ARIZONA
Officials and dignitaries of the
Ak-Chin Indian Community celebrated the ground breaking for a
162,000-sq-ft family entertainment complex adjacent to Harrah’s
Ak-Chin Casino Resort located in the Santa Cruz Valley, 58 miles
south of Phoenix. The complex will include a 12-screen theater,
24-lane bowling alley, laser tag, restaurants and an outdoor
amphitheater. Construction of Arizona’s largest entertainment
center is expected to take one year.
FLORIDA
Look for a January reopening of
Casino Miami Jai-Alai as a jai-alai fronton and slots casino.
Miami Jai-Alai, a South Florida fixture for more than 80 years,
suffered from the erosion of jai-alai’s popularity in recent
years that led to financial struggles for the property. The
renovation project includes improvements to both the dining and
entertainment venues and the addition of 1,050 slot machines.
INDIANA
The Indiana Gaming Commission
approved the transfer of licenses for the Majestic Star Casinos
in Gary to Wayzata Investment Partners, which is the largest
creditor from Majestic Star’s 2009 bankruptcy. The Times of
Munster reported that dozens of other Majestic Star debt holders
were awarded smaller equity stakes in the reorganization. Gary
officials have in recent years unsuccessfully sought approval
from the state legislature for a land-based casino to replace
one or both of Majestic Star’s boats.
IOWA
The Iowa Racing and Gaming
Commission approved emergency rules that will allow racetracks
in the state to establish advance deposit wagering (ADW). The
systems could be up and running this month if the tracks are
able to reach agreements with an ADW vendor and Iowa horsemen.
Iowa gamblers will then be able to bet on races either online or
by making a telephone call after money is placed into an
account.
LOUISIANA
Bossier Parish residents voted
overwhelmingly to expand riverboat gaming to include a new
18-story Margaritaville-themed resort casino. The $195-million
project will feature a single-level gaming floor with 1,275 slot
machines, 38 table games and the Margaritaville trademark, It’s
5 o’Clock Somewhere bar. In addition, the 400-room resort hotel
will include a two-story entertainment complex, spa and fitness
center, pool area with swim-up bar and a 400-seat Margaritaville
restaurant. Construction is expected to start this month, with a
grand opening tentatively scheduled for May 2013.
MASSACHUSETTS
Gov. Deval Patrick signed a bill
that allows for up to three resort-style casinos and one slots
parlor in the state. Key to the passage of the measure in the
Legislature was a last-minute compromise, crafted at the
insistence of Patrick, that reduced a controversial subsidy to
the horse racing industry by an estimated $7.5 million. The
historic bill, which represents the largest expansion of
gambling in Massachusetts since the creation of the state
lottery in 1971, shifts control over the casinos to an
as-yet-unnamed five-member gambling commission.
MICHIGAN
The Pokagon Band of Potawatomi
Indians announced the addition of the Hard Rock Cafe Four Winds
to its current expansion project. The 12,000-sq-ft, two-level
cafe will be located adjacent to the casino gaming floor.
Construction continues on a nine-story hotel tower that will
offer 250 rooks and suites. A new, 1,600-sq-ft multi-use event
center will be located next to the casino floor and can be
configured in a variety of ways to accommodate concerts,
conferences and special events. The project is slated for
completion this summer.
The Island Resort & Casino in Harris, Michigan was nominated as
one of five finalists for the 46th Academy of Country Music
(ACM) Awards in the Industry Award category of Casino of the
Year (2011). The ACM Awards are dedicated to honoring and
showcasing the biggest names and emerging talent in country
music.
MISSISSIPPI
The Mississippi Gaming Commission
approved Gulfport, Mississippi-based Foundation Gaming Group LLC
as the new operator of Resorts Casino Tunica and Bally’s Casino
Tunica. The two properties entered into foreclosure as part of
an agreement struck by Colony Capital, which bought the
properties in 2004 as part of a $1.24 billion deal that included
Harrah’s East Chicago and the Atlantic City Hilton. Foundation
Gaming is a full-service gaming management, development and
consulting company. It doesn’t plan to eliminate any of the 978
employees of the two properties.
NEW JERSEY
ACH, formerly known as the
Atlantic City Hilton Casino Resort, announced it will pursue a
different marketing strategy that focuses heavily on local
customers following a new deal between its owners and lenders to
keep the financially troubled casino open for at least the next
year. The New Jersey Casino Control Commission approved the deal
between ACH owner Colony Capital LLC and its lenders that saves
the casino from foreclosure and will pump in $24.3 million in
new cash. The rebranded Boardwalk property will immediately
reduce the number of table games and slot machines and cut an
undetermined number of jobs.
Hard Rock International CEO Jim Allen told the New Jersey Casino
Control Commission that the company plans to start construction
on the first phase of Atlantic City’s first smaller “boutique”
casino by June. In addition to a 44,000-sq-ft casino, the resort
will include a 30,000-sq-ft arena, a cafe, indoor pool,
restaurants and retail outlets. Hard Rock will build a 200-room
casino hotel in the first phase, followed by a 650-room tower in
phase two. The first phase of building will take 21 to 23 months
to complete, Allen said.
NEVADA
Tamares Real Estate Holdings
announced that the Western Hotel in downtown Las Vegas will
close Jan. 16. A Tamares spokesman said the company will “review
redevelopment plans” during the closure. Earlier this year,
Tamares oversaw $35 million in renovations at the Western’s
sister property, the Plaza. The Western Hotel, located on
Fremont Street between Eighth and Ninth streets, was built by
Jackie Gaughan and Mel Exber in 1970.
MGM Grand announced it is closing Studio 54 on Jan. 18 to make
room for a new venue. At a farewell party on Jan. 7, guests will
toast the club that opened in 1997 and helped spark the Las
Vegas nightlife craze. According to a company press release, the
change is part of the property’s renovation plans, which include
improving guest rooms, the casino floor and restaurants.
Caesars Palace announced its 668-room Octavius Tower will open
on January 2. A spokeswoman for the Las Vegas Strip resort said
the new tower will increase Caesars Palace’s room count to
3,960.
The Las Vegas Hilton will be renamed LVH-Las Vegas Hotel and
Casino on Jan. 3. According to published reports, the hotel had
been considering new names after Hilton Worldwide announced that
as of
Jan. 1, its franchise agreement with Colony Resorts LVH
Acquisitions LLC, owner and operator of the hotel, would be
terminated. The three-year agreement signed in 2009, gave Colony
Resorts the right to use the Hilton brand, and it links the
property to Hilton’s “Honors” loyalty program.
OKLAHOMA
Cherokee Nation officials joined
local dignitaries in the official ground-breaking ceremony for
the construction of a third hotel tower at the Hard Rock Hotel &
Casino Tulsa. The $52-million project will add 100 suites and
more than 55,000 square feet of entertainment and gaming space
to the current resort. Construction is scheduled to be completed
in 2012. The new tower will offer a smoke-free casino floor in
addition to non-smoking rooms
PENNSYLVANIA
A Philadelphia City Council
committee approved renovation and expansion plans for the
waterfront Sugar House Casino. The extensive project includes
the addition of a dedicated poker room, new high-limit room and
expanded gaming floor along with a new parking garage.
Construction is expected to begin this summer and be completed
in 2013.
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