Super Bowl LVIII, one of the most-anticipated National Football League (NFL) events for the year, is scheduled to take place on February 11, 2024, at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada. While there are plenty of festive activities planned throughout the week before the game, Sin City visitors may see hospitality worker picket lines in front of downtown and Strip hotel casinos.

Last week, the Culinary Union, representing casino workers in the city successfully negotiated a new five-year contract for the employees at Waldorf Astoria Las Vegas. While this was a major success for the union and the workers, negotiations with 20 hotel casino resorts on the Las Vegas Strip and downtown continue and picket lines may be seen.

In a recent interview for The Nevada Independent, Ted Pappageorge, the Culinary Union’s secretary-treasurer, confirmed that picket lines can be seen in front of the properties just in time for the Super Bowl LVIII celebrations planned early in February. Pappageorge reaffirmed the need for a deadline, something that was announced by the Culinary Union earlier this month. At the time, the Union set February 2 at 5 AM as the deadline for the negotiations with the remaining 20 downtown and Strip hotel casinos.

Hospitality Employees Are Prepared to Go On Strike

Pappageorge spoke about the importance of the new contracts with the outstanding casino hotels, explaining that the workers there deserve the same benefits as the deals negotiated with the major operators in Sin City. He revealed that February 2 represents exactly nine months since the contracts of the hospitality workers expired.

While Pappageorge confirmed that the Unions want to avoid a strike, he said that “any responsible labor leader is going to do their best to reserve that right.” He confirmed that the workers at the resorts where contracts are outstanding are prepared to go on strike to secure better conditions, fair wages and job benefits.

“At the same time, these companies need to know things have changed since the pandemic. These companies are doing well and workers want their fair share and they’re prepared to strike to achieve that goal.“

Ted Pappageorge, secretary-treasurer for the Culinary Union

Last year, the Union reached agreements for new five-year contracts with Caesars Entertainment, MGM Resorts International and Wynn Resorts, the three leading casino and entertainment operators in Las Vegas. Recognized as a major win, the negotiations secured better working conditions, increased pay and job security for some 40,000 employees in the sector.

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• One of the leading game aggregators in the world, the famous SOFTSWISS Game Aggregator, partnered with the popular game provider Ready Play to strengthen its position and further expand across the global iGaming market.

Industry giants partner up to improve the player experience

SOFTSWISS operates one of the most popular aggregation platforms in the whole industry. The new partnership will help in its further development since a range of new slot games will be added to it.

On the other hand, Ready Play is a company with a long history in the industry. It’s been present on the market for 20 years, and it is present in many key regulated markets across the globe. The company got a certification from Channel Islands’ Alderney Gaming Control Commission, which allows SOFTSWISS to expand in that market as well.

This partnership means a lot for both companies, allowing them to offer their customers an advanced customer experience and improve the player experience as well.

Unique products

Ready Play is popular for its unique features such as its gamified slot releases Reel Bingo and Snakes & Ladders, which became a huge hit among the players. The games became even more popular because of their statistical data and analysis, which is unique in the market. Both companies can use this data to improve the player experience, which will without doubt lead to a successful partnership.

Ready Play is also known for unusual testing of its games – while the content production stage lasts, the real players are invited to test out the games, and that allows the company to create the content that really fulfills all the wishes of its fans and players, thanks to the feedback they get from the players. SOFTSWISS also invites their clients to try their products before the official launch and give their feedback, so the values of the two companies completely align when it comes to this matter.

SOFTSWISS Game Aggregator recently announced the cross-product integration with the famous SOFTSWISS Jackpot Aggregator, which will upgrade its offering, along with a range of advanced sports betting products.

Gregory Penkov, Head of Sales at SOFTSWISS Game Aggregator, said: “The excellence of our Game Aggregator in iGaming is attributed to the robustness and variety of its offerings. Collaborating with providers like Ready Play allows us to sustain our leading positions. Ready Play’s games deliver distinctive, unparalleled experiences, and we are eager to observe their reception across our network.”

Grant Benson, Commercial Officer of Ready Play, added: “We are delighted to make our top-quality games accessible through a content hub that reaches diverse audiences across various locations. Our goal is to provide our games to the most discerning players possible, and partnering with SOFTSWISS allows us to achieve precisely that. The integration with the Game Aggregator not only showcases the incredible potential of our brand but also opens up avenues for new business opportunities.”

Source: Miller, George, “SOFTSWISS Game Aggregator Partners with Ready Play”. European Gaming. January 16, 2024.

