Dubai Tourism Chief States City Won’t Become Gaming Destination, Despite MGM and Caesars Projects
Dubai will soon become house to hotel properties branded by MGM Resorts and Caesars Entertainment, but area officials say cannot have the wrong idea: casinos and gambling aren’t coming to the region.
Dubai houses the world’s building that is tallest and some of the most fascinating synthetic islands, but casinos will not presumably be coming anytime soon.
Gambling is considered ‘haram’ under Islamic law: an activity that is forbidden goes against sacred texts present the Quran.
This week, Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce CEO Issam Kazim was asked if there was a growing appetite to welcome casinos to the city during an interview with Gulf News.
‘No, there isn’t a desire for casinos,’ Kazim declared. ‘ We must bear in mind that you can find cultural items that are a concern to us.’
Non-Gaming Horizons
MGM Resorts and Caesars Entertainment, correspondingly ranked # 2 and #5 in terms of gross gaming revenue of the planet’s casino operators, are getting into the Middle East for the time that is first way of Dubai.
In March 2017, MGM reached a running agreement with Dubai-based Wasl Hospitality and Leisure to advise on the development of a destination resort, and once completed in 2021, run its operations.
The beachfront that is 26-acre will feature the MGM Hotel, MGM Residences, and Bellagio Hotel.
Earlier this month, Caesars Entertainment announced a partnership with Meraas, additionally a Dubai development firm, to handle and operate part of the $1.6 billion Bluewaters that is man-made Island. Caesars are going to be responsible for hospitality and entertainment regarding the land that is artificial measures roughly 80 acres.
Caesars CEO Mark Frissora stated the venture into Dubai is part of its post-bankruptcy concentrate on expanding to international markets and lending the brand to hoteliers. Bob Morse, the company’s president of hospitality, stated its Bluewaters partners Meraas put any gambling talk ‘to rest very quickly.’
Expanding Tourism
The biggest and many populated town in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), throughout the last decade Dubai leaders have actually made an effort to become less reliant on oil. Expanding the tourism sector was a focal point, and billions of dollars have been invested, a lot of which are monies associated with your house of Al Falasi, the Dubai royal household.
Certainly one of the town’s main draws are the synthetic islands built within the Persian Gulf.
Dubai is now the sixth city that is most-visited the planet, based on the entire world Economic Forum. Nearly 15 million people visited in 2017, a number that’s behind only Hong Kong, Bangkok, London, Singapore, and also the world’s gambling hub that is richest, Macau.
Dubai is thought to be a modern city, and it has eased some restrictions on which’s otherwise considered haram vices. Adult non-Muslims are permitted to eat alcohol in licensed venues typically present city resorts.
But gambling — often included on so-called ‘sin industry’ lists, along with alcohol, tobacco, tools manufacturing, and sex-related products — is not likely to be coming to Dubai any time in the future, if ever.
However, city officials in Dubai have an ambitious goal of inviting 20 million tourists a year by 2020, which would make it the third most-visited locale in the globe.
Shocker, Not: Nevada Most Gambling-Addicted State, Study Reveals
Nevada is America’s most gambling-addicted state, according to a new study conducted by WalletHub.com, an online personal finance web site. It’s probably x bet the least surprising study results since one that revealed that more than 50 percent of teenagers are addicted to their mobile phones.
Nevada holds the record for the most addicted gamblers, a study that is new. With no one is surprised. (Image: File/Getty)
That will come as surprise that is little nevertheless the placement of various other states in the study results could be worthy of several raised eyebrows.
In its third year evaluating which US states will be the many addicted to taking chances with their money the traditional method, WalletHub says it learned 19 key metric indicators to ascertain where excessive gambling is most prevalent.
The assessment considered two primary areas, ‘gambling friendliness’ (a quotient that combined many different gaming factors for every state) and ‘gambling problem and treatment.’ The weighted groups included factors such as for example the amount of commercial and tribal gambling enterprises per capita, and percentage of grownups with gambling disorders and parallel available number of behavioral counselors.
Nevada topped the list of most gambling-addicted states with a score that is total of. It ranked first in gambling friendliness, and 10th in gambling treatment and problem.
Nevada has got the most gambling enterprises and gaming devices per capita, and fifth-highest rate of gambling addiction.
One might suspect New Jersey or Pennsylvania in the future next, but that ‘honor’ goes to South Dakota, which scored 53.1. Rounding out the top five many states that are gambling-addicted Montana (52.9), Mississippi (51.8), and Louisiana (44.7).
