Автор: genom

With a lawsuit pending against Mohegan Sun by Northeast Realty, a one-time partner in the failed Palmer casino project, the Connecticut-based gaming company has fired back with a lawsuit of its own.

Leon Dragone
In its counter-suit which became public this week, Mohegan Sun makes a series of claims against the company's manager Leon Dragone, claiming that the Longmeadow resident not only violated the terms of contracts but took actions which ultimately helped anti-casino proponents derail the project entirely.

Within the pages of the counter-lawsuit filed in Hampden Superior Court, Mohegan asserts that Dragone's alleged failures included not working to secure support from Springfield officials well before city government began eying the promised investment of MGM Resorts International and Penn National Gaming; organizing his own pro-Palmer casino movement that confused the message of Mohegan's official get-out-the-vote drive and actively used ownership of a New Bedford property as a bargaining chip to court other casino companies in violation of the exclusivity agreement signed between Northeast Realty and the Connecticut casino company.

Northeast Realty dismissed the countersuit as a personal attack against Dragone, but the lawsuit claims Dragone didn't leverage his Springfield contacts to boost support for the Palmer casino project.

This artist rendering shows Mohegan Sun's proposed Palmer casino, which the voters in that town rejected by a margin of 94 votes in November 2013.
"As the closest city to Palmer, Springfield was the most important regional economy, and it was expected to provide crucial early support for the Palmer Project and ultimately, serve as a key source of labor for a gaming facility in Palmer," page 14 of the lawsuit reads. "Ignoring Mohegan’s instructions, however, Dragone neglected his acquaintances in Springfield and failed to engage Springfield in the Palmer Project. As a result, some early supporters from Springfield withdrew from the Palmer Project, and in fact entered into other gaming agreements, some in Springfield."

While negotiations over the host community agreement with the town of Palmer were ongoing, Mohegan hired Michael Vito & Associates of Northampton to direct its field operations in preparation for the vote on the ballot question. Shortly afterwards, Dragone was said to have started working against Vito's efforts, the lawsuit claims.

The lawsuit claims that as Vito was set to launch the "Yes for Palmer" campaign committee, Dragone caught wind and launched the "Vote Yes for Palmer" group.

"In addition to being a breach of his obligations under the GMR Agreement, Dragone's competing campaign group also defied common sense: Palmer had approximately 7600 registered voters, about 6000 of whom were considered active voters," the lawsuit claims. "A town of Palmer's size did not require and could not support two campaign committees in favor of approving gaming in Palmer, especially two whose names were so confusingly similar."

In regards to the Northeast Realty-owned property in New Bedford, Mohegan alleges that as part of the exclusivity agreement the two sides signed, Dragone was to divest all ownership interests. The lawsuit contends that instead of doing so, he continues to court a potential casino client for the location just in case licensure for a casino moves forward in the Southeastern part of the state.

In its lawsuit filed against Mohegan Sun back in February, Northeast Realty alleges that it was the casino company that violated the terms of the exclusivity agreement by engaging in talks with Suffolk Downs before the Palmer voters turned down the proposal there. In response to the countersuit, Northeast Realty contends that Mohegan Sun is trying to smear Dragone's reputation and that as its own lawsuit moves forward, the truth will come out.

"Blaming Northeast for Mohegan's failure in Palmer further erodes their credibility in Massachusetts. Blaming others for their failures is a typical Mohegan Sun response," Northeast Realty said in a statement. "They blamed the two-year delay in sharing details of the Palmer project with the public on their debt restructuring and then blamed the host community process in stalling the Palmer agreement for more than 12 months, negotiations that took Mohegan only about 12 days to complete in Revere for their Suffolk Downs partnership."

The high court, in a 23-page decision, dismissed the petition for review of PAGCOR, which questioned the injunction order that Manila Judge Cicero D. Jurado issued in favor of Thunderbird Pilipinas Hotels and Resorts, Inc. and Eastbay Resorts, Inc.

