The Exhaustion Of An Empire

The crash has been a long time coming. COVID restrictions had already put a massive strain on casino revenues. But, in the past year, the country’s President rolled out new gaming regulations meant to reduce Macau’s reliance on gambling revenues.

This kind of change has not come without its faults. The local economy is reeling from the unprecedented setbacks. Daniel Cheng, a former executive for Hard Rock International, suggests that the damage is irreparable. He says

“Macau can’t expect normal services to resume as before. The Macau of old is a thing of the past.”

Unfortunately, new regulations mean slicing Macau’s gaming capacity by almost a third. Coming for games like slots and keno, the Chinese Government now requires Macau to cut its gaming machines down to just 12,000 by 2023.

Considering that the city hosted more than 17,000 gambling machines in 2019, the President’s orders come as a big ask. Still, casino owners will have to comply if they wish to remain in operation.

Macau Suppliers Shutter Their Doors

As a result, the situation in Macau has become a very unsavory scene. Getting ready for the year ahead, casino suppliers and operators have started packing up their shops in hopes of better opportunities abroad. Many have set their sights on the Philippines and Singapore. 

Light & Wonder Inc is just one of the groups making a big move out of China. Currently, the company is preparing to transfer 30% of its employees to the Philippines. It also plans on sending half of its total inventory there. 

When asked for the reasoning, Light & Wonder’s Asia vice president and managing director, Ken Jolly, responded simply. He said,

“The Philippine market has become a dominant market in Asia, and it makes sense for us to put more staff there.”

The Move Towards Offshore 18+ Casinos

While gambling revenues in Macau have fallen by almost 90% since 2019, the markets in the Philippines and Singapore have grown exponentially. 

And because these countries have gambling laws that are much friendlier than China’s, operators have a real chance at reviving their businesses. 

With room to enter the offshore market, companies can still offer gaming options to Chinese gamblers. The Philippines, for example, is home to some of Asia’s most trusted online casinos for 18 and up players.

China is expected to continue rolling out gambling restrictions as Macau casinos near their license renewals. To keep up to date on this developing story, be sure to come back and visit us. 

Source: Bloomberg

If you’re not old enough to drink, you aren’t old enough to go inside.

Illegal 18+ Casinos Target Young Adults

Unfortunately, these restrictions often leave young adults at risk of going to shady, illegal operators for their fix. Just as the legal casino industry is booming in the US, unauthorized gambling houses are doing better than ever before. 

To combat the onset of backroom betting and games, state authorities are getting involved and shutting these places down as they appear. However, finding these locations seems to be the hardest part.

If you think that all of this happens in the basement of some tiny dive bar or some dark and narrow back alley, you would be highly mistaken. Operators already wore out all of those options back in the 20th century.

Nowadays, these gambling rings tend to hide in plain sight. 

While some of these places tend to disguise themselves as other types of businesses, others tend to reside in unmarked buildings off the side of rural roads.

Authorities Look For New Resources

For young gamblers that are new to the game, these casinos may seem like a great spot to sharpen their skills before taking on the real thing. Why not get some extra practice before playing legal real money blackjack or any other game?

The problem here is that there is no oversight to ensure that players are engaging in a fair game. State-licensed and legal offshore casinos are each subject to regular checks and audits. New players could be bleeding money from a rigged game and never know the difference.

Most state regulatory agencies don’t have the funds to dedicate a task force to find these kinds of shops. To help crack down on these kinds of establishments, many states have called upon the public to send in tips.

As a result, community vigilance has become one of these agencies’ greatest assets in the fight against illegal casinos.

Last week, gambling authorities in Flint, Michigan used these tips to bring the hammer down on two illegal gambling houses disguised as phone stores. 

Lasting Impact Left By The Flint Raid

The Cellular Vault and Cellular Bank were promptly shut down on Thursday after a search and seizure found evidence of unauthorized gameplay. 

Between the two locations, investigators from the Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) found 67 gambling devices as well as $10,000 in cash. 

While the state has had much bigger busts in the past, this raid was significant in that it took down two of Flint’s longest-operating illegal casinos. The Cellular Vault has been in operation for upwards of four years. 

Unfortunately, illegal US gambling rings don’t seem to be going away anytime soon. On the bright side, every one of these stories creates a platform to educate the public on finding the most trusted online casinos for 18+ players.

