The process related to the new casino location in Waukegan is lengthy. Yet, a new report reveals that the operator secured important approvals which help clear the path and may enable Full House Resorts to start the building process this year.

Full House Resorts Secures Approvals in Waukegan

Earlier this week, the City Council approved the company’s development and lease agreement, Lake County News-Sun revealed. This means that Full House Resorts would now seek approval from the gambling regulator in the state, the Illinois Gaming Board (IGB). Such approval would enable the operator to proceed with opening the new casino location.

However, the process itself isn’t as straightforward as it sounds. Per the development plan, initially Full House Resorts will build a temporary venue, which is likely to open its doors to visitors this year. Then, the developer is expected to start the work for a permanent casino resort which is planned to be completed in three years. Finally, once that permanent development is completed, a further extension that includes hotel accommodation can be completed in the following two years.

“The state gambling license is the last thing. We are approving the final documents to allow them to commence operations.“

Stewart Weiss corporation counsel for Waukegan, Illinois

Waukegan’s corporation counsel, Stewart Weiss, acknowledged that the latest approvals mark a major step for Full House Resorts and are needed before the gambling regulator gives approval for the temporary casino to start operating. He pointed out that the company will now go through “inspections and licensing with the IGB.” Still, Weiss pointed out that licensing marks the final step before the developer can commence operations.

The Project Is Expected to Deliver Taxes, Boost the Local Economy

The massive project planned for Waukegan is expected to boost tourism and bring economic stimulus to the region. What’s more, the city’s coffers will receive a boost from licensing fees, as well as taxes. This will undoubtedly benefit Waukegan’s economy to recover quickly from the impact of the pandemic.

Besides retail gambling, hospitality and other entertainment venues, there’s a lot of potential in the online gambling market in Illinois. But it is yet to be confirmed whether or not lawmakers will take a step forward toward legalizing the activity.

Details of the new collaboration emerged Friday and see the Tribe become the official sponsor of the event, as announced by Indian Gaming.

The new collaboration kicks off with this year’s edition of the tournament planned to start on January 16. However, this will not be a one-time deal as the Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians will remain in the capacity of a sponsor of the tournament throughout 2028.

Thanks to the new collaboration the Tribe will benefit from unique brand exposure. Under the terms of the agreement, some 1,200 volunteers will display the Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians’ Spotlight 29 Casino logo. Moreover, the Tribe will also benefit from exposure via all of the volunteer platforms.

The prestigious golf tournament will be taking place at PGA West’s Stadium, as well as La Quinta Country Club and Nicklaus Tournament Courses in California. Starting from January 16, the tournament will run through January 22.

The American Express PGA Tour Golf Tournament will include three days of pro-am events. Finally, the American Express Concert Series will wrap up the tournament with events planned for January 20 and 21 which will include stars Gwen Stefani and Darius Rucker.

Darrell Mike, Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians’ chairman, shared his excitement about the latest announcement. He pointed out that the Tribe acknowledges the importance of this tournament and the unique opportunity to support the volunteers that participate in it. “We are thrilled to be able to be a part of this time-honored tradition,” said Mike in conclusion.

“This event has always been a community-driven tournament, and we feel fortunate to be able to help support the more than 1,200 volunteers who make the week run smoothly.“

Darrell Mike, chairman of the Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians

As a federally recognized Native American tribe, the Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians has established a presence in southern California and has a strong bond with the community in the region. Its Spotlight 29 Casino helps contribute to the local economy and at the same time boosts tourism and visitation. Currently, the Tribe employs more than 700 people and supports different Tribal and government programs.

Set to start next week, the 2023 PGT season is expected to gather some of the best-ranked poker players.

PGT Championship Pits the Best Poker Players

The prestigious PGT Championship will feature a staggering $1,000,000 prize pool. The winner of the 2023 PGT will collect a hefty $50,000 prize along with the title PGT Player of the Year. According to PokerGO, seats for the 2023 PGT Championship will be awarded to the top 40 PGT players.

Additionally, a separate group of “Dream Seat” winners will also have the chance to join the prestigious event. Those dream seats include players that secured exclusive entry to the PGT Championship via unique promotions and special events.

“In addition to the $1,000,000 PGT Championship prize pool and $50,000 season-long leaderboard prize, series leaderboard bonuses of $50,000 will be awarded for each of the PokerGO Cup, US Poker Open, and Poker Masters, and $25,000 for each of the PGT Mixed Games and PGT PLO Series,“

a statement released by PokerGO explains

The PGT Delivers Unique Opportunity for Poker Players

Mori Eskandani, PokerGO’s president, explained that one of the main goals of the PGT is to help expand the popularity of poker while delivering unique entertainment for some of the best poker players. He pointed out that the PGT Championship will meet some of the best poker players in the world who will compete for a $1 million prize pool. Moreover, Eskadani said that the Championship will “provide an exclusive group of PGT Championship Dream Seat winners with an opportunity of a lifetime to compete in one of poker’s most prestigious events.”

