On March 17, Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak made the unprecedented decision to cut off the state’s lifeline. In an effort to curb the spread of the coronavirus, he ordered all casinos to shut their doors, resulting in employees at the state’s 219 gambling venues to suddenly be faced with a difficult situation. While some casinos, such as Las Vegas Sands and Wynn Resorts, agreed to continue to pay their employees a little longer, many properties were forced to let the majority of their workforce go. Caesars Entertainment, for example, fired (in theory, temporarily) 90% of its staff, and MGM Resorts furloughed 60,000 workers.  Nevada wasn’t prepared for the number of unemployment benefits claims it was going to be faced with and is apparently unable to cope with the sudden and massive uptick in applications. Now, casino workers, as well as others, are simply being told that they’ll get their money “eventually.”

Unemployment claims in the Silver State are processed by the Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation (DETR). In just the casino sector, 206,000 employees are seeking financial support from the state, and the overall figure for the state is much higher. Phone lines and Internet systems established to support DETR have become so bogged down that they now continue to crash, making it even more difficult for state residents to find the help they need. In some cases, out-of-work residents report that unemployment compensation is delayed by more than two weeks because of the issues.

If there’s any good news, it’s that compensation is retroactive. When the money finally begins to flow, claims will be paid based on the initial start of the unemployment period; however, for many who have been living paycheck to paycheck, that’s a small consolation. Sisolak has also issued an executive order that prevents anyone from being evicted during the national emergency, so this will buy the laid-off employees some time, as well.

DETR is now reportedly increasing its staffing levels and extending its operating hours to compensate for the onslaught of claims. It apparently has tripled its workforce from its pre-COVID-19 size, which should go a long way toward facilitating operations. DETR’s director, Dr. Tiffany Tyler-Garner, said during a webinar with the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce, “We greatly empathize and apologize for the volume and are hoping the increase in hours, staffing, technology support, the web form [sic] and other vehicles under process that the issue will be mitigated.”

It should have been a welcome alternative to the lack of other sports gambling action caused by the coronavirus. The NBA 2K20 is running a special eSports competition involving professional basketball players, and sportsbooks have been more than willing to post odds on the outcome of the matches. Starring the likes of Kevin Durant and Andre Drummond, the ongoing games feature 16 NBA players and have been seen as a bright spot in an otherwise dismal sports period. However, leave it up to someone to ruin a good thing, as bookmakers have been forced to call off the bets after it was determined that someone had pre-existing knowledge of the results of the matches, which allowed them to place guaranteed winning bets.

The competition was set up to have the players face off based on their previous ranking in the game. They would all be playing from their respective homes, and the contests were to be a great distraction from the coronavirus for sports fans everywhere. However, the games, for obvious reasons, were not being shown live, but, instead, were pre-recorded. When wagers started leaning heavily in one direction, it didn’t take long for oddsmakers to realize something was wrong.

Durant, who plays for the Brooklyn Nets in the real world, took on Derrick Jones Jr. of the Miami Heat in round one of the competition. MyBookie.ag had Durant set as the favorite to win the tournament; however, it began to see a lot of action going to Jones – much more than what would have been expected under normal gambling situations (Jones won 78-62). When this happened, the online sportsbook knew that the results had been leaked and it pulled its lines.

Payouts still had to be made, though, and the company, in addition to the tens of thousands of dollars already being lost because of the coronavirus, lost another chunk in the “low five-figure” range, according to the sportsbook. Head oddsmaker David Strauss explained to Reuters, “It became clear that somebody knew something, and that the results had been leaked. That’s a nightmare scenario for us. When a result is compromised, we close the lines and look for the info ourselves. It’s almost always in the forums or on Twitter.”

With a blanket shutdown of virtually all casino action across the U.S., gambling operators are scrambling to find ways to make up for their losses. In Connecticut, the Mashantucket Pequot and the Mohegan tribes, respectively behind Foxwoods and the Mohegan Sun casinos in the state, thought they had come up with the ideal alternative and pitched their solution to state lawmakers. If allowed to run online gaming operations, the tribes would make money, the state and local governments would make money and a number of individuals would be put to work – everyone would be happy. However, when the lawmakers approached Governor Ned Lamont with the idea, he didn’t share their enthusiasm.

