Considering the resounding success of mobile sports betting in New York, leading industry operators showed interest in securing one of the state’s three new downstate casino licenses. The fierce competition was joined by industry giants, including Wynn Resorts, Las Vegas Sands, MGM Resorts International and several other bidders. Overall, nearly a dozen bidders joined the race for a downstate license, acknowledging the exponential potential of such a victory.

Steve Cohen, the New York Mets’ owner, also joined the bidding for a downstate casino license in New York. Details regarding his intention to build a casino near Citi Field, his team’s home stadium, emerged last year. Upon announcing that he decided to join the race, Cohen said that the new casino is expected to deliver entertaining experiences for Mets fans before and after home games. He also did not rule out that such a venue can help propel interest in the area, attracting more visitors than before.

Now a new report reveals that the Mets owner is trying to spice things up for his casino license bid in New York. As announced by Spectrum News NY1, earlier this week, Cohen’s Point72 Asset Management presented a multi-billion-dollar plan for the development of the area near City Field. Besides the casino, Cohen reportedly plans to introduce significant improvements to the area, including five acres of athletic fields and 20 acres of park space using City Field’s parking lots.

Moreover, the ambitious plan seeks to create easy access to Willets Point station. Further improvements to the area include investments in senior and youth programs, as well as additional health care, legal and immigration services for the community in the area. Reportedly the project has a price tag of $8 billion.

The Casino Proposal Is Important for Communities in the Area

While undoubtedly, there are positive sides to the casino proposal, not everyone agrees. At a town hall meeting on Wednesday, New York Sen. Jessica Ramos spoke about the importance of the casino bid in the area for communities. “I still think not enough community members know about either proposal or that there is this possibility of a casino coming, and our community does deserve to know,” she explained.

Sen. Ramos is among the decision makers for the casino bid considering that she will be appointing one out of five members within a special community advisory committee that will vote for or against the proposed project.

Cohen became the owner of the Mets after a deal for a staggering $2.4 billion back in 2021. At the time, he purchased the famous MLB franchise from the Wilpon and Katz families ahead of the start of the MLB season.

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In a significant boost for the proposed casino development at Lake of the Ozarks, the Miller County Commission has unanimously endorsed the initiative led by Osage River Gaming and Convention (ORGC) in collaboration with Bally’s Corporation. This latest show of support comes as the local gaming group strives to bypass the General Assembly by garnering signatures for an initiative petition slated for the statewide November 2024 ballot.

Commission Unanimously Backs Lake Casino, Surprised by Tom Wright’s Endorsement

The commission’s decision follows a brief public comment session, where even former longtime Presiding Commissioner Tom Wright, known for his reservations about the casino, conceded that the county would benefit from the development, albeit not to the extent touted by proponents, reported KRMS Radio. Wright’s opinion underscores the ongoing debate about the economic impact of the proposed casino on the Lake area.

ORGC aims to establish the casino in the vicinity of the quarry near the Osage River Bridge, utilizing a portion of the 90-acre Eagles’ Landing Phase 4 property. This collaboration with Bally’s Corporation, as outlined in a recent letter to the City of Lake Ozark, reflects the gaming group’s commitment to the project’s success.

The casino project, if ultimately approved, will not be a traditional riverboat casino, as ORGC is not obligated to adhere to this specific format under Missouri law. The state’s regulations allow for casinos to be built on the shore, provided they meet certain requirements. Eagles’ Landing Phase 4 falls within the 1,000 feet limit of the Osage River floodplain, complying with the legal framework.

ORGC’s Innovative Vision Redefines Lake of the Ozarks Entertainment

The proposed development goes beyond just the casino, with ORGC envisioning the utilization of approximately 20 acres for the gaming facility and the remaining space dedicated to a hotel, convention center, restaurants, and shops. This comprehensive approach aligns with the evolving landscape of casino establishments, moving away from the traditional riverboat model.

Importantly, the local endorsement received by ORGC is distinct from the efforts of Osage Nation Gaming group, which is still pursuing approval for a separate casino in Lake Ozark, despite facing resistance from the city. The city’s main concern revolves around the potential lack of state regulation and taxation for this alternative casino proposal.

