3 Bold Gaming Predictions for 2018

                                      Here are the 3 bold gaming predictions for 2018.

Sports Betting will be legal in some capacity. New Jersey will win the case to have Sports Betting. The Supreme Court will allow states rights to prevail since Nevada and Delaware allow wagering on sports, New Jersey will start with NFL this fall. Other states will follow. The NBA will lobby for a percentage of the action. All of the major professional sport leagues will follow suit. 

Hard Rock Atlantic City will be the market leader in Atlantic City. This will happen by the end of the year. Hard Rock will enter the region with the most visible brand and the newest venue. The entertainment lineup will surpass Borgata and Tropicana. This will bring crowds after the summer season ends. Borgata will counter with property upgrades. Tropicana will work the online space and grow that side of  their business.

Pennsylvania will continue to see an increase in table games and poker revenue while slots will trend down. As the clientele gets younger, the demand for slot play decreases. Even with the current expansion of gaming, expect the online space to reflect the current brick and mortar models.

                        Here are the 3 Bold Gaming Predictions for 2017.  See how we did,

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Pennsylvania Gaming Expansion: Is more actually better?

As 2018 comes in, the gaming expansion in Pennsylvania will accompany it. We see that slot growth is not part of the equation. Online Gaming will not stem this trend due to the high tax rate.

Table Games is showing incremental growth every year. The tax rate online is favorable to operators so expect most sites to offer more core games that you find in brick and mortar facilities. These games include poker, blackjack and baccarat.

An area of concern is Philadelphia and the addition of  a second casino less than 15 miles from the present gaming operation. This will undoubtedly lead to battle over the patrons that are presently playing in Philly. Market share will diminish. How much remains to be seen.

The possible addition of 10 satellite casinos that can not be located near a currently operating site will bring jobs and some new operators but little growth.  Any rise in revenue will come from the most innovative online operators. Who will they be?

If you want to be ahead of your competition as an operator or a player, you can reach out to us.

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Pennsylvania Gaming Expansion: Will Taxes limit Interest in Online Gaming?

Pennsylvania Gaming Expansion has an extremely high rate of taxation for I Gaming. While the rate for table games and fantasy sports are moderate and in the teens, the legislature took a more aggressive posture with slot play. The tax on slots for casino operators is at 54%. While this matches the amount that brick and mortar facilities pay presently, it is high for a online situation. The initial thought is that will diminish interest in the product. 

Our take is a resounding no. It is too large an upside not to take part of. We will share one creative way that intelligent operators can find success in the I Gaming world. Look at the compact agreement that Delaware, New Jersey and Nevada have. They can share players and increase liquidity. Imagine the entire Commonwealth of Pennsylvania added to such an agreement. The monetary upside would be worth the cost of investment.

If you want more shrewd ways to build your online experience as an operator or a player, you can reach out to us.

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This Week in Gaming Review

New York has moved it's online poker bill in their State Senate. This bill is now up for review in the Codes, Ways & Means and Rules Committees . While the chances are slim for passage this session, this is progress. If New York legalizes online gaming, poker will have the liquidity it needs to be successful in this region.

Pennsylvania Online Gaming legislation is moving forward despite one bone of contention. This involves VLTs. There should be a stipulation that no VLTs can be within a certain radius of a casino,school or church. This would protect the establish revenue operators and control the threat of underage gaming.Another requirement should involve the amount of seats available in the establishment where the owner is in possession of a liquor license. This would eliminate stop and go owners.

MGM welcome the NBA Golden State Warriors to Las Vegas to continue their Championship celebration. They attended the Ward - Kovalev Light Heavyweight Title Fight at the Mandalay Bay Event Center.

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East Coast Gaming Congress Recap Day 1

The East Coast Gaming Congress entered it's 20th year of providing information and updates from the top organizations in the gaming industry. This year opened with the I Gaming Institute.

After the welcoming address, the keynote presentation was given by Itai Pazner, Head of B2C,

888 Holdings. Mr. Pazner cited the growth in E Commerce along with the potential increase of DFS and social casinos as reasons for optimism. 888 is currently in 9 regulated markets.