If you’re in the market for a new casino provider, don’t hesitate to use our site as a resource. The veteran staff of gamblers behind C18 has assembled several charts, pages, and comparisons to help you make the best decision possible. 

Source: Michigan Live

Breaking Down The Initiative

The proposal, titled California Legalize Sports Betting On American Indian Lands Initiative, aims to regulate the operation of retail sportsbooks at tribal casinos. In addition to exclusive sportsbook privileges, the tribes would gain access to roulette and dice games. 

For the most part, the measure would allow residents to dip their toes in the waters of wagering, while also securing a moderate cash flow. 

However, the tribes’ proposed gambling laws do take some liberties of concern. One clause mentioned in the initiative would give the tribes greater authority over the state’s gambling regulations. 

More specifically, the measure allows tribes to individually pursue legal action against gambling houses suspected to be hosting restricted games. 

Too Much Tribal Authority

This responsibility has always been that of the state Attorney General. Given that California has always been a lenient legal gambling state, these kinds of lawsuits have often been few and far between. 

Many fear that delegating so much power to the tribes could result in an abuse of authority in which cardroom operators are roped into endless lawsuits. 

These feelings seem to be especially strong in the Central Valley area, a place that is home to almost 20 different cardrooms and gambling houses. Residents in this stretch of cities have, for many years, benefited from the revenues generated by these small businesses. 

Local officials now suggest that an attack on California cardrooms could prompt severe economic impact, valued at up to $5.5 billion in damages.

A Vocal Community Response

Partnering with a group called Taxpayers Against Special Interest Monopolies, five prominent community leaders banded together and published an opposition statement. 

Among them were Fresno Councilmembers Luis Chavez and Mike Karbassi, as well as Tulare County Supervisors Amy Shulikan and Peter Vander Poel. 

All of the leaders made compelling arguments. But Vong Mouanoutoua, a Councilmember for the City of Clovis, closed the letter with a robust statement. He says,

“This initiative does nothing more than encourage abusive litigation that hurts locally owned and operated businesses, widens California’s opportunity gap, and threatens much-needed tax revenues. California’s Central Valley is already reeling from skyrocketing gas prices, inflation, housing costs and poverty and the eligible tribal gaming initiative will only make it worse.”

18+ Casinos Accessible To All

California voters will review two sports betting proposals in November. Until then, the opposing parties will continue to poke holes in the others’ legislation. But that’s a good thing. 

Californians should legalize domestic wagering in a way that benefits the community. Residents already have access to some of the world’s most trusted online casinos for 18+ players. If the taxes don’t add up, push for a better deal.

The only place you can do it is at the ballot box.

Source: San Joaquin Valley Sun

As the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV), which originated in Wuhan, and reports of fatalities associated with the outbreak began to spread, the world’s largest hub of brick-and-mortar casinos has been forced into the dark indefinitely.

With a gambling revenue from its 41 casinos combining to bring in seven times more money than what the Las Vegas, Nevada casinos take in annually, Macau is often called the gambling capital of the world.

However, Macau—officially known as the Macao Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China—recently suspended all operations and closed its casinos for 15 days after the city confirmed its 10th reported case of the coronavirus.

The announcement was initially devastating for the age of 18 and up casino gamblers in Macau, many of whom are tourists from other countries.

With in-person interactions at brick-and-mortar establishments completely off-limits, the top-rated 18+ online casinos have seen an influx of sign-ups since the start of the month thanks to the safety and plague-free platform they provide offshore 24/7/365.

And it looks like things could get even worse for those who are lovers of land-based gaming options.

According to Sanford C Bernstein Ltd, an austere group of British investment research scholars, global market analysts predict there is a “strong possibility” of an “extension of the shutdown order” for Macau casinos.

From the Bernstein research firm: “Forecasts for the near-term (i.e., first-half 2020) are largely guesses at this time, with the biggest variables being when casinos reopen, and even more importantly, when travel restrictions from China will be lifted.”

The Macau casino reopening target date was previously scheduled for February 19. Still, Chinese health officials have refused to comment on anything relating to the matter outside of continuing to monitor the coronavirus outbreak closely.

Stateside gambling executives speculated the Macau casino shutdown could last anywhere from two weeks or two months due to the lack of transparency from the Chinese government.

With the news of an indefinite “to-be-determined” closure, revered market analysts forecast a staggering 75% decline in gambling revenue for Macau during the month of February.