The injunction ordered PAGCOR to grant the operators’ various requests, which would allow them to resume the operations of the Fiesta Hotel and Casino in Binganonan, Rizal, and the Fiesta Casino and Resort at the Poro Point Special Economic and Freeport Zone in La Union.

"In conclusion, PAGCOR’s sole and exclusive authority to restrict and control the operation of gambling casinos in the country cannot be said to be absolute, but must be exercised with due regard to the terms of its agreement with the licensee," Associate Justice Bienvenido L. Reyes wrote.

"This is especially so when the grant of a particular franchisee to operate a casino is hinged on an entire investment agreement to establish a resort complex requiring a significant infusion of capital, wherein the investor must invest not just in a casino operation but in a complete hotel/resort complex which would house it," he added.

In 2011, PAGCOR ordered Eastbay and Thunderbird to cease its casino operations unless they satisfy its terms of reference for a new license.

Conditions include completion of investment commitment within three years, a minimum floor area of 25,000 square meters for the resort, and a gross floor area of 5,000 square meters for the gaming areas, a minimum of 200 hotel rooms, a maximum of one gaming table for every hotel room, and three slot machines for every two rooms.

A three-year provisional license will be issued until it complies with its commitments, which would then be replaced with a regular license reaching a seven-year period. The new terms also included PAGCOR’s franchise fees based on gross gaming revenues.

The new terms prompted Thunderbird and Eastbay to seek remedies with the Manila regional trial court (RTC), saying they should be entitled to new franchise coterminous with that of PAGCOR.

The Manila RTC then granted the operators’ injunction plea, compelling PAGCOR to seek a review of the order before the SC.

In its ruling, the high court noted the case was already moot after the parties agreed to settle the issue. It also noted the Manila court acted within its mandate, and PAGCOR should have observed the hierarchy of courts by filing a motion for reconsideration before proceeding to the high tribunal for relief.

Transforming Atlantic City’s oldest casino from a Prohibition-themed gambling hall to a destination for Jimmy Buffett’s Parrotheads took millions of dollars and disrupted the property for several months.
Today, however, Resorts Casino Hotel President and CEO Mark Giannantonio says the $70 million investment — in a Margaritaville complex, food court, Boardwalk retail area and more — was worth it.
He believes the property has begun to turn the corner financially with its first quarter results, and is moving toward an earnings profit by year’s end.
Resorts will continue to build on its image as a haven for the relaxed, beach-bound tourist in keeping with Margaritaville’s surfer vibe, Giannantonio said. By Memorial Day, gone will be the 1920s flapper cocktail server costumes brought by Resorts’ late owner, Dennis Gomes. They’ll be replaced with new costumes more in keeping with a new theme that has yet to be revealed.
A new beach bar will be constructed in the sand in front of the LandShark Bar & Grill, and the city has approved designating the beach at North Carolina Avenue as a surfing beach. Surfer Dean Randazzo, of Jersey Devil Surf, located at Resorts, will offer surf lessons on the beach.
“We have a whole experience coming for this summer that will be fun and games and music, and just bring a whole new feel to what we already have,” Giannantonio said.
Giannantonio acknowledges that the casino’s 2013 results were less than desirable. Resorts’ casino win remained flat at $130.8 million; its gross operating losses widened from $8 million to $12.2 million. Giannantonio attributes those losses to the renovations that temporarily shut down parts of the casino floor and closed part of a hotel tower.
First quarter results, however, have seen improvement. In the first three months of the year, Resorts saw $29.3 million in gambling win, up 12 percent.
Giannantonio said the capital investments made in the property, coupled with its new management agreement with Connecticut-based Mohegan Sun, will turn Atlantic City’s original casino from a struggling property to a successful property.
In 2012, Resorts owner Morris Bailey reached an agreement with Mohegan Sun to become the operators and minority owner of the casino. That gave Resorts access to Mohegan Sun’s database, and the casino now combines its marketing and promotional programs with Mohegan Sun’s other properties in Connecticut and Pennsylvania.
Resorts has gained new customers from the relationship, Giannantonio said, though he declined to release data related to the relationship.
Missing from Resort’s current portfolio is a venture into online gambling. Seven of Atlantic City’s 11 casinos have begun Internet wagering operations. The four that have not are: Harrah’s Atlantic City and Showboat Atlantic, whose parent company, Caesars Entertainment, has entered the market through its other Atlantic City properties; Revel Casino Hotel, which has been openly looking for a buyer since last year; and Resorts.
Of those four, Resorts is the only property that holds an Internet gambling permit. But its plans were put on hold in December when the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement suspended the application of its would-be partner, online gambling giant PokerStars.
Citing concerns about the federal indictment of a PokerStars founder, regulators at least temporarily stymied Resorts’ entrance into online gambling and a $10 million poker room that PokerStars had committed to building at the land-based casino.
Today, Gianntonio says, Resorts still believes in PokerStars, and the casino is waiting for the licensing process to be complete. He would not comment as to whether Resorts could have looked for other partnership opportunities when regulators put PokerStars’ application on hold.
PokerStars support suggest that if the giant is allowed to enter the New Jersey market online revenues could grow significantly.
But others have questioned whether allowing the company, which paid a $731 million settlement in a money laundering, bank fraud and illegal gambling case, to operate in New Jersey would compromise the state’s regulatory standards.
“They are our partner, and we’re waiting for them to be licensed,” Gianntonio said.

