Gambling in the USA
Chairman Simermeyer announces bulletin and advisory group at the New Mexico Tribal Gaming Symposium
The National Indian Gaming Commission Chairman E. Sequoyah Simermeyer addressed Tribal Regulators in New Mexico, announced new NIGC Bulletin on Sports Books, and forecasts plans for a public facing advisory group on Agency bulletins.
The National Indian Gaming Commission Chairman E. Sequoyah Simermeyer met with the New Mexico Association of Indian Gaming Commissions today. This was one of his first public meetings since being commissioned to serve as the National Indian Gaming Commission’s Chairman.
The meeting took place at the Santa Ana Star Casino and Hotel, an Indian gaming operation north of Albuquerque, NM. The Santa Ana Star Casino was one of the first tribally regulated sports books to open following a May 2018 decision from the Supreme Court of the United States. That decision struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992, a federal statute that prohibited legalizing sports betting in most jurisdictions. Since 2018, Indian gaming sports book operations in Mississippi, New Mexico, and New York have joined an Indian gaming sports book in Nevada that was already in operation before the Supreme Court’s 2018 decision. All these operations are regulated under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988.
“Clear Agency guidance empowers tribal communities to regulate and develop Indian gaming in their own communities,” said Chairman Simermeyer. He went on to say, “Today’s Bulletin provides a new resource for tribes contemplating policy considerations related to the sound regulation of sports betting on Indian lands. It also underscores the NIGC’s role in the oversight of sports books on Indian lands as part of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act’s framework.”
The Bulletin responds to requests from tribal officials and the Indian gaming industry in recent years. Those requests sought clarification from the NIGC on the topic of sports books on Indian lands. The Bulletin is available on the NIGC website at www.nigc.gov.
The Bulletin discusses the use of fact-specific advisory opinions from the Agency. Those opinions serve as proactive assessments of agreements during the planning phase of a tribally-regulated sports book operation. Specifically, the Bulletin describes how such agreements might implicate management and violate the sole proprietary interest requirement under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. The Bulletin also highlights Freedom of Information Act provisions for redacting commercial and/or proprietary information from publicly available advisory opinions.
Chairman Simermeyer also shared his plan to emphasize outreach and Agency accountability in the NIGC’s daily operations. The NIGC website is host to numerous bulletins on a variety of topics. Chairman Simermeyer discussed the Commission’s support for a more formal process that would invite tribal representatives to participate in a public facing group to advise the Commission on NIGC bulletins, including potential topics for future bulletins.
Simermeyer told the New Mexico Association of Indian Gaming Commissions, “It is the NIGC Commissioners’ responsibility to maintain this body of guidance in an informed and transparent manner. An advisory group can only aid the Commission in ensuring that its guidance remains relevant and continues to address the needs of a growing and sophisticated industry.” He went on to say, “Vice Chair Isom-Clause and I are working on a process to stand up an advisory group and hope to offer more details in the coming weeks.”
The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act created the National Indian Gaming Commission to support tribal self-sufficiency and the integrity of Indian gaming. NIGC oversees the efficient regulation of 520 gaming establishments operated by 247 tribes across 29 states.
SOURCE National Indian Gaming Commission
The three Detroit casinos reported $123.86 million in monthly aggregate revenue (AGR) for the month of March 2024, of which $122.26 million was generated from table games and slots, and $1.6 million from retail sports betting.
The March market shares were:
- MGM, 46%
- MotorCity, 31%
- Hollywood Casino at Greektown, 23%
Monthly Table Games, Slot Revenue, and Taxes
March 2024 table games and slot revenue increased 3.8% when compared to March 2023 revenue. March’s monthly revenue was 16.7% higher than February 2024. From Jan. 1 through March 31, the Detroit casinos’ table games and slots revenue decreased by 1.6% compared to the same period last year.
The casinos’ monthly gaming revenue results were mixed compared to March 2023:
- MGM, up 4.1% to $56.65 million
- MotorCity, up 7.2% to $38.35 million
- Hollywood Casino at Greektown, down 1.4% to $27.26 million
In March 2024, the three Detroit casinos paid $9.9 million in gaming taxes to the State of Michigan. They paid $9.5 million for the same month last year. The casinos also reported submitting $14.5 million in wagering taxes and development agreement payments to the City of Detroit in March.
