Spin Cycle: Sweeps Settlement, Cali Cardroom Conundrum Highlight Week In Gambling

Welcome to “Spin Cycle,” Casino Reports’ weekly Friday roundup of all things impactful, intriguing, impressive, or idiotic in the gambling industry. Pull up a chair, grab a stack of chips and a glass of your beverage of choice, and take a spin with us through this week’s news cycle …

Cut the cards

There are 84 licensed cardrooms operating in California. And they may be in big trouble if state Attorney General Rob Bonta’s proposed new cardroom regulations are approved.

This traces back to California’s tribes being permitted this year, for the first time, to sue the cardrooms for offering alleged illegal games, and the first such lawsuit has led to Bonta proposing new regulations that would affect the rules for blackjack.

According to The San Jouquin Valley Sun, a state analysis estimated the new rules would cause a 50% decline in revenue and a 25% reduction in customers — and a loss of hundreds of jobs.

California Assemblyman David Tangipa opposes the new regulations, saying, “The attorney general’s proposed regulations pose a direct threat to these good-paying jobs and would devastate our economy by eliminating critical tax revenue.”

High5 settles for 1.5

Compared to losing a $25 million lawsuit, handing over a little less than $1.5 million in a settlement probably feels like a win.

The Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) announced Thursday that High5Games had agreed to pay nearly $1.5 million while facing 1,065 counts of conducting illegal gaming activity in the state.

The DCP spelled out that High5 was no longer operating its sweepstakes casino in Connecticut, but following the settlement, had its Online Gaming Service Provider license reinstated.

“We are satisfied with the outcome of this investigation, which has resulted in the return of funds to consumers who were harmed by the unfair marketing of an unlicensed sweepstakes casino,” said DCP Gaming Division Director Kris Gilman.

In February, a jury awarded High5Casino players in Washington state $25 million for the same sort of alleged crimes.

Say hello to Hollywood … sooner than expected

Penn Entertainment announced Wednesday it will open its new Hollywood Joliet casino venue in Illinois on Aug. 11 pending state regulatory approvals. That is nearly six months ahead of schedule after Penn broke ground at the location between Interstates 80 and 55 in December 2023.

The casino, which is located six miles from the current temporary venue, will anchor a commercial and residential development called Rock Run Collection. The new Hollywood Joliet will have more than 1,000 gaming positions, an ESPN Bet retail sportsbook, 43 live table games, and a baccarat room. The highlight of the dining options is a restaurant featuring a fusion of upscale Italian cuisine and modern California cuisine from celebrity chef and entrepreneur Giada De Laurentiis.

“The countdown to the opening of our newest casino begins today,” Jay Snowden, CEO and president of Penn said in the press release. “The move from our existing riverboat significantly improves our offerings in the highly attractive Chicagoland market, and both our existing customers and new guests will be able to enjoy premier gaming, dining, and entertainment at this exceptionally accessible new location.” 

— Chris Altruda

House Rules: Insights from around our network

NEW YORK CASINO NEWS, PART 1: Silverstein Properties releases design for Avenir NYC casino [by Chris Altruda]

NEW YORK CASINO NEWS, PART 2: Two Times Square venues backing Roc Nation and Caesars bid [by Chris Altruda]

NEW YORK CASINO NEWS, PART 3: Bally’s chair: Anti-Trump sentiment delaying NYC casino vote [by Jeff Edelstein]

THE NEW JERSEY RESPONSE: What will it take for New Jersey racetracks to get the go-ahead to add casinos? [by John Brennan]

UNITED WAY: Indian Country, commercial operators creeping closer to California dream? [by Brant James]

SHOW-ME TEAMWORK: Century Casinos, BetMGM to partner in Missouri [by Jill Dorson]

COMMISSION IMPOSSIBLE: Texas Lottery Commission one step closer to being put out to pasture [by Jeff Edelstein]

