Hard Rock International has distanced itself from rumours it is looking to buy Australian casino operator Star Entertainment, with the latter though confirming an approach by one of Hard Rock’s local partners. 

Star confirmed it had received several unsolicited, preliminary, and non-binding approaches but the reported interest from Hard Rock, first published in the Australian Financial Review, has been dismissed by the US operator.   

Star stated: “The Star confirms that it has not received a proposal directly from Hard Rock Hotels and Casinos. However, the company has received inbound interest from a number of other external parties regarding potential transactions including a consortium of investors which includes the entity Hard Rock Hotels & Resorts (Pacific), which The Star understands is a local partner of Hard Rock. The nature of the interest to date has been confidential, unsolicited, preliminary and non-binding. At this stage, none of the approaches has resulted in substantive discussions.  

“The Star remains focused on its remediation activities in New South Wales and Queensland and participating in the Bell Two Inquiry. binding. At this stage, none of the approaches has resulted in substantive discussions. The Star remains focused on its remediation activities in New South Wales and Queensland and participating in the Bell Two Inquiry. The Star will keep shareholders informed in accordance with its continuous disclosure obligations.” 

Florida sports betting case is not suitable for consideration by the Supreme Court, This all began following a petition by the owners of one of the state’s oldest pari mutuels who asked justices to invalidate the 2021 gaming agreement  between Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Seminole Tribe of Florida.

The response concludes with: “The petition for a writ of certiorari should be denied.”

Lawyers of the department suggest the Florida sports betting case comes down to three components and all are explored in the response:

• - Does the compact violate the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act?

• - Does the company violate the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act?

• - Does the Department of the Interior’s approval violate the equal-protection measures outlined in the Fifth Amendment?

The filed paperwork suggests the Department of Interiors can only disapprove a proposed compact “if it violates IGRA, federal law, or trust obligations to tribes.”

“In any event, the compact in this case is an agreement between two sovereigns – the State of Florida and the Seminole Tribe – concerning the Tribe’s own conduct of commercial gaming operations within the State,” outlines the brief.

Although the bill is moving forward, there are doubts about whether it can be approved in the remaining time of the session, which ends on May 20. Additionally, there are internal challenges as the legalization of sports betting in Minnesota requires bipartisan support to pass.

The Ways and Means Committee of the Minnesota House of Representatives recently approved a bill that would legalize sports betting in the state. Representative Zack Stephenson is the sponsor of 2 legislative initiatives: HF 2000 which was integrated into HF 5274, which has already been sent to the House Floor for debate and vote.

Legalizing sports betting

Rep. Zack Stephenson (DFL-Coon Rapids) sponsors both bills and says legalizing sports betting is the best way to combat the burgeoning illicit black market that already exists in the state.

“It is unlawful to engage in sports betting in Minnesota today, and it happens every single day in extreme amounts. We will be transitioning people from the black market into a legitimate marketplace.”

By doing so, Stephenson said, the state would collect taxes on all sports wagers, which would both benefit the state’s bottom line and be used to run programs to treat problem gamblers.

HF 2000 would grant sports betting licenses to Minnesota's 11 tribal nations and allow people 21 and older to bet on a variety of sporting events, including esports. Gambling would be allowed at physical locations on tribal lands or through mobile apps licensed to tribal entities. A 20% tax would be imposed on the net income of those made online through a website or mobile app, but those made on tribal lands would be exempt from this tax.

HF 5274, on the other hand, would prohibit betting on horse racing and youth sports, but would allow it on certain types of fantasy contests. This restriction is due to the fact that betting on horse races would endanger the economic viability of the two tracks with limitations on paying the prizes. Part of the tax revenue raised would be used to fund $625,000 per year purse supplements at the tracks, with 72 per cent going to Canterbury Park and 28 per cent to Running Aces.

It's unclear whether the bill will receive the necessary support in the Senate to become law, but Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman said the chances of passage are 60-40. That's a dramatic change from a few days ago, when several lawmakers suggested the effort was all but dead.