According to The Day of New London, the Southeastern Connecticut Council of Government sent a letter to the governor last Wednesday, providing the outline of their proposal. While online gaming is currently not allowed in the state, the lawmakers asserted that Governor Lamont would be able to issue an executive order that would give the tribes the authority to “begin utilization of online gaming during this time that they have voluntarily closed their doors.” The governor responded by saying that it’s not that simple.

In response to the new tribal request, Lamont added, “That process is simply not feasible or realistic during this crisis and while the legislature remains in recess. Authorizing online gaming and enabling consumers to more easily access gambling is a significant policy decision that has not yet been embraced or acted up by our legislature. Doing so at a time when so many Connecticut residents are in financial distress would be a particularly significant policy decision to make without legislative approval.”

Governor Lamont isn’t necessarily opposed to the idea of online gaming. However, he believes the rollout of any virtual gambling activity is a convoluted, delicate matter that will require a great deal of resources before it can be taken seriously. He also pointed out that the matter requires discussion among lawmakers before moving to the next step, which would include redrafting the gaming compacts the state has with the tribes. Once the compacts are rewritten, they would have to be sent to the federal government for approval. This detailed process makes any quick resolution for tribal online gaming virtually impossible.

Things don’t look like they’ll be returning to normal in Russia anytime soon. As the number of COVID-19 cases continue to climb in Moscow, the entire country remains on lockdown, and several resort operators have announced they will remain closed until further notice.

Tigre de Cristal took to Instagram to announce that its closure, in effect since March 28, will have to continue. “The date of its opening will become known as soon as the overall epidemiologic situation in Russia improves,” the post noted.

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The 13 continues to be a drag on South Shore Holdings, threatening to bring the entire company down. The company has applied for a ”standstill” with its bank to avoid liquidation of the company.

The company updated the Hong Kong Exchanges on April 6 about its current sticky situation with the hotel. It needs to make immediate payment of HK$2.48 billion ($320 million) due to its facility agreement. The amount covers the entire principal amount plus interest, and follows the HK$470 million ($60.62 million) which was due on March 31. It expected it would get that amount from its 50% interst in Uni-Dragon, but that disposal has yet to come.

The company admitted that neither its “borrowing entity nor the company can repay at this time,” resulting in their need to apply for the standstill. It’s hoping that the move would mean, “in essence seeking assurances from the bank that it will not take imminent steps either to enforce its security over THE 13 Hotel or to liquidate the Company, and envisages working closely with the bank to achieve an orderly divestment of the Company’s interests in THE 13 Hotel.”

The 13 has been in deep trouble for a long time now, with rumors going as far back as August, 2019 that the company would be trying to dump its stake in the resort. Regardless, the company cited the “severe adverse effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the state of the market, in Macau and generally,” as part of why they are having trouble making payment now.

It could have been a record year for Caesars Entertainment. In January and February, 2020, revenues were better than they had ever been before. But as CEO Tony Rodio revealed in a April 6 Youtube company update, COVID-19 brought all of that to a sudden halt.

In the video, which Rodio produced from his home in Las Vegas, Rodio noted that while “February seems like ancient history, but I did want to take a moment to let everybody know that the company was off to the best start, and maybe through its history, through the first two months of 2020.”

In his address, where he acknowledges U.S. President Donald Trump’s extension of quarantine recommendations to April 30, Rodio commends Caesars staff, and the efforts of frontliners to combat COVID-19. But more than anything, he wanted to make clear that when things return to normal, he’s confident the company will be able to “hit the ground running.”

But how fast they will be running is a different matter. “I think it will be a slow ramp, but I’m confident that our company will do as well as anybody in the industry,” he said.

Australian lottery and betting operator Tabcorp Holdings is laying off over 700 staff to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on its operations.

On Tuesday, Tabcorp announced several measures intended to blunt the impact of COVID-19 on its bottom line, including the “temporary standing down of over 700 Tabcorp employees to 30 June 2020 in businesses of the Group where there is no work as a result of COVID-19 shutdowns.”