The 1st roundtable was the I Gaming: The View from New Jersey. This panel consisted of several top operators and one regulator. It was moderated by Eugene Johnson, Senior Vice President from Spectrum Gaming. The key takeaways  from this discussion were the absence of cannibalization with the online gaming product compare to the brick & mortar. George Rover, Director of Gaming Enforcement for New Jersey indicated that in over 2 years there was not one case of underage gambling.

The sessions were divided for the next panels, so I went to the I Gaming Expansion- Who's Next?

Pennsylvania, California and New York were all mentioned as possible players with different levels of optimism. California and New York are leaning to Poker only in an online gaming environment.

Pennsylvania would mimic New Jersey and do casino games and Poker. None of these states appear ready to leap into action in 2016.

One of the final panels of the day was Attracting Millennials: How to connect with the Next Generation. Each participant on this panel felt that the creation of an integrated resort experience that has non gaming amenities along with gambling is the way to go forward. Operators must have multiple catch points and target the millennial customer differently than a Baby Boomer or Generation X patron.  Victor Rocha, Owner and Editor of Pechanga.net, cited skill based gaming as a way of building the casino floor of the future. Chris Davidson, moderator and VP of Global strategy for MMCY Global had an excellent slide presentation. Sarah Robertson, from Income Access  & Dana Takrudtong, Vice President of Sales for GAN, represented their companies admirably. This was the highlight of the first day at #ECGC20th.

A networking event closed the day. It was held at the Pool at Harrah's Resort in Atlantic City.
                                                                Here is a peek.

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                             My day two recap of the Conference will be on LinkedIn.

This Week in Gaming Review

 

The 3rd week of 2016 featured outstanding news from Atlantic City.  Revel is reportedly going to reopen as a waterpark and a casino. The casino will be a smaller version of the previous model. Since they closed in September 2014,  the amount of rooms available at the shore decreased by 1400. That does not include the rooms lost by the closing of Showboat, Atlantic Club and Trump Plaza. While the occupancy rate has risen, the demand for a room will drive prices up as well. Not good for the consumer. The reopening will alleviate a part of that. No timetable was given.

 

The conversation about Online Gaming in Pennsylvania was revisited by State Rep John Payne. Payne is the current chair of the Gaming Oversight Committee. He predicted that some form of gaming outside of the brick and mortar casinos would be approved by July. This will double the amount of people that are playing currently. Good news for 888 and Caesars Interactive.

A hearing on Tuesday was held to talk about the possibility of sports betting. This would be in concert with a resolution introduced late last year urging the U.S. Congress to repeal a ban on sports betting. Pennsylvania is being proactive with the hearing of the proposal by New Jersey that request that wagering on games be allowed by the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals. This hearing is scheduled for February 17. ESPN Chalk provided coverage of this hearing and cited the opinions the Commissioners of the NBA and MLB.

 

 

Finally, New York has New York will have another crack at online poker. Legislation that would regulate online poker sites in the Empire State was re-introduced this week. The measure was considered last year but didn’t gain any traction in Albany. The bill is from Assemblyman Gary Pretlow, who is pushing legislation along with Sen. Bonacic, who has yet to re-introduce his proposal. Both are at the helm of gaming and racing committees.  The amount of money projected in the 1st year of operation was estimated at 120 million. That is the same amount that Pennsylvania projected for the online gaming market 12 months after launch.

This news regarding Poker is cited from Cardplayer.com.

 

Last week, I went 2-2 with my NFL selections. My best bet was Seattle + 8.5 in a teaser. Today my best play is the over 47.5 in the Panthers and Cardinals game. Enjoy the games.

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My Top Gaming Interviews of 2015

Just in case you missed it, here are my top gaming interviews for 2015. I won't rank them. I'll let you decide that. But these were my favorites based on number of hits and the content. I considered how they resonate with my audience.

 

My post about Marketing and Online Gaming with views provided by Luisa Woods from Tropicana Casino in Atlantic City. The interview with ESPN top writer on gaming and sports betting.

