Wynn Resorts Shareholders to Vote on Smoke-Free Casinos

Smoking bans inside land-based casinos have been a hot topic across the US in recent years. Employees have campaigned hard to have more protection in the workplace, with many of them pointing out the major health risks associated with second-hand inhalation.

This debate is now reaching Las Vegas. Wynn Resorts, which operates two properties on the Las Vegas Strip, is going to hold a shareholder vote on whether the company should look into the benefits of introducing such a ban, one which the board opposes:

Most workplaces across the US don’t allow indoor smoking, with casinos often the sole exception under state laws, including in Nevada. The only resort on the Las Vegas Strip that is completely smoke-free is the Park MGM, although a recent survey from local residents showed that most people favor a complete statewide ban.

Wynn has experienced significant ownership change in recent times, with Tilman Fertitta now owning almost 12% of it.

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UKGC Caps Online Gambling Bonus Wagering Requirements at 10x

The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has introduced several new curtailments on how licensees offer promotions, the most notable of which prevents gambling sites from providing bonuses that combine offers from different gambling verticals.

people who use multiple products are more likely to suffer from gambling-related harm

This will end the practice of combining free sports bets and casino deposit bonuses in the same deal. Research shows that people who use multiple products are more likely to suffer from gambling-related harm, and the terms of these offers can also be confusing.

Another big move sees operators having to cap their wagering requirements for bonuses at 10x, as bigger requirements can lead people to gamble for longer and faster than they otherwise might.

These rules, which go into effect on December 19, 2025, aim to better protect consumers and simplify the industry. UKGC Research and Policy Executive Director Tim Miller said the measures will give people “much better clarity on, and certainty of, offers before they decide to sign up.”

The research behind these changes came from an Autumn 2023 consultation.

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Resorts World Las Vegas Rumored to Be Laying Off About 400 Employees

The embattled Resorts World Las Vegas has had a tumultuous few years. Between extensive anti-money laundering compliance failures that led to a $10.5m fine and underwhelming visitor numbers, the property is having a tough time.

Things could be about to get even worse if rumors that Vital Vegas is hearing are true about the potential layoffs of approximately 400 workers in the near future:

While people expected changes in the property’s executive team following mismanagement in recent years and an order from the Nevada Gaming Control Board off the back of its recent fine, this latest speculation comes as a surprise.

only opened its doors in June 2021 after costing $4.3bn to build

The Genting Group-owned Resorts World Las Vegas only opened its doors in June 2021 after costing $4.3bn to build, a record development cost for a resort in the city. Many people replied to the X post from Vital Vegas, giving their views on why the facility is struggling:

Others believe this trend will be seen with other Las Vegas properties this year. MGM Resorts International, for example, is reportedly cutting its workforce at the Excalibur and looking to get the Luxor Hotel and Casino off its books. There were also rumors that CEO Bill Hornbuckle would be departing his position in the near future.

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Las Vegas’ First AI-Run Hotel-Apartment Complex Taking Summer 2025 Reservations

Las Vegas’s first AI-powered hotel-apartment complex has started to take bookings for the summer.

Otonomus Hotel, owned by a Vegas-based global development firm, announced it will take reservations starting July 1.

Via an AI-powered app, guests can streamline and tailor their stay. including check-in, housekeeping, room service, and on-site retail shopping and dining.

According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the app tracks guests’ habits to create a personalized experience. “The longer people stay, the more personalized experience they receive.”

four planned restaurants all of which will be able to order from remotely”

The AI-powered complex includes 303 units, around 1,100 beds, and 40,000 square feet of retail. According to reports 21,000 square feet of inline retail will include “four planned restaurants all of which will be able to order from remotely.”

The Growth Holdings-owned project developed in collaboration with Airbnb sits on 13 acres, which the Philippe Ziade-backed firm states is just “a seven-minute drive from Allegiant Stadium.”

Zialde’s multi-billion-dollar global development firm states the majority of Las Vegas’ attractions are “concentrated within walking distance” of the off-Strip Otonomous Hotel.

Prices for guests looking to rent start at “$1,950 for a one bed, one bath, 872-square-foot apartment.”

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Live! Casino Philadelphia to Host PokerStars’ First Live US Tournament

Philly to host

PokerStars has announced Live! Casino Philadelphia will host its first-ever live US tournament April 21-27.

qualify for the PokerStars Open Philadelphia via online poker satellites

On Monday, the Flutter Entertainment-owned brand on said players in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Michigan, and Ontario can qualify for the PokerStars Open Philadelphia via online poker satellites.

Poker and chess champion Jennifer Shahade took to X after the news, stating the event was coming to Philadelphia, “the greatest city in the World!”

Buy-ins for the online qualifiers start at $10.

Players that get through will play for $550,000 in guaranteed prize money at the April event in Philadelphia.

PokerStars on a roll

Executives from both PokerStars and Live! Casino Philadelphia expressed excitement over the tournament, which closely follows the recent success of the PokerStars Open Campione Main Event in Italy. The tournament attracted more entrants than the town’s entire population.

