In honor of its 4th anniversary, Live! Casino Pittsburgh has officially unveiled a $3 million capital investment project designed to enhance its gaming and entertainment offerings. Now officially open to the public are the new Live! Poker Room, a High-Limit Table Games Room, and The Social Club, a private meeting and event space.

Live! Casino team members were joined by government and business leaders for a brief ribbon-cutting ceremony in the new Poker Room, where legendary Pittsburgh Penguins Stanley Cup champion Phil Bourque played the ceremonial first poker hand.

Live! Casino invested $150 million into creating a first-class gaming and entertainment destination that opened to the general public on 24 November 2020. Since then, an additional $7.5 million in property enhancements have been completed.

“It’s incredible to think that we’ve been part of this community for four years and it just keeps getting better. I don’t think there could be a more appropriate way to celebrate than with these three exciting additions to our beautiful property. These investments underscore our commitment to being a good community partner and world-class gaming and entertainment destination,” said Live! Casino General Manager Sean Sullivan.

Advertisement

The new Live! Casino expansions and upgrades include:

Poker Room – Conveniently located on the first floor, adjacent to the main casino gaming area, the new Live! Poker Room provides a fresh, lively, and dynamic space for players to compete against the best. Guests can enjoy six large tables and multiple big-screen TVs within approximately 1400 square feet of space.

High-Limit Table Games Room – Near the main entrance, the new High-Limit Table Games Room provides a sophisticated setting for guests seeking luxury and excitement. It’s an upscale gaming space that has three high-action tables for poker and other favorite games, a stylish bar, and big screen TVs.

Aposta Ganha, the fastest-growing Brazilian sports betting and online gaming site, has officially been awarded its sports betting and online games license through the Betting Management System (Sigap) to operate within Brazil’s regulated market.

Aposta Ganha is one of the first betting platforms to be regulated, with registration number 0022 in the Betting Management System. Having operated in Brazil over the past six years, it is perfectly positioned to thrive in Brazil’s new regulated environment, adhering to the rules of the Secretariat of Prizes and Betting (SPA) under the Ministry of Finance

Responsible Gaming continues to be at the heart of Aposta Ganha’s operations, even before the implementation of the stringent measures outlined in the SPA ordinances.

Aposta Ganha will commence its regulated operations from January 1, 2025, depending only on the SPA analysis to obtain the official license from the Brazilian government.

Advertisement

Hugo Baungartner, Grupo Aposta Ganha CCO, said:  “We’re incredibly proud to announce our successful completion of our federal operating license application laid out by the Ministry of Finance. The strict security criteria ensure greater consumer protection and market integrity. Our hard work has seen us join an exclusive tier of companies authorized to deliver an entertaining and 100% secure gaming experience across the nation.”

The Wyoming Gaming Commission has approved Wyoming’s first mile-long horse racing track for 16 live race dates in 2025, as well as simulcasting and related activities. While the first racing season at Thunder Plains Park will feature temporary structures, the essential components, including barns, racing officials’ tower, video patrol towers, and spectator areas, will be in place.

The track, located 10 miles east of Cheyenne at Thunder Plains Park, will host its inaugural race day on Friday, August 1, 2025, with additional race days to follow on August 2, 3, 8-10, 15-17, 22-24, 29-31 and September 1. Dates are subject to change per the Wyoming Gaming Commission.

With its convenient location along I-80, the track is set to draw racing fans from neighboring states in the mountain west region, as well as local fans from Cheyenne and surrounding areas.

“As a fifth-generation Wyomingite, being able to bring this track to our state carries a lot of meaning,” said Ryan Clement, managing partner at Thunder Plains. “Thunder Plains sees an incredible opportunity to create a positive impact not only on the Wyoming horse racing industry but also the area’s economy, in terms of new job opportunities and tourism revenue.”

Through partnerships with elite industry veterans and horsemen, Thunder Plains looks forward to bringing high-quality, high-caliber racing to Laramie County.

Advertisement

“We’ve established a strong partnership with 1/ST, North America’s preeminent Thoroughbred racing, entertainment and pari-mutuel wagering company,” said Clement. “They’ve set the standard for horse safety across the nation, and we’re looking forward to bringing that strong emphasis on safety and track protocols to Wyoming.”

Of the partnership with Thunder Plains, 1/ST TECHNOLOGY’s Senior Vice President Jeff True said he sees exciting opportunities ahead.

“1/ST has a long history of operating premier racetracks and premier racing events across the country. We are thrilled to be entering the Wyoming horse racing market together with our local Wyoming partners, and we look forward to lending our expertise to help grow Wyoming horse racing.”

For all simulcasting operations, 1/ST will leverage the expertise of its affiliates at Monarch Content Management, AmTote International, and PariMAX.

“Our racetrack will be operated with numerous horse safety and welfare protocols in place,” Clement said. “The track itself, being a mile long and eighty feet wide, dramatically improves horse and rider safety. Throughout track design and construction, we collaborated with Dennis Moore, a renowned track surface specialist, to ensure the safest, most high-quality racing surface.”

Advertisement

Moore’s professional history includes designing and building world-class racetracks across the county, as well as consulting on track safety projects at racetracks across the country and around the world. Moore’s projects have included the racing surfaces at Santa Anita Park, Del Mar, Lone Star Park, Remington Park and in Dubai, among others.

Future plans at Thunder Plains Park include building a regional equestrian center and establishing a high-altitude horse training and breeding program.