News February 2025
Operator News Macau GGR on the rise
Macau’s casino sector generated GGR of $28.35bn throughout 2024, marking an increase of 23.9 per cent, surpassing government forecasts and prompting analysts to predict more growth in 2025. December’s dip of two per cent saw the month’s revenue come in at US$2.28bn, making it the third-lowest month of the year. Te Macau government had forecasted that 2024’s total would reach 77.5 per cent of the 2019 total of US$36.7bn. It now believes the 2025 total will reach US$30.1bn.
Supplier News Tipico buys Admiral Group
Novomatic has signed an agreement with the Tipico Group for the sale of its 100 per cent stake in ATLAS Group, the parent company of the Admiral Group in Austria, subject to regulatory approvals. Atlas operates 20 bookmakers and more than 30 different types of sports offered in more than 250 branches. Te gaming operation consists of 2,387 gaming machines at 150 locations in five federal states (Burgenland, Carinthia, Lower Austria, Upper Austria and Styria).
Ruffin looks to sell Circus Circus Operator News
Billionaire Phil Ruffin is looking to offload the ‘iconic’ Circus Circus casino on the Las Vegas Strip, the 10th largest casino in Las Vegas and the 18th largest in the world for around $5bn. Te 3,767-room Circus Circus is located on
102 acres at the northern end of the Las Vegas Strip, close to the Las Vegas Sphere, the SAHARA hotel and the Fontainebleau hotel. It opened in 1968 with trapeze acts and trained elephants but was bought by Mr Ruffin from MGM in 2019 for $825m. Mr Ruffin said to Forbes: “Let’s just say there
is interest. It’s worth $5bn. We do well. We sell $2 beer, $2 hot dogs, $2 popcorn. People love it.
Operator News Wynn’s NY project in doubt
Wynn Resorts have run into a stumbling block with their plans to bring Wynn New York to Manhattan’s Hudson Yards with the neighbourhood where the casino would be located speaking out vociferously against the blueprint. Community Board 4, which represents the Hudson Yards neighbourhood, voted unanimously against approving a change in zoning to allow the project to move forward. Whilst just advisory, the vote of no confidence is a concern for the developers, Oxford Properties Group.
Tailand casinos fast becoming a reality Legislation
Tailand has given its Council of State a 50-day deadline to review a proposed entertainment bill that would allow five resort casinos before the bill is placed before the House of Representatives. Pakorn Nilprapunt, Secretary-General of the Council of
State, said the government has given priority to the bill’s passage but dismissed suggestions for a public referendum, warning the bill’s delay would have consequences on the economy. Te bill, which has already been signed off by the Tai
Cabinet, has yet to finalise what ratio will be allocated for casinos in each entertainment complex. Te Finance Ministry wants 10 per cent of the resort to be allocated to the gaming floor but Deputy Finance Minister Julapun Amornvivat has warned that the 10 per cent ratio may not be included in the bill’s details, adding that a fixed ratio could make the law unsuitable for future economies. Casinos would need to include at least four non-gaming
A guy can eat and drink for six bucks. It’s the best piece of land on the West Coast. It’s got the highway, it’s got the Sahara, it’s got 2,000 feet on the Strip, and it’s the last Strip property. And 102 acres is just a massive amount of land—you can almost build a city on it.”
attractions such as hotels, stadiums, concert halls, theme parks, restaurants, clubs and retail. With regard to geographical spread, it is understood that the government will offer five casino licences; one in Bangkok and one each in Pattaya, Chiang Mai and Phuket. Bangkok Port is the latest location to be put forward due to its size, location, and riverfront access.
Brazil states battle over revenue Operator News
Te Attorney General of the State of Paraná has notified the Supreme Federal Court (STF) that the Lottery of the State of Rio de Janeiro (Loterj) is failing to comply with an injunction issued by Minister André Mendonça. In his ruling Mendonça ordered Loterj and
the State of Rio de Janeiro to stop accepting fixed-odds sports bets made outside the state. Loterj subsequently filed an appeal but this was rejected by Mendonça. In response to this noncompliance, Paraná has suggested
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imposing a daily fine of R$ 50,000. Te document presented emphasises that Loterj cited difficulties with the geolocation of bettors as the reason for its failure to implement the decision. Te State of Paraná challenged the claim
that the lottery is unable to control online betting outside its territory. Paraná, acting as amicus curiae, pointed out that Loterj received the court order on January 2, yet failed to meet the stipulated deadline by January 9. Te virtual plenary of the STF will review the in-depth discussion of the legal context this month.
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