Monthly Archives: June 2016

Caesars Entertainment wins temporary reprieve of creditor lawsuits

Beleaguered casino operator Caesars Entertainment has won a temporary reprieve from having to face creditor lawsuits.

On Wednesday, US Bankruptcy Court Judge Benjamin Goldgar told Caesars he had suspended bondholder lawsuits in Delaware and New York until Aug. 29. The period is shorter than Caesars had requested and Goldgar said the likelihood of him renewing the freeze after that date “will be slim.”

Caesars is attempting to restructure its main unit Caesars Entertainment Operating Co (CEOC), which filed for bankruptcy in January 2015, citing over $18b in debt.

Junior creditors, who have been asked to bear most of the fiscal pain of this restructuring, have filed lawsuits accusing CEOC’s parent company Caesars Entertainment Corporation (CEC) of illegally shifting profitable assets out of CEOC into other CEC divisions prior to the bankruptcy filing.

Caesars Entertainment wins temporary reprieve of creditor lawsuits

Beleaguered casino operator Caesars Entertainment has won a temporary reprieve from having to face creditor lawsuits.

On Wednesday, US Bankruptcy Court Judge Benjamin Goldgar told Caesars he had suspended bondholder lawsuits in Delaware and New York until Aug. 29. The period is shorter than Caesars had requested and Goldgar said the likelihood of him renewing the freeze after that date “will be slim.”

Caesars is attempting to restructure its main unit Caesars Entertainment Operating Co (CEOC), which filed for bankruptcy in January 2015, citing over $18b in debt.

Junior creditors, who have been asked to bear most of the fiscal pain of this restructuring, have filed lawsuits accusing CEOC’s parent company Caesars Entertainment Corporation (CEC) of illegally shifting profitable assets out of CEOC into other CEC divisions prior to the bankruptcy filing.

Crown Resorts to spin off int’l operations, launch real estate investment trust

Australian casino operator Crown Resorts has proposed spinning off its international operations and launching an initial public offering of a real estate investment trust (REIT) for its Aussie hotel properties.

On Wednesday, Crown issued a statement saying it planned to create a separately listed holding company that would include its 27.4% stake in Melco Crown Entertainment, which operates casinos in Macau and Manila.

The new company will also include Crown’s stake in the Alon development site in Las Vegas, its 50% stake in UK casino operator Aspers, its $22.5m investment in US casino operator Caesars Entertainment and its 20% stake in high-end restaurant chain Nobu.

Following the demerger, Crown would retain ownership of its four existing Aussie casinos and the in-development Crown Sydney, as well as its wagering and online betting businesses, which include CrownBet, Betfair Australasia and the DGN Games social gaming division.

Crown Resorts to spin off int’l operations, launch real estate investment trust

Australian casino operator Crown Resorts has proposed spinning off its international operations and launching an initial public offering of a real estate investment trust (REIT) for its Aussie hotel properties.

On Wednesday, Crown issued a statement saying it planned to create a separately listed holding company that would include its 27.4% stake in Melco Crown Entertainment, which operates casinos in Macau and Manila.

The new company will also include Crown’s stake in the Alon development site in Las Vegas, its 50% stake in UK casino operator Aspers, its $22.5m investment in US casino operator Caesars Entertainment and its 20% stake in high-end restaurant chain Nobu.

Following the demerger, Crown would retain ownership of its four existing Aussie casinos and the in-development Crown Sydney, as well as its wagering and online betting businesses, which include CrownBet, Betfair Australasia and the DGN Games social gaming division.

California online poker bill vote delayed to consider new ‘bad actor’ amendment

California legislators punted on voting on the state’s online poker bill but promised to try again within the next two weeks.

On Wednesday, the California state Assembly Appropriations Committee convened to vote on Assemblyman Adam Gray’s AB 2863 poker bill, but uncertainty over some unpublished proposed amendments left legislators feeling they needed more discussion behind closed doors to make up their minds.

Committee chair Lorena Gonzalez apparently offered up several amendments to AB 2863 on Tuesday, details of which were revealed during testimony of Jeff Grubbe, who spoke on behalf of the Agua Caliente tribe, part of the coalition vehemently opposed to Amaya Gaming’s PokerStars brand having any role to play in California’s poker market.

Among these amendments (viewable here), Gonzalez proposed that ‘bad actors’, aka companies that were deemed to have illegally accepted wagers from California residents between Jan. 1, 2006 and Dec. 31, 2011, be barred from acquiring a license until Jan. 1, 2021. However, this ban could be sidestepped if an offending company pays $20m in back taxes.

California online poker bill vote delayed to consider new ‘bad actor’ amendment

California legislators punted on voting on the state’s online poker bill but promised to try again within the next two weeks.

On Wednesday, the California state Assembly Appropriations Committee convened to vote on Assemblyman Adam Gray’s AB 2863 poker bill, but uncertainty over some unpublished proposed amendments left legislators feeling they needed more discussion behind closed doors to make up their minds.

Committee chair Lorena Gonzalez apparently offered up several amendments to AB 2863 on Tuesday, details of which were revealed during testimony of Jeff Grubbe, who spoke on behalf of the Agua Caliente tribe, part of the coalition vehemently opposed to Amaya Gaming’s PokerStars brand having any role to play in California’s poker market.

Among these amendments (viewable here), Gonzalez proposed that ‘bad actors’, aka companies that were deemed to have illegally accepted wagers from California residents between Jan. 1, 2006 and Dec. 31, 2011, be barred from acquiring a license until Jan. 1, 2021. However, this ban could be sidestepped if an offending company pays $20m in back taxes.