It’s a topic that won’t disappear from anyone’s radar for probably the next two decades – online gambling legislation in the US. The latest debate comes via Illinois, which saw several bills on the topic fail during the last legislative session. However, they’re about to get some CPR and be brought back to life for the upcoming year.

Two hearings have been announced in the state to discuss regulation and legalization of online gambling. Both were set by State Representative Bob Rita, with one scheduled for August 22 and the other for October 2. As always, the discussions will take place in the state capital, Springfield.

Rita was a sponsor of State Senate Bill SB0007 last year, a gambling expansion bill that was one of many discussed during the legislative season. It saw daylight after being approved 33-24-1 in May; however, it was washed out in debates held by a number of Illinois House committees.

Rita is a staunch supporter of online gambling, indicating that it could bring up to $700 million to the state’s coffers. He points out that the state, which suffers from an extremely high deficit, would benefit greatly from the infusion of cash.

He may be the son of a Hollywood Walk of Fame star, but Vince Van Patten is better known for his involvement in the poker world. The son of Dick Van Patten has been a professional poker player and co-host of the WPT since 2002, but will soon appear on the big screen, starring in the Indie film “Walk To Vegas.”

Van Patten is Duke, the lead character of the film. He makes a bet with an interesting character that challenges him to walk all the way from Southern California to Las Vegas – in a suit. If he wins the bet, he picks up a hefty $1-million prize. However, Duke has to travel through Death Valley, where the daytime temperatures can reach more than 106 degrees.

Van Patten will be seen alongside cameo performances by other poker greats, including former WPT co-host Mike Sexton, Phil Laak and Antonio Esfandiari. Academy Award-nominee Jennifer Tilly, who has made a name for herself as a poker pro, picking up almost $1 million in the process, will also be in the film.

If the premise of the flick sounds familiar but you can’t quite place it, maybe this will help. Dan Bilzerian took part in a prop bet in 2016 that would see him bicycle from Las Vegas to Los Angeles, a 300-mile journey. If he won, he would pick up around $1 million. Bill Perkins got in on the action to the tune of $600,000, not expecting Bilzerian to pull it off. He lost.

Starting as the chip leader on the final day of a tournament is a good feeling. Remaining the chip leader throughout the rest of the action is even better, and that’s exactly what happened to Anton Vinokurov. The Russian player led in chips from beginning to end at the 2018 Unibet Open Bucharest €1,100 Main Event, eventually taking the win, the title and €103,060 (US$119,000 in cash).

592 players flocked to the JW Marriott Bucharest Grand Hotel from August 2 – 5 for the tournament. However, Vinokurov showed his stamina and skills to develop an impressive lead. When the field was down to only 12 players, he controlled about 30% of all the chips still in play.

Following his victory, he said, “I was playing good. Some of the other players were playing good, and some were not playing good. I believed when I started play today as the chip leader that I must make it to the final table and finish in the top three. Then when there were five players left, I knew I would win. I felt no other players could beat me.”

As the final day action began, there were only 17 players remaining. Martin Wendt, who was in a precariously dangerous position as short stack, couldn’t find his groove and bowed it with €5,870 (US$6,783) in the first hand of the day. The field continued to dwindle toward the final table, with several players getting caught under the gun. Tomasz Kozub was sent to the rail in 10th place after trying to find a club flush against Daniel Chutrov. Chutrov, holding A-Q and no clubs, scored the elimination with two pair, but was next to go when his pocket rockets fell to the pocket Queens of the eventual winner.

Hard Rock International wants a piece of Australia’s Gold Coast. The company has reportedly entered the race for the second Gold Coast casino license, indicating to the local government and tourism leaders that it would build an “entertainment-centric” integrated resort that would break the mold.

According to Hard Rock International CEO for Asia Pacific Edward Tracey, “We believe Queensland has a strong market potential for a new product paradigm, one that is more entertainment-centric, not merely in physical amenities themselves but how they are delivered to customers. People flock to the Hard Rock because of the lifestyle element the brand exudes. The casino is but one among a plethora of entertainment options.”

Queensland Tourism Minister Kate Jones has spoken, and Hard Rock is listening. Jones said that Queensland is adamant about the type of operation it wants to bring to the market. She said, “When we go to market on the Gold Coast, we’re making it clear that the focus should be on big-name entertainment, bringing the likes of Mariah Carey, Celine Dion and Jennifer Lopez to the Coast to perform.”