Last month, Tabcorp lost the use of many of its TAB betting agencies following the government’s order to close most public entertainment venues. TAB retail operations outside these venues were further impaired by the suspension of most major sports leagues.

Tabcorp says affected employees can access their accrued leave benefits, and the company is exploring its eligibility for the federal government’s Job Keeper Wage Subsidy, which provides AU$750 per week for up to six months for companies that qualify.

Malta’s gambling regulator is warning its licensees to safeguard the integrity of their betting markets in these topsy-turvy pandemic times.

On Monday, the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) issued a notice to sports betting licensees who have found themselves with nothing to offer their customers following the mass cancellation of sports and racing events due to the COVID-19 coronavirus.

Desperate times may call for desperate measures but the MGA is worried that its bookmakers will throw caution to the wind in offering “betting on events with different risk profiles to those traditionally offered,” such as eSports, which may not be run “to the same professional degree as the more traditional sporting events.”

The MGA wants operators to ensure that eSports matches aren’t pre-recorded and for bookmakers’ risk teams to know if there’s a pre-set delay between the actual match and the public broadcast. Operators should also verify information regarding the participants and officials and to ensure that none of these individuals are wagering on the outcome.

South Korea’s three main casino operators have yet again extended their temporary shutdowns despite signs that the COVID-19 pandemic’s spread is slowing.

Last week, Kangwon Land casino – the only South Korean gaming venue that allows local residents onto its gaming floor – announced that it hopes to open its doors on the morning of April 20. That would be two months since its original closure announcement on February 23.

Kangwon Land leads all Korean casinos in revenue generation and this latest shutdown extension – the fifth since that original February order – is dealing a major blow to the company’s finances. Based on its 2019 daily average revenue, the company expects total revenue losses of KRW296b (US$240m), assuming it actually reopens as planned on April 20.

South Korea’s two largest foreigners-only casino operators – Grand Korea Leisure and Paradise Co Ltd – shut down their casinos on March 24. Paradise said Monday that it hoped to reopen on April 13 but acknowledged that this could stretch to April 20. Paradise’s figures for March show revenue falling 60.5% year-on-year to KRW17.7b as turnover tumbled nearly three-quarters.

America’s casino lobby says its smaller gaming operators deserve access to federal funding aimed at mitigating the fallout of suspended business related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Last Friday, American Gaming Association CEO Bill Miller issued a statement challenging guidelines issued by the Small Business Administration (SBA) regarding the federal government’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Specifically, Miller took issue with the SBA’s view that “small gaming entities and their employees” are ineligible to receive PPP benefits.

Miller said the AGA was “deeply concerned” by the SBA’s decision to stick with its standard prohibition on issuing Economic Injury Disaster Loans to any entity “deriving more than one-third of gross annual revenue from legal gambling activities.”

The AGA notes that the federal bailout specifically states that any business concern shall be eligible for an SBA loan if it meets specific qualifications regarding its number of employees. The AGA warns that unless the SBA’s guidelines are amended, “one-third of the US casino industry” and hundreds of thousands of casino staff and associated businesses will suffer irreparable harm.

Ukraine’s corruption watchdog is accusing a former politician of lying to the government about winning over $21k worth of sports bets.

On Monday, the Kyiv Post reported that an aide to Oleksandr Novikov, chief of Ukraine’s National Agency for Prevention of Corruption (NAPC), had posted on Facebook that former lawmaker Oleh Lyashko had lied about winning sports bets in an official government asset declaration in 2017.

Lyashko’s declaration included claims of three winning football wagers with Favorit Sport, a betting subsidiary of the Ukrainian National Lottery (UNL), worth a total of Hr571k (US$21,300). But the NAPC claims that the UNL denied paying out any winnings to Lyashko, nor did the UNL recognize the receipts for the alleged winnings that Lyashko submitted along with his declaration.

Lyashko (pictured), who was an MP from 2006 to 2019, told the Post that he’s filed a tax evasion complaint against the UNL, based on his view that the company has been fudging its figures to reduce its tax bill. Lyashko said he keeps all his betting receipts “and the firms that received money for bets should pay taxes instead of lowering or hiding income from bets from tax authorities.”