“The PGT is committed to growing the game at the highest levels and celebrating the best players in the world.“

Mori Eskandani, president of PokerGO

Elsewhere in the world of poker, earlier this week, GGPoker became a title sponsor of the 15th edition of the Dublin Poker Festival. The leading poker operator joined forces with the Festival which is set to run between February 16 and February 26.

According to Arkansas Advocate, Judge Timothy Fox is expected to rule on the matter of Legends Resort and Casino and their entitlement to open a new casino in Pope County. The ruling will be made public in the upcoming days, putting an end to the four-year controversy regarding who should be the rightful operator of the fourth authorized casino in Arkansas. 

The Four Casinos’ Rule 

In 2018, the state approved Amendment 100 to the Constitution 2018, which gave the green light to casino gambling. The same amendment limited the number of state casinos to four. Half were approved at the state’s Oaklawn (Hot Springs) and Southland (West Memphis) racetracks. 

A new casino was approved for Jefferson and the last venue was dedicated to Pope county.

Quapaw Nation rapidly received the support of local officials around Jefferson’s Pine Bluff and obtained a license to build Saracen Casino Resort. 

The casino that is located 40 minutes from Little Rock hosts an 80,000-square-foot gaming area complete featuring more than 1,800 slot machines, a poker room, 40 table games, and four on-site restaurants. Last September, the commission approved a pitch by the Saracen Casino in an attempt to connect the state’s gambling machines with machines from other states. 

Pope County’s fourth casino license, however, became more complex and hard to follow. For starters, the Arkansas Racing Commission chose not to give the license to any of the five applicants for the 2019 period. This was because the applicants failed to obtain a letter of support from Pope County’s officials.

The commission that regulates thoroughbred and greyhound racing in the state handed the license for a fourth casino to Gulfside Casino Partnership a year later. At the same time, the Arkansas Supreme Court decided that Gulfside’s support letter obtained from the previous Pope County judge was not a valid one. The argument was that the judge had not been in office at the time of Gulfside’s application. 

Clearing the Way for Cherokee Nation 

Accordingly, the commission decided to award the license to Cherokee Nation Businesses LLC/Legends Resort and Casino LLC toward the end of 2021. The company had a problem building the casino because its license was put on hold following Gulfside’s appeal. According to the latter, Legends does not possess the necessary experience needed to operate a casino venue. 

At the same time, the Cherokees argued that Cherokee Nation Businesses, which is entitled to run a gambling venue, is Legends Resort and Casino LLC’s only member. They also explained that Legends is also a consultant that Cherokee Nation Business had partnered with.

Judge Fox spent most of Wednesday’s hearing confirming the freshest timeline and additional details regarding this case, explaining that he wanted to make sure that the record would be complete for the Supreme Court. 

Legends attorney and former state Attorney General Dustin McDaniel also filed a complaint against Pulaski County’s circuit judge, further showcasing the parties’ frustrations regarding the speed and manner in which Fox tackled the case. During a Tuesday hearing, Fox gave several parties the chance to ask for his recusal. None of the parties took the opportunity to request a recusal. 

A strong finish in 2022 was one of the best foundations to build upon for this year’s roadmap but making sure you have the right people in the top positions doesn’t hurt either.

New CFO to Kick Off 2023

This marks Muscat’s top position at the company so far, climbing from the head of finance to becoming a finance director, and now – CFO for the company. Muscat has been at Videoslots since April 2019, so his huge career progress has taken him less than four years in total at the leading operator’s company.

Muscat’s previous experience was with the sports betting company Bethard Group, where he was a senior finance manager. Going even further back, his experience in finance only shows itself enriched, with additional specialized capabilities in accounting and auditing. So, his background is diverse, and his experience at Videoslots has only added to that.

“Matthew has been a huge asset to the finance team at Videoslots and his dedication made him a stand-out candidate for the role of CFO” said Ulle Skottling, deputy chief executive officer at Videoslots said. This sentiment carries a lot of weight, as Videoslots has been growing and evolving as a company very well lately.

“The finance team here is a hugely important part of how the company operates and my job will be to ensure that we make things as smooth as possible for all our partners and customers” Muskat himself commented on his promotion at the operator. He added his gratitude for the trust indebted to him with this new position.

Videoslots Had a Strong 2022

2023 is a potentially big year for Videoslots, and management preparations aren’t limited to the new CFO. A new chief operating officer was appointed last August in the face of Eamonn Faulkner. He is a veteran with momentous experience from companies such as Betfair and DraftKings, and his style of problem-solving meshes perfectly with Videoslots.

 The Pennsylvania launch of the Mr. Vegas brand is slated for this year, so that’s a big source of expectations for execution. This comes in partnership with Caesars Entertainment, which will serve as the market entry point for Videoslots. The joint venture marks a fantastic opportunity for Videoslots to expand its market reach.

In that train of thought, the leading operator has also gained a good foothold in Italy through its partnership with Stakelogic, where some of Stakelogic’s content will be available on Videoslots, solidifying the presence of both companies in the overall European gambling market. That’s not all for Videoslots, however.

The partnership with MGA Games in the Spanish market was also made late last year, with the Videoslots Casino game catalog growing even more. This also helps boost MGA’s global presence, so it’s a safe bet to assume this one also goes in the good folder for both companies.