No state in the North American country has legalized sports betting in 2024, although Minnesota is one of the few remaining states with a chance.

Two days after it was announced that ESPN BET would be the official sports betting sponsor of the PGA Championship through 2026, ESPN announced there will be an ESPN BET alternate telecast during the major championship.

The alternate telecast, which will air on ESPN2 from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. ET during the first and second rounds and during the same timeframe on ESPN+ during the third and fourth rounds, will include on-site analysis from Michael Collins and “Stanford” Steve Coughlin.

ESPN says the telecast will focus on betting, including discussion about hole-by-hole live betting as well as tournament futures analysis.

PGA of America partners with AGA

In a busy partnership week for the PGA of America, the entity also announced Wednesday it’s working with the American Gaming Association to promote the AGA’s “Have a Game Plan” public service campaign. The campaign aims at promoting responsible gambling habits, such as setting a budget and viewing betting as entertainment rather than a reliable way to earn money.

“Activating AGA’s Have A Game Plan campaign during this year’s PGA Championship and beyond will be an integral part of our strategy as interest in golf wagering grows.”

The PGA of America’s online and social media accounts will share “co-branded responsible gaming content” throughout next week when the PGA Championship begins.

“As the PGA of America welcomes ESPN BET as the Official Sports Betting Sponsor of the 106th PGA Championship, it is core to our values to ensure golf fans have the right tools in their bag to bet responsibly,” PGA of America Chief Commercial Officer Jeff Price said in a press release.

A staff report will be presented to council on May 8 that proposes loosening the moratorium on new or expanded gambling venues.

Parq Vancouver was opened in 2017 next to BC Place stadium in downtown Vancouver. Under current regulations, the 72,000-square-foot, two-storey casino is permitted 600 slot machines and 75 table games. It has maxed out that slot allowance and has 61 table games. Hastings Racecourse and Casino is owned and operated by Great Canadian Entertainment. It has 446 slot machines from an allowance of 600 on a casino floor beneath the horse racing grandstands.

The British Columbia Lottery Corporation wants to expand gambling at the two casinos in the city, Parq Casino Vancouver and Hastings Racecourse and Casino. BCLC proposes adding more slot machines and table games.

Parq currently has 600 slot machines and 61 gambling table while Hastings holds 446 slot machines. The report did not clarify how many the lottery corporation is looking to add.

A BCLC spokesperson told Canadian Gaming Business that through its consultations with Vancouver on the state of the gaming market and the performance of the facilities, “an opportunity was identified to enhance the gambling mix” at both venues.

The moratorium was implemented in 2011, around the same time that the city rejected an application for a 1,500-slot casino on the Vancouver waterfront. It means the city cannot accept a direct application from BCLC to expand one of its casinos. The report recommends an amendment to allow councillors to approve or reject such proposals. Applications for new gambling venues would still be banned.

“This approach aims to ensure council decisions are informed by sufficient detail to assess the impacts of expanding gambling at existing facilities… while keeping other elements of the moratorium intact,” the report reads.

BCLC highlights increased revenue potential.

B.C. regulations guarantee municipal governments 10% of net casino gaming revenue in their jurisdiction on an annual basis. Parq and Hastings contributed more than $7 million to the city in the 2022-23 fiscal year, according to financial disclosures in the report. Parq supplied more than $6 million of that.

BCLC forecasts that expansions to one or both of the venues could increase the government’s annual slice by somewhere between $2.6 million to $5 million.

“Like most cities, Vancouver has seen significant growth since the moratorium was approved in 2011, almost 15 years ago,” the BCLC spokesperson told Canadian Gaming Business. “Since then, the population has grown by an estimated 22% while the gambling mix in Vancouver has remain unchanged. Amending the moratorium would allow us to work with Vancouver city staff to look at ways to meet increased player demand and expectations in the city and generate additional revenue for the Province of B.C. and City of Vancouver.”

The report presents several options to council. They include amending the moratorium to accept an expansion application for one or both existing casinos, lifting it entirely for all casinos or conducting a full analysis before deciding.

In the report, staff recommend Option 1.