The imaginations of Greg Carlin and Wendy Hamilton were on displayed in my post about Gaming in 2025.

Jessica Dawley

 

The combination of Poker and Jessica Dawley captivated readers when SugarHouse Casino hosted Poker Night in America. The interview with Scientific Games CEO Gavin Issacs gave insight on how

to connect with millenials.

 

 

#HappyNewYear

 

 

 

 

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Gaming Mid Year Review 2015

In case you missed it, we have hit the halfway point of 2015. If you are into gaming entertainment,this has been 6 months of speculation throughout the industry.

Here are the highlights of 2015 with my bold predictions of what happens by the end of the year.

 

 

 

 

Casinos proposed in North Jersey with tax revenue going to Atlantic City. Prediction -No.

Governor Christie supports it. New Jersey has a 30% approval rate of him. They will reject

his initiative.

Atlantic City has the Pier and Revel reopening.  Prediction - The Pier reopens while Revel

does not. Bart Blatstein's track record in Philly shows he can develop a project and make it

appealing. Nothing definitive for Revel until 2016.

 

    

Pennsylvania gets online gaming this year. Prediction - No! The interest is there but the difference on the tax rate will morass the process. The budget for fiscal year 2015-16 will take center stage with taxation and educational expenses. Gaming will take a backseat.

 

 

California and New York will have online Poker. Prediction - No! Not enough support to sustain traction. They will revisit the issue in 2016 to beat a proposed federal ban.

Sports Betting will be approved outside of Nevada. Prediction - Yes. This is the year of acquising to popular opinion. A landmark Supreme Court ruling regarding marriage. The legalization of marijuana use for recreational and medicinal purposes is a further example of giving in to public demand and making a profit. Can you spell prohibition? Sports Betting is something that is accepted by the public and some of the professional sports leagues. Fantasy Sports wagering is just the precursor to allowing gambling on a live event. Once approved in New Jersey, Pennsylvania will lobby for it as well.

                           Share a comment if you choose. Have a wonderful Fourth of July!

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Online Gaming News from Pennsylvania

The Online Gaming talks are continuing in Pennsylvania with both sides presenting bills and testimony before the PA Gaming Oversight Committee in Harrisburg. The bills before the committee

include one by the Chairman Rep  John Payne with Bill 649, and Rep Tina Davis with HB 920.

There is another bill that is Poker only. The two that are mentioned have the best chance of moving forward with bi partisan support.

The opponents of any online gaming legislation are lead by Sands Bethlehem Casino and Vice President of Government Relations, Andy Abboud, stated the position that online gaming would not protect underage children from gaming. He also cited that gaming online would not support the brick and mortar operations. Mr. Abboud was questioned by Rep Davis about mobile apps that are currently used by Sands in Nevada and how that differentiate from what would be considered in Pennsylvania. There was no definitive answer given. She also ask Mr. Abboud about a fine Sands received in Las Vegas for a substantial amount of money. Mr. Abboud was not able to recall the fine and averted the question.

The proponents of the online gaming legislation included Caesars Vice President Michael D. Cohen and Penn Gaming Vice President of I Gaming Chris Sheffield. Cohen cited the success of Caesars Interactive in Nevada and New Jersey while Chris spoke of the integrity and safety nets of the international online gaming community. Sheffield also highlighted the employment opportunities online gaming would add to the state. Cohen and Sheffield jointly agree that the perspective of their testimony would transmit to a proposed online gaming environment in Pennsylvania.

Entertainment at its best

 

The technical side of the process was provided by GLI Vice President of Government Relations, Kevin Mullaly and GeoComply Operations Manager Lindsay Slader. Each gave either a demonstration or explanation of how technology works in other jurisdictions with gaming online. The consensus was that this is something that can be done and regulated with the controls that the Commonwealth would feel are appropriate.

