THE AMERICAS

Caesars Entertainment’s online operations had a “spectacular” Q1 while MGM Resorts’ profit rose nearly two-thirds; Zynga scrapped its new sports titles and cut 18% of its workforce; Scientific Games saw online revenue rise 52% and inked a social casino deal with Penn National Gaming; Pinnacle Entertainment confirmed it was discussing a REIT deal with GLPI; Caesars eliminated cash play at poker tables at all its properties; Genting broke ground on Resorts World Las Vegas while the Riviera closed after 60 years; a lottery player took exception to his scratch ticket’s hidden message; the Pentagon flagged unauthorized use of gov’t credit cards at casinos and strip clubs; Sportsbettingchamp.com founder Tony Chau pled guilty to illegal gambling and a new federal bill promised to ban interstate online horse wagering.

EUROPE

UK bookies both celebrated and mourned the Tories’ surprise election victory; Romania demanded six years of back taxes from online operators; Ladbrokes chairman Peter Erskine announced he was stepping down; the National Basketball Association was rumored to be shopping for a European betting partner; Greece’s gambling market grew for the first time in five years while France’s online poker market continued to struggle; PokerStars launched online casino games in Italy and inked football great Neymar Jr. as its new ambassador; online gamblers in the UK became a little more feminine; SBOBET joined Microgaming’s poker network and Net Entertainment’s Simon Hammon offered an update on mobile innovation.