Gambling in the USA
Twin River Creates Partnership With Camelot Lottery Solutions To Offer Competing Lottery Proposal And Requests Opportunity To Bid
Twin River Management Group (TRMG), in partnership with Camelot Lottery Solutions (Camelot), an international lottery company, has submitted to the offices of the Governor, Speaker of the House and Senate President a competing proposal to operate the State’s lottery system that, among other things, provides 1,100 jobs backed by a $100 million guarantee, saves the State and its taxpayers approximately $500 million in fees, invests $75 million in development and improvements including a new 50,000 square foot corporate headquarters in the state, and would limit the control of the casino slot floor to the current state law of 50 percent.
The proposal was developed to provide for a public, open bid process, one in where the State solicits proposals from interested vendors in order to secure the best deal, rather than simply renewing the existing billion dollar contract with IGT for a period of 20 years. Twin River and Camelot requested that the State comply with purchasing laws and proceed with a competitive bid process.
According to Marc Crisafulli, Executive Vice President of Twin River Worldwide Holdings, Inc. and President of Twin River Rhode Island, the binding partnership was formed to jointly respond to any RFP in Rhode Island that combines lottery systems (Camelot) and VLTs (Twin River). The highlights of the joint proposal include:
-A commitment to provide 1,100 jobs over the life of the contract, which is guaranteed by $100 million to the State if provisions of the bid are not met;
-A contract term of 12 years versus the 20 years proposed by IGT which will allow the State to assess its market/technology needs and rebid the contract earlier;
– A total cost to the State of less than $500 million which is approximately half of what is proposed by the $1 billion IGT no-bid deal;
-50% share of VLTs at the two Rhode Island casinos to stimulate increased competition among suppliers and preserve and/or enhance current State revenue of approximately $300 million annually. This is in accordance with existing state law – in stark contrast to the 85% sought by IGT in its proposed deal which requires a change to existing law;
-As part of the commitment to invest $150 million, $75 million is committed to economic development including $50 million at Twin River and the development of a 50,000 square foot new corporate headquarters in Rhode Island. Targeted communities include Providence, Pawtucket, Cranston, Warwick and Lincoln.
“We believed all along that Rhode Island would secure a much better deal through a competitive bid process and today’s bid submittal demonstrates exactly that,” said Mr. Crisafulli.
He continued, “As is evident, we have significantly improved upon the no-bid deal under consideration for IGT in many areas, notably in the shorter term, the lower fees to the State, meaningful investments in real estate development and a $100 million guarantee to secure 1,100 new jobs, all while matching every other element of the proposed IGT deal.”
Crisafulli concluded, “We’re grateful the General Assembly will now take up this issue and can best decide for themselves, on behalf of their constituents, which is the better course for the State. Importantly, they can do so knowing that the 1,100 jobs thought to be in jeopardy if the IGT contract was not automatically renewed absolutely will be guaranteed.”
In Rhode Island this week, Wayne Pickup, CEO of Camelot Lottery Solutions said, “We’re excited about the possibility of teaming up with Twin River to compete for the State’s lottery business and strongly believe, if given the opportunity to do so, we will help the State secure a much better deal. We see a lot of opportunity to create more value for the State and its residents, and look forward to replicating the success we have delivered for our customers across the globe.”
Both TRMG and Camelot are experienced operators in the casino and lottery gaming industries respectively. Camelot has decades of lottery experience and has delivered outstanding results on contracts in Illinois, Arkansas, UK, Ireland and Switzerland.
Earlier this year, Camelot successfully delivered the largest retail and technology transformation (from IGT) in US lottery history for the Illinois Lottery, rolling out 50,000 pieces of equipment across more than 7,200 retailers and seamlessly converting the lottery gaming system.
Other recent achievements include:
- Record returns of $731 million for Illinois Public Schools, following Camelot’s first full year of operations in Illinois
- Record sales and returns for the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery in its most recent financial year, with 35% growth in net income since 2014, in partnership with Camelot
- Sales growth of over 20% for the Irish National Lottery since 2014, in partnership with Camelot.
TRMG is one of the lowest levered casino owner/operators in the United States. Its parent company, Twin River Worldwide Holdings, Inc., or TRWH, owns and manages four casinos; two casinos in Rhode Island, one in Mississippi, and one in Delaware, as well as a Colorado horse race track that has 13 authorized OTB licenses. Properties include Twin River Casino Hotel (Lincoln, RI), Tiverton Casino Hotel (Tiverton, RI), Hard Rock Hotel & Casino (Biloxi, MS), Dover Downs Hotel & Casino (Dover, DE) and Arapahoe Park racetrack (Aurora, CO). Its casinos range in size from 1,000 slots and 32 table games facilities to properties with over 4,100 slots, approximately 125 table games, and 48 stadium gaming positions, along with hotel and resort amenities. Its shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol “TRWH.”
Source: Twin River Worldwide Holdings, Inc.
Gambling in the USA
Abbiati Casino Equipment and Hawkins Holdings Form Strategic Alliance to Expand Presence Across the Americas
Abbiati Casino Equipment, a globally recognised leader in premium casino equipment and technologies, announced a strategic partnership with Hawkins Holdings to strengthen its presence across North and South America. As part of this initiative, seasoned gaming executive Roger Hawkins has been appointed Brand Ambassador and Strategic Consultant for the Americas.
