Top of the Deck

• Holyoke, Mass., mayor to disclose Mount Tom casino plans
  Holyoke, Mass., Mayor Alex B. Morse is expected to unveil plans today for a casino on Mount Tom. Morse will work with local businessman Eric Suher to bring a gambling resort to the mountain. The plan includes a 350-room hotel and a convention center. "Through this plan, Mount Tom -- which has been a regional and national destination of recreation and entertainment for over a century -- may be reinvigorated," Morse said. The Republican (Springfield, Mass.) (11/25)     

Industry Update

• Revel looks to secure additional capital for liquidity
  Atlantic City's Revel casino resort is working with lenders on a deal to get additional financing for liquidity as it seeks to improve its products and services and recover from Hurricane Sandy. "The additional capital will provide us with the liquidity necessary to allow the market to recover from Hurricane Sandy, and execute our strategic build-out of exciting new gaming, food and beverage, and entertainment amenities. These new offerings will allow us to enhance our product, improve our customer experience, and create value for our stakeholders," Revel Chairman and CEO Kevin DeSanctis said. TravelPulse (11/25)     

• U.S. riverboat casinos increasingly move operations on land
  Riverboat casinos in the U.S. are increasingly transferring their games to shore sites as states relax their policies. The rising cost of maintenance, limited space for expansion and weather disruptions are also factors in moving onshore. The most recent casino to make the move is the Harrah's riverboat casino in Council Bluffs, Iowa, which will transfer its operations into its hotel due to the increasing cost of maintenance. "(For) any facility that has made the decision to go from a riverboat to land, immediately we've seen a pretty substantial increase," said Brian Ohorilko, Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission administrator. Omaha World-Herald (Neb.) (11/25)     

• 11 Atlantic City casinos post revenue increase for Q3
  Atlantic City's 11 older casinos saw operating profits grow by about 2% to $186 million during the third quarter, according to the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement. Those figures excluded results at Revel casino, which reported net revenues of $62 million for the quarter. Revel CEO Kevin DeSanctis said the gambling resort was attracting customers from the leisure and group business. "Since opening, we have had over 3.5 million visitors, our leisure business has been very solid, and our group business is on target," DeSanctis said. The Press of Atlantic City (N.J.) (11/22)     

• Atlantic City casinos not scaling back on entertainment, execs say
  Atlantic City's casino resorts, which are recovering from the aftermath of superstorm Sandy, are seeing a drop in entertainment engagements and concert bookings for the fall and holiday season, according to industry officials. However, some casino executives say they are not trimming their entertainment offerings. "We're not cutting back. We are not taking the road of cutting back on any of our marketing or entertainment," Eric Fiocco, a senior vice president at Tropicana Casino and Resort. The Press of Atlantic City (N.J.) (11/26)     

• Full House Resorts announces changes to upper management
  Full House Resorts said the company will make changes to its upper management structure to bolster its recent acquisitions and plans for expansion. Deborah Pierce will replace Mark Miller as chief financial officer next month, while Miller will serve as chief operating officer. "As our organization has grown, there is a need from time to time to make adjustments to ensure that we continue delivering excellence in our operations as well as our future growth initiatives," Full House Chairman and CEO Andre Hilliou said. Las Vegas Review-Journal (11/21)     

Issues, Trends & Technology

• Mass. gaming chairman: Commission's casino timetable is right
  Lawmakers and members of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission say they are satisfied with the group's achievements in licensing casinos, as the state marks a year after its casino law was signed. "It's the right schedule. We've been moving quite quickly, given how complex this all is. We're going to do it right and take the time to do it right," commission Chairman Stephen Crosby said. The Republican (Springfield, Mass.) (11/23)     

• Philadelphia's second casino license could be awarded after a year
  R. Douglas Sherman, chief counsel of the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board, said it would probably be a year before the board could award Philadelphia's second casino license. "It's not going to be a short process, and it's going to take as long as it takes," Sherman said. "We're going to deal with each project separately." Six groups interested in building the city's second casino have submitted proposals and applications for a gaming license. Las Vegas Review-Journal/The Associated Press (11/24)     

Industry Voices

International Focus

• Work on Genting Hong Kong's second resort in Manila to begin soon
  Genting Hong Kong expects to begin work soon on its second Philippines resort casino on Manila Bay, called Resorts World Bayshore. "Following the success of Resorts World Manila, we hope to do the ground-breaking soon for the first phase of Resorts World Bayshore. We have already signed up Westin as one of the hotels there," said David Chua, Genting Hong Kong's president. Construction on the gambling resort, which is expected to be completed in 2016, is scheduled to start next year. Star Publications (Malaysia) (11/26)     

Hot Topics

Top five news stories selected by AGA SmartBrief a G2E production readers in the past week.

• 6 groups submit license applications for Philadelphia casino (KYW-TV (Philadelphia))

• Boyd Gaming finalizes deal to acquire Peninsula Gaming for $1.45B (Las Vegas Review-Journal)

• New cocktail bar to open in Palms Las Vegas next month (Las Vegas Weekly)

• Penn National's partner unveils casino plans for Springfield, Mass. (WSHM-TV (Springfield, Mass.))

• Construction begins on Downtown Grand hotel in Las Vegas (Las Vegas Review-Journal)

• Results based on number of times each story was clicked by readers.

AGA & G2E News

• Find economic impact data at the state and county level
  The AGA used the data from its comprehensive study of the impact of the commercial casino industry to create an interactive map that allows users to explore state- and county-level economic impacts throughout the country. Visit the "Beyond the Casino Floor" section of the AGA website to check out the interactive map.     

• G2E Asia 2013 exhibitor spotlight: Inspired Gaming Group
  Inspired is a global supplier of its market-leading Virtual Sports and 2011's best-selling E-Roulette product, Sabre Multi-Win Roulette. GLI-approved Sabre has a faster game cycle than competing products, guaranteeing more betting time and increased incomes. 

Inspired offers seven Virtual Sports, which are available for online, mobile, retail, broadcast and gaming terminals. New to the show is Inspired's multi-game Bingo Blaze for high growth Asian markets, such as the Philippines. Inspired Gaming Group will exhibit at G2E Asia 2013 May 21-23 at The Venetian Macao.     

SmartQuote

The passion for setting people right is in itself an afflictive disease." --Marianne Moore, American poet and writer