MGM Resorts’ new Massachusetts casino generated nearly $9.5m in its first week of activity, despite bad publicity regarding underage visitors drifting near its gaming floor.

Figures released Monday by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) show the new $960m MGM Springfield in the state’s southwest corner generated gross gaming revenue of $9.45m between August 24-31, of which $2.1m came via its gaming tables while the rest came from slots.

Across the state, Penn National Gaming’s slots-only Plainridge Park Casino, which opened in June 2015, generated nearly $15.4m in the whole month of August. Of the two operators’ combined gaming revenue of $24.8m, the state’s tax take came to $9.9m. As a Category 1 facility, MGM pays 25% tax on its gaming revenue, while the Category 2 Plainridge pays a 49% rate.

Mass Live quoted MGM Springfield property president Michael Mathis celebrating the “tremendously successful” returns over the venue’s first eight days of business and pronouncing himself pleased that the venue “is being so enthusiastically received.”

UK-facing online gambling operator Sky Betting & Gaming (SBG) has confirmed its status as a global heavyweight, making the future look very bright indeed for soon-to-be-owner The Stars Group (TSG).

On Monday, TSG and SBG teamed up to present SBG’s latest financial performance figures through TSG’s ‘business acquisition report.’ TSG announced its $4.7b deal to acquire SBG in April, although it’s still waiting for the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to sign off on the deal.

However, the companies announced Monday that the CMA had released them from its initial enforcement order on Friday, thereby allowing them to proceed with their planning of the integration of the two companies, if not the actual process of integration. Baby steps.

SBG reported revenue of £670.5m in the 12 months ending June 30, a 30% improvement over the previous fiscal year’s result. Adjusted earnings shot up 43% to £208.6m and operating profit was up more than one-quarter to £86.7m.

UK-facing online gambling operator Sky Betting & Gaming (SBG) has confirmed its status as a global heavyweight, making the future look very bright indeed for soon-to-be-owner The Stars Group (TSG).

On Monday, TSG and SBG teamed up to present SBG’s latest financial performance figures through TSG’s ‘business acquisition report.’ TSG announced its $4.7b deal to acquire SBG in April, although it’s still waiting for the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to sign off on the deal.

However, the companies announced Monday that the CMA had released them from its initial enforcement order on Friday, thereby allowing them to proceed with their planning of the integration of the two companies, if not the actual process of integration. Baby steps.

SBG reported revenue of £670.5m in the 12 months ending June 30, a 30% improvement over the previous fiscal year’s result. Adjusted earnings shot up 43% to £208.6m and operating profit was up more than one-quarter to £86.7m.

Recent hacks of EOS-based gambling platforms have resulted in the theft of over $250,000 worth of EOS coins.

The EOSBet online casino, through its Reddit account, announced that a hack had occurred last Friday, where 44,427.4302 EOS (about $240,000) were stolen, “before our contracts were taken offline by the development team. The remaining 463,745 EOS in our EOSBETDICE11 and EOSBETCASINO contracts are safe, the vulnerability is patched, and we are back online. We want to be as transparent as possible in explaining this breach and addressing any concerns the community might have.”

According to EOSBet, the hacker was able “to place bets without transferring EOS to the contract. For losses, he was paid nothing, but lost nothing. However, for wins he was paid out real EOS from the contract.”

EOSBet admitted that in spite of multiple audits before the attack, “there was still a vulnerability in our smart contract. The task moving forward is to strengthen our security practices, ensuring that a similar event does not occur in the future.”

Genting Malaysia is weighing its options for getting back MYR1.77 billion ($427.5 million) worth from promissory notes issued to a Massachusetts tribe for the development of an integrated resort in the state.

In a filing, Genting Malaysia said, “The Group is currently deliberating the appropriate course of action by working closely with the Tribe to review all options available for the Group’s investment in the promissory notes as well as its recoverability.”

