Earlier this week, the Cordish Gaming Group announced an important appointment by naming Bryan Prettyman senior vice president of property operations at its Live! Casino and Hotel in Louisiana. The important hire strengthened the executive-level team at the casino resort which is expected to open for visitors in Q1 2025.

Construction of the gaming and entertainment location in Bossier City that promises to deliver exceptional experiences started in December last year. Ahead of the planned opening next year, the project recently reached a major construction milestone.

As announced by The Shreveport-Bossier City Advocate, Live! Casino and Hotel Louisiana will organize a top off next week. Such ceremonies are usually organized in cases when construction reaches a stage that requires a final beam to be placed on top of the structure.

This doesn’t mean that the whole construction of the hotel casino is completed but still marks an important landmark in the construction process. According to the recently released report, the topping off is expected to take place on Wednesday, July 17.

The ceremony is expected to attract a range of Louisiana officials, including representatives of the gambling regulator, the Louisiana Gaming Control Board. Moreover, Rob Norton, Cordish Gaming Group and Live! Casinos’ president is also expected to attend the celebratory event.

Interviewed by the publication, John Chaszar, Live! Casino and Hotel Louisiana’s general manager and vice president, spoke about the excitement the project brings. “Every day is different, that’s the best thing about this business,” he revealed.

The Project Is Expected to Deliver Significant Economic Stimulus

Upon announcing the start of the project in Louisiana, the Cordish Companies estimated that it would generate an excess of $200 million in taxes for the first five years. That total breaks down to nearly $170 million to the state of Louisiana and some $35 million to Bossier City.

Besides the enormous economic stimulus, Live! Casino and Hotel Louisiana is expected to boost tourism and help local businesses grow. Further benefits of the project include the creation of more than 750 permanent jobs.

The Cordish Companies’ newest casino is going to be the first land-based venue for the Shreveport-Bossier City area. Once completed, the casino will offer nearly 50,000 square feet of gaming space that will be the home of a sportsbook, table games, as well as electronic table games and slots.

Besides casino gambling, Live! Casino and Hotel Louisiana will offer a hotel with more than 500 rooms, as well as a range of restaurants and bars, among other amenities.

The post Live! Casino & Hotel Louisiana Hits Key Construction Landmark appeared first on Keno Wizard.

Hard Rock International has begun work on its joint project with the Tejon Indian Tribe in California. The groundbreaking ceremony for the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tejon featured a commemorative shovel groundbreaking and was attended by representatives of both Hard Rock and the Tejon Indian Tribe.

Described as an exciting day for the state, the ceremony is also a symbolic development for the tribe, which has been landless for more than 150 years. The new casino is a major victory for the Tejon, which, according to its chairman, Octavio Escobedo, is finally close to the “dream of self-determination through economic development.”

The casino hotel will create 2,000 construction-specific jobs and will be managed by the Penta Building Group. After its completion, the property is expected to create roughly 5,000 jobs, both full-time and part-time.

The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tejon will also boast 150,000 square feet of gaming space. The casino is set to have 2,500 slot machines, 48 gaming tables and video poker. The property will also sport a multitude of dining options, a pool, a spa, a theater and 400 hotel rooms.

The casino hotel is expected to be completed within 22 months.

Hard Rock Names a New SVP of Hotel Operations

In the meantime, Hard Rock International expanded its team with the appointment of John Rees as its new senior vice president of hotel operations. The new appointee will be responsible for leading and supporting all facets of hotel operations and will serve directly under Jon Lucas, the company’s chief operating officer.

Rees boasts some 30 years in the hospitality industry and is a passionate innovator. He completed his hospitality studies at Newbury College and has since also secured certifications in restaurant management, leadership training and wine studies from acclaimed universities. Rees completed his hospitality training at the Hotel Bellevue Palace in Bern, Switzerland. He also holds an Honorary Degree in Culinary Arts from the Long Island Culinary Federation.

Rees said that he is thrilled to join the company at what he called a “pivotal point” for the Hard Rock brand.

Our future pipeline of hotel projects is very robust which will allow me to work with my teams to innovate and create more of the special brand touchpoints and guest experiences our fans expect.