Live! Casino & Hotel Philadelphia is, meanwhile, geared up to welcome its own horde of poker players next month.

Anne Tran, Director of Poker for the casino-hotel, stated that her casino’s poker room “and all our dedicated team members are ready to welcome poker enthusiasts from across the region.”

Tran added that the Philly casino was excited to be “the first North American host location for this year’s PokerStars Open live series” and that she expected it “to deliver an unforgettable experience during this world-class tournament.”

Philadelphia tournament embodies its host city

PokerStars North America Vice President Steve Priess, meanwhile, said the PokerStars Open Philadelphia tournament embodies its host city, and makes the Live! venue a perfect fit.

Shades of Rocky

Priess also expressed his excitement over the tournament coming to a city “that knows what it means to compete, fight, and never give up.”

The PokerStars exec channeled his inner Rocky Balboa, adding: “Poker is about heart, strategy, and knowing when to take your shot.”

“There’s no better place to showcase that spirit than in Philly.”

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Woman Sues Palms, Otis After Vegas Casino-Resort Elevator Falls 22 Stories

Elevator ordeal

Palms Place condominiums is a defendant in a negligence-focused civil lawsuit after a woman allegedly suffered injuries from an elevator at Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas.

Rebecca Keith Wood filed an amended civil suit in Clark County District Court last week against Palms and the Otis Elevator Company after an elevator allegedly fell 22 stories. 

failing to maintain, inspect elevators

Wood accused both Palms and the elevator firm of negligence over failing to maintain, inspect elevators on the Vegas property. 

The claimant is suing the two firms for “financial compensation in excess of $15,000 for general and specific damages in addition to attorney’s fees.”

Wood claims her elevator ordeal took place in May 2023 while staying at Palms as an invited guest.

Details of accident unclear

Despite the Las Vegas Review-Journal reporting Tuesday that Wood sustained “serious injuries,” it stated there was no clarity on whether she was “inside the elevator or nearby when it fell.”

conditions may be permanent and disabling.”

The civil complaint puts forward that Wood: “received medical and other treatments for injuries sustained to her bodily limbs, organs and nervous systems, all or some of which conditions may be permanent and disabling.”

Wood’s suit alleges Palms and Otis were duty-of-care bound to warn guests about the “dangerous, obvious condition” of the elevators. The lawsuit also alleges the defendants should have kept the elevator “safe and operational” while inspecting it for any defects.

Suit ties up loose ends

Wood’s suit has, however, undergone several tweaks. In her original suit filed March 3, Wood named the off-Strip casino-hotel and its “listed owners, FP Holdings L.P., Otis and TK Elevator Corporation as defendants.”

An amended March 14 suit removed TK from the claim, while the latest amended complaint on March 20 names Palms Place as a defendant instead of former owners Station Casinos. Palms Casino Resort and Palms Place are owned and operated by the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, which purchased the property from Station Casinos in May 2021 for $650m.

According to the LVR-J, Palms, its attorney, and Wood’s did not respond to requests for comment.

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Trump International Las Vegas Faces Lawsuit Due to Woman Dying 18+ Months After Accident

Trump International Hotels is the defendant in a wrongful death lawsuit after a woman passed away due to injuries inflicted by a fast revolving door at the company’s Las Vegas property.

Diana Truschke’s son filed the complaint regarding the March 2023 incident in which the 78-year-old was thrown several feet onto her face after the doors sped up and hit her from behind.

plaintiff claims that the injuries contributed to her eventual passing in October 2024

The plaintiff claims that the injuries contributed to her eventual passing in October 2024 and that the hotel staff should have been aware of the dangers of the doors and alerted guests to the risks.

The lawsuit doesn’t describe the exact injuries, just emphasizing how she needed “extensive medical treatment” and that they led to her health deteriorating over time.

Trump International Hotels faces allegations of negligence, wrongful death, negligent hiring, training, and supervision. The family wants special and general damages of at least $15,000, which is the minimum in Nevada.

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Stake Deflects EPL Scrutiny, Accuses UK Charity of Illegally Creating Gambling Account

Stake plunges in

Cryptocurrency casino brand Stake as hit back at a UK anti-gambling charity body, claiming the organization framed it.

According to the New York Times, Stake has accused The Coalition to End Gambling Ads of illegally creating a betting account in order to draw regulatory attention to its UK soccer franchise Everton.

the charity reported it to the UK Gambling Commission

Stake’s reaction comes after the charity reported it to the UK Gambling Commission for allegedly violating the country’s sport betting advertising laws. 

CEGA sent letters last week to Everton and BC.Game-sponsored Leicester City, while urging the UKGC to take action against them.

Stake stated that the account CEGA set up from within the UK that gave its access to its gambling products was “deceptive […] fraudulent and illegal.”

Trouble via VPN 

According to NY Times’ The Athletic, a video shows CEGA creating an account on Stake.com from the UK via a VPN.

While Stake’s systems restricted the account within an hour, CEGA states in the meantime it was “free to gamble.”

