Dubai Tourism Chief Claims City Won’t Become Gaming Destination, Despite MGM and Caesars Projects

Dubai will quickly become home to hotel properties branded by MGM Resorts and Caesars Entertainment, but area officials say do not obtain the idea that is wrong casinos and gambling aren’t visiting the region.

Dubai is home to the globe’s building that is tallest and some of the most fascinating synthetic islands, but casinos won’t presumably be coming anytime soon.

Gambling is considered ‘haram’ under Islamic law: an activity that is forbidden goes against sacred texts found in the Quran.

During an meeting with Gulf News this week, Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce CEO Issam Kazim was asked if there was clearly an increasing appetite to welcome casinos to the city.

‘No, there is not a desire for casinos,’ Kazim declared. ‘ We have to bear in mind that you can find cultural items that are a definite concern to us.’

Non-Gaming Horizons

MGM Resorts and Caesars Entertainment, respectively ranked # 2 and #5 with regards to gross gaming revenue of the planet’s casino operators, are starting the center East for the time that is first way of Dubai.

In March 2017, MGM reached a working agreement 1xbet yeni adres with Dubai-based Wasl Hospitality and Leisure to advise on the development of the destination resort, and when completed in 2021, run its operations.

The 26-acre beachfront complex will feature the MGM Hotel, MGM Residences, and Bellagio Hotel.

Previously this month, Caesars Entertainment announced a partnership with Meraas, also a Dubai development firm, to handle and operate part of the $1.6 billion Bluewaters that is man-made Island. Caesars will likely be responsible for hospitality and entertainment in the artificial land that measures roughly 80 acres.

Caesars CEO Mark Frissora said the venture into Dubai is section of its post-bankruptcy give attention to expanding to international areas and lending the brand to hoteliers. Bob Morse, the company’s president of hospitality, said its Bluewaters partners Meraas put any gambling talk ‘to rest really quickly.’

Expanding Tourism

The biggest and many populated city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), during the last decade Dubai leaders have actually made an effort to become less reliant on oil. Expanding the tourism sector is a focus, and billions of dollars have been spent, a lot of that are monies associated with your house of Al Falasi, the Dubai royal household.

Certainly one of the city’s main draws are the synthetic islands built in the Persian Gulf.

Dubai is now the sixth most-visited town in the planet, based on the World Economic Forum. Nearly 15 million individuals checked out in 2017, lots that’s behind only Hong Kong, Bangkok, London, Singapore, plus the world’s gambling hub that is richest, Macau.

Dubai is considered to be a city that is progressive and it has eased some restrictions on what’s otherwise considered haram vices. Adult non-Muslims are permitted to take liquor in licensed venues typically present city resorts.

But gambling — frequently included on so-called ‘sin industry’ listings, along with alcohol, tobacco, tools production, and products that are sex-related; is unlikely to be coming to Dubai any time soon, if ever.

However, city officials in Dubai have an ambitious goal of welcoming 20 million tourists a year by 2020, which would make it the third locale that is most-visited the globe.

Shocker, Not: Nevada Most Gambling-Addicted State, Learn Reveals

Nevada is America’s most gambling-addicted state, according to a new study conducted by WalletHub.com, an online finance website that is personal. It’s probably the least study that is surprising since one which revealed that more than 50 percent of teenagers are hooked on their mobile phones.

Nevada holds the record for the most addicted gamblers, a brand new study shows. With no one is surprised. (Image: File/Getty)

That should come as surprise that is little nevertheless the placement of several other states into the study results may be worthy of a few elevated eyebrows.

The old-fashioned way, WalletHub says it studied 19 key metric indicators to determine where excessive gambling is most prevalent in its third year evaluating which US states are the most addicted to taking chances with their money.

The assessment considered two areas that are main ‘gambling friendliness’ (a quotient that combined a variety of gaming factors for each state) and ‘gambling issue and treatment.’ The weighted categories included factors such as the amount of commercial and tribal casinos per capita, and portion of adults with gambling disorders and parallel available number of behavioral counselors.

Nevada topped record of all gambling-addicted states with a total score of 62.43. It rated first in gambling friendliness, and 10th in gambling problem and treatment.

Nevada has the most casinos and gaming machines per capita, and rate that is fifth-highest of addiction.

One may suspect nj-new Jersey or Pennsylvania to come next, but that ‘honor’ goes to South Dakota, which scored 53.1. Rounding out of the top five most gambling-addicted states are Montana (52.9), Mississippi (51.8), and Louisiana (44.7).

