Trends, News & Interesting Reads

The years-long battle to bring casino gambling to Japan has ended and gambling operators are already lining up in their efforts to obtain licenses to open casinos. While plans are in being finalized to decide which Vegas casino operators and other companies will be granted these licenses, a number of Japanese legislators are thinking ahead.

The ruling Liberal Democratic/Komeito coalition government of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has suggested that the integrated circuit chip that's found within government-issued My Number identity cards be utilized to limit foreign nationals living in the country and Japanese citizens to ten casino outings per month.

According to this plan, prospective players will be allowed only three visits over any seven consecutive day period and 10 visits per month -- an uninterrupted 28-day period.

Komeito/Liberal Democratic legislators are also proposing that the size of the gaming floor in any new casino be limited to around 161,458 square feet. This area would not be allowed to constitute more than 3% of the total floor space of any casino site.

Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) has ruled that the Quebec provincial government Bill 74 violates Canadian Federal Law. The ruling was issued in response to advocates of freedom of Internet access and Internet service providers who protested that Bill 74 would restrict Quebec residents' free access to the Internet and would place undue hardships on Internet providers who were expected to facilitate the Bill's implementation.

Pro-Internet advocates welcomed the ruling. They had raised concerns that Bill 74 constituted censorship and violated the principles of free and open Internet access. In their ruling the CTRC wrote that the website blocking provisions of Québec’s Bill 74 are not compatible with Section 36 of the Telecommunications Ac which guarantees free Internet access to Canadian citizens.

2018 is forecast to be a good and stable year for Vegas casino enterprises. Vegas was in a much more difficult situation 10 years ago when the 2008 recession hit. Today financial consultants are looking at the Vegas turnaround in an effort to learn lessons that can be applied to other regions.

2008 - What Happened?

The recession of 2008 actually started in late 2007. Most analysts believe that the crisis was triggered by banks' lending policies which created too much money too quickly. This pushed up housing prices and led to a dangerous level of speculation on the financial markets.

Allegations regarding money laundering activities have led to the issuance of letters from the UK Gambling Commission to 17 online casino operators. The letters specify the allegations and warn the operators that the Commission will revoke their licenses if action is not forthcoming to prevent money laundering through their sites.

The warnings, which could potentially impact similar land-based Vegas casino UK sites, details the consequences that the casinos could face if they don't improve their anti-money laundering measures. The Gambling Commission acknowledged that the casinos were making efforts to stem the practice but their current policies aren't enough. The Commission called into notice the “serious nature” of its findings which also focus on problem gambling.

Playing Vegas casino games using cybercurrencies is a gamble in itself. Cybercurrencies are new and there's an element of insecurity in using them. Yet some of the world's biggest investors have put their eggs in the cybercurrency basket – maybe not all of their eggs, but a significant portion of the basket. That sends a message to others that those in the financial world who are up-to-date on the trends and options see cybercurrencies as the wave of the future.

What does this mean for the casino industry? For the casinos and for their patrons?

Slots are one of the most popular forms of casino entertainment worldwide. They're fun, easy to play and offer a chance to enjoy a potentially money-making activity that meets your interests, fantasies and personal gaming level.

Most people play slots simply because they're a fun distraction. Playing the slot machines don't require knowledge of gaming skill or techniques or the need for high betting levels.

So what do the experts say about your odds of actually winning at slots?

Travelers who are looking for a chance to blend their visit to an exotic culture with some gambling entertainment will enjoy spending some time in Macau, Macau's past as a Portuguese colony allows it to present a unique blend of Eastern and Western cultures that enchant and enthrall.

In recent years Macau has built on the country's gaming history that stretches back for more than 300 years to develop an extensive gambling industry. The country now boasts some of the most luxurious casino venues in the world that bring travelers who are interested in high class resort tourism to the country.  

Las Vegas is in a state of turmoil after allegations of sexual misconduct forced casino mogul Steve Wynn to resign from his position as chairman and chief executive of Wynn Resorts. Ramifications of Wynn's exit are will be felt for many years.

#MeToo hit Las Vegas with a bang after allegations of sexual misconduct were made against casino mogul Steve Wynn, chairman and chief executive of one of Vegas's biggest gambling operations. Wynn's visions of how to build the gambling empire of the world have been adopted by other resorts and casinos, making him the acknowledged chief architect of 21st century Vegas.

Las Vegas sportsbooks bettors placed a record $150.58 million on Super Bowl bets but it wasn't all good news for the bookies. Oddsmakers almost universally named the Patriots as the favorites in almost every category but that's not how it played out on the field,. Eagles fans, including a mystery $3 million deposit, took most of the cash right out of the Las Vegas bookmakers' hands.

Those who were willing to take a chance on the underdog Eagles enjoyed a rewarding night while the books took home just $1.1 million – their smallest total profit since 2011 when the Green Bay Packers scored a victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

In 1987 the Supreme Court ruled that states that offered legalized gambling could not regulate gambling on Native American lands. Since that time numerous tribal governments have opened casinos. They look to casino gambling as a way to generate jobs in the often-remote areas and bring in needed funds.

Surveys of these casinos show that, by and large, the casinos haven't produced the desired results. The rate of tribal members who receive welfare hasn't decreased, unemployment rates remain high and significant numbers of reservation residents still live on land with no water or sewer intrastructure.