A best-case scenario would be for the shutdown to end on time, but even then, the numbers are bleak.

Macau casino operators are currently projected to bring in roughly $31.3 million in gross gambling revenue for the month if businesses start back week—far below the $113.3 million in revenue from February 2019.

During these troubled times, our thoughts and prayers are with the gamblers in Macau and all across China.

Hopefully, the coronavirus is exterminated sooner rather than later, but whether either turns out to be accurate, you can always bet on the 18+ online mobile casinos having your back during your “better safe than sorry” times of need.

Massachusetts has yet to decide on whether to move forward with legalized domestic wagering. On May 28^th through the 29^th, the state will be hearing multiple sports betting bills presented in this year’s legislative session. The bills will be heard by the Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies, but co-chair to the Committee Senator Eric Lesser says he “wouldn’t bet on it,” for the immediate acceptance and passage of these bills.

The hearings on May 28^th will be an invite-only testimony hearing with stakeholders, and May 29^th will hold a public forum.

The Committee had been tasked with studying sports betting and the potential effects of legalization in MA. Many Massachusetts lawmakers are still unsure of what kinds of bets to allow, whether to allow collegiate game wagering and what tax rate to settle on for the domestic industry. It seems many legislators are floating in the same boat in a figurative open ocean of possibilities.

MA Governor Charlie Baker expressed support for domestic wagering and proposed the idea of allowing casinos and online providers like DraftKings to offer wagering to players 21 and over.

Some believe the pressure for MA to make up its mind is intensifying as football season nears. Likely the two-day hearing for the bills will help lawmakers solidify their positions.

Several questions would still need to be answered after the hearings. However, many believe the hearings will provide insight into these decisions such as the potential tax rate, who will regulate domestic wagering, the role of the MA State Lottery, whether to keep wagering at casinos or allow online betting, how to prevent minors from betting, and whether to apply integrity fees.

The Massachusetts State Lottery has watched the development of all MA sports betting bills and is concerned with keeping up with the expanding domestic gaming industry. Treasurer Deborah Goldberg and several officials from the lottery have argued for years to have the right to sell lottery products online to keep up with the growing competition, and this argument becomes louder with betting in consideration.

The Governor would prefer a finished ready-to-sign bill before August’s legislative recess when the NFL season starts. However, Representative Ann-Margaret Ferrante, who sits as co-chair to the Joint Committee on Economic Development, says this might not be so easy to do, “It’s a complex issue… It’s an issue that we want to be very diligent with, and we want to make sure should Massachusetts go forward with sports betting legalization … that we do it properly.”

Rep. Ferrante also shared some insights into the cost of liabilities vs. benefits, which if obligations outweigh profits may cause legislators to “turn around and say no” to betting. After the hearings conclude we will update readers with what legal sports betting avenue lawmakers have considered and rejected. Eighteen year old MA players who want to wager can do so through casinos with built-in sportsbooks right now since these are licensed offshore sites.

Governor Kim Reynolds has signed Iowa’s Senate File 617, a sports gambling and daily fantasy sports bill into law. With the passage of this legislation, Iowa is now the 3^rd US state in 2019 to legalize domestic betting following Montana and Indiana. IA will be offering sports betting by the beginning of 2021.

The bill which was signed by Governor Reynolds received bipartisan support last month. IA players age 21 and older can gamble on sports gambling options licensed by IA through this passed legislation. Nonetheless, Iowa players interested in betting but who are only 18 years old can gamble on sports through licensed offshore online sportsbooks.

The state will be asking for $45,000 for IA businesses to obtain a betting license and $10,000 every year after to renew their license. Sportsbooks will be taxed 6.75% of their betting revenue. Iowa-based and licensed betting will be regulated by the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission.

At this time, it is said that nineteen Iowa casinos are eligible to offer domestic sports wagering. Casinos will be able to make two skins for their mobile betting app which if every casino offers two skins could provide 38 sports wagering brands to the IA gambling market.

FanDuel and DraftKings will be able to service Iowa players for fantasy sports wagering but not real money sports gambling.

The newly passed law also places prohibitions on betting on Iowa-based college teams and any in-game bets like prop bets. The legislation takes effect on July 1^st, but lawmakers are still ironing out some minor details.