Tracey heard the message, loud and clear. He asserts, “This is the model that Hard Rock is currently building in Spain and that (US gaming giant) Caesars has at destinations all over the world. We believe (with) the proposed locations in Queensland, each offers its own individual charm and opportunity and I can envisage a Hard Rock product for each setting.”

Woolworths, the Australian gambling house, has fessed up to some questionable activities. An investigation revealed that employees at several poker machine venues operated by the company’s Australian Leisure and Hospitality Group (ALH) subsidiary were routinely spying on customers and, on a number of occasions, even offered “high-value” customers extra free drinks in order to keep them at the machines. In recognizing that the activities took place, Woolworths has said that it has fired “a number of staff” at more than 22 venues, including 20 Queensland hotels.

The investigation first came to light in February when gambling opponent and Parliament member Andrew Wilkie publicized allegations that Woolworths employees were spying on customers in an effort to maximize profits. He quoted one whistleblower, who said that the employees were following many customers to learn the “ins and outs” of their lives.

Another whistleblower confirmed the activity, stating, “We’re actually writing it down so that we can get people to stay for as long as possible, to put as much money into the machines as possible.”

When Wilkie brought the subject to the forefront, Woolworths said that it would investigate. It has now come back and admitted that a “customer service program” ran for six months last year out of some facilities in Queensland, as well as in pubs in South Australia and New South Wales. The program “gave rise to instances of ALH employees recording descriptive information about gaming customers in a manner that was below ALH’s expectations and contrary to its policies.”

It looks like the in-fighting among the top brass of Wynn Resorts could be coming to an end. As reported by CDC Gaming Reports yesterday, Phil Satre has been named as the company’s vice chairman and could become the casino giant’s chairman by the end of this year. The move is sure to appease Elaine Wynn, who has repeatedly called for an injection of “fresh blood” into the company’s board.

The current chairman of the board, D. Boone Wayson, will vacate the position, but will still be a board member. Satre, who is the former chairman and CEO at Harrah’s Entertainment and ex-CEO of Caesars Entertainment, resigned his current position as the chairman of International Game Technology, a manufacturer of gaming equipment, in favor of the new assignment with Wynn.

In a prepared statement by Wayson, the outgoing chairman said, “The addition of someone of Phil’s caliber and experience is a significant step forward for Wynn Resorts as we turn the page on the last six months. Our goal is to give the management team, led by CEO Matt Maddox, an opportunity to grow and develop this company to its greatest potential. Phil’s insight and guidance will be invaluable as we move forward.”

With Satre taking the helm, Elaine Wynn, the company’s largest shareholder, has agreed to end hostilities – at least for now. She has confirmed that she will enter a “standstill period” that will be in force until 2020, or until such time that Satre may resign from his new position. She further indicated that she will place a limit on her ownership stake to the current 9.9% level and will not seek to nominate anyone, or appoint additional members, to the board. She will also refrain from entering into a proxy fight and will not try to persuade senior management or other board members.

The Monmouth Park Racetrack in New Jersey has a mammoth-sized lawsuit on its hands. The racetrack is said to be suing a number of sports leagues over claims that they repeatedly worked to suppress sports gambling in the country, causing it to lose millions in revenue.

The lawsuit was filed in May in the US District Court of New Jersey by the New Jersey Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association (NJTHA). It claims that it has lost a minimum of $130 million since 2014 due to the actions of the NCAA (the body that oversees collegiate sports in the US), the NFL, the NHL and the MLB. The lawsuit reads, in part, “The leagues’ actions nearly put Monmouth Park out of business, inflicted significant financial and emotional hardship on hundreds of innocent Monmouth Park workers, and jeopardized the continued viability of New Jersey’s entire equine industry.”

Despite attempts by the leagues’ lawyers to deem the suit “meritless, if not frivolous,” the NJTHA is pushing forward. This week, the association argued that the May decision by the US Supreme Court to overturn the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) is proof that the leagues have worked to block Monmouth Park from allowing sports betting as far back as 2014.

The NJTHA points out that it partnered with William Hill in 2014 to establish a sports book at its facility. However, as it was preparing to launch operations, the leagues filed for a restraining order that prevented them from moving forward. The restraining order was granted, but the leagues were forced to put up a bond in the amount of $3.4 million to cover lost costs in the event the case didn’t proceed.