As both gaming groups navigate the complex landscape of approvals, the local community remains engaged in discussions, weighing the potential benefits and drawbacks of these contrasting casino projects for the picturesque Lake of the Ozarks region. The coming months are poised to be crucial as stakeholders await further developments in this unfolding saga.

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The Primorye Gambling Area in Russia reported that tourism is experiencing a slight recovery although foreign tourism is yet to fully pick up. Despite that, the visitation figures far outclassed those recorded in 2022, attesting to the region’s post-COVID recovery.

The Gambling Area is located in Russia’s Primorsky Krai, a coastal territory in the Far Eastern Federal District. During the first nine months of the year, the region’s Primorye Gambling Area welcomed some 3.1 million visitors, which represents a 16% year-on-year increase.

The zone’s tourism agency added that an overwhelming majority of these people (2 million) have arrived in the third quarter.

The zone is still to reach the level of international appeal the Primorsky Krai hopes it to as only 56,000 of the tourists were foreigners. While this figure may seem underwhelming at first glance, it should be noted that this number is still 10 times higher than the one recorded during the prior year period.

While foreign visitation is on the rise, experts believe that it will continue to be impeded by the ongoing war in Ukraine and the multiple sanctions and restrictions imposed on Russia.

Primorye Gambling Area on Track to Hitting 2023 Visitation Targets

In any case, the visitation figures are slowly returning to their pre-pandemic state. For reference, the Primorye Gambling Area welcomed 5 million people in 2019 and 4.5 million in 2018.

The visitation figures reported by the tourism agency show that the region is on track to reach its 2023 target of 3.5 million visitors. This would be 500,000 people more than those recorded in 2022.

In the meantime, Russia continues to develop the Primorye Gambling Area, hoping to further bolster its appeal. The zone seeks to capitalize on the thirst for gambling in the region by providing premium casino Gambling.

As of the time of this writing, the location sports two casinos, notably Tigre de Cristal and Shambala. The Primorye Gambling Area is set to have more casinos but the war in Ukraine caused setbacks that led to the suspension of NagaCorp’s casino project in the region. In the meantime, Asia-Invest Group is currently working on another casino property.

The final version of the Gambling Area should have around a dozen casino hotels, shopping centers, exhibition galleries and Gambling centers.

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The leading global gaming company, International Game Technology (IGT), expanded further the reach of its wide area progressive (WAP) jackpots. The company unveiled Wednesday it introduced its first WAP jackpot for the US market via a Wheel of Fortune slots link for customers in New Jersey.

The launch marked a milestone moment for IGT and an important step for its WAP jackpots in the US. Thanks to the launch, customers in New Jersey will be able to benefit from WAP jackpots “with a combined liquidity” between the mobile, online and land-based verticals of IGT’s Wheel of Fortune slots. In other words, players around the Garden State will have a chance to secure jackpots regardless if they engage in online, mobile or retail gambling via the company’s Wheel of Fortune slots.

Online and via mobile devices, the players can tap into IGT PlayDigital’s Wheel of Fortune Triple Gold Gold Spin slots for a chance to win a jackpot. On the other hand, via land-based venues, players in New Jersey can use IGT’s Wheel of Fortune slot games that offer 18 different themes. IGT Explained that its link includes all Wheel of Fortune games, even the $1 ones. The WAP jackpot has a reset value of $500,000, making it one of the biggest for New Jersey.

The Company Continues to Expand in North America

The introduction of the omnichannel jackpot in the US marks the second launch for IGT in North America. The first such jackpot the company launched in Canada back in 2016. Through the Powerbucks link, the company delivered unique and engaging functionality which resulted in a roaring success.

Since the introduction of the omnichannel jackpot, to date, more than 48 jackpots of CA$1 million ($736,000) or more were awarded. Now, the introduction of the WAP jackpot in New Jersey further expands the reach of IGT’s popular technology.

“With the continued growth of the iGaming market in the US, there could not be a better time to enhance our IGT PlayDigital portfolio for New Jersey with a compelling omnichannel jackpot.“

Gil Rotem, president of iGaming at IGT

Gil Rotem, IGT’s president of iGaming, explained that the introduction of the WAP jackpot in New Jersey comes at the perfect time, considering the ongoing growth of the online gambling market in the country. Additionally, he spoke about the company’s engaging product Wheel of Fortune Triple Gold Gold Spin, which has proven to boost customer engagement and has seen significant popularity. Finally, Rotem said that IGT is the only company that has the necessary experience to offer progressive links which bring unique cross-platform entertainment.