Monthly Retail Sports Betting Revenue and Taxes
The three Detroit casinos reported $17.25 million in total retail sports betting handle, and total gross receipts were $1.61 million for the month of March. Retail sports betting qualified adjusted gross receipts (QAGR) in March were up by 13.2% when compared to the same month last year. Compared to February 2024, March QAGR was up by $1.7 million.
March QAGR by casino was:
- MGM: $327,857
- MotorCity: $538,988
- Hollywood Casino at Greektown: $731,389
During March, the casinos paid $60,413 in gaming taxes to the state and reported submitting $73,838 in wagering taxes to the City of Detroit based on their retail sports betting revenue.
Fantasy Contests
For February 2024, fantasy contest operators reported total adjusted revenues of $405,342 and paid taxes of $34,049.
Gambling in the USA
IGT Wheel of Fortune and Powerbucks Slots Award Monumental Million-Dollar-Plus Jackpots in March
International Game Technology PLC (IGT) announced that its Wheel of Fortune and Powerbucks slots awarded four life-changing jackpots totaling more than $5 million in March.
Lucky slots players won the following million-dollar-plus jackpots last month:
- On March 8, a Wheel of Fortune slots player won $1,254,996 playing Wheel of Fortune Triple Gold Gold Spin at Beau Rivage Resort & Casino in Biloxi, Miss.
- On March 12, a Wheel of Fortune slots player won $1,635,694 playing Wheel of Fortune Triple Gold Gold Spin Megatower at The Venetian Resort Las Vegas in Nevada.
- On March 22, a Powerbucks slots player won CA$1,485,994 playing Wheel of Fortune Lucky Coins On Stage at Chances Casino Kelowna in British Columbia, Canada.
- On March 30, a Wheel of Fortune slots player won $1,172,262 playing Wheel of Fortune Gold Spin Triple Red Hot 7s at the California Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nev.
IGT Powerbucks slots have paid 56 jackpots of $1 million or more since their Canadian debut in 2016. Wheel of Fortune slots have minted over 1100 millionaires and awarded over $3.5 billion in jackpots since their launch in 1996.
Gambling in the USA
Play’n GO Announces Expansion of Rush Street Interactive Partnership with Pennsylvania Launch on BetRivers Platform
Swedish gaming giants’ games now live with leading operator Rush Street Interactive Incorporated in Michigan, West Virginia, New Jersey and ‘The Keystone State’
Play’n GO, the world’s leading casino entertainment provider, has today announced further expansion of its partnership with leading United States operator Rush Street Interactive Incorporated (NYSE: RSI) (RSI), which operates the BetRivers platform. The Swedish gaming giant’s content is now available with BetRivers in Pennsylvania.
Play’n GO has already had great success with RSI via the BetRivers brand in Michigan, New Jersey and West Virginia and this expansion sees the partnership extend to a fourth United States state. This announcement follows Play’n GO’s procurement of a Pennsylvania license in March and will see BetRivers players in Pennsylvania gain access to some classic titles from the Play’n GO catalogue including Reactoonz and Boat Bonanza.
Play’n GO is now licensed in six United States states and is aiming to be active in every regulated market in the United States and around the world.
“We’re excited to expand our United States offering into the great state of Pennsylvania and are proud to do so with the innovative and well-respected team at BetRivers, with whom we’ve already enjoyed such great success in recent months,” the North America Commercial Director for Play’n GO, Magnus Natt och Dag, said. “Play’n GO is committed to a safe, sustainable entertainment-led industry and we know that the team at BetRivers shares that same vision.”
“We’re very happy to be expanding our partnership with Play’n Go into Pennsylvania on our BetRivers platform,” the Chief Executive Officer for RSI, Richard Schwartz, said. “Play’n Go has an impressive portfolio of popular titles and we are thrilled to offer our BetRivers PA players its innovative and top-quality games.”
To find out more about working with Play’n GO in the United States and other regulated markets, please visit PlaynGO. com.
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