A project seeking to reduce the lanes of Atlantic Avenue in Atlantic City, New Jersey, is subject to a lawsuit filed by casino operators along with AtlantiCare. The legal claim was filed last year and recently gained traction with the city’s claims in support of the project labeled as “road diet.” The project proposes to reduce the lanes from four to two along Atlantic Avenue between New Hampshire and Boston Avenues.

Opponents of the road diet claimed that the city needs to secure approval from the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority (CRDA), a non-profit organization that focuses on tourism in Atlantic City. Besides AtlantiCare, plaintiffs include Tropicana, Resorts, Bally’s, Hard Rock and Caesars. Considering that the CRDA oversees tourism in the city, the plaintiffs argued that they need to approve the proposed project as well.

Another major concern of the plaintiffs is that the road diet will result in traffic congestion. This, in turn, may obstruct emergency vehicles down Atlantic Avenue from reaching AtlantiCare’s emergency, putting lives in jeopardy.

Additionally, the lawsuit alleged that a comprehensive study about the impact on traffic of the project wasn’t conducted. Ultimately, the casinos along with AtlantiCare asked the court to enforce an injunction, temporarily stopping the road diet.

The City’s Defense Fights Back

The opposing side, the city, rejected the claims that the project needs the approval of the CRDA, as announced by the Press of Atlantic City. Last week, Richard Trenk, an attorney defending the city in the lawsuit, filed a brief, claiming that the plaintiffs misinterpreted the responsibilities of the CRDA outlining: “Thus, because no statute or regulation requires approval from CRDA, the City had no obligation to seek approval from CRDA.” What’s more, in its brief, the city’s defense argued that the project was accompanied by a traffic study that examined its impact on traffic.

Trenk also addressed the concerns related to the claim about delays of emergency vehicles caused by the reduction of the traffic lanes. He explained that experts in Atlantic City, in collaboration with the state and transportation agency examined the proposed project, confirming it wouldn’t impact the flow of emergency vehicles. “Thus, Plaintiff cannot demonstrate any genuine irreparable harm at stake,” explained the city’s brief.

The city’s defense asked the court to deny the requests listed within the lawsuit filed by AtlantiCare and the casino operators. The case is set to return to court on January 26, 2024, when each of the parties will present their arguments in front of Judge Michael Blee.

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The world’s biggest online poker room, GGPoker, announced the launch of a series of online poker tournaments providing pathways for players to participate in live poker events in London.

Pathways to Live Poker Events

The Road to London series of satellites launched by GGPoker will offer participants a chance to win seats for two iconic live poker tournaments, the £3,300 WSOP Super Circuit Series London Main Event and the £21,200 Triton Super High Roller GGMillion$ Live, as well as the thrill of live poker action.

Commenting on the series launch, GGPoker’s head of marketing, UK & Ireland, Angela Martin, was thrilled to announce the return of live poker events to London, adamant that Road to London would be “an unrivaled opportunity to participate in world-class tournaments and compete alongside the poker elite.”

We’re confident that GGPoker players will relish the chance to win their way into these incredible live events at a fraction of the cost, making poker dreams come true.

Angela Martin, head of marketing for UK & Ireland, GGPoker

Promising an electrifying experience for poker players, as well as the thrill of competitive live poker action on an international stage, the Road to London series will reward at least 200 players with seats to the WSOP Super Circuit London Main Event.

One More Hurdle to Overcome

Players who have earned their seats through the satellites will be free to participate in either an OnLive Day 1 tournament hosted at GGPoker or in one of three live Day 1s in London. The first OnLive Day 1 tournament is set to take place on July 2 and step qualifiers are already underway.

Scheduled to start on August 8, the £3,300 WSOP Super Circuit Series London Main Event will have a huge guaranteed prize pool of £3,000,000 ($3,840,000), besides the thrill of playing competitive poker with fellow players from around the world, including recent GGPoker partner, Brian ‘True Geordie’ Davis.

Commencing on July 27, the £21,200 Triton Super High Roller GGMillion$ Live will welcome some of the most popular poker players worldwide, promising to make it a truly exhilarating affair. Qualifier satellites for the tournament will run from June 24.

Both the £3,300 WSOP Super Circuit Series London Main Event and the £21,200 Triton Super High Roller GGMillion$ Live will take place at JW Marriott Grosvenor House in the heart of the capital.

GGPoker was at the center of a controversy recently after most of the high stakes players decided to boycott the games in protest of the latest changes to the poker room’s rake system.

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In mid-April, the operations of the major Canadian gaming and entertainment company, Gateway Casinos, were impacted by a cyberattack. The company announced an emergency shutdown on April 16 which at the time was described as a “system-wide malfunction.” In light of the security breach, Gateway decided to temporarily shut down the operations at all of its 14 different properties.

Reportedly, there were more than a few properties affected by the cyber-attack that include venues at Woodstock, Thunder Bay, Sudbury and Sault Ste. Marie cities. Additionally, the ransomware attacks are believed to have affected the operations of casinos in Sarnia, North Bay, London, Innisfil and Clinton. Although five other venues were not impacted by the cyberattack, Gateway temporarily halted the operations at those casinos as well.

Carmi Levy, an experienced technology analyst explained that Gateway may face challenges when recovering from the cyberattack. The analyst, who was interviewed by CTVNews recently, explained that the operator will have to first “own” the cyberattack and then begin the hard work related to recovering from its devastating impact. Additionally, Levy said that Gateway would need to reestablish the trust of its stakeholders, as well as customers.