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Ameristar Casino East Chicago officially concluded the expansion of its pavilion gaming area last Friday.

At the event, the gaming venue’s officials cut the ribbons on the project, which added over 90 new slot machines to the casino. These new gambling machines are the most up-to-date in gaming technology and feature several popular themes.

The new slot machines, which include a new Jackpot Carnival version, were first played by VIP Ameristar punters on Friday. The Jackpot Carnival game is notably only available at the East Chicago casino in Northwest Indiana through mid-March.

Ameristar Casino opened its new gaming area to players aged 21 and more by 5pm on Friday. The new machine features games from the popular Buffalo series, Lightning Link, Timber Wolf, Lock It Link, Dancing Drums, and Power of 88, as well as several panda-themed games and other titles. Drawn by the flashing LED lights, sharp graphics, bright gaming displays, and realistic sound effects of the new slot machines, players trooped in to try their hand.

The Vice President and general manager of Ameristar East Chicago, Ryan Coppola, revealed that he was excited about the new additions and commended his team for going a great job putting it together.

Prior to the expansion, Ameristar’s buffet restaurant serving line and dining room occupied the area for the new slots. To give guests the best experience, Ameristar has remodeled many of its pavilion areas into gaming spaces for the past two years. As such, around 40% of the current gaming inventory is based in the previously near-empty pavilion. The pavilion was also primarily used to connect the casino’s parking garage and hotel to Amerister’s permanently moored riverboat located on Lake Michigan.

READ: Top US online casinos in 2023

Coppola revealed that the changes were mostly done to broaden the casino’s unique offerings as well as facilitate convenience and access for customers.

“There’s a lot of different ways we can think about using space differently and being smart about it. This is really about how do we continue to think about unique offerings, access, convenience, bringing things closer to the front door,” he said.

“(Guests) love the access, they love the convenience, and they’re telling us with their foot traffic. Foot traffic is up, time on device is up, the gaming revenue is up, so they seem to like it pretty well.”

“Every time we’ve launched a new offering, the return on investment has been so strong we just start working on the next idea.”

Customers are certainly enjoying the convenience and access that the repurposing affords as the free connected parking garage is merely a few steps from gaming activities like playing a table game, using a brand new slot machine, placing bets at the Barstool Sportsbook or eating at one of the many restaurants.

The Ameristar Vice President revealed that the casino might be considering using the available space and facilities at the 777 Aldis Ave. property for an entirely land-based gaming venue. The casino has updated its exterior signage already and placed a huge video display atop its porte-cochère.

Coppola continued, “The boat has a lot of great product on it as well. But we’re going to keep moving inland as much as we can. And we’ll see long-term how that plays out for having the boat, or if we can get fully land-based.”

Besides the new gaming space, players can now use contactless and cashless technology when playing on the new slot machines. Coppola revealed that Ameristar guests need only to download the casino’s MyChoice app on their phones, after which funds transferred to the app from their bank will attract no extra fees. To “insert” money into the game, players will have to input a few instructions and hold their mobile devices to the machines.

The casino operations technical manager of Ameristar, Daniel Kuipers, stated that after the machine is funded, it plays like it normally would if an actual dollar bill or ticket was inserted.

“It plays like normal. Once it’s funded into there it’s cash in the game. It’s just like you put a dollar bill in there or a ticket in there,” Kuipers said

Players have the option of receiving their winnings via their app or a traditional cash-out ticket. The new slot machines also have wireless charging stations, so they need not worry about their mobile devices dying.

According to Coppola, the tool has grown in popularity faster than expected among Ameristar customers. Ameristar is currently one of the top five gaming venues on Penn Entertainment’s list of casinos with significant use of the new technology. Penn Entertainment is the casino’s parent company.

The Ameristar East Chicago said, “Once they see it, it’s kind of like a no-brainer. It works fantastic. Your app is your loyalty card.”

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