New York State’s Gaming Commission has picked the last two 
members of the casino-siting committee and it’s pretty bad news for the Catskills region. Both of the finalists are cronies of Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D), as are the three already-seated members. Remember, it was Cuomo who juiced Orange County into the casino-eligible category. When everyone on the siting panel has ties to Cuomo, what’s the likelihood that Orange County is going to get left out when the goodies start being awarded? Not one casino license has been awarded but the process already stinks.
* The marriage of Resorts Atlantic City and PokerStars could be consummated by autumn. All depends on when the sale of PokerStars to Amaya Gaming closes. An online-gaming supplier to Caesars Entertainment and Golden Nugget Atlantic City, Amaya is already licensed in New Jersey. The Division of Gaming Enforcement is doing what it can to help, resuming its suspended vetting process of PokerStars. “[D]ivision engineers and technicians have commented that it appears to be a technically strong platform,” says the DGE of PokerStars’ software.
* After the double-digit bloodlettings in Illinois and Indiana, a series of mild declines last month in Missouri looks practically robust. After a revenue-positive May, Lumiere Place was flat last month. However, when one looks back across month upon month of declines it becomes evident that Tropicana Entertainment has found ways to market the property that eluded previous owner Pinnacle Entertainment. Also, Penn National Gaming‘s Hollywood St. Louis was microscopically up, the month’s only gain. Pinnacle’s River City and Ameristar St. Charles (above) were off by a symmetrical 3.5%, although the latter remained comfortably the top-grossing casino in the state.
If Gaming & Leisure Properties carries through with its buyout of Isle of Capri Casinos, it’s going to create some serious oversaturation issues 
for itself and Penn in Kansas City. Leaving aside Penn’s nearby presence at the Kansas Speedway, it was a bad month for Argosy Riverside (-10%) and not a great one either for Isle of Capri Kansas City, down 7%. Despite a 4.5% falloff, Ameristar Kansas City was again the dominant casino in the market, while Harrah’s North Kansas City posted respectable numbers and a 4% dip. GLPI’s lust for Isle of Capri is a bit difficult to explain: a bunch of small casinos that, in Missouri, gross less combined than Ameristar St. Charles does all by its lonesome. But GLPI has its reasons, I am sure for wanting to be the landlord for a lot of little convenience casinos.
You are assuming that Cuomo wants casinos in Orange County. Cuomo is a prosecutor, and a good one. he extracts all he can out of his opponents? You think there would be any “favorites” to win a license. No sir, that is not Cuomo. You make Orange County eligible and you force the Sullivan groups to step up with their best proposal, (or drop out).
From what I see, Cuomo’s strategy looks like its working.