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Atlantic City Information

Atlantic City's City Council approves 2021 budget - As reported by , on August 25, members of City Council voted to approve a $199 million 2021 budget, $10.9 million less than 2020. The Council also took up ordinances establishing licensing fees ($25,000 per year for large businesses and $2,500 per year for micro businesses) and municipal sales taxes (2% on all sales except wholesale, wholesale 1%) on recreational cannabis. 

Atlantic City City Council approves bid to use Bader Field for truck driving school - As reported by , on August 25 City Council granted the Ernest Trans School of Trucking LLC a revocable three-year lease agreement to use the former airport as a trucking school. The school will pay the city $1,040 per month plus 3% of its profits for use of the site.  

Atlantic City launches SurfSafeAC.com, real-time beach information website - As reported by , on August 12 Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small Sr., and members of the Atlantic City Beach Patrol and emergency services announced the launch of a website, SurfSafeAC.com, which will provide residents and visitors with real-time information about the city's beaches. Information such as which beaches are open, where water risks are,  water temperatures and wave heights will be posted to the site live by the city's lifeguards. No cost was involved in the system, as Atlantic City was among 15 beach patrols from Brigantine to Cape May Point chosen by the South Jersey Lifeguard Chiefs Association to test out the system as a model for the rest of the area's patrols. 

Casino smoking ban bill supported by Atlantic City City Council - As reported by , on August 25 Atlantic City's City Council passed resolutions in support of . The bill eliminates the smoking ban exemption for casinos and simulcasting facilities. Further reporting by . 

Further development of the 'Orange Loop' - As reported by , developers continue investing in the 'Orange Loop' hoping to turn the area into the "ultimate" entertainment hub and a go-to destination for visitors. A 15,000-square-foot, mixed-used commercial building is planned for New York Avenue and the Dreams Cabaret (137 S. New York Ave.) is set to be converted into a mixed-use building. Along Westminster Ave., developers plan to build 50 Airbnb rentals, a stage for live performances, and a shipping container hotel. When all projects are complete, an estimated $20 million will have been invested in the area. 

ÒùÐÔÊÓƵ Hughes Center to honor Steven P. Perskie - According to an August 16 press release, the William J. Hughes Center for Public Policy at ÒùÐÔÊÓƵ will honor former Senator, N.J. Casino Control Commission Chair and
retired Superior Court Judge the Honorable Steven P. Perskie with an award. At the Hughes Center Honors on November 10, 2021, the center will recognize Perskie for his contributions to New Jersey public life. 

New Jersey Gaming News

Barstool, Betway and SuperBook sportsbooks soft launch in New Jersey ahead of NFL season - According to and ,  the Betway NJ sportsbook soft-launched on August 16th and Penn National Gaming's Barstool Sportsbook soft-launched in New Jersey August 19, becoming the 19th and 20th online sportsbooks in the state. New Jersey is the seventh gaming jurisdiction for Barstool Sportsbook which also launched in Arizona as of September 9. Barstool is operating in New Jersey through a partnership with Resorts Atlantic City. According to , SuperBook, operating under the Meadowlands' gaming license, soft-launched on August 27, becoming the state's 21st sports betting app.

Casino Control Commission approves Bally's Corporation petition for full gaming license - According to of the commission's  public meeting, on August 17, the commissioners voted to approve the Bally's Corporation petition for a full gaming licence with conditions. As summarized in reporting from , as operators of Bally's Atlantic City, Bally's Corp will be required to reinvest $100 million in the property over the next five years. Prior owners Caesars Entertainment and VICI Properties will reimburse Bally's $30 million of the $100 million. Bally's Corp (formerly Twin River Holdings) purchased the Boardwalk casino property for $25 million in April 2020. 

DraftKings buys Golden Nugget Online Casino - As reported by and , DraftKings has purchased Golden Nugget Online Gaming for an estimated $1.56 billion in stock. Following the purchase, Golden Nugget, which currently uses Scientific Games, will shift to using DraftKings' in-house technology to run its online platform.  Draft Kings is also entering into a partnership with Fertitta Entertainment, which includes integrations with the Houston Rockets and an agreement to make DraftKings the exclusive daily fantasy sports betting and iGaming partner of the team. 

Fixed-odds horse racing legal in New Jersey -As reported by , legislation () passed in May aimed at legalizing fixed-odds betting on horse racing in New Jersey has become law. Supporters hope fixed-odds betting, which has proven popular in foreign horse racing markets, will help grow interest in New Jersey horse racing which has been declining for many years. 

National Gaming News

Caesars consolidates sports bettting assets into single brand - As reported by , following the purchase of William Hill in April 2021, on August 1, Caesars Entertainment a new rebranding effort ,that consolidates its sports betting assets. The new sports betting app, Caesars Sportsbook, runs on technology acuired in the purchase of William Hill and is live in eight states (Colorado, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, New Jersey, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia).  Caesars-owned retail sportsbooks are being renamed from William Hill to Caesars Sportsbook, however William Hill sportsbooks at other locations not owned by Caesars are not being renamed.  

Canada legalizes single event sports betting - According to and , Bill C-218, which repeals the federal prohibition against single event sports betting, took effect on August 27. Ontario, Canada's largest province, has yet to approve private competition for its existing Proline parlay betting lottery, which has been expanded to allow more types of bets under the name Proline+. If private online sportsbooks are permitted to operate, BetMGM. Caesars Sportsbook, DraftKings, FanDuel, PointsBet, theScore Bet (Penn National Gaming), Torstar (Canadian media company), and William Hill are expected to be major players. 