Sports gambling will be available in-person, online, and through mobile apps in IA. The hope is that online wagering will attract out of state bettors and more Iowan participants. All mobile or online wagering requires first-time user in-person registration.

The Iowa Governor’s spokesman Pat Garrett had this to say on the new law, “Gov. Reynolds believes that legalizing sports betting will bring this practice out of an unregulated black market. This law will regulate, tax, and police sports betting in a safe and responsible way.”

The Governor of Tennessee has decided after looking over the sports gambling bill presented to him that he would allow the bill to become law, without his signature. Governor Bill Lee of Tennessee is opposed to gambling but has decided to gift TN with a potential remedy to its financial woes. The bill-set-to-become-law will be effective on July 1^st, 2019.

Online sports betting sites will need to pay the state a $50,000 application fee and $750,000 annually as part of a state licensing fee to legitimize their business. TN will also be receiving 20% of the sportsbooks’ adjusted gross income. Many Tennessee lawmakers predict at least $50 million in revenue for sports gambling in the bill’s first year as law.

The state has decided to allocate tax revenue gained from legal wagering to go to TN education programs, local government projects, and gambling addiction treatment.

The bill approved of, but without a signature from Governor Lee, establishes a 9-person member commission to regulate and oversee sports gambling activities in TN under the Tennessee Lottery. This commission will be in charge of setting rules such as application deadlines and the sole use of official league data. Representative Rick Staples thinks Tennessee already loses out on gambling dollars going to out of state casinos and that legal state-based sports gambling has a chance to recapture those gambling bucks.

Both the Senate and House in Tennessee’s legislature passed the bill presented to the Governor. Therefore, there was bipartisan support for expanded gambling under SB 16.

Tennessee is not currently considering the allowance of 18+ betting, rather sports gambler must be 21 and over to gamble online at TN-licensed sportsbook sites. Nonetheless, the option to gamble and wager at 18 and up casinos that have sportsbook capabilities is legal for TN residents to do.

Tennessee will use geo-targeting technology to allow bettors located in the state to access wagering on their computer, mobile browser, or a mobile application. There are no provisions in the TN sports betting bill to allow physical sportsbooks since there are no legal casino establishments to host betting within.

Several US states have legalized expanded forms of gambling with little to no worry about tribal influence in their politics. However, trying to pass expanded gaming legislation in states with numerous native reservations and most of the domestic gaming operated by these tribes becomes difficult and drawn out.

Oftentimes, tribes try to make sure any new gambling laws won’t cannibalize their game offerings or drive traffic away from their venues. Therefore, most tribes bid for expanded gaming forms to be served through their venues as a compromise, or if the state won’t play ball then not all. However, not all lawmakers and businesses want to operate this way for every new venture and form of gambling available.

Therefore, when it comes to the discussion of new and exciting gambling activities like sports betting, many states are held back with pending legislation in hand due to these negotiation talks that must be finalized between the state and tribes. There are currently thirty-eight states with pending sports betting bills on file several of them are states with great tribal influence.

Tribes that hold a monopoly over domestic gaming be it casino or bingo gaming can greatly influence local politics through campaign donations and heavy-handed involvement. In Northern states like Minnesota, twenty-one tribal-run casinos make up a majority of casino gaming offers domestically, and the tribes have given millions in donations to oppose wagering online. Oklahoma-based tribes the Chickasaw and Choctaw nations have donated over $5 million to candidates and politicians in Texas since the mid-2000s ensuring their political influence over a neighboring state’s gaming policies that can directly affect their market.

The religious sector of North Carolina is baffled a bill allowing betting and pari-mutuel wagering has sailed through Senate committees. However, it is not that surprising when considering that the Cherokee tribe in NC is the state’s top political contributor. Senator Jim Davis, a Republican, responded to the religious group’s concerns about growing gambling addiction with the fact that these tribal operations will bring in jobs to the poorer areas of the state.

Through contributions to policymakers and governors, tribes reserve political power when it comes to potential legislation directly affecting their industry. According to data released by the National Institute on Money in Politics, tribal governments in US states have contributed more than $114 million to state-level candidates and political committees over the last decade.

Some states were blindsided, like California and Florida, by previous decisions to allow amendments which now require expanded gaming to receive majority support via voter referendum. This makes being competitive with neighboring states more difficult, potentially driving away even domestic gambling dollars away.

