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Gambling in the USA

Gaming Americas Weekly roundup

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Welcome to our weekly roundup of American gambling news!

All news are in one way or other influenced by COVID-19 lockdown. Many of the news have positive hues. Several gambling companies are in preparation for their reopening. Some have announced the dates for their “phased” reopening.

The re-opening would mean some unprecedented safety measures in casinos. Some of the gambling equipment manufacturers have come up with innovative Corona-specific products as well.

Then there are the financial results. As you would expect, most the the first quarter financial results were hit by the lock down and social distancing measures.

The following is a brief summary of top news happened in the North American gambling industry. Read on and get updated.

Casino Reopening

As the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) and North Carolina begin to lay out a framework for easing restrictions relating to COVID-19, the casinos are looking forward to a return to operation. Harrah’s Cherokee Casinos is going to reopen its Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort and Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River in North Carolina on May 18.

In Arkansas, Gov. Asa Hutchinson has permitted the casinos to reopen from May 18 with limited capacity. The casinos are in preparation for resuming the operations.

Safety Measures

Gaming companies are implementing health and safety measures in their properties in this pandemic situation. MGM Resorts released health and safety guidelines for its reopening.

The guidelines titled “Seven-Point Safety Plan” offers a multi-layered set of protocols and procedures designed in conjunction with medical and scientific experts to deter the spread of the virus, protect customers and employees and rapidly respond to potential new cases. The guidelines touch on virtually every aspect of casino operation and ensure healthy social distancing.

Many casinos have even redesigned their structures to offer greater distancing and provide more separation between players. Palace Casino Resort in Mississippi is an example for this.

The resort has redesigned its casino floor layout for social distancing. The spa and fitness centre will remain closed to avoid direct contact. Valet parking, room service and other hotel services will not be available when the property reopens.

Smith Rosen Gaming Partitions has launched a set of scratch-resistant slot machine partitions, which can clean themselves. The new innovation based on UVC-powered technology will help casinos to tame the spread of the corona virus as well as to satisfy the recent regulations and recommendations for social distancing. The specifically engineered slot machine partitions are proven to stop the proliferation of virus and bacteria in a casino environment.

Financial Reports

Some companies have announced their financial results this week. Eldorado Resorts announced their first quarter 2020 results. Eldorado reported a 25% decline in revenue during Q1 due to the Coronavirus crisis. Net revenue for Q1 was US$473.1 million. Eldorado also announced an operating loss of US$123.2million. The operating income in Q1 2019 was US$123.6million.

Twin River Worldwide Holdings also announced its financial results for the first quarter of 2020. The results are expectedly modest, as the casinos remained closed from mid-March.

Compliance

In Oklahoma, the Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association (OIGA) amended its bylaws and suspended the membership of the Otoe-Missouria Tribe and the Comanche Nation. The board and membership of OIGA voted to amend its bylaws and remove two tribal members from the organisation.

The amendment to the bylaws states: A member tribe found by a vote of the Board of conduct not in the best interest of the Association may be suspended for the remainder of the calendar year. Once the suspension has expired, the tribe may seek reinstatement of membership, which shall be voted on by the board.

But, the chairmen of Otoe-Missouria Tribe and Comanche Nation have defended these gambling compacts and urged the U.S. Department of the Interior to approve them. Both the chairmen outlined their positions in a ten-page legal memo sent to Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt.

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NYC Mayoral Front-runner Zohran Mamdani Says He Won’t Oppose Casino Development

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As a state lawmaker, Zohran Mamdani generally opposed plans to open full-scale casinos in New York City. In June, when he walked past a billboard showing betting markets for the city mayor’s race, he even quipped that “gambling is haram,” an Arabic word meaning forbidden.

But on Wednesday, Mr. Mamdani said that he did not intend to use his newfound political clout as the Democratic mayoral nominee and the race’s front-runner to try to stop the arrival of casinos that are widely considered a fait accompli.

Speaking alongside the leader of a union pushing the gambling expansion, Mr. Mamdani told reporters that while he still had doubts about the casinos backed by corporate giants, he respected the views of state voters who had approved the downstate gambling expansion more than a decade ago.

The post NYC Mayoral Front-runner Zohran Mamdani Says He Won’t Oppose Casino Development appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.