NOT THE FINAL RECKONING: Wynn has its day of reckoning, but much Nevada reckoning remains [by Richard Schuetz]

LAMB’S TALE: Ben Lamb’s big bet: From poker star to crypto casino founder [by Jeff Edelstein]

ANTE UP: The 2025 World Series of Poker arrives, flush with plotlines [by Eric Raskin]

NOT BAD, EH?: Ontario online casino revenue sets another record in April [by Chris Altruda]

VERY IMPORTANT GUIDELINES: Responsible Online Gaming Association issues guidelines for VIP programs [by Jeff Edelstein]

Small stakes and hot takes

This week on the Casino Reports podcast Low Rollers, Jeff Edelstein and I welcomed veteran poker journalist Lance Bradley of The Overlay during the opening week of the World Series of Poker to talk about the state of the game and the feeling of being part of the WSOP in person. Here’s a taste:

Jeff and I also discussed sweepstakes casinos under fire, the guy running for California governor who bet on himself and then literally declared himself pro-Nazi, some promising MLB futures, and more. Full episode:

The Shuffle: Other news and views

HAMPERED IN NEW HAMPSHIRE: Senate lawmakers vote to lift betting limits to attract high-rollers to New Hampshire’s casinos [Concord Monitor]

GET HAPPY: SC Gaming casino named Happy Valley Casino [CDC Gaming Reports]

IN THE RED: Evolution announces US launch of Red Door Roulette [Complete iGaming]

SINGING THE BLEAUS: Money laundering investigation into Fontainebleau revealed as president seeks gaming license [The Nevada Independent]

PRIMARY ISSUE: Virginia Democratic lieutenant governor candidates have mixed views on a Tysons casino [FFX Now]

MONKEY BUSINESS: MGM’s Aria advertises illegal offshore betting site [Nevada Current]

BUMP IN THE RHODE: Bally’s seeks more cash from state to promote casinos [WJAR 10]

DIRTY LAUNDRY: An AML mess [Global Gaming Business Magazine]

THUMBS DOWN FROM THE CROWN: DraftKings won’t be taking over proposed casino project in Nassau, sources say [Newsday]

The Bonus Round

Completing the Spin Cycle with some odds and ends and our favorite social media posts of the week:

• I feel the need. The need … for an “immersive experience” at the Strat. Las Vegas casinos are increasingly launching these pop-culture-property-connected “experiences” to attract visitors, and Top Gun is getting the treatment next, complete with a jet simulator and other thrills. Be patient, though — this Top Gun experience isn’t expected to arrive until 2028. But, hey, what’s another three years, when you waited 36 years for Top Gun: Maverick?

• The World Series of Poker got underway this week, and here’s the most ridiculous hand we’ve heard about so far: Michael Moncek was playing two events at once, running back and forth between the tables, when he decided to just go big or go home in the lower buy-in event so he could either build a sizable stack or focus on the bigger tourney. So he went all-in blind in the $1,000 Mystery Millions event. It turned out he had a lousy 8-6 offsuit. And his all-in was called in four spots. One player had pocket aces, one had kings, one queens, and one jacks. The kings, by the way, flopped a full house and won, while Moncek proceeded to cash in his $5,000 buy-in tournament.

• We end this week with an assortment of jackpot hits. On Hard Rock Bet online casino in New Jersey on Sunday, one lucky player, identified only as “Shanetta” from Rahway, turned a 20-cent spin into nearly $60,000 playing Cash Eruption Red Hot Joker. Also over the Memorial Day weekend, a traveler at Harry Reid International Airport in Vegas got a slightly bigger ROI, and a much bigger real-money score, turning a $5 spin into $1.82 million on a Wheel of Fortune slot. And then there’s the anonymous BetMGM player in Ontario who won a $1.16 million jackpot on MGM Grand Millions … and six days later won another progressive for just over $300,000 on the same game. Look, everyone is entitled to some luck now and then. But two jackpots in a week? No wonder the middle class is vanishing.