John Rees, SVP of hotel operations, Hard Rock International

Rees concluded that he hopes to turn Hard Rock’s hotels into cool places to stay and feel like a VIP.

The post Hard Rock Begins Construction of New Casino, Hires a New SVP of Hotel Operations appeared first on Keno Wizard.

Japan’s first casino is finally becoming a reality. A few months after the Japanese government greenlit a revised implementation agreement for Osaka’s integrated resort project, construction of the property has finally begun.

The property is a joint venture of the international casino juggernaut MGM Resorts International and Orix Corporation. The formal agreement was signed in late September, greenlighting the next phase of the project.

First of all, workers will have to solidify the land above to make sure that it can support the complex. Preparation works should cost roughly $173 million. The property owners will have to cover these costs now, although the local government has promised to return the money once the project is finished.

The Osaka integrated resort’s development will cost $8.6 billion, as per the September agreement. The 52-acre property is set to be built on Yumeshima, a 700-acre artificial island in Osaka Bay.

The completed resort will have three hotels from three different brands offering a total of 2,500 rooms for guests. The entire complex is expected to provide a huge boost to local tourism, which is why the property will feature a 730,000-square-foot convention space. The casino itself will only take 3% of the resort’s total indoor space.

Unless further delays impede the project, the resort should welcome its first guests in 2030.

Gaming Is Coming to Japan

The resort is de facto owned by the Osaka IR Corporation, in which MGM Resorts and Orix have a 42.5% stake each. The remaining stake is in the hands of various other investors.

Construction of the new resort was made possible by a new law Japan passed in 2018. Seeking to emulate the success of other tourism hubs in Asia, the country toned down its harsh stance on gambling.

While the new law got many companies excited, many of them were eventually disappointed by the country’s long legislative processes and the COVID-related delays. However, MGM Resorts opted to continue despite the setbacks and its bid is finally paying off.

While the Osaka IR Corporation is the only one actually working on an integrated resort project, there is another contender seeking to penetrate the local market. Casinos Austria is also looking to tap into Japan’s potential as a tourism and entertainment destination and is seeking to build a $3 billion resort in Nagasaki.

The post Osaka Integrated Resort Project Begins Construction appeared first on Keno Wizard.

PENN Entertainment announced its plans to hold a “groundbreaking ceremony” that will celebrate the start of the construction of a new hotel at Hollywood Casino Columbus. The ceremony is set to take place tomorrow, November 28.

Starting at 1 am ET, the ceremony will highlight PENN Entertainment’s excitement about the construction of the state-of-the-art property. The Columbus venue was originally opened in 2012 and has since been growing steadily. According to Jaw Snowden, PENN Entertainment’s president and chief executive officer, a hotel will turn Hollywood Casino Columbus into a “true regional destination.”

According to PENN Entertainment’s announcement, the hotel has an estimated budget of $100 million. The new facility will be added to the existing complex, improving the overall Hollywood Casino Columbus experience.

The completed building will feature a new restaurant, a meeting space and 180 rooms for guests. The hotel is expected to create approximately 100 new permanent jobs, adding an instant boost to the local economy.

PENN Is Proceeding with Four Growth Projects

PENN Entertainment’s new Columbus hotel is in line with the company’s growth strategy. The company is currently working on three other new growth projects in addition to the new Columbus hotel. These include new land-based casinos in Aurora and Joliet, Illinois, as well as an additional hotel tower in Henderson, Nevada.

The Aurora project will have $50 in funding from the local government. Gaming and Leisure Properties, on the other hand, has added a further $575 million toward PENN Entertainment’s four growth projects. The total funding of the projects, for reference, is $850 million.

Rick Skinner, PENN Entertainment’s vice president and general manager of Hollywood Casino Columbus commented on ceremony, expressing his company’s excitement about the opportunity to celebrate the occasion with its team, supporters and investors.

We can’t wait to begin hiring new team members and welcoming more visitors from around the region to showcase our new hotel and the excitement of Hollywood Casino Columbus.

Rick Skinner, VP and GM of Hollywood Casino Columbus, PENN Entertainment

Speaking of PENN, the company’s ESPN Bet app, which debuted earlier this month, just surpassed 1.1 million downloads.