Last September 7, the U.S. federal government, through the Department of Interior (DoI), had issued a decision stating that the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe would not be granted the disputed land in trust for developing the First Light Resort & Casino in Taunton, South of Boston. Genting Malaysia had issued about $274 million in promissory notes with interest rates of 12% and 18% per year.

Construction of the resort was hampered by local residents who said the 2015 awarding of the 300 acres for putting up a casino was a misinterpretation of the Indian Reorganization Act, which had been clarified by a 2009 Supreme Court ruling. In Carcieri vs. Salazar, the court had ruled that the federal government can only have a land in trust for tribes recognized as of June 1, 1934, when the Indian Law was enacted. The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe was only federally recognized in 2007.

Policies of the Philippine government have played a role in Melco Resorts and Entertainment (Philippines) Corporation’s decision to delist from the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE).

The operator of City of Dreams Manila filed its petition for voluntary delisting at the PSE, which included a tender offer report by independent financial adviser FTI Consulting Philippines, Inc. (FTI CPI), stating, “Despite the industry’s positive outlook, it is not without risks brought about by the current regulatory environment.”

FTI CPI noted how as early as March 2017, state regulator Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) announced a five-year moratorium on the issuance of gaming licenses for Metro Manila-based casinos, on existing operators’ concerns of oversupply. “Though this is expected to protect the interests of these early investors, the moratorium on mega-casinos in Metro Manila may encourage other foreign players to invest elsewhere.”

FTI CPI also said that the current administration’s policies on casino and gaming were “quite unpredictable,” citing the August review by the Department of Justice (DoJ) of Landing International Development Ltd.’s lease contract for the creation of a resort. The justice department ended up recommending the termination of the contract, saying the ascribed market value of the property to be leased was much lower than those of nearby casinos.

Tencent, the company behind some of the most successful online gaming in China, as well as the WeChat social media platform, recently had to shut down a popular online Texas Hold’em game. The move came as regulators in the China have begun to take a stricter stance against gambling, which has also cause other companies to think about pulling out of the space. As regulators continue to clamp down on gambling, Macau some believe that Macau may be forced to give up on poker.

The Asian Poker Tour (APT) recently announced that it was cancelling an event that had been scheduled to take place in Macau. It was the second cancellation of a Macau-based event for the APT, and had to be relocated to the Philippines.

According to APT CEO Jeff Mann, “In August we had to cancel our scheduled event in Macau due to circumstances beyond either APT’s or our local partner’s control. We did not wish this to happen again given that some confirmations for the event including exact dates were outstanding. The fact is our Finale is becoming very popular with players from around the world and already some are requesting confirmed details so that they can make plans for the end of the year.”

That event was the APT Finale 2018, initially scheduled to be held in Macau from November 27 to December 8. Mann didn’t specify exactly why the event had to be moved, which only adds to the concern.

International Gaming Technology (IGT) has announced its first-ever “Wide Area Progressive” (WAP) product for the US gambling market. It will offer its Mega Jackpot games only in New Jersey through four regulated online casinos. IGT’s WAP games have previously been seen across markets in the UK and have been a tremendous success.

IGT will offer two options – Mega Jackpots Cleopatra and Mega Jackpots Siberian Storm – and said that it would add more titles in the future. The jackpots start at $500,000 and increase as more wagers are placed.

According to Enrico Drago, IGT’s Senior VP for PlayDigital, “Launching the first cross-platform online WAP games in the US reinforces IGT’s commitment and leadership in delivering ‘industry-first’ innovation that elevates the player experience across multiple channels. IGT’s MegaJackpots games continue to entertain players in the UK and other mature digital gaming markets around the world, and we believe our customers in New Jersey will benefit from incorporating life-changing jackpots on proven themes such as Cleopatra and Siberian Storm into their digital content offerings.”

Gambling across the US has been gaining traction lately. A number of states are looking at getting into the game and are considering, or have passed bills, that will legalize the activity. Some states are only considering sports gambling changes, while others are looking at including casinos and online gaming in their portfolio.