Four of the top five are repeat offenders. Louisiana may be the entry that is newest, up from no. 9 in 2017, while West Virginia (#5 in 2017), dropped back to # 6 in 2010.

Detailing Down And Up

Pennsylvania — which creates the second-most gross gaming casino revenue behind only Nevada — placed #27 on final years WalletHub list. But because of the Keystone State in the process of further expanding its commercial industry with as much as 10 new satellite casinos, along with impending on line gambling and daily fantasy sports, and slots inside truck stops and airport video gaming lounges, Pennsylvania has surged a dozen spots, up to #15.

Illinois was another mover-upper, going from #18 in 2017 to #9 on this 12 months’s list. No state has more gambling-related arrests per capita, according to WalletHub though Illinois ranks 25th in gaming machines per capita and 21st in lottery sales.

Atlantic City’s New Jersey dropped two spots to #8. The Garden State ranks 2nd in gambling treatment and problem, with nearly three % of all adults recognized as have a gambling disorder.

Implications of Legal Sports Betting

A lot of the US might find their ‘gambling friendliness’ score increase, should sports betting be legalized for several 50 states. The Supreme Court is expected to soon hand straight down its viewpoint on the present federal ban that prohibits the activity in every but four states.

WalletHub asked five behavioral and psychology experts whether sports betting should be permitted at the federal level. All five said it will, because of the general opinion that eliminating unregulated illegal offshore and underground sportsbooks is in the most useful interest of both consumers and the gaming industry.

‘ The reason that is main states want gambling is money. You will want to make sports wagering legal? Gamblers will gamble anyhow,’ Indiana University Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences Professor Emeritus Jim Sherman noted.

as 20 states would be likely to pass sports betting laws in the coming years should SCOTUS repeal the federal ban.

Land in Sight for Louisiana Riverboat Casinos as State Senate Passes ‘River to Shore’ Bill

On Tuesday, the day that is very the Horseshoe Southern Indiana ended up being provided permission by the Indiana Gaming Commission to move its operations onto dry land, hundreds of kilometers south the Louisiana Senate was approving a bill that would also propel its own riverboat gambling enterprises onto terra firma.

State Senator Ronnie Johns believes Louisiana riverboat casinos should be allowed to come onto dry land after 25 years within the beverage. He really wants to modernize their state’s casino industry therefore it can compete along with its neighbors. (Image: Sarah Camard/Gambit Weekly)

The Louisiana Senate voted 22-14 to pass State Senator Ronnie Johns’ (R-Lake Charles) SB316, which will permit the state’s 15 riverboat casinos to really make the evolutionary leap, provided all gambling activities are conducted within 1,200 legs of their licensed berths.

Johns’ bill would also remove a quirky statute from Louisiana gamble law that calls for each center to have a operational paddle wheel.

Horseshoe Gets Lucky

Indiana passed a bill that is similar 2015, and not really a moment too quickly for the Horseshoe that has been shut down on at least five occasions because of the flooding of the Ohio river where it offers been permanently docked since its establishment in 1998. Probably the most closure that is recent in February, at great cost to hawaii.

The Indiana regulator on Tuesday approved a $85 million land-based facility or should that be ‘above-land-based facility,’ because the Caesars-owned casino will be slightly elevated to negate the risk of flooding.

‘This project further demonstrates our continued enthusiasm for and commitment towards the state,’ said Brad Siegel, senior vice president during the Horseshoe. ‘We appreciate the Commission’s decision today and appearance forward to continuing our positive working relationships at the State and local level.’

Expansion or development?

Much of the debate in Louisiana, meanwhile, was whether Johns’ bill constituted gambling expansion, since it proposes reworking the cap on casino floor space. The current limitation of 30,000 square foot would be replaced by a limit on gambling positions or the amount of seats in front side of slots at 2,365.

Johns stated his bill would modernize hawaii’s creaking casino sector, enabling it to incorporate bigger slots with the latest cutting-edge technology, which can only help it to deflect competition from the casinos of Oklahoma and Mississippi.

State Senator Danny Martiny (R-Dist. 10) consented, and berated other senators who thought otherwise.

We’ve got an industry that’s providing us with income, thank God,’ Martiny stated. ‘Everybody that is against it, sure doesn’t shy far from coming to Appropriations and asking for some of that money.