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Located just an easy drive from Atlanta and Chattanooga, Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River Casino & Hotel is not only an exciting destination for games in the Western North Carolina region but also a superb accommodation option for overnight visitors. 

However, 2024 is going to see the venue expand even more thanks to an upcoming $275 million construction project that will bring an expanded 25,000 square foot gaming floor for players, a hotel tower with 296 rooms, and a massive parking deck with 1,500 spaces. 

The exciting expansion project was initiated on September 29, closely following the casino’s seventh anniversary.

According to Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River’s general manager, Lumpy Lambert, the highly-anticipated expansion project he had envisioned years ago is expected to generate revenue for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI). 

At the same time, the project is expected to assist “tribal distribution for enrolled members and job opportunities”. 

Representatives of general contractor Robins & Morton along with GM Lambert took a tour of the new sites that will host 400 brand new slot machines next year, together with one dozen table games, a casino bar that will count 22 seats, and a World Series of Poker poker room with 10 seats. 

Lambert expressed his content regarding the progress of the project whose necessity was identified eight years ago when the venue opened its gates to the world. 

While “looking forward to the opportunity to grow and expand”, Lambert also projected 100 fresh incremental positions and further emphasized their main goals to support tribal programming and distribution for the EBCI.

Local Artists to Help Maintain Cultural Integration 

The upgrade will include a series of specific design elements showcasing the Cherokee culture to maintain the cultural integration of Harrah’s Cherokee Casinos.

With this idea in mind, the project will hire local artists whose role will be to “infuse the culture” as best as possible. 

The new gaming floor is expected to become available for casino patrons and guests alike by the middle of 2024. 

The parking deck will shortly follow, with an estimated opening time scheduled for the summer of 2024. Finally, the new hotel tower will become available to the public toward the end of next year. 

For the time being, the River Tower provides 300 spacious guest rooms endowed with state-of-the-art amenities conveniently located right next to the gaming space. The venue is also home to UltraStar, a bowling alley and arcade that packs numerous family-friendly gaming options.

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Earlier in the week, the leading online sports betting and gaming company that operates some of the most innovative, versatile, and easily distinguishable brands, Flutter Entertainment, announced that its UK and Ireland division had committed up to £8 million ($10 million) to charitable initiatives in 2023. 

The gambling conglomerate also took the opportunity to announce upcoming funding campaigns in the books for its three main three brands, Paddy Power, Sky Betting & Gaming, and Betfair. 

During a Bloomberg podcast, Flutter’s chief executive operator, Peter Jackson, emphasized the company’s effective strategy and excellent capacity to branch out into new verticals while discussing FanDuel’s development and further plans aimed at the US market.

Now, the company that is determined to streamline its operations and minimize regulatory complexities has announced that it will only maintain two stock exchange listings. Here is a quick breakdown of the fresh information. 

Flutter to Cancel Its Euronext Dublin Listing by January 23, 2024

According to the latest news which follows the previous November announcement, Flutter’s ordinary shares will stop being traded on Euronext Dublin on January 23, 2024. After that, a trading suspension will be implemented to allow the settlement of all pending trades.

The impending delisting from the Dublin stock exchange will also translate to Flutter’s removal from the Eurostoxx index by Stoxx, which will go into effect starting December 18, 2023.

This does not, however, mean that Flutter’s premium listing on the London Stock Exchange will suffer. The same goes for the company’s inclusion in the FTSE 100 index.

In other words, Flutter Entertainment’s shares will keep being traded on the London Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol FLTR. 

Getting Ready for the NYSE Listing

While preparing to bid farewell to the Dublin stock exchange, Flutter is also getting ready to list its ordinary shares on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) by January 29, 2024.

This is a strategic decision that perfectly blends into Flutter’s plans to optimize its operations while capitalizing on the strengths of the NYSE market and still holding on to its presence in the UK market.

The NYSE listing is currently waiting for the US Securities and Exchange Commission’s ruling over the Form 20-F Registration Statement submitted by Flutter. 

Once it receives the green light for the NYSE, the company will trade under the symbol FLUT. On January 18, 2024, Flutter will also introduce a brief trading update for the three months ending December 21, as well as the full year 2023. 

The full-year results for the 12 months ending December 31, 2023, will be published under US GAAP on March 26, 2024.

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Tensions are escalating in Las Vegas as the Culinary Union intensifies its preparations for an impending strike against major casino resorts, including MGM Resorts, Caesars Entertainment, and Wynn Resorts, slated for November 10. Union members have been assembling picket signs at their headquarters near Wyoming Avenue and S. Las Vegas Boulevard in anticipation of the strike deadline.

