G3Newswire NORTH AMERICA NEWS
WWW.G3NEWSWIRE.COM
US – BMM TESTLABS WIN KANSAS RACING CONTRACT BMM Testlabs has been awarded a contract to provide gam- ing laboratory testing services for the Kansas Racing and Gaming Commission.
Travis Foley, EVP Operations – BMM Americas, commented: “We are very pleased to confirm that BMM has been awarded a contract and would like to thank Executive Director, Richard Petersen-Klein; General Counsel, Judith Taylor; Director, Dennis Bachman; and Director, Brandi White for their dili- gence throughout the RFP process.
Mr. Foley added: “We are very pleased to see Kansas recog- nize the value of creating a multi-lab environment. Multiple independent laboratories, while working together, can ensure a higher quality of testing services, competitive pricing, add transparency and enable more timely delivery of competitive products to the market place. BMM is looking forward to pro- viding the highest quality testing and certification services within Kansas.”
NEW YORK MULLS FOURTH LICENCE
New York’s Gaming Facility Location Board awarded three casino licences rather than four - but that could change New York - Licensing
The New York State Gaming Facility Location Board is backing Governor Andrew Cuomo’s (right) sug- gestion that a fourth casino licence should be awarded, allowing for a tender for the ‘true’ Southern Tier region. The board voted 5-0 to prepare a new request for a tender to be launched specifical- ly for the Southern Tier. Four casino licenses were originally approved for New York’s three state regions: the Albany-Saratoga area, the mid-Hudson Valley and Catskills region, and the Finger Lakes- Southern Tier. The board recommended licenses for projects in the Catskills, Schenectady and the Finger Lakes but withheld the fourth license.
New York State Gaming Commission Chairman Mark Geran said: “The intent of the gaming statute was to benefit economically distressed Upstate areas experiencing high levels of unemployment. Clearly, the Southern Tier meets this criterion. A process to generate new proposals focused on the Southern Tier may create an additional opportunity to identify an appropriately structured and capital- ized gaming facility that could bring the region important economic development and employ- ment.”
US – ONEIDAS PLANS ‘WIZARD OF OZ’ CASINO The Oneida Indian Nation, owner of the Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, has announced plans to expand its Upstate New York operations with a new $20m, 67,000 sq. ft. casino in the Village of Chittenango.
Paying homage to the community’s identity as the birthplace of L. Frank Baum, author of “Wonderful Wizard of Oz,” Yellow Brick Road Casino will feature more than 430 Vegas- style cash slot machines, a 500 seat bingo hall, two casual dining options, a country-western bar, and a general store. The new facility will complement existing Oneida Nation businesses and bring diversification to guests, appealing to locals interested in the excitement of slot machines and bingo, while grabbing a quick, casual meal. Yellow Brick Road Casino is projected to open in spring 2015.
“Our expansion with this new casino is yet another opportu- nity for the Oneida Nation to create more jobs for Central New Yorkers, to invest in our region’s economic growth, and to improve and diversify our guest experience,” said Oneida Nation Representative and Nation Enterprises CEO Ray Halbritter. “The Yellow Brick Road Casino will create numer- ous construction jobs for our local trade workers and more than 250 permanent positions once it opens. We’re also excited to help bring a fresh vitality to the area by investing $20m in local businesses and converting an under-used shopping center into a new modern casino, featuring a one- of-a-kind tourist experience that is unique to Chittenango.”
The Oneida Nation has enlisted Hayner Hoyt Corporation of Syracuse for general contracting and construction manage- ment for the new casino project and Hnedak Bobo Group, visionaries for Hard Rock Café New Orleans and the upscale Westin Memphis Beale Street Hotel, for the design work of Yellow Brick Road Casino.
4 0
Kevin Law, Chairman of the Gambling Facility Location Board, said: “We are willing to entertain the governor’s request to issue a new Request for Application for this region, given the recommenda- tion of Lago in the Finger Lakes region could encour- age proposals from new applicants in the Southern Tier region. However, the Board will not consider opening up either the Catskills/Hudson Valley Region or the Capital Region to additional Applications. I am sympathetic to the economic struggles facing the Southern Tier. If private individ- uals and private companies are willing to invest their own money, I am open minded. What I’m not open minded about is simply recommending the same application that we’ve already passed on.”
Currently only one applicant has lodged its interest in applying for a license close to the Pennsylvania
border but state officials are confident more appli- cants will come forward.
That applicant; Tioga Downs racino in Nichols, failed to excite the board first time round with its plans to add a second restaurant, miniature golf and batting cages to its existing racino. Owner Jeff Gural said he would now submit a revised proposal.
Other regions who also missed out on the casino opportunity are though up in arms. Orange County Legislature Chairman Stephen Brescia has criticised the Gaming Board for limiting the location of the fourth casino to the Southern Tier.
“Newburgh has the highest crime rate in the state, its unemployment rate is among the highest , and its poverty rate unacceptably high,” Mr. Brescia said. “To say the Newburgh region should not have an opportunity to compete for the fourth license makes no rational sense. I believe the Newburgh region should have a chance to compete.”
Legislator Christopher Eachus agreed saying: “It is wrong to limit an economic opportunity as big as a casino license to just one struggling region while telling Newburgh residents simply to drop dead. The siting committee should do its job and evaluate on the merits whether the Binghamton area southern tier is worse off than the Newburgh region, and whether a proposal in the Binghamton area would be better than one in the Newburgh area. To do oth- erwise smacks of favouritism not rooted in a fair process on the merits.”
Ontario mayor wants to offer free alcohol to casino players
CANADA Niagara Falls Mayor Jim Diodati wants Ontario casinos to be able to offer free alcohol to combat falling attendance and dwindling profits. He highlighted that Seneca Niagara Casino in Niagara Falls, New York is already offer- ing free alcohol as well as smok- ing. The Seneca’s website states: “While you are gaming at Seneca Niagara Casino & Hotel, all bev-
erages received while playing any slot machine or table games are available at no cost to you.”
Visitation has dropped at Ontario’s casinos from 16,717,060 in 2010 to 13,943,101 in 2014 with GGR dropping by $101m during the same time.
Mayor Diodati said: “We’re get- ting beat at our own game. There
are solutions to our problems, but you cannot be afraid to fail. Doing nothing is not a solution. This is not a time to turtle.”
Greg Medulun, Director of Communications for Fallsview Casino and Casino Niagara, said: “Being able to provide compli- mentary alcohol would certainly eliminate one of the competitive variables that we have with the neighbouring US casinos, but a 5,000-7,000 seat entertainment centre is the amenity that we are after. A new entertainment cen- tre attached to Fallsview Casino would transform our business.”
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124