My take is that all businesses that are successful must have an online presence. If it is minimize, then the amount of revenue is dramatically reduced. If I have a competitor in a neighboring state that can provide a service that I can't, I am at a competitive disadvantage. Will that disadvantage be limited to geographic boundaries?  No! If I want to play in New Jersey, I can still drive there. So if the promotions of playing online entice me to do so, I would play less in my home state. If the same promotion was available where I live, I would play there. Note the staggering decline in gaming revenue in Atlantic City was parallel to the increase of money spent wagering in Pennsylvania once tables and slots were approved. There was a direct correlation.

If this online gaming initiative continues thru May and gains traction in the PA State Senate, things could get very interesting. Stay Tuned!

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Sugarhouse Casino and Poker Night in America

 

 

This weekend the fireworks and spotlight will be in Philadelphia because SugarHouse Casino is hosting Poker Night in America, a poker based television show that is aired nationally on CBS Sports Net on Monday nights, 9pm EST. The show is sponsored by 888Poker, one of the top online poker and casino operators in the U.S. regulated markets.

On Sunday, Poker Night In America is shooting their second Ladies Night event a SugarHouse starting at 3pm EST. Ten top women poker players will compete in the televised $25/50 cash game that carries a minimum buy-in of $5000. The participants in Ladies Night II Lineup are:

·     Beth Shak

·     Caitlin Hall

·     Ebony Kenney

·     Jamie Kerstetter

·     Jen Shahade

·     Jessica Dawley – 888Poker Ambassador

·     Karina Jett

·     Kristen Olieberg

·     Natasha Barbour

·     Samantha Abernathy

 

The game will be streamed live on Poker Night in America website and youtube channel and will include live commentary from the players. The first Ladies Night Event was the most watch live stream from Poker Night in America in 2014. Women are excellent poker players, evidenced by the popularity of the event, and they have helped to expand the viewing audience for poker.

 

Sugarhouse is leading into the event with a 100,000 guaranteed poker showdown, Thursday, April 23 thru Monday, April 27. The buy-in is $250 with a 30 entry fee grand prize tournament. This puts SugarHouse on the same  level with some of the more established poker rooms on the region. This was part of the vision when the poker room open approximately 6 months ago.  Rosemarie Cook is Vice President of Gaming and instrumental in the growth of SugarHouse Poker.

Cook states, "SugarHouse Poker is thrilled to be able to host an event of this stature having only been open for 6 months. It's a first for us and we're very excited. This is not only our first multi-day tournament, but the first one in Philadelphia. We want to introduce the poker room to those who haven't visited yet and keep those who have been here coming back. Hosting Poker Night in America including Ladies Night II and Phil Hellmuth is a great way to do it. Our inaugural event will be one to remember." 



Jessica Dawley

 

888Poker brand ambassador, Jessica Dawley, and “Poker brat” Phil Hellmuth are adding star power to the event along with many other poker pros. On Monday, Poker Night in America will announce the winners of the First Annual, Golden Ace Awards as part of a media day at the casino. The awards are given to players who excelled in different categories during Season 1 of Poker Night in America. Go to 888Poker.com to see a list of the nominees.

    Here is a breakdown of the weekend leading up to the awards.

 





Phil Hellmuth Autograph Signing

4/24 Friday 6PM

 

 

 

 

 

Poker Night in America Taping Schedule

 

·         4/26 Sun 3 p.m. –  Ladies Night II

·         4/27 Mon 3 p.m. – Cheesesteak Poker (2 p.m. Media Availability/Cheesesteak TBD Stunt).Includes Tony Luke Jr. (Tony Luke's), Frank Olivieri (Pat's Steaks), and Geno Vento (Geno's Steaks)

·         4/28 Tues 12 p.m. – Cash Game taping with Pros

·         All PNIA players are invite only. This is a cash game with a $5,000 initial buy in. They allow a maximum of $15,000 buy in total. The majority of players are professional poker players.

 

               I will have some live tweets and photos from the Ladies Night II event on Sunday.

 

As of Sunday evening, this event has exceeded expectations and is an overwhelming success.

 

Here is the live stream from Poker Night in America.

http://t.co/TGT406CSCi

 

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