Four of the top five are repeat offenders. Louisiana may be the latest entry, up from # 9 in 2017, while West Virginia (#5 in 2017), dropped back once again to number 6 in 2010.
Detailing Up and Down
Pennsylvania — which creates the second-most gross gaming casino revenue behind only Nevada — put #27 on last years WalletHub list. But with all the Keystone State in the process of further expanding its commercial industry with as much as 10 new satellite casinos, along with impending on line gambling and day-to-day fantasy recreations, and slots inside truck stops and airport video gaming lounges, Pennsylvania has surged a dozen spots, up to #15.
Illinois had been another mover-upper, going from #18 in 2017 to #9 on this year’s list. No state has more gambling-related arrests per capita, according to WalletHub though Illinois ranks 25th in gaming machines per capita and 21st in lottery sales.
Atlantic City’s nj-new jersey fell two spots to #8. The Garden State ranks 2nd in gambling problem and therapy, with nearly three % of all adults recognized as have a gambling disorder.
Implications of Legal Sports Betting
Much of the US will dsicover their ‘gambling friendliness’ score increase, should sports betting be legalized for many 50 states. The Supreme Court is expected to soon hand straight down its opinion on the present federal ban that prohibits the activity in most but four states.
WalletHub asked five behavioral and psychology experts whether sports betting should be allowed at the federal level. All five said it will, aided by the basic opinion that eliminating unregulated illegal offshore and underground sportsbooks is in the interest that is best of both consumers and the gaming industry.
‘ The major reason that states want gambling is money. Have you thought to make sports gambling legal? Gamblers will gamble anyhow,’ Indiana University Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences Professor Emeritus Jim Sherman noted.
as 20 states would be anticipated to pass activities betting laws in the coming years should SCOTUS repeal the federal ban.
Land in Sight for Louisiana Riverboat Casinos as State Senate Passes ‘River to Shore’ Bill
On Tuesday, the day that is very the Horseshoe Southern Indiana ended up being granted permission by the Indiana Gaming Commission to go its operations onto dry land, hundreds of kilometers south the Louisiana Senate had been approving a bill that would also propel its own riverboat casinos onto terra firma.
State Senator Ronnie Johns believes Louisiana riverboat casinos should be allowed to come onto dry land after 25 years in the drink. He would like to modernize their state’s casino industry therefore it can compete with its neighbors. (Image: Sarah Camard/Gambit Weekly)
The Louisiana Senate voted 22-14 to pass State Senator Ronnie Johns’ (R-Lake Charles) SB316, which would enable the state’s 15 riverboat gambling enterprises to really make the evolutionary jump, provided all gambling activities are conducted within 1,200 feet of their licensed berths.
Johns’ bill would also remove a quirky statute from Louisiana gamble law that calls for each center to have a paddle wheel that is operational.
Horseshoe Gets Lucky
Indiana passed a bill that is similar 2015, and not a moment too quickly for the Horseshoe which has been power down on at least five occasions because of the flooding of the Ohio river where this has been permanently docked since its establishment in 1998. Probably the most current closure had been in February, at great cost to hawaii.
The Indiana regulator on Tuesday approved a $85 million land-based facility or should that be ‘above-land-based facility,’ because the Caesars-owned casino will be slightly elevated to negate the risk of flooding.
‘This task further shows our continued enthusiasm for and commitment to the state,’ said Brad Siegel, senior vice president during the Horseshoe. ‘We appreciate the Commission’s decision today and appearance forward to continuing our positive working relationships at the State and local level.’
Expansion or Evolution?
A lot of the debate in Louisiana, meanwhile, was whether Johns’ bill constituted expansion that is gambling since it proposes reworking the cap on casino floor space. The current restriction of 30,000 square foot would be changed by a cap on gambling positions or the amount of seats in front of slots at 2,365.
Johns said his bill would modernize their state’s creaking casino sector, permitting it to incorporate bigger slots aided by the cutting-edge technology that is latest, which will surely help it to deflect competition from the casinos of Oklahoma and Mississippi.
State Senator Danny Martiny (R-Dist. 10) consented, and berated senators that are fellow thought otherwise.
We’ve got a market that is providing us with income, thank Jesus,’ Martiny stated. ‘Everybody that is against it, sure doesn’t shy far from coming to Appropriations and asking for some of that money.