Las Vegas Union Members Express Dissatisfaction Over Progress

Expressing their frustrations, union members voiced concerns about their working conditions and job security. Emphasizing the personal stakes involved for the workers and their families, Aretha Wilder, a union member said: “We’ve worked hard for these companies. We deserve not to be left behind. We deserve not to have our hours cut, we deserve not to have to work two or three stations.” 

Elsa Roldan, another union member, emphasized that there had been limited progress in the negotiations, stressing the lack of significant improvements. She stated that from the beginning, they had been willing to do whatever it took to secure a fair contract, highlighting the union’s steadfast determination.

Despite ongoing discussions, union officials remain dissatisfied with the current state of negotiations, reported KTNV Las Vegas. Ted Pappageorge, the Union’s Secretary-Treasurer, acknowledged some movement in recent weeks but emphasized that it still falls short. Pappageorge explained that they were cautiously optimistic and mentioned that if any company did the right thing and made substantial concessions, they could potentially reach a settlement. He hinted at the possibility of one, two, or even three of these companies facing strikes.

Culinary Union Urges Support for Workers Amid Formula 1 Turmoil

In addition to the ongoing labor dispute, the developments have further heightened concerns regarding the Formula 1 Grand Prix scheduled to begin on November 16. The Culinary Union has urged race attendees to support their cause by refraining from crossing picket lines and avoiding hotels and casinos affected by the labor dispute.

Amidst these tensions, the Culinary Union remains firm in its demands, emphasizing that the proposals put forth by the employers, while historic, are insufficient. Union leaders, including Secretary-Treasurer Ted Pappageorge, have underscored the workers’ rights for fair treatment and just contracts, particularly in light of the substantial profits enjoyed by the corporations involved.

Two weeks ago, members of the Culinary Workers Union in Las Vegas organized a nonviolent demonstration to draw attention to their ongoing contract talks with prominent casinos. Around 58 demonstrators were apprehended during the protest, which sought to raise concerns about essential matters such as salary increases and a better work environment.

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In a bold move that could disrupt the bustling streets of Las Vegas and coincide with the city’s inaugural Formula 1 races, the Culinary Workers Union Local 226 and Bartenders Union Local 165 have set a strike deadline for Friday, November 10, 2023, at 5:00 am PT. 

Historic Hospitality Worker Strike Threatens Las Vegas Casinos

Tens of thousands of hotel workers, totaling 35,000, are prepared to walk off the job if agreements are not reached by that date with major casino giants, including MGM Resorts International, Caesars Entertainment, and Wynn Resorts.

The strike, if executed, will mark the largest hospitality worker strike in the history of the United States. The unions, representing a total of 60,000 workers in Las Vegas and Reno, have been negotiating for over seven months to secure better pay, reduced workloads, improved safety measures, and various other provisions for their members.

Ted Pappageorge, the Secretary-Treasurer for the Culinary Union, stated that a month prior, workers had voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike. He mentioned that negotiations had been ongoing in good faith, but lamented the insufficient progress made by companies in the discussions.

Pappageorge added: “Their current proposal on the table is historic, but it is not enough and workers deserve to have record contracts – especially after these giant corporations are enjoying their record profits.”

Las Vegas Union Prepares for Large-Scale Strike

The Culinary Union, which has not gone on strike in decades, is intensively preparing for the large-scale walkout. They have been amassing supplies and materials to maintain 45 different strike stations with multiple picket lines around casino resorts on the Las Vegas Strip. Workers are being educated on how to sign up for strike pay, and preparations are being made for a 24/7 strike line at every casino, complete with tablets for strike sign-in, picket signs, portable bathrooms, tables, chairs, bullhorns, and other essential items.

Last week, Las Vegas workers, represented by the Culinary Workers Union, staged a peaceful protest to highlight ongoing contract negotiations with major casinos. Approximately 58 protesters were arrested during the demonstration, which aimed to address issues such as pay raises and improved working conditions for the union’s 40,000 members whose contracts have recently expired. 

The potential strike would impact 18 casino resorts on the Strip, including iconic properties like Aria, Bellagio, Caesars Palace, and Mandalay Bay. The situation is made even more significant by the fact that it might coincide with the city’s eagerly anticipated Formula 1 Grand Prix weekend, scheduled to commence on November 15. Thousands of spectators are expected to flock to the Strip for the event, raising concerns about potential disruptions.

