Gaming Report: TotoGaming Joins GGNetwork, Louisiana Sports Betting Bills Advance & More

Marching ahead on its explosive expansion plans, GGNetwork has entered a partnership with Armenia-based poker, sports betting, and casino site TotoGaming that has become the latest addition to the fast-growing poker network.

In the U.S, the Louisiana Senate Committee has stepped up its efforts to bring in legal sports betting in the state. The Committee has approved two legislations that, if signed into law, will give the state’s voters the right to approve legal betting on college and professional sports.

Over in West Virginia, the state’s Lottery Commission has okayed emergency rules for online gambling in the state.

Casinos across the U.S. are slowly gearing up to resume operations. While Idaho’s tribal casino Coeur d’ Alene has already opened, the Island Resort and Casino in Michigan has delayed its opening to May 16.

Casinos in Massachusetts are to remain closed until May 18, while Nevada, the world’s biggest gambling hub, continues to stay under lockdown. Gaming regulators are, however, charting out the roadmap for casinos to reopen. The Nevada Gaming Commission has even come out with a set of guidelines for casinos to follow once they resume operations.

The going has been tough for casino operators, and even casino giant MGM Resorts was compelled to lay off four of its Vegas Strip hotel presidents to cut costs.

Back in Asia, South Korea’s Grand Korea Leisure Co Ltd (GKL) opened three of its properties on May 6 after a 43-day shutdown. Another casino, Kangwon Land, has extended closure till May 11.

GGNetwork Partners With TotoGaming

Over the past month, the GGPoker network has been making a lot of headlines. The fast-growing online poker network is fast expanding in the west, first by partnering with poker community Pokercode and then by adding OlyBet to its network.

With all eyes currently on the massive $100 million guaranteed WSOP Online Super Circuit Series that is taking place on the GGNetwork, the brand has confirmed a new addition to the network, TotoGaming, an Armenia-based poker, sports betting and casino portal.

TotoGaming is operated by a well-known platform provider Digitain. With this tie-up, all poker players on the site can play on GGNetwork and in the ongoing WSOP Online Super Circuit Series.

Elaborating on the tie-up, GGPoker head, Jean-Christophe Antoine, said, “TotoGaming is an impressive partner to add to our roster, and it will be wonderful to see Armenian players enjoying the best poker experience on the market. It’s Always a Good Game at GGPoker!”

Talking about joining GGPoker, External Communication Manager at Digitain, Samvel Mkrtumyan, said, “We are delighted to partner with GGPoker, the world’s most extensive poker network. With an impressive array of highly engaging jackpot, tournament, and stake options, the company’s product suite makes for an exciting addition to our award-winning casino platform. We look forward to a long and mutually-beneficial commercial relationship.”

With this partnership, GGPoker has further strengthened its position. As on date, the Network has more than 37,000 active players online, making it the fourth-largest poker network in the world, behind partypoker and 888poker.

On the branding front, GGPoker has been adding poker celebs left, right, and center. The most recent additions to the team include Tennis legend Boris Becker and German MTT phenom Fedor Holz.

Louisiana Senate Committee Approve Two Sports Betting Bills

Amidst the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, the U.S. state of Louisiana is looking to expedite the legalization of sports betting in hopes of tapping into an additional revenue stream.

On May 5, the Louisiana Senate Committee approved two measures, namely Bill 378 and 130. If these get signed into law, the state’s voters will have the right to approve legalized betting on college and professional sports. Both bills allow electronic wagering, but only from the premises of a casino.

Louisiana is home to over 50 gaming properties that comprise of casinos and racetracks.

Louisiana Senator Ronnie Johns has pointed out that there is a need to protect both customers and employees. Since casinos shut down the operations due to the pandemic, the gambling industry needs help. According to Johns, the shutdown has cost the state over $100 Million in revenue.

Under the provisos of SB 378, any operator can apply for sports betting licenses.

Last year, the Senate had approved a bill to allow sports betting and fantasy sports, but it failed to advance from the house after a final-day standoff.

The Senate Judiciary B Committee had also approved Bill 332 to eliminate the tax that casinos pay on freebies they provide gamblers.

State Senator Barrow Peacock, who sponsored Bill 332, said, “If we will remove this tax, I believe it will increase revenue.” He also affirmed that legalizing fantasy sports during this legislative session is not possible as it requires ⅔ of all votes to approve the taxes.

West Virginia Lottery Commission Approves Emergency Rules For Online Gambling

The West Virginia Lottery Commission has recently approved a set of emergency rules for online gambling in the state. Because of this, the state could see online gambling enter its market sooner than expected.

The rules will now be sent to the Secretary of State’s Office, where they must be filed by May 15. Once filed, they will get 42 days to approve or reject the proposal.

Under the emergency rules, any land-based casino in West Virginia will be able to offer up to three online gambling skins under a license after paying a $100,000 fee. The suppliers who provide technology and the systems for online gambling services will need to shell out $10,000 in licensing fees.

