ICE Totally Gaming 2016 is upon us and for anyone who works within the gambling industry, its common knowledge this is one of the must-attend events of the year.  The only problem with ICE is figuring out how to manage your time and juggle the many meetings, sessions, networking opportunities and expo floor exploration we all want to do.

This year the time management challenge will be even greater as ICE 2016 is set to be the biggest on record, occupying 38,980 square metres of floor space across 15 of the 20 halls available at the giant ExCeL.  There will be 510 exhibitors representing a record number of 62 nations and 70 hours of sessions delivered by 200 professionals coming from inside and outside the gambling industry.

In an effort to help our ICE-bound readers prioritize and plan, I’ve compiled a comprehensive list of the five top attractions to check out at ICE 2016.  I hope you find value in it.

Pitch ICE & GamCrowd Studio

ICE Totally Gaming 2016 is upon us and for anyone who works within the gambling industry, its common knowledge this is one of the must-attend events of the year.  The only problem with ICE is figuring out how to manage your time and juggle the many meetings, sessions, networking opportunities and expo floor exploration we all want to do.

This year the time management challenge will be even greater as ICE 2016 is set to be the biggest on record, occupying 38,980 square metres of floor space across 15 of the 20 halls available at the giant ExCeL.  There will be 510 exhibitors representing a record number of 62 nations and 70 hours of sessions delivered by 200 professionals coming from inside and outside the gambling industry.

In an effort to help our ICE-bound readers prioritize and plan, I’ve compiled a comprehensive list of the five top attractions to check out at ICE 2016.  I hope you find value in it.

Pitch ICE & GamCrowd Studio

Casino operator Wynn Resorts has finally reached a deal with the city of Boston over Wynn’s planned $1.7b casino in Everett, Massachusetts.

Late Wednesday, the Boston Globe reported that Wynn and Boston mayor Martin Walsh had reached a deal that will see Wynn compensate the city for traffic and other expected problems associated with the casino to the north of Boston. In exchange, Walsh has agreed to stop filing lawsuits against the company.

In awarding Wynn its license in 2014, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission instructed Wynn to pay Boston $1m upfront plus $1.6m per year over a 15-year period to mitigate the casino-related problems. Wynn also agreed to pay $25m into a fund intended to address traffic bottlenecks in Sullivan Square.

The new deal adds an extra $400k to the annual payment, bringing the total added commitment over the life of the deal to $6m. Wynn has also agreed to pay $750k to help defray the estimated $1.9m legal tab the city ran up via its lengthy efforts to become a fly in Wynn’s ointment.

3-barrels of pure value including news of a pending wedding between James Packer and Mariah Carey; former disgraced Full Tilt boss Ray Bitar tying the knot, and Phil Hellmuth falls in love with Jay-Z.

Grammy award winning warbler Mariah Carey will be hoping its third time lucky after agreeing to marry Australian casino mogul James Packer. To be fair, an affirmative response usually follows from having a 35-carat diamond ring shoved under your nostril.

The pair has been dating for a year. Packer proposed on Jan 21 while the pair were romancing in New York City. According to Forbes, 48-year old Packer is the fourth richest man in Australia, worth an estimated $4.7 billion. He will need every penny. Carey once closed down Disneyland, and dressed as Cinderella, so she could renew her vows with her current husband Nick Cannon.

Current?

More details have emerged from the Global Poker League H.Q including details on revenue splits, draft minutiae, and a reminder that Daniel Negreanu could still play a significant role.

Daniel Negreanu might still have an important part to play in the Global Poker League (GPL).

During our recent chat with the great man we asked him why he wasn’t one of the 12 GPL Team Managers and this is what he had to say:

“I am supportive of Alex {Dreyfus} and his vision. I think he has the right approach in mind but regarding myself and associating my brand, I am playing a wait and see approach. I wasn’t ready at this point to commit fully to playing a large role in being a team manager.”

The California state Assembly has overwhelmingly approved a daily fantasy sports bill, but the measure has an uncertain road ahead.

On Wednesday, the Assembly approved AB 1437 by a margin of 62-1, with Assemblyman Marc Levine casting the lone ‘no’ vote. Levine’s vociferous opposition to DFS has earned him the ire of the DFS lobby, but he went down swinging all the same.

The consumer protection-focused AB 1437 now heads to the state Senate, where it will likely be subjected to closer scrutiny and more than a few amendments. Assuming it garners a favorable vote, the bill would head back to the Assembly for another vote before heading to Gov. Jerry Brown’s desk for signing into law.

The bill makes no judgment on DFS’ legality and state Attorney General Kamala Harris has yet to weigh in with her opinion on that score. The state’s all-powerful tribal gaming industry has also been unusually quiet on whether it views DFS as an encroachment on its traditional control over gambling in California.

Casino operator Las Vegas Sands saw business slump last year but believes the struggling Macau casino market is showing signs of stabilization.

In the final quarter of 2015, Sands revenue fell 16.2% to $2.86b, while adjusted earnings fell nearly 22% to $1.05b and net income tumbled 35.4% to $465.8m. For the year as a whole, Sands revenue fell to $11.7b from $14.6b in 2014, while net income fell over 30% to $1.97b.

Sands China remains the prime engine of Las Vegas Sands revenue as well as the source of its current declines. Macau operations reported revenue down 21.7% to $1.66b in Q4 while profit fell 29.3% to $378m.

Macau’s well-publicized VIP slump was in full evidence, with turnover falling 18.6% at Sands Macao, 20.8% at the Venetian Macao, 51% at Sands Cotai Central and 60% at the Four Seasons. Mass market gaming was also down across the board, falling 21.5% at Sands Cotai, 18.6% at Sands Macao, 17.3% at the Venetian and 8.5% at the Four Seasons.

Casino operator Las Vegas Sands saw business slump last year but believes the struggling Macau casino market is showing signs of stabilization.

In the final quarter of 2015, Sands revenue fell 16.2% to $2.86b, while adjusted earnings fell nearly 22% to $1.05b and net income tumbled 35.4% to $465.8m. For the year as a whole, Sands revenue fell to $11.7b from $14.6b in 2014, while net income fell over 30% to $1.97b.

Sands China remains the prime engine of Las Vegas Sands revenue as well as the source of its current declines. Macau operations reported revenue down 21.7% to $1.66b in Q4 while profit fell 29.3% to $378m.

Macau’s well-publicized VIP slump was in full evidence, with turnover falling 18.6% at Sands Macao, 20.8% at the Venetian Macao, 51% at Sands Cotai Central and 60% at the Four Seasons. Mass market gaming was also down across the board, falling 21.5% at Sands Cotai, 18.6% at Sands Macao, 17.3% at the Venetian and 8.5% at the Four Seasons.