Latest News
CDI to Acquire Peninsula Pacific Entertainment Assets for $2.49 Billion

Churchill Downs Incorporated (CDI) has announced that it has entered into a definitive purchase agreement to acquire substantially all of the assets of Peninsula Pacific Entertainment LLC (P2E) for total consideration of $2.485 billion.
CDI will acquire all of P2E’s assets in Virginia and New York as well as the operations of its Sioux City casino property. The P2E Transaction is dependent on usual and customary closing conditions, including the Company obtaining approvals from the Virginia Racing Commission, the New York State Gaming Commission, and the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission. The transaction is expected to close by the end of 2022.
“This unique set of assets expands our geographic footprint and provides additional scale. P2E has done an exceptional job developing and managing this collection of assets, which we are very excited to acquire and plan to strategically grow in the years ahead,” Bill Carstanjen, Chief Executive Officer of CDI, said.
Colonial Downs Racetrack and Virginia Historical Racing Entertainment Venues
CDI will acquire Colonial Downs Racetrack, a Thoroughbred racing facility in New Kent, Virginia (Colonial Downs), as well as six successful and growing “Rosie’s Gaming Emporium” historical horse racing facilities across Virginia. Rosie’s Gaming Emporium locations currently include Collinsville, Dumfries, Hampton, New Kent, Richmond, and Vinton. These facilities currently have approximately 2700 historical racing machines (HRMs). The transaction significantly expands the geographic diversity of CDI’s live and historical racing entertainment venues and reinforces CDI’s role as a national leader in historical horse racing.
del Lago Resort & Casino in Waterloo, New York
CDI will acquire del Lago Resort & Casino (del Lago) in Waterloo, New York. del Lago is a 96,000 sq. ft. casino with approximately 1700 slot machines, 80 table games, a 205-room hotel, nine restaurants/bar areas, 758 covered parking spaces, a 6000 sq. ft. sportsbook area, a 2400-seat entertainment venue, and a 7200 sq. ft. outdoor event venue.
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Sioux City, Iowa
CDI will acquire the operations of Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Sioux City, Iowa (Hard Rock Sioux City). Hard Rock Sioux City is a 45,000 sq. ft. casino with 639 slot machines, 20 table games, a 54-room hotel, 1511 parking spaces with 530 covered, two live entertainment venues, a 100-piece music memorabilia collection, and a Hard Rock-branded sportsbook.
Under the terms of the P2E Transaction, P2E is expected to reach a definitive agreement to sell the real property associated with Hard Rock Sioux City (Sioux City Property) to a third party. CDI will acquire the operating company and lease the Sioux City Property from that third party. Following the closing, CDI will operate Hard Rock Sioux City and lease the Sioux City Property pursuant to lease terms negotiated prior to the closing. In the event P2E is unsuccessful in reaching a definitive agreement with a third party to purchase the Sioux City Property by a certain date, the Sioux City Property will be included in the P2E Transaction and the total consideration will increase to $2.75 billion.
Other Development Rights
Under Virginia law, CDI will have the opportunity to develop up to five additional historical racing entertainment venues in Virginia with collectively up to approximately 2300 additional HRMs. As part of the P2E Transaction, CDI will also acquire the rights to build a large gaming resort (the Dumfries Project), with up to 1800 HRMs in Northern Virginia. P2E previously announced plans to invest up to $400 million to build the initial phase of the Dumfries Project, which is scheduled to open in 2023.
CDI will also acquire the rights to develop Rosie’s Gaming Emporium in Emporia, the seventh historical racing entertainment venue under P2E’s Colonial Downs license. The Emporia facility, located along I-95 near the North Carolina border, will have 150 HRMs and is expected to open in 2023.
Also, included in the P2E Transaction are the rights to P2E’s ongoing effort in partnership with Urban One, to develop ONE Casino + Resort, a $565 million destination casino in Richmond, Virginia.
P2E’s gaming license in the State of Louisiana, and its casino development rights in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, are not included in the transaction.
Industry News
Gaming and Leisure Properties Inc. Names Carlo Santarelli Senior Vice President, Corporate Strategy and Investor Relations

Gaming and Leisure Properties Inc. announced that Carlo Santarelli has been appointed Senior Vice President, Corporate Strategy and Investor Relations, a new position at the Company. Mr. Santarelli will begin his new position on August 18, 2025 and will report to GLPI President and Chief Operating Officer, Brandon Moore.
Mr. Santarelli brings over 25 years of Wall Street experience in Equity Research and Investment Banking to his new role and joins the Company from Deutsche Bank where he was Managing Director of Gaming & Lodging Equity Research. Prior to Deutsche Bank, Mr. Santarelli held similar positions at Bear Stearns, JP Morgan and Wells Fargo. He consistently ranked highly in Institutional Investor and other sell-side analyst research polls as a thought leader in the space, providing unique perspectives on industry events and trends with his data-driven approach and stock picking talent. Carlo Santarelli graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a B.A. in Economics in 2000.
Peter Carlino, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of GLPI, said: “We’ve known and respected Carlo’s research work on the gaming, lodging and gaming REIT sectors for many years. Carlo brings to GLPI an in-depth knowledge of the industry and its participants, having experienced GLPI’s original formation of the gaming triple-net-REIT structure from a research analyst and capital markets perspective. We value his deep network of contacts among institutional investors, sell-side analysts and a wide range of gaming industry operators and we look forward to the value of his contributions.”
In his new role, Mr. Santarelli will work with Mr. Carlino and GLPI’s senior management to develop and evaluate growth opportunities and strategic relationships, and will oversee investor relations interactions.
Industry News
VIP Play Announces Departure of Chief Financial Officer

VIP Play, a technology-driven leader in interactive consumer engagement, announced that Jim Mackey, the Company’s Chief Financial Officer, will step down from his role, effective August 8, 2025.
The Company has initiated a transition process and is in the process of identifying a successor. Mackey will assist in an orderly transition over the coming weeks.
“We thank Jim for his contributions to the Company, particularly during a transformative period for our business. We remain focused on executing our strategic priorities, including financial visibility, operating efficiency, and delivering value to our stakeholders,” said Les Ottolenghi, CEO of VIP Play.
Latest News
BETBY LAUNCHES COMPREHENSIVE REPORT ON PERU’S REGULATED GAMBLING MARKET

BETBY, the premium supplier of cutting-edge sportsbook solutions, has published a detailed report titled “The Peruvian Breakthrough: A Market Ready for Takeoff”, offering a thorough analysis of the country’s newly regulated iGaming industry.
Following the implementation of Peru’s online gambling framework in 2024, this report explores the legislative transformation, market growth trends, and consumer behavior shaping one of Latin America’s most promising emerging markets.
The report covers several key aspects, including:
✅ Evolution of Peru’s gambling legislation and its impact on market structure and operator licensing;
✅ Market performance analysis, including land-based vs. online growth and mobile channel adoption;
✅ Economic indicators, such as GDP contribution, per capita GGR, and projected market size through 2030;
✅ Player profiles and betting behavior, with insights into frequency, motivations, and engagement across age and gender groups;
✅ Digital readiness, including mobile usage, internet speeds, and device preferences;
✅ Competitive landscape, with a breakdown of leading operators and changes in market share.
🔗 DOWNLOAD the report to discover strategic insights and unlock growth opportunities in Peru’s regulated gambling ecosystem.
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