The commission will grant interim licenses to allow operators or suppliers for up to 270 days, during which time the applications will be renewed. The rules will come into effect once they are approved by the state’s legislature, which is likely to happen during the 2021 legislative session.

It will be mandatory to get all ads approved by the Lottery Commission before publishing, and a weekly list of problem gamblers and self-exclusions will also need to be submitted.

U.S. Casino Industry is Gearing Up to Reopen

Officially the worst affected country by the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. has reported more than 1.2 Million positive cases, with the virus claiming over 73,000 lives.

Nonetheless, with broad-spectrum measures like social distancing, quarantine and sanitization now firmly in place, most casinos across the country are looking to reopen soon.

While the Coeur d’Alene Casino, a tribal casino in Idaho, was among the first on-land casinos in the country to reopen, casino operators in other regions are also staring at the possibility of opening in late-May or June.

As for the casinos in Nevada, no timeline has been officially communicated on the reopening. Still, the gaming regulator has listed out guidelines for casinos to follow once they resume operations.

Nevada Gaming Control Board Issues Casino Reopening Guidelines

Even though a date for the formal reopening of Nevada casinos is yet to be announced, the Nevada Gaming Control Board has issued specific guidelines to be followed by casinos at their time of reopening.

As per the guidelines, when the stay-at-home order gets lifted on May 15, casinos will continue to remain closed. When they do open, it’ll have to be with a lot of checks and balances in place.

Board chairwoman Sandra Douglass Morgan admitted, “We’re definitely going to require a lot of our licensees. They understand they need to get it right.”

The guidelines dictate all licensed operators to submit a COVID-19 plan seven days before they seek to reopen. Among other precautions, all casinos also have to ensure up to 50% reduction in seating capacity, while maintaining social distancing at table games and regular disinfection of equipment.

Orleans, Las Vegas Runs COVID-19 Drive-Thru Testing Site

The Orleans Hotel and Casino ran a free, appointment-only COVID-19 drive-thru’ testing site at Clark County on May 5 & 6. The testing facility was made available in collaboration with the Universal Medical Center and Clark County, with assistance from troops of the National Guard. It was the only facility in Southern Nevada also available to asymptomatic patients.

Michigan’s Island Resort and Casino Delays Reopening

Earlier planning to reopen operations on May 6, the Island Resort and Casino in Michigan recently postponed its reopening plans to May 16. The casino resort plans to open in phases, starting its slot floor, bingo, and food and beverage first, followed by golf courses and the hotel, with table games to resume operations last of all.

The casino had earlier announced that since the State of Michigan doesn’t have the authority to oversee tribal casinos, it was not bound to follow the mandated closure as ordered by Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer. Presently the Governor has relaxed restrictions on specific industrial sectors, but casinos continue to remain closed.

Massachusetts Casinos to Remain Shut Till May 18

With Governor of Massachusetts Charlie Baker extending the closure of non-essential businesses till May 18, casinos in the U.S. state will remain closed at least for the next 11 days. Last Friday, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission voted in favor of aligning the casino closure with Baker’s orders.

Massachusetts has eight casinos and slots parlors and collects close to $20 Million in monthly tax revenue from gambling. Regulators have also initiated discussions over the safe reopening of casinos.

Gaming Commission Chairwoman Cathy Judd-Stein said, “We are fully engaged with our licensees in preparation for a new normal and the myriad of considerations for a safe and sustainable reopening.”

MGM Resorts Lays Off Four Las Vegas Strip Hotel Presidents

Buckling under the increasing pressure of mounting losses due to the COVID-led shutdown, MGM Resorts has laid off four hotel presidents in charge of different Las Vegas Strip properties. The casino has since the nation-wide lockdown began in the U.S., laid off and furloughed more than 63,000 employees. Only last week, the gaming giant announced that it was losing $270 Million every month during the lockdown.

South Korea’s GKL Casinos Reopen; Kangwon Land Estimates $218.6 Million in Losses

Almost two weeks after Paradise Co. Ltd opened its four foreigner-only casinos in South Korea, rival operator, Grand Korea Leisure Co Ltd (GKL), has also resumed gaming operations. The casino opened doors on May 6 after a 43-day shutdown due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

Meanwhile, the Kangwon Land, which is the only casino in the country where locals are permitted, has revealed to its investors the cost of the ongoing shutdown on business.

The GKL is an affiliate of the Korea Tourism Organization and operates three foreigner-only casinos in the nation under the ‘Seven Luck’ brand. The GKL was able to open its casinos after the government eased some of the social distancing measures that had been in force since early March.

Though these casinos are now open, guests will be required to observe social distancing, submit to temperature checks, and wear face-masks. The government has not yet lifted quarantine requirements and entry restrictions for foreign visitors.

GKL President Yoo Tae-Yeol said that the company will do its best to adapt to the “difficult situation that we have never experienced before.”

Meanwhile, Kangwon Land that was shut down on February 23, has in its latest filing to the Korea Stock Exchange, estimated its total losses to be KRW267.8 billion ($218.6 million). This is based on 2019 average daily revenue. The casino recently extended its shutdown till May 11, but a soft launch is expected three days earlier.