Gambling in the USA
Hard Rock® Completes Acquisition of The Mirage Hotel & Casino®

Hard Rock International (HRI) on Friday received regulatory approval from the Nevada Gaming Commission for its acquisition of The Mirage Hotel & Casino from MGM Resorts International. HRI assumed operations control of the property as of 6 a.m. Monday, December 19. Under terms of the transaction, HRI paid $1.075 billion in cash for the operating assets of The Mirage Hotel & Casino. HRI entered into a long-term lease agreement with VICI Properties Inc. for the real estate property of The Mirage.
The 3,044-room casino resort will continue to operate as The Mirage Hotel & Casino until the renovation and rebranding of the property to the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas is complete. The process is anticipated to take an extended period, but ultimately will dramatically reimagine every aspect of the resort and change the Las Vegas skyline with the addition of a Guitar-shaped hotel tower adjacent to Las Vegas Blvd.
“Today, we’d like to officially welcome the 3,500 team members at The Mirage to the 45,000 global Hard Rock family and express our gratitude to the Nevada Gaming Control Board and the Nevada Gaming Commission for approving the gaming license for us to operate The Mirage Hotel & Casino,” said Jim Allen, Chairman, Hard Rock International. “We are excited to create an integrated resort on The Strip that will make this legendary entertainment community proud.”
Daily operations of the famed Las Vegas resort are set to continue under The Mirage brand for the foreseeable future, and all room reservations and group bookings will be honored with no action required by guests or group organizers. The Mirage will continue to offer world-class entertainment and dining options including, Cirque Du Soleil’s The Beatles™ LOVE™ through 2023. There are no plans to close The Mirage or to lay off any of the team members as one media outlet incorrectly reported recently.
Casino players and guests will now enjoy Unity™ by Hard Rock, a global loyalty program unlike any other that will enable patrons to earn and redeem rewards at participating Hard Rock Hotels, Cafes, and Casinos around the globe.
Prior to 2020, Hard Rock International had no previous operational involvement with the former Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas at the off-strip location. HRI purchased the licensing and naming rights
for Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas in May 2020 and vowed to bring the iconic brand to the Las Vegas Strip when the right opportunity presented itself.
Hard Rock expects to release details of the rebranded and reimagined resort, its new features and attractions, and development timeline at the end of 2023. Barclays served as exclusive financial advisor to Hard Rock International in connection with the transaction, and Jones Day served as legal advisor to Hard Rock International together with Fox Rothschild LLP and McDonald Carano LLP as special gaming counsel.
Gambling in the USA
Hacksaw Gaming Debuts DraftKings Partnership in New Jersey

The launch celebrates another North American venture with DraftKings this quarter.
Hacksaw Gaming established its business relationship with DraftKings this time last year. The pair have embarked on a North American takeover since, having successfully set the collaboration in motion in West Virginia after receiving full regulatory approval in June. The studio has already set eager sights on Pennsylvania as another future target.
Gripping the charts as renowned industry lead in the US, DraftKings has rolled out Hacksaw’s classic slots, Chaos Crew and OmNom, alongside fan-favourite Dare2Win games Mines and Boxes. The games have received a warm welcome in the online casino lobby following a fruitful agreement to brand Hacksaw’s first 10 games with exclusivity in the market for the next 2 weeks.
“Having secured such a significant presence in the US in 2023 is something we are incredibly proud of,” said Marcus Cordes, CEO of Hacksaw Gaming, “our hard work takes form in our ever-increasing footprint”.
Compliance Updates
Jackpot Digital Receives License to Install Three Jackpot Blitz(R) ETGs at Jackson Rancheria Casino Resort in California

Jackpot Digital has announced that it has received licensing approval from the Jackson Rancheria Tribal Gaming Agency, the regulator for Jackson Rancheria Casino Resort located in Jackson, California. The vendor’s license was the final step required for the Company to install Jackpot Blitz ETGs at Jackson Rancheria. The Company is now scheduling installation for three of its next-generation, dealerless Jackpot Blitz ETGs at the property.
Each new table installed will represent additional monthly recurring revenue to the Company.
In addition to Jackpot’s cruise ship customers, which include Carnival Cruises, Virgin Voyages, Princess Cruises, Holland America, AIDA, and Costa Cruises, Jackpot has announced land-based installations or orders in 12 states and territories in the US and growing, including California, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, South Dakota, US Virgin Islands, Washington, as well as several international jurisdictions.
Gambling in the USA
NYC Agency Aims to Streamline Casino Application Process, But Critics Warn of Potential Community Exclusion

On Monday, the Department of City Planning introduced a new measure aimed at simplifying the application process for casinos in New York City. However, this move has sparked criticism for potentially sidelining community boards.
This initiative, discreetly submitted last Friday, emerges amidst intense competition among prominent developers for one of the three sought-after casino licenses in the downstate area.
Dan Garodnick, the City Planning Commissioner, described the measure, formally known as a zoning text amendment, as an effort to streamline the alignment of city and state procedures during a meeting on Monday.
Garodnick explained, “Our proposal is designed to level the playing field for these entities as they strive to demonstrate the economic benefits they plan to bring to New York City. Our goal is to establish a process that facilitates an orderly dialogue.”
While the state is responsible for granting casino licenses, Garodnick and City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams expressed concerns in October about the city’s current land review processes. They argued that these processes are insufficient for new casinos, placing New York in a less competitive position.
The proposed amendment aims to simplify the review process, allowing state-sanctioned casinos to proceed without zoning conflicts or redundant steps in the state’s extensive licensing procedure, according to Garodnick.
With two of the downstate licenses likely going to existing racinos in Yonkers and South Ozone Park, Queens, the battle for the remaining license in New York City is intense. City Planning has confirmed eight potential locations, including five in Midtown Manhattan, one at Ferry Point in the Bronx, one in Queens proposed by Mets owner Steve Cohen, and another in Brooklyn near Coney Island, in addition to the Queens racino.
Source: NYDailynews.com
-
Gambling in the USA5 days ago
Santa Came Early for NJ Woman Who Hit the IGT Megajackpot at Betrivers for Over $660,000 on $0.60 Cent Bet
-
Gambling in the USA4 days ago
NYC Agency Aims to Streamline Casino Application Process, But Critics Warn of Potential Community Exclusion
-
Canada5 days ago
Expanse Studios Forges Super Prospective Media Partnership with SlotsOnlineCanada.com
-
eSports4 days ago
Exclusive Q&A w/ Gary Denham, founder and CEO of Wamba Technologies and Gamer’s Oasis
-
Compliance Updates2 days ago
Jackpot Digital Receives License to Install Three Jackpot Blitz(R) ETGs at Jackson Rancheria Casino Resort in California
-
Latest News3 days ago
EveryMatrix partners with Caesars Digital
-
Canada5 days ago
MDC Showcases Exciting $5 Crash Gambling Offer for Canadian Players
-
eSports3 days ago
Gillette named as the Official Partner of the Esports Awards