Illinois sportsbooks reach $5 billion in lifetime handle in June, faster than any other U.S. sports betting market - According to a from , Illinois sportsbooks became the fourth and fastest U.S. sports betting market (16 months compared to New Jersey's 18 months) to cross the $5 billion lifetime handle threshold. Despite a dip in June, the first since November 2020, at $476.5 million, Illinois handle ranked third in the nation behind New Jersey ($766.9 million) and Nevada ($545.5 million). Hold for the month (9.97%) was the largest in the state since sportsbooks opened in March 2020, and June gross gaming revenue rose 31.8% over the prior month. Further reporting by .

Maryland and Pensylvania casinos set new monthly gaming revenue records - As reported by , Maryland's six commercial casinos reported a new monthly gaming revenue record in July 2021. For the third time in five months the properties have broken the all-time monthly revenue high. The $180.1 million Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR) realized in July 2021, surpassed the previous single-month record ($172.4 million in May 2021) by 4.5%. Also, as reported by , Pennsylvania's casinos generated $423.65 million in revenue in July 2021, surpasing the previous record $413.18 million set in May 2021. July 2021 was the best single month on record for table games in Pennsylvania. 

Nevada records record single month GGR in July 2021 - As reported by , and , Nevada casinos collected a record $1.36 billion in Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR) in the month of July 2021. July 2021 posted a statewide increase of 33% compared to pre-pandemic July 2019 revenue. The Las Vegas Strip also set a single month GGR record with $794 million in July 2021 up 46% over July 2019. A number of live events, pent up demand and the month having five weekends are being credited for boosting gaming revenues. 

Penn National Gaming acquires Score Media & Gaming - According to , Penn National Gaming has acquired its second sports media company. Score Media & Gaming's App TheScore is the most downloaded sports app in Canada. With Score, and Barstool Sports (acquired early 2020), Penn National gains access to a database of potential sports betters and the means to market to them directly. Media is expected to play a key role in building market share for the company's sportsbook.

Wisconsin announces alterations to state gaming compact - As reported by the and , Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers announced on July 1 that the state would revise its tribal gaming compact with the Oneida Nation to permit sports betting. The Federal Department of the Interior approved the change in August and the Oneida Nation expects to offer legal retail sports betting in time for the start of the 2021 Football season. 

Hospitality & Tourism News

Draught, declining water levels, impact tourism at Lake Powell - As reported by and , popular tourism destination Lake Powell reached record low water levels (elevation 3,554 feet) not seen since the reservoir was filled in 1969. Declining water levels are having a direct impact on tourism businesses, especially house boat rentals for which the lake is famous. Of the 11 boat ramps that serve the lake at full elevation (3,700 feet) only one remains fully functional. According to a National Park Service report the region hosted 4.4 million visitors in 2019 who spent $427 million and supported 5,243 jobs. In addition to being a key tourism destination and driver of the local economy, Lake Powell also plays an important role in power generation and the water supply for the region. 

Hospitality workers affiliated with Local 54 ratify interim labor agreement with Ocean Casino Resort- As reported by , on the path to a long-term labor agreement with Ocean Casino Resort, 800 workers represented by Local 54 ratified an interim agreement on August 1 addressing 'core values.' These values included "contracting protections, successorship protection, grievance and arbitration and healthcare." The interim agreement expires December 31, before which time the union hopes to finalize the final contract. 

New Airline GlobalX trains South Jersey residents as flight attendants - As reported by , Global Crossing Airlines (GlobalX), a charter airline which signed an airport use agreement with Atlantic City International Airport in July, has begun training staff for Atlantic City-based operations. Thirteen flight attendents completed training on August 30. The airline is also considering the development of a new hanger and maintenance facility at the airport. 

New Jersey Transit, South Jersey Transportation Authority to study feasability of rail line to Atlantic City International Airport - According to , NJ Transit and South Jersey Transportation Authority have agreed to study the possibility of building a rail station at the north end of the Atlantic City International Airport. The proposal is part if a larger redevelopment plan for land on Route 30 and is supported by an Atlantic City Rail Line advocacy group. The study is expected to take approximatly ten months from start date. Start date has not yet been set. 

Restaurant industry nationally adds 1.3 million jobs in first seven months of 2021- According to the , in the first seven months of 2021 the national restaurant industry added 1.3 million jobs bringing the sector within 1 million of its pre-pandemic employment level of 12.3 million. Only six states - Idaho, South Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, Oklahoma and Arizona – had higher restaurant employment levels in July 2021 than they did in July 2019.

Spirit Airlines cancels flights nationwide, including in and out of Atlantic City International Airport - As reported by The Press of Atlantic City on  , and iting weather and 'operational challenges,' Spirit Airlines canceled numerous flights nationwide leaving thousands stranded. Spirit, the only carrier operating out of Atlantic City International Airport, canceled several flights in and out of the airport. American Airlines had also experienced disruptions, canceling 300 flights (equivalent to 9% of its schedule) by early afternoon on August 3. As of the evening of August 3, Spirit had canceled 382 flights, 55% of the airline's total.  August 5th marked the fifth day of mass cancellations for the airline. 

Year-round independent music venue planned for Atlantic City - As reported by , the  a 650-capacity venue, plans to open on New York Avenue as part of the 'Orange Loop' district. The venue, which has ties to the Philadelphia music scene, plans to host as many as 150 shows per year, starting with the three-day 'Phish weekend' that coincided with the city's beach concert series on August 13-15.