Ironworkers place the final beam on the MGM–AEG Arena in the Las Vegas Strip on Wednesday, a milestone that occurred two days ahead of schedule.

The $375 million arena is owned by the Las Vegas Arena Company, a joint venture between MGM Resorts International and AEG Live.

AEG is in talks with several international brands for the naming rights deal for the building. Several companies have been signed up as partners such as Coca-Cola, Toshiba and Schneider Electric.

The 20,000-seat venue will host the biggest names in entertainment such as UFC events, boxing matches, Hockey games, college basketball games and concerts.

Chad Holloway: Ascending the Plateau Video

jwplayer(“mediaspace”).setup({

New Zealand and Australian casino operator SkyCity Entertainment Group has been doing its best to absorb some of the VIP gambling business that Macau has been losing.

SkyCity, which operates three casinos in New Zealand and two more in Australia, issued a trading update covering the second half of its fiscal year-to-date to May 24. Revenue rose nearly 18%, based on a significant boost in what SkyCity calls its International Business (aka VIP gamblers).

A complete report won’t be issued until August 12, but SkyCity said its VIP revenue shot up 99% to NZD 118m (US $84.2m) thanks to VIP turnover rising 63% to NZD 8.6b and win rate improving from 1.12% last year to 1.37% this year (theoretical win rate is 1.35%).

There is a downside to being such a home away from home for Asian high-rollers, as SkyCity found out last week. Vin Thanh Tran was one of SkyCity’s best customers, spending $15m over a 15-month period at the Auckland casino. According to SkyCity records, Tran’s volume of play came to $67m won and lost, with SkyCity keeping $1.1m of Tran’s money when all was said and done.

Macau casino junket operator Iao Kun Group Holdings Ltd (IKGH) carved out a bigger than usual slice of VIP wagers in Q1. Too bad the pie they were carving was so much smaller.

IKGH, which has a share in profits from five VIP gaming rooms in Macau, reported rolling chip turnover of $2.2b in the three months ending March 31. That’s a 54% decline from the same period last year, mirroring the decline experienced by the broader Macau VIP gambling market. IKGH revenue fell 48% to $41.7m.

Still, things would have been much worse but for a stellar 4.1% win rate, better than the 3.6% recorded in Q1 2014 and well above the theoretical win rate of 2.7% to 3%. Net income was $17.1m, more than five times last year’s $3.2m, but this quarter’s figures were artificially boosted by $13.1m due to a change in fair value from last year’s acquisition of King’s Gaming, Bao Li Gaming and Oriental VIP Room.

IKGH revised its full-year 2015 outlook, lowering rolling chip turnover projections to between $7b and $8.5b from the previous forecasted range of $8.5b to $10b. IKGH chairman Lam Man Pou said he expects Macau’s VIP slump to continue for the “near term” and thus his firm plans to “prudently manage our capital.” IKGH is also eyeing further expansion efforts outside Macau similar to its recent deal with Australia’s Crown Resorts.

Another weekly installment of poker news including the biggest news stories from the Spring Championships of Online Poker, the beginning of the 46th Annual World Series of Poker, and a return to the Poker Players Alliance for Greg Raymer.

The 46th Annual World Series of Poker (WSOP) has kicked off with Events 1 & 2. The dog won’t get fed, the wife won’t get laid, and the kids won’t be played with. It’s the biggest tournament series in the world, and it’s all you will here about from now until the middle of July.

It’s just a shame that the first two events started with a whimper. Everyone is moaning about the absence of PokerNews, Ludovic Lacay somehow managed to get into the chip counts of Event #2 despite being in Europe, and attendance for the first two events is down 27% and 39% respectively.

But who gives a fuck. This weekend The Colossus hits town. The Rio will develop a sinkhole as most of America turns up to play in an event that is surely going to smash the world record for a live tournament to smithereens.

Lee Davy is on hand to deliver a recap from the first day of the 46th Annual World Series of Poker, including a sterling performance from the reigning world champion, Martin Jacobson, and a series of casino employees searching for that little strip of gold.

For most people, the wait for the 46th Annual World Series of Poker (WSOP), has been 12-months. But for one young man, it seems like he has never even left.

In November, Martin Jacobson was on top of the world after winning the $10 million first prize in the 2014 Main Event. A documentary of those heady days will be released in due course, but in the meantime, you can check out the Swede’s silky skills, by watching him perform in Event #2: $5,000 No-Limit Hold’em. He bagged a top 10 stack worthy of 173,800, and don’t be surprised if he weaves even more plastic into gold.

But long before Jacobson took his seat, it was the turn of the Casino Employee’s to experience life on the other side of the felt. 688 entrants paid the $565 to enter Event #1: Casino Employee Event No-Limit Hold’em, and 51 will be returning at 1pm where they will play the tournament out to a finish.