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Disney is making a significant leap into sports betting by launching the ESPN Bet app next month. While the move has stirred internal debates and concerns, the allure of attracting a younger, predominantly male audience and tapping into the growing sports betting industry has proven too compelling to ignore.

The Partnership Leverages Disney and Penn’s Strengths

In August, Disney signed a 10-year deal with Penn Entertainment, a prominent sports betting company. The partnership will introduce sports betting to Disney’s ESPN sports network, allowing sports enthusiasts to place wagers on games via Penn’s sportsbook. According to the agreement, Penn Entertainment will operate the app, while Disney will handle marketing efforts.

Penn Entertainment will pay Disney $1.5 billion in cash as part of the deal, and ESPN will receive warrants worth approximately $500 million to acquire shares in the gambling company. Despite steep costs, the operator should benefit significantly, capitalizing on ESPN’s vast audience and the burgeoning sports betting market.

Internally, Disney’s various businesses are interconnected within its overarching corporate brand. ESPN+ is a vital part of Disney’s streaming bundle, and Disney-owned networks promote each other’s shows. This interconnectedness should significantly enhance Penn’s reach and influence, subtly increasing exposure and helping onboard new players. However, Disney’s pivot towards sports betting could have negative consequences despite such synergies.

The Potential Gains Are Worth Any Short-Term Challenges

The prospect of integrating sports wagering under Disney’s umbrella has sparked heated debates among company executives and employees. There have been concerns that gambling could affect Disney’s reputation, associating it with addiction and other negative connotations. This move has raised eyebrows beyond its internal circles. Socially-conscious investment entities like BlackRock may need to reduce their stakes in Disney if the company aligns itself with sports betting.

Despite the backlash, the launch of ESPN Bet seems inevitable. Penn executives recently shared information on the extensive preparations during the Global Gaming Expo in Las Vegas. They noted the company was exploring alternative ESPN game broadcasts focused on betting and plans to appeal to its growing fantasy sports audience. The program will also feature more on-air stars in promotions and shows.

The alliance between Disney and Penn provides an opportunity to engage a younger, more active audience while adding a new dimension to the entertainment giant’s extensive portfolio. Industry stakeholders will closely monitor ESPN Bet’s November launch as it promises an intriguing blend of sports content and sports wagering under the Disney umbrella.

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Gambling giant BetMGM has announced the opening of a new sportsbook in downtown Cincinnati. BetMGM Sportsbook at The Banks is now ready to welcome its first guests.

Previously located at the Great American Ball Park, the sportsbook has now been moved to its permanent spot. The property boasts a 350-square-foot video wall and 42 TV screens, allowing sports fans to never miss a beat.

In addition to that, BetMGM Sportsbook at The Banks has 3 in-person wagering windows, 14 self-service wagering kiosks, over 200 seats and an exclusive lounge for VIP patrons. The lounge has a private bar, high-definition screens and comfortable seats, turning betting into a truly luxurious experience.

The property is ready to welcome sports fans every day of the week.

The Sportsbook Will Add to the Vibrancy of Downtown Cincinnati

BetMGM’s chief revenue officer, Matt Prevost, said that the launch of the new sportsbook is an “integral part” of delivering the BetMGM experience to the Buckeyes. He revealed that his team was considering this property even before BetMGM’s official launch in Ohio.

We are thrilled to see this vision become a reality marking our next big next step in growing our relationship with the city of Cincinnati and the Reds.

Matt Prevost, CRO, BetMGM

For reference, BetMGM is currently serving as the official sports betting partner of the Cincinnati Reds. Because of that, Doug Healy, the franchise’s official chief financial officer, praised the launch of the BetMGM Sportsbook at The Banks.

Moving the BetMGM Sportsbook to The Banks places this best-in-class operator into the heart of our city’s sports and entertainment district. The popularity of the BetMGM brand will help draw patrons to The Banks and add to the vibrancy of our downtown.

Doug Healy, CFO, Cincinnati Reds

The sportsbook was also welcomed by The Banks’ marketing director and property manager, Tracy Schwegmann. She said that the betting venue would be a great addition to The Banks, helping it remain an attractive entertainment destination.

With the Bengals season starting and the Reds making a push to playoffs, The Banks continues to be the #1 entertainment destination in Cincinnati.

Tracy Schwegmann, marketing director & property manager, The Banks

Earlier this month, BetMGM also enhanced its betting app, just in time for the highly-anticipated National Football League season.