Last month, the UKGC announced the revocation of Everton sponsor Stake’s UK license effective March 11 after a probe into the firm’s advertising activities. The regulator also tasked EPL franchises with demonstrating effective geo-blocking protections for UK users, stating, however, that “some blocking can be easily bypassed by use of tools such as a Virtual Private Network”.

The UKGC warned franchises would be expected to apply due diligence to the matter to assure the body “consumers cannot transact with the sites from Great Britain by any means.”

According to the NY Times, a CEGA probe and its subsequent letter sent to Everton and Leicester claimed Stake and BC.Game “continue to be easily accessible from Great Britain using VPNs”.

I was able to purchase Bitcoin and then deposit it in both websites and start gambling”

“I have accessed both unlicensed gambling websites using a VPN,” the CEGA letter went. “The sites pointed me towards cryptocurrency providers where I was able to purchase Bitcoin and then deposit it in both websites and start gambling.”

Back at you

A Stake spokesperson has hit back against CEGA’s dabbling, stating the charity “knowingly used a VPN to bypass geographic restrictions [and] intentionally falsified personal details, including name, address, and identity.” 

Stake also accused CEGA of identity fraud and using “extreme, illegal steps” to create an account, which the crypto firm added it shut down within an hour as proof its UK compliance protocols were working.

a scenario to defame Stake”

“What’s clear is that the coalition acted in bad faith — manufacturing a scenario to defame Stake, all while engaging in illegal conduct themselves.”

“This was never about fairness or regulation — it was a targeted attack designed to mislead.”

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Star Considering $158m Takeover by Bally’s After Largest Investor Backs Deal

Bally’s offer backed

Australia’s Star Entertainment Group has been in trouble for some time. The casino giant has faced multiple government enquiries into its processes over the past two years, resulting in substantial fines and the removal of its Sydney casino license in 2022. Now though, the company may have a lifeline.

Bally’s Corporation made an unsolicited approach for a controlling stake in Star earlier this month. News has broken this week that the largest single shareholder of Star has backed that deal, which would see Bally’s add AU$250m (US$158m) in funding in return for a 50.1% stake in the company.

will add an additional AU$50m (US$31.5m) to the pot to make sure that the deal goes ahead

Bruce Mathieson, a pubs and slot machine mogul, currently holds around 10% of Star’s capital. He has supposedly claimed he will add an additional AU$50m (US$31.5m) to the pot to make sure that the deal goes ahead. If Star approves then Mathieson will increase his stake to 20% and secure a boardroom seat.

Keeping it together

Star has been seeking a deal to solve its financial woes since February this year. Oaktree Capital Management offered the company AU$650m (US$414m) to keep the company afloat that same month. To accept that offer, Star would still require approval from the Queensland and New South Wales governments.

Earlier this month, Star confirmed that it had already accepted an offer from Hong Kong-based Chow Tai Fook and Far East Consortium. Both of the Hong Kong firms hold a 25% stake in Star’s Brisbane-based casino The Star Brisbane. They offered to buyout the remaining 50% stake to take full control of the property.

We look forward to working with Bruce to reinvigorate these great assets”

That offer came days before Bally’s threw its hat into the ring. Bally’s Chairman Soo Kim believes Star offers a lot of potential as an existing company, without selling off its casinos separately. “We have said from the beginning that our plan is the best way to preserves shareholder value,” he said. “We look forward to working with Bruce to reinvigorate these great assets.”

A viable future

Speaking earlier this month, Star Chief Executive Steve McCann said that the Brisbane property deal and Oaktree loan had provided his company with the “capacity to have a viable future.” However, the company has confirmed that it is still considering several offers, now including the Bally’s deal.

Bally’s itself was purchased by its top investor in a $4.6bn deal just last year. Standard General previously owned a 23% stake in the firm before agreeing to pay $18.25 per share in cash for the remaining shares, a premium of about 35% of the company’s closing price at the time. Shares jumped 26% after the deal was confirmed.

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Las Vegas Sands Scraps Casino Element of Texas Resort Ahead of Council Vote After Local Backlash

Las Vegas Sands has lobbied hard in recent years to get support from lawmakers to introduce commercial casinos in Texas. Despite spending millions of dollars and Miriam Adelson buying a majority stake in the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks, the company is not much closer to making this dream a reality.

One green shoot is that the Irving City Council is voting on rezoning the land for the project, as it is within the council’s jurisdiction.

requested that city leaders vote on the proposal while disregarding the destination resort and gaming

Las Vegas Sands Corporation Senior Vice President Mark Boekenheide has now requested that city leaders vote on the proposal while disregarding the destination resort and gaming aspects “given the status of gaming legislation in this state” and local concerns.

They don’t believe a non-gaming destination resort is economically viable, so a smaller hotel could initially be in the cards.

The Irving Planning and Zoning Commission approved the project on their end on Monday, which led to much outcry from residents who attended the meeting. Some of them expressed that they don’t want to live in Las Vegas and strongly oppose any plans to introduce a casino.

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