The post PENN Entertainment to Celebrate Construction of New Columbus Hotel appeared first on Keno Wizard.

The Catawba Nation is currently working on a new casino property in Kings Mountain, North Carolina. The property, called Catawba Two Kings Casino, was set to begin construction in 2022. However, various setbacks have pushed that date back.

Around 35 miles west of Charlotte, the tribal nation’s latest property is set to overlook Interstate 85. The casino will sport some 3,000 slots, as many as 120 gaming tables and a 400-room hotel, allowing it to welcome hundreds of guests.

Unfortunately, the construction will experience some setbacks because of a dispute between the nation and the developer. This has caused concerns among local businesses which rely on the casino project to channel customers toward the region.

Restaurant and shop owners believe that the locale is too remote and say that it rarely attracts tourists. Businesses hope that the Catawba Two Kings Casino will change that trend, bringing in many new customers.

Because of that, the delay of the construction is a serious cause for concern among business owners.

The Temporary Casino Is Already Generating Traffic

The construction of the Catawba Two Kings Casino was supposed to begin in 2022. As mentioned, the project kept on getting delayed, to local businesses’ dismay.

Luckily, a temporary casino is already running and proving to have a beneficial effect on the local economy. While three times smaller than its permanent counterpart, the temporary casino boasts some 1,000 slots and multiple electronic table games.

Statistics show that the temporary venue has already increased the visitation rates by 25-30%. A further boost of 30% is expected once the casino plans have been completed.

In any case, the dispute between the Catawba Nation and the casino developer will further slow down the project. Originally expected to be completed by 2024-2025, the casino project is now in limbo, its future uncertain.

Experts believe that the Catawba Two Kings Casino should be complete by 2026-2027 or later. In the meantime, the Catawaba Nation is working on solutions to get the project going.

In the meantime, North Carolina prepares for the launch of mobile sports betting sometime in 2024. As the state braces for the launch of the vertical, lawmakers have also proposed an expansion of the state’s casino industry. However, this measure has yet to gain traction.

The post Catawba Two Kings Casino’s Construction Gets Delayed Again appeared first on Keno Wizard.

Construction of the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino has already begun and the property is due to open doors for guests early in 2025, taking over the Rideau Carleton Casino.

Hard Rock Casino Begins to Work on Its Hotel and Casino in Ottawa

The project marks the ambitious if somewhat tentative expansion of the company in Canada, with the hotel featuring a 150-room hotel with 22 suites, a dedicated gaming floor, and a sportsbook.

Guests will discover 1,500 slot machines and 40 live-action tables waiting with a high stakes gambling available on the property, including at a dedicated Baccarat room. The resort will also host the Hard Rock Live theater, which has room for 1,800 seated or 2,200 standing people.

The property will also feature bars, lounges, restaurants, and more, along with the Hard Rock Café and Council Oak Steakhouse, Rock Shop, and Unity Store. In a sense, Hard Rock is pulling all the stops, making sure that it brings the full company experience to Ottawa which may serve as the basis for further expansions to follow.

Commenting on this opportunity, Hard Rock International Chief Operating Officer Jon Lucas said:

We are excited to be one step closer to bringing our iconic brand and rich music history to the people of Ottawa and the surrounding region.

Hard Rock International Chief Operating Officer Jon Lucas

Lucas similarly thanked the local partners for the company, as well as the regulators who have made it possible for Hard Rock to consider and now bring its project closer to realization.

The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation and the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario have offered invaluable support and help to make sure that construction may begin in a compliant and prompt manner.

Big Expectations for the Upcoming Project’s Economic Potential

This project is already touted as one of the biggest private investment developments and it will have an impact on the city’s economy, including 1,900 direct and indirect construction jobs.

This sentiment was reflected by Mark Sutcliffe, the city’s mayor, who said: “The new Hard Rock Hotel & Casino represents a significant investment in the south end of our city. It will create new jobs and build on the existing attraction at Rideau Carleton Casino.”

The company is also committed to supporting local and Indigenous organizations through every means possible, including partnerships, sponsorships, and donations.

The post Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Begins Construction on First Property in Canada appeared first on Keno Wizard.