CANTON – St. Lawrence County Legislators are supporting the proposed “E23 Casino Project” in Albany County, which they say would benefit Northern New York.

At a Monday night finance committee legislators voted to support the Albany casino because of a partnership between Flaum Management Inc., and the public benefit corporation Capital District Regional Off-Track Betting.

According to a press release issued by Flaum Management, E23 “will create 1,800 jobs permanent jobs and 1,500 construction jobs” in the Albany area.

Plans call for a 63,000 square foot casino, a 275-room resort style hotel and multiple room types including: luxury suites, family suites and standard rooms and a Parking Garage with more than 750 spots, and 975 surface spots.

According to the resolution, St. Lawrence County is a member of Capital District Regional Off-Track Betting Corp. and receives revenues from the corporation.

According to the resolution the E23 Casino project would generate revenue for the OTB corp., which would in turn provide funding to its members, including St. Lawrence County.

“Under the Capital District Regional Off-Track Betting Corporation E23 Casino Project, financial benefits would be provided to 19 upstate New York counties and two cities, which is 12 more than municipalities would receive financial benefit from the Capital Region casino,” the resolution says. “There would be no other way for these additional counties to receive any financial benefit from the building of a casino in the Capital District Region.”

Legislators passed the resolution supporting the Albany casino “in recognition of the potential economic benefits” for St. Lawrence and other upstate counties.

Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa, Caesars Atlantic City and Harrah’s Resort are among the first in the country to offer Powerbucks, the nation’s first multi-state progressive jackpot network.
Powerbucks is a “bolt-on” progressive, meaning casinos can digitally connect it to any IGT slot machine to make it a progressive. When Powerbucks is enabled, a progressive tracker appears at the top of the screen.
In addition to Atlantic City, Powerbucks is also available in select casinos in Deadwood, S.D. Nevada is expected to approve Powerbucks later this year and eventually it will be expanded to other jurisdictions, including Canada, as well.
IGT touts Powerbucks as “dramatically increasing” jackpot potential and “the chance for all players to win big and more frequently.”
At Borgata, play Powerbucks on Twilight Zone near Noodles Of the World, with more machines expected to be connected in the near future.
At Caesars, play Powerbucks on the five-seat Avatar by the Boardwalk entrance across from the The Pier Shops at Caesars; at Harrah’s, it’s also on Avatar, but on a two-seat version between the Diamond Cove high limit slot area and Keno.
Cruise control
You have only a few more days, but Tropicana Casino and Resort Atlantic City Casino Online is giving away more than 50 cruises through the end of April.
Gamblers who play on Tropicana Atlantic City Online during this month automatically will be entered in the “Get Online to Get Onboard” contest. The top players on the leader boards will be given a certificate for a free cruise of their choice courtesy of Carnival Cruise Lines.
Winners will have the opportunity to choose their city of departure for a wide variety of four- to eight-day cruises to the Caribbean, Mexico and the Bahamas.
In addition, qualifying contestants will receive an invitation to pick up their Carnival Cruise Lines certificate and enjoy a complimentary overnight stay at the Tropicana Casino and Resort. For additional rules and regulations, go to TropicanaCasino.com. For more details about eligible cruises and destinations, go to Carnival.com.
‘Pay Out in Paradise’
No, this is not a player loyalty program for the afterlife. Yet another offshore casino is trying to steal your business from Atlantic City.
The Marriott Aruba Resort will give three comped nights, including breakfast for two daily, and a Platinum tier card and front line access in its Stellaris Casino.
Rooms must be booked by May 30 for travel May 26 through Dec. 20, though May 27 through 30 is already sold out. Average daily rates during this period run from $209 to $289, plus taxes and fees.
While the billboards around town tell you to go to PayOutInParadise.com, there’s really not a lot of detail there, but here are some key facts:
To qualify for this promotion, you need to have one of the following valid player cards:
• Borgata: Black Label or Titanium
• Golden Nugget Atlantic City: Elite
• Resorts Casino Hotel: Paramount or Red Carpet
• Revel Casino-Hotel: Black or Radiance
• Total Rewards (Bally’s, Caesars, Harrah’s, Showboat): Seven Stars
• Tropicana: Black
• Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort or Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino: Signature
You will need to tell them what card you have, and give them the name and contact information of your host so they can verify you actually have the card you say you do.
In order to redeem comps/points you earn while you’re there, during your stay you must do one of the following:
• Earn 1,500 points daily.
• Lose $8,000 or more on slot play.
• Place an average bet of $250 at the tables for a minimum of four hours per day.
Touchdown!
Caesars Entertainment’s proprietary Total Touch system — already in place for several years at Bally’s Atlantic City, Harrah’s Resort and other casinos around the country — is now being installed at Caesars Atlantic City. Total Touch allows customers to order drinks, redeem free play, check their Total Rewards account balances, and receive real-time offers based on their play.
Compared to other Total Rewards casinos I’ve visited, this is the fastest Total Touch system I’ve experienced. It’s a mere second or two before your player information displays on the small screen imbedded in the slot machine case.
Recreational gambler Darryl D. McEwen, a former professional journalist, is president of his own consulting firm that manages several small national and international trade associations, and provides public relations and fundraising services for a number of charitable organizations. Have a comment on this or a question specifically related to an Atlantic City casino, players club or other promotion? Email Mr. AC Casino at MrACCasino@gmail.com and he’ll try to respond to you personally. Your question — without your name — may appear in a future column.

Through his work with The E Street Band and as a solo artist, Springsteen has created a loyal fan base thanks to an impressive song catalog that showcases both rock ‘n’ roll and folk-oriented music. But it’s his high-energy, marathon-like live performances that have made “The Boss” legendary.

Springsteen’s concerts typically sell out within hours, and for those who were lucky enough to get a ticket and experience the show in person, there was nothing that could fill that void between Bruce’s highly anticipated tours … until now.

Bruce in the USA, which has been called the top Springsteen tribute band in the country, offers a note-perfect, visually accurate recreation of a Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band show. The group will perform the legend’s greatest hits in a high-octane fashion when it hits the Samala Showroom.

Matt Ryan first performed the “Springsteen” character as a cast member of “Legends in Concert,” the pioneering ensemble in the industry of tribute bands and celebrity impersonators. For more than a decade, Ryan has worked as a professional live performance artist in full-scale production shows on the Las Vegas Strip and around the world. After years of perfecting his craft in thousands of shows, Ryan has evolved the “Springsteen” character into the national touring show it has become today.