At last, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission is taking up the Steve Wynn vs. Mohegan Sun battle for a Boston-area casino. Hearings began yesterday, with one round going to each challenger. Wynn Resorts surprisingly (given its reputation) lost the swimsuit competition, its design deemed merely sufficient. Concerns were also raised about traffic problems its location might create … although Wynn’s plan to use oyster beds to clean the Mystic River won kudos.
Mohegan Sun’s shaky finances told against it in round two. Concerns were also raised that Mohegan Sun could use its Boston casino as a stalking horse for its Connecticut flagship — where taxes are lower. Wynn’s bigger budget was also a point in his favor. In the end Mohegan Sun got the dreaded “sufficient” rating against Wynn’s “very good/outstanding.” Economic impacts and mitigation agreements were slated for today’s agenda. In the meantime, momentum on casino repeal is shifting the industry’s way, judging by a clutch of new polls. Support for casinos ranges from 52% to 59%, with repeal getting 42% at best.
* Maryland casinos cracked the $80 million-a-month mark in August, pushed over the top by $6 million from Horseshoe Baltimore, which generated 
nearly a million dollars a day. Its location has already vindicated itself, with crowds for nearby athletic events driving casino business. Compared to that, grossed at Ocean Downs ($6 million) and Rocky Gap Casino Resort ($4 million) were peanuts. On a same-store basis, the Free State’s casinos were up 5%. Maryland Live! shrugged off the new competition from Caesars Entertainment, its revenues up 7%, good for $57 million. Hollywood Casino Perryville, however, suffered a 4% decline, grossing $7 million.
* Caesars is also planning an autumnal ad blitz for its Internet games. Reports Ad Week, “online gaming ads die down in the summer because most companies assume people have time to visit brick-and-mortar locations. However, as the weather gets worse and people have less free time to travel, Caesars believes it’s the perfect opportunity to plug 24/7 online gaming.” The campaign will emphasize the playability of the games on tablets and mobile devices.
Meanwhile, halfway around the world, Singapore‘s paternalistic government is mulling a ban on ‘Net betting. A bill to that effect has been introduced in Parliament and it would also levy penalties against those who offer Internet play to Singaporeans. It would even be illegal to simply advertise Internet gambling. A giant loophole, however, would allow Singapore-based charities to dabble in online gambling. As usual with Singapore, it holds gambling at arm’s length with one hand while pocketing the largesse with the other.