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Better Business Bureau Reports Increase in Online Gambling Complaints

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According to research from Better Business Bureau (BBB), the illegal online gambling market is nearly four times bigger than the legal online gambling industry; $402 billion to $103 billion (estimates from Researchandmarkets.com and the American Gaming Association, respectively).

The BBB says it has received almost 200 scam reports and more than 10,000 business complaints related to online gambling and gaming since 2022. Some scam reports involved theft, while complaints showed a pattern of unclear terms and consumer misunderstandings. In some cases, consumers lost tens of thousands of dollars.

Here are some common questions with answers from the BBB regarding online gambling:

What red flags should I look out for if using gambling or gaming services?

Big promises around payouts and tempting ads without details are common. Many people aren’t aware the people they are dealing with are in countries overseas. People should also be leery of sweepstakes-style games, payment through cryptocurrency and typos in names.

How can I avoid issues with gambling or gaming companies?

Read your state and provincial laws. There are many different laws for online gambling, depending on where you live.

Check for proper licensure. Even if your state allows gambling, it may have a limited list of allowed websites. Check with your state’s gaming agency to see who is licensed.

Read the fine print. The reality of how winning and withdrawal works may be different than your first impression on a website. Check out the details of a specific service and fully understand how they work before sending them any money.

Even legitimate websites may freeze winnings. There are many reasons why a casino or sportsbook might freeze winnings, even if the money is rightfully yours. Know what actions to take if your account is frozen.

Visit BBB.org to check out a business or register a complaint and BBB.org/ScamTracker to report a scam.

The post Better Business Bureau Reports Increase in Online Gambling Complaints appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.

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Gambling in the USA

Scientific Games Wins Three 2025 International Business Awards for Supply Chain Sustainability and Technology Innovation

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Global Lottery Technology Supplier Wins Sustainable Supply Chain Gold Award for National Logistics Centre in UK Serving The National Lottery

Scientific Games has been honored with three prestigious accolades in the 2025 International Business Awards, recognizing the company’s leadership in supply chain sustainability and cutting-edge lottery technology solutions.

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The global lottery company earned the Gold Award for Sustainable Supply Chain for its National Logistics Centre in Warrington, UK serving The National Lottery’s vast network of 40,000+ retailers as a partner to Allwyn UK. Opened in February 2024 to support Allwyn on its journey of building a net zero National Lottery, the 92,000-square-foot facility integrates advanced, technology-driven sustainability practices, including AI-powered demand forecasting and inventory management technology, dynamic routing to minimize emissions, fully electric internal transport and zero-waste operations.

Scientific Games also received two Bronze Award recognitions in the 2025 International Business Awards:

  • Achievement in Product Innovation for SCiQ, Scientific Games’ cutting-edge ecosystem that is transforming the way instant games are sold and managed. SCiQ delivers advanced inventory control, strengthened security and real-time sales data, providing retailers, lotteries and players with a smarter, more secure instant game experience.
  • Emerging Technology Solution for PlayCentral Powered by SCiQ, which integrates the company’s groundbreaking SCiQ retail ecosystem into PlayCentral HD self-service vending machines, delivering unmatched inventory control, enhanced game security and operational efficiency.

“These honors reflect the dedication of our global teams to delivering both environmental leadership and unmatched retail innovation for our lottery partners,” said Pat McHugh, CEO of Scientific Games. “From transforming the sustainability of our supply chain in partnership with Allwyn in the UK to advancing the future of instant game retailing worldwide, we’re committed to creating positive impact for our customers, players and the communities they serve.”

More than 3,600 nominations from organizations in over 60 nations were evaluated by more than 300 professionals worldwide in this year’s IBAs.

Earlier this year, Scientific Games received two Gold Annual American Business Awards for SCiQ and PlayCentral Powered by SCiQ, in the Operations Management Solutions and Emerging Technology categories, respectively.

With operations on five continents, Scientific Games provides retail and digital games, technology, analytics and services to 150 lotteries in 50 countries worldwide.

PlayCentral HD® and SCiQ® are registered trademarks of Scientific Games. ©2025 Scientific Games, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

 

The post Scientific Games Wins Three 2025 International Business Awards for Supply Chain Sustainability and Technology Innovation appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.

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