supreme Court struck down the federal statute that restricted regulated sports betting to primarily Nevada since 1992, ESPN said.

NFL personnel, including league-office employees, team employees, players, owners, coaches, trainers, officials, security and stadium workers, are prohibited from betting on the NFL.

An exemption allowing players to bet on sports other than the NFL was added to the NFL's gambling policy in 2018 after the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act was struck down, with a restriction on placing bets from within league and team facilities. That change aligned the NFL’s policy with those of other major professional leagues.

The NFL noted that its recent investigations have underscored the effectiveness of geolocation and integrity services.

FANTINI’S GAMING SHOW: ZITRO

Fantini’s Gaming Show is an online tradeshow and newsroom where you have full access to display and advertise all your product lines, demos, videos and news events on your own customized e-Booth at http://www.FantinisGamingShow.com. Contact Dee Wild-Shyver at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for information on how to become an exhibitor.

Added to the Latest News section at https://www.fantinisgamingshow.com/latest-news:

• ZITRO’s appointment of Andreas Leitinger and Krystian Konopka.

EVENTS

WEBINARS, VIRTUAL CONFERENCES AND EVENTS:

• GLOBAL GAMING WOMEN ALUMNI CONFERENCE. June 21 – 23, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. Info: https://www.globalgamingwomen.org/. GGW member registration ends May 28: https://glgw.memberclicks.net/2023_w_alumni#!/.

 

 

CONFERENCE CALLS, WEBCASTS, PRESENTATIONS

 

• RIVALRY. May 24, 10:00 am ET. Phone: 1 888 886 7786 US/Canada, +1 416 764 8658 US and international. Webcast and replay: https://rivalrycorp.com/events-and-presentations/events/default.aspx.

• SUPER GROUP. May 24, 8:30 am ET. Webcast, replay and presentation: https://investors.sghc.com/events-and-presentations/default.aspx.

 

• CIRSA. May 24. 11:00 am ET (4:00 pm BST). Financial report: https://www.cirsa.com/en/cirsa/investor-relations/financial-report/. Presentation: https://www.cirsa.com/en/cirsa/investor-relations/financial-presentations/.

 

CONFERENCE CALL REPLAYS AND PRESENTATIONS:

• ACROUD: https://tv.streamfabriken.com/acroud-q1-2023. Presentation: https://www.acroud.com/en/investor-relations/financial-presentations/.

• AGS: https://investors.playags.com/overview/default.aspx.

• ALLIED GAMING & ENTERTAINMENT through May 25 at 1 844 512 2921 US, +1 412 317 6671 US and international, and at https://ir.alliedgaming.gg/news-events/ir-calendar/detail/20230511-first-quarter-2023-earnings-conference-call.

• ARISTOCRAT. Replay and presentation: https://ir.aristocrat.com/company-news-performance/results-presentations.

• BALLY’S. Replay and presentation: https://www.ballys.com/investor-relations/events-presentations/default.aspx.

 

• BETTER COLLECTIVE. Replay and presentation: https://bettercollective.com/investors/reports-archive/ - interim-reports.

 

• BRAGG GAMING: https://investors.bragg.group/events-and-presentations/events/default.aspx.

 

• CATENA MEDIA. Replay and presentation: https://www.catenamedia.com/investors/financial-reports-and-presentations/.

 

• CENTURY CASINOS. Replay and presentation: https://www.cnty.com/investor/financials/financial-results/.

• CODERE ONLINE: https://www.codereonline.com/events-and-presentations/events-and-presentations/default.aspx.

• CRANE. Replay and presentation: https://investors.craneco.com/Investors/quarterly-earnings/default.aspx.

• DOUBLEDOWN INTERACTIVE: https://ir.doubledowninteractive.com/.

• EVERI: https://ir.everi.com/investor-relations/events-and-presentations/past-events/default.aspx.

 

• GAMBLING.COM. Replay and presentation: https://www.gambling.com/corporate/investors.

• GENIUS SPORTS. Replay and presentation: https://investors.geniussports.com/financials/quarterly-results/default.aspx.

 

• GOLDEN ENTERTAINMENT: https://www.goldenent.com/conference-calls.php.

• IGT: https://ir.igt.com/events-and-presentations/events-calendar/default.aspx.

• INSPIRED ENTERTAINMENT: https://investors.inseinc.com/quarterly-results.

 

• LIGHT & WONDER. Replay and presentation: https://explore.lnw.com/investors/quarterly-earnings/.

 

• MELCO RESORTS: https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/jqzrpkdz.

 

• MOHEGAN GAMING: https://www.webcast-eqs.com/mohegan20230511.

• NEOGAMES: https://ir.neogames.com/.