“Gateway Casinos is going to have to own this, and they are going to have to work hard to reestablish the trust of customers and other stakeholders who have done business with them in the past who may be hesitant to do so going forward, for good reason.“

Carmi Levy, Technology Analyst

The Company Started Reopening Venues

According to the technology analyst, to prevent and recognize cyberattacks, companies need to train their employees better. Levy said that usually, such attacks start with a “phishing type of message” showing in one’s inbox. He explained: “Clearly, someone clicked on the wrong thing in this event. Clearly, someone is going to click on the wrong thing in future events.”

Speaking about cyberattacks, Levy said that it may take years for companies to recover from such threats. He said that cyberattacks are “as bad as it gets” and pointed out that the recovery from such threats isn’t as simple as coming back online by flipping a switch.

Last week, Gateway confirmed it continues to work on its IT systems to reopen its properties. “We continue to restore our IT systems and are working to safely reopen our Ontario operations,” the company explained in a statement. On Saturday, Gateway confirmed the reopening of its Innisfil property. At the time, the company unveiled that it plans to implement a phased reopening plan for its businesses. Gateway confirmed that additional properties are expected to reopen soon.

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Despite its steady post-COVID recovery, Macau’s gambling sector faces rising competition from other Asian destinations. The local government has spent years attempting to distance itself from gaming and attract tourists with family-friendly options. However, the aftermath of the pandemic and rising economic uncertainty made such efforts exceptionally difficult.

The Last Few Years Were Unkind to Macau

Since the liberalization of the gambling industry in 2001, Macau’s economy has heavily relied on its casinos which account for over 80% of total revenue. Such a disproportionate focus on a single sector was not without issues, and in 2016 the government released a five-year plan to diversify its economy and reduce the share of gambling revenue to 45% by 2020.

Unfortunately, COVID-19 put these plans on hold and significantly damaged Macau’s gaming industry. Despite the sector’s steady recovery, frequent lockdowns and a substantial drop in foreign visitors indirectly bolstered competing gambling hubs like South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, and the Philippines. Macau still attracts 90% of its tourists from mainland China and Hong Kong, but foreign visitors are instrumental in fostering a lasting reputation.

Rebranding the “Las Vegas of the East” Will Not Be Easy

Diversification-wise, gambling’s share of the total revenue remains unchanged despite the local government’s substantial efforts. However, progress is there. The government is relentlessly investing in developing new industries like tourism, finance, and technology. Numerous new initiatives aim to draw visitors away from casinos and towards the city’s cultural and heritage attractions.

New licenses have operators invest substantial amounts in non-gambling activities, with a planned $14.7 billion going towards water and amusement parks, spas, and food courts. However, such attractions are unlikely to attract more than betting-weary punters without a complete rebrand and a titanic marketing campaign. Macau’s name is synonymous with gambling, and shifting away from such will be challenging.

Gambling Is Still Vital to Financing Diversification

Another avenue for Macau to step away from gambling is the Chinese government’s intentions to turn the region into a financial center, attracting institutions, international finance companies, and investors. Developing a technology industry by creating incentives for tech companies and entrepreneurs is another possibility, but doing so artificially is unlikely to yield any meaningful results.

Overall, Macau finds itself in a precarious position. Diversification will require exorbitant funding, will take years, if not decades, and may not even work. However, remaining fixated on gambling leaves the economy vulnerable to another disaster. The territory needs to walk a fine line between utilizing casino profits to bolster other sectors and remaining competitive enough to secure such funds in the first place.

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Gaming Realms is known as a content developer of mobile-focused online casino content, which will now continue to work with Inspired Entertainment to create unique experiences across the board.

Third Slingo Title to Arrive as Result of Inspired Partnership

Thanks to this extended partnership, Gaming Realms will be able to add a new Slingo title to its ranks, after the success of Slingo Centurion and Slingo Reel King, with both games enjoying a strong reception and uptake by gaming audiences.

Moving forward, Gaming Realms will take the Gold Cash Freespins title and transform it into its proprietary Slingo game with both companies’ blessing. Inspired’s game is also deemed to be one of the most successful slots by the company, pulling strong engagement and retention with audiences in global markets.

Now, the game will get a revamped version that casts it in Gaming Realms’ Slingo likeness to create even more ways for fans of the game to engage. Gaming Realms CCO Gareth Scott welcome the opportunity to see his company continue adding to the acclaimed Slingo series:

Our partnership with Inspired has been hugely successful, with Slingo Centurion and Slingo Reel King being leading performers in both Europe and North America.

Gaming Realms CCO Gareth Scott

Scott confirmed that the company was very much excited to have the opportunity to embark on a third title with Inspired and bring fresh experiences to the fore. Gaming Realms expects the upcoming to be just as well received as its predecessors.

Great Things Expected from New Slingo Title

Inspired Entertainment VP of interactive Claire Osborne was of a similar mind and welcomed the opportunity to strengthen its partnership with Gaming Realms. “We look forward to seeing the concept that the Gaming Realms team will put forward,” Osborne said.

Gaming Realms has been advancing its Slingo format at a good pace in the meantime. The company launched Slingo Cleopatra and Slingo SPACE INVADERS with TAITO Corporation, considerably extending the visibility of the unique game series.

As testimony to the company’s success in producing outstanding content, Gaming Realms rolled out its games with Sports Illustrated Casino in Michigan at the beginning of the month.

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