With more than 20 years of executive leadership in the global casino and gaming industry, Hawkins will spearhead the companyâs efforts to expand its footprint throughout the Western Hemisphere. His role will include market development, strategic partnerships, regulatory positioning, and the promotion of Abbiatiâs legacy of Italian innovation, craftsmanship, and integrity.
âThis partnership is about more than market entry â itâs about building deeper awareness, driving product adoption, and reinforcing Abbiatiâs commitment to quality across every pit and poker room in the hemisphere,â said Hawkins.
Giorgio Abbiati, CEO of Abbiati Casino Equipment, said: âWe have proudly served clients in the Americas for many years, but the time is right to deepen our focus. Rogerâs knowledge of our products and his insight into the market make him the ideal partner to lead this next phase.â
Gambling in the USA
Catawba Two Kings Casino Resort Rising in Kings Mountain as First Year of Construction is Completed
Significant construction has been completed during the first year of work on the $1 billion Catawba Two Kings Casino Resort in Kings Mountain, N.C., a site off Interstate-85 only 35 miles from Charlotte and close to the South Carolina border.
Construction on all aspects of the project is in full swing, with the foundations for the casino complex and hotel completed several months ago, the casino complex at its full height and expanding horizontally, and steel continuing to rise for the 24-story, 385-room hotel. The hotel tower framing is now 10 stories high, with an additional floor being added nearly every week. At completion, the hotel will be connected to the casino complex.
The casino complex includes the introductory casino on the first level, three levels of covered parking, a back-of-house level and top level with the main casino floor and restaurants. The introductory casino, set to open in spring 2026, will include 1350 slot machines, 20 table games, a 40-seat restaurant, a bar, sports betting kiosks, and Lucky North Rewards desk.
The introductory casino will replace the current temporary (prelaunch) casino, which continues to grow in popularity as it nears its fourth anniversary on July 1.
The main casino complex is targeted to open in 2027. It will be about 2 million square feet and feature:
⢠4300 slot machines
⢠100 table games
⢠11 dining outlets, including a steakhouse, Italian restaurant, marketplace with six venues, cafÊ, and grab-and-go outlet
⢠A players lounge
⢠11 bars, including a center bar and sports bar
⢠A 2700-space parking garage built under the casino complex and 800 surface parking spaces
The project has created hundreds of construction jobs. Upon completion, the casino resort will employ an estimated 2200 regional residents and citizens of the Catawba Nation.
âThis casino resort will be an economic game changer for Catawba citizens and a force to drive the economy of Cleveland County and the City of Kings Mountain. This project is a testament to our resilience, our commitment to self-sufficiency, and our determination to build a better future for ourselves and our future generations,â Catawba Nation Chief Brian Harris said.
Harris noted the temporary casino is contributing to many community and charitable organizations in the region, and that will only increase as the full casino resort opens.
The project is being led by the Catawba Nation Gaming Authority under Vice President Trent Troxel, with Yates-Metcon as the construction general contractor; Delaware North as the gaming management, development and hospitality consultant; and SOSHNY Design architects.
âOnce again, I want to thank the Cleveland County, City of Kings Mountain, federal and state leaders who have supported the Catawba Nationâs efforts develop the casino resort in its ancestral lands in North Carolina,â Harris said.
Work has also been completed on two key infrastructure projects for development of the permanent casino resort that were funded by the Catawba Nation: doubling the size of the Dixon School Road Bridge over I-85 near the casino entrance and installing new sewer lines near the casino.
Gambling in the USA
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa Named Luckiest Casino in US by Casinos.com
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa has been named the luckiest casino in the US according to a recent study conducted by Casinos.com. The resort claimed the top spot based on an in-depth analysis of Tripadvisor reviews, measuring the frequency of luck-related keyword mentions.
With a 25.49% luck rate, Seminole Hard Rock Tampa topped the list thanks to glowing guest feedback, including frequent mentions of jackpots, hand pays and bonus wins. 50 reviews mentioned the word âjackpot,â and 19 even referenced a âhand pay.â
Casinos.com tracked keywords such as lucky, luck, won, winning, success, jackpot, hand pay, winner, bonus, profit to determine which U.S. casinos inspired the most winning moments among visitors.
âI hit 4 jackpots. I stayed one night. I had a blast. The machines are as loose as anywhere else,â wrote one Tripadvisor reviewer, noted Casinos.com, capturing the essence of why the casino landed in the No. 1 spot.
âWeâve always known this was a lucky casino, but itâs exciting to see that recognized through data-driven research. Itâs a testament to the vibrant energy on our casino floor and the unforgettable experiences we strive to create for every guest,â said Steve Bonner, President of Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa.
The ranking reinforces Seminole Hard Rock Tampaâs reputation as one of the premier gaming and entertainment destinations in the US. Seminole Hard Rock Tampa was not involved in the study and was unaware of it until the results were publicly released.
Over the past year, Seminole Hard Rock Tampa has paid out nearly 839,000 jackpots totaling more than $2.45 billion, continuing to deliver thrilling high-stakes gaming. Since May 1, 2024, the casino resort has awarded 375 jackpots of $100,000 or more, amounting to an impressive $61 million in winnings. Notably, 47 of those massive wins stemmed from bets of $5 or less and nine came from wagers of $3 or less.
Seminole Hard Rock Tampa offers a fully integrated casino experience with a sleek, modern design and welcoming atmosphere of 245,000 square feet of gaming space and entertainment. With 5230 of the hottest slot machines and a full range of table games such as poker, blackjack and baccarat, there is no shortage of opportunities to win. Additionally, guests can enjoy live craps, roulette, and sports betting at their leisure.
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