• PLAYSTUDIOS. Replay and presentation: https://ir.playstudios.com/financial-information/financial-results.

• RAKETECH: https://ir.financialhearings.com/raketech-q1-2023.

• SCIPLAY through May 24 at 1 877 344 7529 US, +1 412 317 0088 US and international; passcode: 7231695, and at https://investors.sciplay.com/news-and-events/events-and-presentations.

• SHARPLINK: https://www.webcaster4.com/Webcast/Page/2761/48383.

• SPORTRADAR. Replay and presentation: https://investors.sportradar.com/news-events/events-and-presentations.

 

• TRANSACT: https://transacttech.gcs-web.com/events-presentations.

 

• WYNN RESORTS through June 9 at 1 800 934 9421 US/Canada, +1 203 369 3391 US and international, passcode: 3983556, and at https://wynnresortslimited.gcs-web.com/presentations-and-webcasts.

CONVENTIONS, TRADE SHOWS, CONFERENCES, SPECIAL EVENTS:

Upcoming shows, both live and virtual, will be listed here in the daily report one to two months in advance and a full schedule will be updated on our online calendar as they become available throughout the year: https://www.fantiniresearch.com/conventions.html.

* NOTE: FANTINI RESEARCH IS A MEDIA SPONSOR OF SHOWS WITH ASTERISKS. *

MAY:

 

May 22 – 24: La Fleur’s 2023 Pittsburgh Lottery Conference

            Carnegie Science Museum, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

 

* May 30 – June 1: G2E Asia 2023 Special Edition *

            Marina Bay Sands, Singapore

JUNE:

 

June 13 – 15: Canadian Gaming Summit

Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

June 13 – 15: 20^th Annual Peru Gaming Show

            Centro de Convenciones Jockey Plaza, Lima, Peru

* June 20 – 22: IAGA International Gaming Summit *

            Culloden Estate and Spa, Belfast, Northern Ireland

* June 28 – 30: All American Sports Betting Summit *

            San Diego, California, USA

JULY:

 

* July 11 – 13: Asian IR Expo + G2E Asia 2023 *

            Venetian Macau, Macau, China

 

* July 12 – 15: National Council of Legislators from Gaming States Summer Meeting *

            Sheraton Denver Downtown, Denver, Colorado USA

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Copyright ^©: Fantini’s Gaming Report ^© and Fantini Research are divisions of Eilers & Krejcik Gaming, LLC. All rights reserved. Our reports and content are protected by copyright and we reserve all rights except for as granted in this paragraph, and subject to the conditions stated below. We grant each subscriber and secondary recipient the right to receive, read, and utilize the reports and report contents for their individual use only. Your Subscriber Rights and Conditions give subscribers and secondary recipients the right to receive, read, and utilize the copyrighted reports and report contents for their individual use only. This right of individual use does not authorize providing whole or partial copies to others (even in your company) in any way, such as forwarding, posting, printing, file sharing, scanning, making photocopies, circulating, selling, publishing or otherwise. The right does not authorize any use by a person before he or she becomes a subscriber or secondary recipient. Any other right must be granted in writing by Eilers & Krejcik Gaming, LLC. You agree to inform paid subscribers and recipients of the conditions on their use, and you authorize us, in our discretion, to employ tracking services to check their compliance. Unauthorized copying or distribution violates copyright law and may carry serious consequences.

 

 

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For additional information, call +1 302 730 3793. Subscriptions can be ordered by phone, online at http://www.FantiniResearch.com.

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STAFF/CONTACT US:

Ashley Diem, publisher and executive editor. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Dee Wild-Shyver, associate editor and VP of Fantini’s Gaming Show. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Hannah Wilmarth, editor. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

David Dittman, writer. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Wolveridge Langan, writer. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Cindy Konowitz, business manager. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Stephanie Creech, marketing manager. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Frank Fantini, publisher emeritus and consultant. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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Websites: www.FantiniResearch.com and www.FantinisGamingShow.com

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Eilers & Krejcik Gaming, LLC

Fantini Research and Fantini’s Gaming Report

5 Corporate Park, Suite 110

Irvine, California, USA 92606

Phone: +1 302 730 3793

ALLIANCES:

FIFTH THIRD BANK

Fantini Research and Fifth Third Bank publish a yearly Distributed Gaming Report on performance and trends in the US.

https://www.fantiniresearch.com/subscriptions/fifth-third-fantini.html

MEMBER OF:

AGEM: Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers ­– http://www.agem.org/

IMGL: International Masters of Gaming Law ­– http://gaminglawmasters.com/

IAGA: International Association of Gaming Advisors – http://www.theiaga.org/