First big hurdle in Indiana cleared

Both the Indiana state Senate and Gov. Mike Pence (R) could still nix the deal, but the Indiana House of Representatives voted 76-19 to put riverboat casinos ashore and OK live dealers at the state’s Indiana Grand and Hoosier Park racinos. Pence is hung up on the CasinoAztarlive-dealer provision, which he incomprehensibly deems an “expansion” of gambling in the state. Maybe it will have to be sacrificed to get the other casinos off the rivers, something that should have been done years ago. (God forbid it should take a calamitous tornado to open Pence’s eyes.)

Referring to the landslide vote for the bill, state Rep. Tom Dermody (R) held out hope of changing Pence’s mind, saying, “That’s a strong indication of support for the bill. I think that sends a message, at least from the House side.” Besides, if the governor really wants something other than more gambling, he ought to like the tax credits sewn into the bill for building entertainment centers, hotels and restaurants, diversifying their attraction. As for live dealers, Senate President Pro Tem David Lon seemed to lay the ground for compromise, saying, “If you want to talk about where’s the one that gives people pause, that seem be that threshold. We’ll have to figure that out.” Elimination of the admissions tax, which would hit casino-hosting municipalities hard, was assigned to a study committee, thereby punting it into the next legislature.

* Less than two years after opening it and coming off a strong first quarter of fiscal year 2015, Isle of Capri Casinos is putting Lady Luck Casino at  Nemacolin Woodlands Resort onto the market. It’s retained a firm to shop the smallish Pennsylvania casino (20 Isle Nemacolintables, 589 slots). Considering that Isle held a 30-year lease on the casino, its exit can only be called precipitous. Buyers don’t just get Lady Luck lock, stock and barrel, they get its customer list as well — a generous offer.

Slow initial business is blamed for this turn of events. Lady Luck also has to operate under Pennsylvania‘s “resort casino” law. If you’re not staying at Nemacolin or otherwise patronizing it, you can’t gamble there (unless you buy a $10 gift card). Riding seven months of increasing business and coming off a $40 million year, along with a 39% growth in slot revenue, Isle may have decided to get out while the getting was good. There are certainly enough rebuffed casino applicants in the State of Pennsylvania that it shouldn’t be hard to turn up a buyer.

* Craps, roulette and casino have been approved for South Dakota casinos and Gov. Dennis Daugaard is set to sign the expansion into law.  “We’ve got three games that I think are going to make Deadwood even more famous than it was before,” Mayor Chuck Turbiville told reporters. The games will be in place by July, if the South Dakota Commission on Gaming has its way.

* Congratulations to Hard Rock International‘s new Executive Vice President of Hotel & Casino Operations Jon Lucas, late of high-performing Hard Rock Rocksino, in Ohio. Jon-LucasLucas has worked for several of the ‘majors’ now, with several stints for Caesars Entertainment on his resume, as well as holding the presidency of IP Biloxi for Boyd Gaming. By contrast, Resorts World Sentosa has sacked Executive Vice President Goh Chye Boon and appointed David Sisk as COO. Boon’s departure coincided with a 30% tailspin in fourth-quarter revenue. Sisk comes to Resorts World from the Macao branch of Las Vegas Sands. This shows both that Genting Group needs a former Sheldon Adelson insider to take on Marina Bay Sands and that Las Vegas Sands has a real problem when it comes to retaining executive talent.

* Across the Pacific, Sands lobbyist Andy Abboud made an ass of himself before the Pennsylvania Legislature. Testifying against an online-gambling bill last summer, Abboud said the absence of any evidence of Internet play by minors was confirmation that it’s taking place. Abboud’s motto must be “Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.”

* Another attempt to stymie Lago casino-hotel has been drop-kicked by a New York court. In this instance, Casino Free Tyre tried to get the Appellate Division to enjoin Lago ResortWilmorite Inc. from commencing work on its casino site, near Tyre. Casino developer Thomas Wilmot took a victory lap, saying, “The issues raised by the petitioners have been fully vetted by the courts on two separate occasions and found to be without merit. The courts have consistently found that Tyre and Lago have acted properly.” There could be a booby-trap awaiting Wilmorite three to six months out, if the courts agree with Casino Free Tyre that the environmental-review procedure lacked proper due diligence. But that suit has already been dismissed, so Wilmot can probably proceed with confidence.

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