Casino News Roundup on 19.11: The Latest From The Casino & Gambling Industry

Global Gaming Women is hosting an upcoming networking event on Australia’s Gold Coast! All women and their allies in the commercial gaming industry are invited for a delightful evening of connection on Tuesday, November 19th, from 6 PM to 7:30 PM at The Star Gold Coast. 

Additionally, join them in Auckland for a networking event on November 25th from 5 PM to 7 PM at The Terrace in the SkyCity Grand Hotel. Enjoy drinks and finger food while expanding your professional network.

The European Casino Association (ECA) has once again demonstrated its dedication to fostering a responsible gaming environment across its member casinos. In a ceremony during the recent ECA General Assembly in Nova Gorica, Slovenia, two members were handed over their renewed Responsible Gaming Certificates. They were Veikkaus Oy, Casino Helsinki, Finland and Casino 2000, Luxembourg.

These esteemed establishments successfully underwent strict recertification audits conducted by an independent auditor from the Global Gambling Guidance Group (G4), confirming their position as industry leaders in responsible gaming practices. 

The certificates were presented by Petra de Ruiter, CEO of Holland Casino and ECA board member in charge of the Responsible Gaming Working Group, alongside Erwin van Lambaart, ECA Chairman and CEO of Casinos Austria/Austrian Lotteries.

Sandi Bratasevec, president of the Board of Hit Company, expressed gratitude for the recognition from the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia.

In a historic move, Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer (SBM) has launched the first-ever Casino de Monte-Carlo outside Monaco - aboard the luxury cruise ship Crystal Symphony in Venice. 

The event took place on November 14, with notable attendees like Manfredi Lefebvre, Executive President of A&K Travel Group, and Stéphane Valeri, Chairman and CEO of Monte-Carlo SBM. 

This initiative is part of SBM's new international development strategy rolled out in 2023, aiming to bring the iconic Great Art of Gaming experience to future Crystal Cruises. 

Chief Executive Per Widerström has opened the evoke the stars gala with a message of thanks to everyone and a reminder of the reason for the event. To raise funds for the Motor Neurone Disease Association (MNDA).

Evoke issued a heartfelt thank you to all guests and colleagues who attended and supported ‘Evoke the Stars’, a fundraising event that surpassed their £100k target for the MNDA.

With #FinancialCrime360 approaching in London, We Fight Fraud (WFF) are excited to announce that WFF’s CEO, Dr. Nicola Harding, will join a panel featuring Andrew Churchill from The Payments Association and Hugo Remi, CEO of Cardaq Limited. 

When: Tuesday, November 19th, 4:30 PM - 5:00 PM

Where: Financial Crime 360, Convene, 155 Bishopsgate, London.

The discussion, titled “The New APP Fraud Rules: What They Mean for Consumers, Fraudsters, and the UK,” will address the complexities of APP fraud and the implications of recent regulatory changes.

Two huge crypto money laundering results have emerged in the last few days. First, Ilya Lichtenstein received a five-year prison sentence for his role in the Bitfinex hack, now worth an astonishing $4 billion.  

Not long after, Larry Harmon, creator of the Helix crypto mixer that washed funds from many dark web markets, received a sentence of three years. 

Harmon's brother, Gary, managed to extract millions of his brother's laundered money from under the noses of law enforcement agencies.

Caesars welcomed VIP casino guests to commemorate the grand opening of Palace Court Slots, their luxurious new high-limit slots area at Caesars Palace Las Vegas.   

There was also a ribbon-cutting ceremony revealing their new luxurious VIP Palace Court. 

Caesars issued a big thank you to everyone who helped make this an unforgettable night, especially for the guests who were among the first to try their luck on their slot machines. 

On Wednesday, Nov. 20, Rivers Casino Pittsburgh’s Rivers Gives team will head to the childcare and adult learning center of the nonprofit A Giving Heart to lend a hand with painting and refreshing the facility.  

A Giving Heart is a Pittsburgh-based nonprofit organization focused on helping families with children meet some of their day-to-day challenges by providing them with essential services and a supportive community.  

“We’re very thankful at A Giving Heart for the support we receive from engaged local partners like Rivers,” said Kristee Cammack, president and CEO of A Giving Heart. 

Rivers Gives is the casino’s long-running community outreach program, in which casino staffers report to work at a local nonprofit instead of the gaming floor.

In October, Rivers Gives volunteers participated in WTAE-TV’s project Bundle-Up, a program focused on shuttling community members in need to a local retailer to stock up on essential winter outerwear for the cold season ahead.

Anyone who has met Caesars Entertainment’s Las Vegas-based chief sales officer Michael Massari, and that’s a huge number of people inside and outside of the meetings industry, has likely heard him speak about the importance and value of connecting face-to-face.   

Not every business interaction has to be live, but as the strategic importance of the given objective increases, so does the need to meet. 

“Communication becomes increasingly more effective and productive as you progress from e-mail to phone calls to videoconferencing to meeting in-person,” continued Massari. 

“As I like to say, if it’s not that important, send an e-mail, if it’s important but not mission critical, call, and when it’s mission critical, go see somebody.”  

“If that does not persuade you, I have another favourite maxim,” said Massari. “It is much easier to ignore or say no in an email or phone call, but much harder when somebody is sitting in front of you."