Each week, CasinoBeats breaks down the numbers behind some of the industry’s most interesting stories. In our latest edition we take a look at Australian bushfire donations, a Hard Rock development and rejection and further New Jersey records.

1.5

Tabcorp has announced that it will donate more than AU$1.5m to the country’s bushfire relief, called the worst in decades having destroyed a projected 10 million hectares (100,000 sq km) of land since July 1.

Donated via its TAB, Sky Racing, the Lott, MAX and Keno brands, all Tabcorp proceeds from its regular Saturday Lotto draw on January 25 will be donated to the bushfire relief effort, which is expected to be in excess of $1.5 million. The draw will be known as the Bushfire Benefit Draw.

Furthermore, the firm has also provided financial relief to hotels and clubs that have been directly impacted by bushfires and relief operations.

This comes in addition to the $100,000 donation made by Tabcorp’s Keno brand to assist Team Rubicon in late 2019 in their efforts to clean and rebuild bushfire affected communities, particularly those who have lost property in the northern New South Wales region.

Tabcorp is also dollar matching donations made to bushfire relief charities by its 5,000 employees, as well as amending its existing volunteering policy to provide open-ended paid leave for volunteer firefighters and reservists throughout this time.

8

Hard Rock International has been ruled out of the race to operate a casino resort at Greece’s €8bn Hellinikon Project by the Hellenic Gaming Commission (EEEP), report various outlets.

First detailed by Greek publication Ekathimerini, the Commission is said to have accepted the committee’s conclusion, a unanimous 9-0, to rule HRI out of the running for the sole casino licence at the old Athens airport.

Previously stressing that it planned to invest more than €1bn in the project should it be successful, the decision follows reports last year of issues with the US casino operator’s paperwork.

The report suggests that the EEEP is yet to make a decision on the remaining tender, that being a joint venture between Mohegan Gaming Entertainment and GEK Terna.

The Connecticut headquartered firm unveiled plans for Inspire Athens last year, with the proposed integrated resort and casino development slated to create in excess of 7,000 jobs for the region during and after construction, including direct, indirect and induced.

400

Spectacle Entertainment and Hard Rock International have aligned to announce the development and construction of the $400m Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana.

The joint venture of the 200,000 square foot entertainment complex will see the property include more than 2,130 gaming positions, a sportsbook, six food venues, retail shop and 2,000-seat showroom. Phase two of the project will see the addition of a 200-plus-room hotel and a multi-level parking garage.

An official groundbreaking ceremony was held last week at the construction site in the city of Gary, attended by state and local officials as well as a number of executives of both organisations alongside guests of honour Tito, Jackie and Marlon Jackson.

Utilising the Hard Rock name, which boasts a presence in 76 countries, Spectacle is confident visitors will be attracted throughout the region and beyond to maximise job creation and increase tax revenues.

Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana is forecasting more than $20m annually in tax revenue and payments to the City of Gary and surrounding communities, as well as the creation of approximately 1,000 construction jobs, with an emphasis to hire union labour, and an estimated additional 500 jobs are expected.

New Jersey’s 2019 trend of new records complemented by ongoing growth continuing into December, with gross gaming revenue for the year, including igaming and sports wagering, topping the $3bn barrier for the first time since 2012.

Boosted by December’s total of $287.3m, up 11 per cent year-on-year from $258.8m, the Garden State’s online casino segment almost made its first entry beyond the $50m ceiling.

Online casino games and poker generated a record $49.3m in December, up 70 per cent from 2018’s $29m, with its yearly total up 61.6 per cent to $482.6m (2018: $298.7m).

Golden Nugget continued to retain its place at the top of the igaming tree with $17.2m, followed by Resorts Digital, which secured a new record for the fourth straight month with $11.9m (2018: $4.3m).

On a land-based basis revenue for the month finished at $208.5m, down less than half a percentage point, with Borgata continuing to be head and shoulder above the rest with $54.9m (2018: $57.4m).

2020

The London Baby networking party will be bigger and better than ever when SBC welcomes 900 industry guests to Proud Embankment on Tuesday, February 4, with Swintt on board as a headline sponsor.

The partnership continues a close collaboration between SBC and the fast-rising casino games provider, with Swintt aligning with CasinoBeats during 2019 as Premium Sponsor of the inaugural CasinoBeats Malta as well as Platinum Sponsor of the CasinoBeats Summit.

David Mann, business development director at Swintt, said: “We are delighted to once again partner with our good friends at SBC to be a headline sponsor of the London Baby event next month.

“This will be Swintt’s first ICE, and as the must-attend show on the industry calendar we wanted to make a real impact at a top event where we can entertain our partners and friends while enjoying ourselves after an exciting first day showcasing our sought-after games and products.

“Working with the team at SBC on previous occasions, and having attended some of their excellent parties, we knew this was the right choice for us to both showcase our brand, have a great evening and continue our partnership with SBC.”