The status of expanded gambling in the United States, particularly in certain states, is entirely dependent on the attitude of tribes toward each form of gaming introduced. Some tribes are for it while others are completely against it.

While this may seem like a pain, tribes are actually the biggest advocates for 18+ gambling and would likely be willing to allow 18 and up sports gambling, if they obtain some kind of monopoly on wagering in their states.

West Virginia Governor Jim Justice did not sign or veto legislation on his desk which allowed the legalization of online casino gambling and poker in the state as of March 28. West Virginia is now the 4^th state to legalize and regulate interactive wagering for casinos and 5^th for online poker. The law will take effect on June 7^th, 2019.

As discussed in an earlier story, states like West Virginia were moving to pass legislation allowing online gambling despite the DOJ’s opinion reversal on the Wire Act. Jason Barrett, a House Delegate shared his excitement over social media platform Twitter writing, “#iGaming has now officially completed the legislative process in West Virginia, ensuring we will become just the 4th state in the nation to legalize online [casino] gambling”.

The minimum gambling age for online interactive gambling will be set at 21 in West Virginia. West Virginians over eighteen or those who are 21 who cannot wait for implementation looking to enjoy interactive gambling can do so through licensed offshore online 18+ casinos and eighteen and over poker sites. WV’s 5 casino venues will need to apply to obtain one of their designated online gaming licenses provided by the state.

The initiate fee for obtaining an interactive license is $250,000 with a renewal fee of $100,000 due once every 5 years. West Virginia will tax the online gaming revenue at 15%.

As of this moment, all 5 venues which will be allowed to offer online casino gambling already have sports betting partnerships. The Greenbrier has a sports betting partnership with FanDuel Sportsbook, Hollywood with William Hill US and DraftKings Sportsbook, Mountaineer with William Hill US, and Mardi Gras and Wheeling Island with Miomni. However, Miomni suffered from a dispute with 3^rd party provider Entergaming which shut down sports gambling at Mardi Gras and Wheeling just before and during the first few weeks of March Madness.

This issue may have other venues including those affected reconsidering who they may partner with for online casino gambling.

In consideration of online poker, however, another issue may be afoot. West Virginia’s populate is small as is and a smaller percentage of that population may be interested in online poker gambling. Therefore, a multi-state online poker compact with Nevada, New Jersey, and Delaware may be necessary to keep WV’s online poker platform afloat by providing a wide pool of players. However, the new 2019 DOJ opinion reversal may make this an obstacle not worth the state letting off the ground.

One gambling expansion bill has swept through the Senate and House and to the Governor’s desk, SB 1126. The lawmakers and people in the Commonwealth are excited to see new gaming services and options. It is likely that Virginia expedited the passing of this bill because neighboring state West Virginia now offers sports gambling.

Pre-filed by Senator Louise Lucas, SB 1126 swiftly cleared its legislative committees late February and recently received Governor Ralph Northam’s signature. Originally the bill only contained provisions to expand land-based gaming, however, after numerous amendments and revisions online gaming was included to the definition of casino gaming in the bill. Sports betting was already included as part of the casino gaming definition.

However, while the bill has passed making Virginia the 9^th state to legalize sports betting at the state legislative level, it is short on specifics such as tax allocation, minimum ages, and implementation. The lack of details could mean the launch for these expanded gambling forms could take months if not years.

The bill will be cataloged into the state’s law books, but various agencies will likely be involved in reviewing best practices and programs before releasing these games to the public. It is likely the Virginia Lottery Board will hold a large role in these expanded gambling efforts.

This new law will essentially allow cities to establish a single casino with the ability to offer online gaming and sports betting, however, eligible cities must have a poverty rate of 20%, an unemployment rate of 4%, and experienced a population decline of 7% between 1990 and 2016. Under this law, tribal-run gaming venues could be in cities with populations of at least 200,000 and were 24% of all real estate is exempt from local property taxes.

Each township would need to hold a local referendum before breaking ground. It is currently unknown what price is to be paid for one of these licenses from the state Lottery Board, however, tax rates have been named between 13 and 15% of gross revenue. Depending on the difficulty of implementation, Virginia could shelve launching online gaming and sports betting for a few years.

In the meantime, Virginia residents are not barred by the Federal government or state government from accessing and gambling on licensed offshore online 18+ casino sites which offer poker and sports betting.