In other news, BetMGM recently formed a partnership with Play’n GO in Virginia, helping the provider expand its US reach.

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Spribe is now able to expand its content portfolio across the region on a firmer foothold as the company has received the necessary certification from Gaming Associates to operate its advanced gaming titles in both Romania and Italy.  Gaming Associates is an established testing firm that ensures that the products and games offered by an iGaming supplier are based on a fair algorithm.

Spribe Clears Technical Certification Hurdle

As an interesting bonus, the licensure in Romania is also recognized by the Malta Gaming Authority, further boosting Spribe’s reach. The company, which became famous for its Aviator game, has been delivering a range of innovative and out-of-the-box games over the past months.

Some of its main game titles include Mines, Goal, and Hi-Lo. All of these games have been redesigned based on popular gaming concepts. The most successful of those genres has been Aviator which invites players to push their luck by taking a plane to the sky and ejecting before the plane crashes. The farther up they soar, the bigger the multiplier win they stand to collect.

Commenting on this important milestone, Spribe CCO Giorgi Tsutskiridze said that the company was excited to see its Turbo Games portfolio, the collective name for the company’s innovative and unorthodox games, now be available to roll out in both markets. Tsutskiridze added:

This will allow our partners to stand out from their rivals through next-generation content that appeals to an important but hard to engage audience.

Spribe CCO Giorgi Tsutskiridze

The executive noted that the entire company was excited to see how its games will fare in the new markets and what value they could bring to players with the portfolio entering the designated countries for the very first time.

The Supplier Continues to Grow Globally

Spribe is presently live with more than 2,000 operators worldwide and it continues to grow. Entering new jurisdictions in Europe will allow Spribe to significantly scale up and add more players, brands, and explore new opportunities.

Earlier this week, Spribe obtained a license from the Spelinspektionen, the Swedish licensing and regulatory authority. The company has also been focusing on establishing aggregation partnerships, with companies such as Groove in order to further amplify its geographical footprint.

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After it rejected a proposal for a series of measures aiming to protect gamblers from spending more than they can afford at the start of the year, the Department of Justice in Ireland has announced that it was ready to help the Gambling Regulation Bill progress in its 2023 Justice Plan.

Over 140 Actions Part of the 2023 Justice Plan

The Justice Plan for 2023 was officially released on April 6 and it introduces more than 140 headline actions that would help build safer and more powerful communities in the country.

The plan consists of a series of updated actions in fields like anti-social behavior, policing, and family and civil law, among others. It is based on the previously recorded progress under the Justice Plans released in the past two years.

As the third and also the last installment of plans meant to explain the goals belonging to Ireland’s 2021-2023 statement of strategy, the 2023 Justice Plan continues last year’s Plan that originally introduced the Gambling Regulation Bill.

As explained by the country’s Minister of State for Law Reform James Browne T.D., the Bill represents one of the top priorities that would ensure progress in the current year.

The Gambling Regulation Bill Aims to “Meet the Challenges of Gambling Responsibility“

Browne called the Bill which was originally published last December an important milestone as well as much-anticipated legislation needed to “meet the challenges of gambling responsibly in 21st century Ireland.”

The minister added that the 2023 Justice Plan plans on seeing the Bill advance through Oireachtas, which is the country’s Parliament. This would help set up the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland, which would be called Údarás Rialála Cearrbhachais na hÉireann.

As a main goal, the Bill would display the necessary framework for a “robust regulatory and licensing regime for the gambling sector in Ireland”.

Provided the Bill would pass, it might ban all forms of promotional activities related to gambling. Plus, operators would be forbidden to use free bets as stimuli to convince new players to join them and gamble for real money.

DoJ to Offer Management Services for Establishing the Regulatory Authority

The Department of Justice has announced it was prepared to show its support for the successful implementation of the Gambling Regulation Bill in the following months.

Namely, DoJ will help introduce a complex system for regulations and licensing designated for the gambling sector in the country by offering the necessary management services that would set up the Gambling Regulatory Authority.

The Authority will be responsible for the implementation and close supervision of the laws of the Gambling Regulation Bill.

The same department will also help establish the new chief executive officer Designate of the Authority while overseeing the Bill’s ongoing progress on its path toward “enactment and commencement later this year”.

Last September, Minister Browne appointed Ms Anne Marie Caulfield as the new CEO Designate of the Gambling Regulatory Authority with the intention of facilitating the preparatory work in advance of the establishment Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland.

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