Dubai Tourism Chief States City Won’t Become Gaming Destination, Despite MGM and Caesars Projects
Dubai will quickly become home to hotel properties branded by MGM Resorts and Caesars Entertainment, but area officials say do not obtain the incorrect idea: casinos and gambling are not coming to the region.
Dubai hosts the globe’s building that is tallest plus some of the most fascinating artificial islands, but casinos won’t presumably be coming anytime soon.
Gambling is considered ‘haram’ under Islamic law: an activity that is forbidden goes against sacred texts present in the Quran.
During an interview with Gulf News this week, Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce CEO Issam Kazim was asked if there was an evergrowing appetite to welcome gambling enterprises to the city.
‘No, there is not a desire for casinos,’ Kazim declared. ‘ We must bear in brain that you can find cultural items that really are a concern to us.’
Non-Gaming Horizons
MGM Resorts and Caesars Entertainment, correspondingly rated number 2 and #5 with regards to gross gaming revenue of the planet’s casino operators, are getting into the Middle East for the very first time by way of Dubai.
In March 2017, MGM reached a working agreement with Dubai-based Wasl Hospitality and Leisure to advise on the development of a destination resort, and as soon as completed in 2021, run its operations.
The 26-acre beachfront complex will feature the MGM Hotel, MGM Residences, and Bellagio Hotel.
Earlier in the day this month, Caesars Entertainment announced a partnership with Meraas, additionally a Dubai development firm, to handle and run 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 said the venture into Dubai is part of its post-bankruptcy focus on expanding to markets that are international lending the brand to hoteliers. Bob Morse, the company’s president of hospitality, said its Bluewaters partners Meraas put any gambling talk ‘to rest really quickly.’
Expanding Tourism
The biggest and many populated city 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 happens to be a focus, and billions of dollars have been spent, lots of which are monies associated with the House of Al Falasi, the Dubai royal family members.
Certainly one of the town’s main draws are the islands that are artificial into the Persian Gulf.
Dubai is today the sixth city that is most-visited the world, in accordance with the entire world Economic Forum. Nearly 15 million people visited in 2017, lots that’s behind only Hong Kong, Bangkok, London, Singapore, and the world’s gamblingprofessors.com richest gambling hub, Macau.
Dubai is considered to be a modern city, and contains eased some restrictions on what’s otherwise considered haram vices. Adult non-Muslims are permitted to consume alcohol in licensed venues typically found in city resorts.
But gambling — often included on so-called ‘sin industry’ lists, along with alcohol, tobacco, weapons manufacturing, and products that are sex-related; is unlikely to be coming to Dubai any time in the future, if ever.
However, city officials in Dubai have a committed goal of inviting 20 million tourists per year by 2020, which would make it the 3rd locale that is most-visited the world.
Shocker, Not: Nevada Most Gambling-Addicted State, Study Reveals
Nevada is America’s most state that is gambling-addicted in accordance with a new study conducted by WalletHub.com, an online personal finance web site. It’s most likely the least study that is surprising since the one that showed that more than 50 percent of teens are hooked on their cellular devices.
Nevada holds the record for the many addicted gamblers, a brand new study programs. And no one is surprised. (Image: File/Getty)
That will come as surprise that is little however the positioning of several other states in the study results might be worthy of several raised eyebrows.
In its third year evaluating which US states will be the many addicted to taking chances with their cash the old-fashioned means, WalletHub says it learned 19 key metric indicators to find out where excessive gambling is most commonplace.
The assessment considered two primary areas, ‘gambling friendliness’ (a quotient that combined a number of video gaming factors for every single state) and ‘gambling problem and treatment.’ The weighted groups included factors such as for instance the number of commercial and tribal gambling enterprises per capita, and portion of adults with gambling disorders and parallel number that is available of counselors.
Nevada topped the list of all 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 the most casinos and gaming machines per capita, and fifth-highest rate of gambling addiction.
One might suspect New Jersey or Pennsylvania to come 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 is the newest entry, up from #9 in 2017, while West Virginia (#5 in 2017), dropped back again to #6 this season.
Detailing Up and Down
Pennsylvania — which creates the second-most gaming that is gross revenue behind only Nevada — put #27 on final years WalletHub list. But with all the Keystone State in the process of further expanding its commercial industry with as much as 10 satellite that is new, along with impending on line gambling and daily dream sports, and slot machines inside truck stops and airport video gaming lounges, Pennsylvania has surged a dozen spots, up to #15.
Illinois was 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 dropped two spots to #8. The Garden State ranks 2nd in gambling treatment and problem, with nearly three % of all adults recognized as have a gambling disorder.
Implications of Legal Sports Betting
A lot of the US will discover their ‘gambling friendliness’ score increase, should sports betting be legalized for many 50 states. The Supreme Court is expected to soon hand its opinion down on the current federal ban that prohibits the game in most but four states.
WalletHub asked five behavioral and psychology experts whether sports betting should be permitted at the federal level. All five said it should, using 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 expected 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 miles south the Louisiana Senate ended up being approving a bill that would additionally propel its own riverboat casinos onto terra firma.
State Senator Ronnie Johns believes Louisiana riverboat casinos should be permitted to come onto dry land after 25 years into the drink. He would like to modernize hawaii’s casino industry therefore it can compete with its next-door neighbors. (Image: Sarah Camard/Gambit Weekly)
The Louisiana Senate voted 22-14 to pass State Senator Ronnie Johns’ (R-Lake Charles) SB316, which may permit the state’s 15 riverboat casinos to help make the leap that is evolutionary provided all gambling activities are conducted within 1,200 legs of their licensed berths.
Johns’ bill would also remove a quirky statute from Louisiana gamble law that requires each facility to have a operational paddle wheel.
Horseshoe Gets Lucky
Indiana passed a bill that is similar 2015, and not really a moment too quickly for the Horseshoe which has been shut down on at minimum five occasions due to the flooding of the Ohio river where this has been permanently docked since its establishment in 1998. Probably the most closure that is recent in February, at great cost to the state.
The Indiana regulator on Tuesday approved a $85 million land-based facility or should that be ‘above-land-based center,’ 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 look ahead to continuing our positive working relationships at the State and local level.’
Expansion or development?
Much of the debate in Louisiana, meanwhile, was whether Johns’ bill constituted gambling expansion, since it proposes reworking the cap on casino floor space. The limit that is current of square foot would be replaced by a cap on gambling positions or the amount of seats in front side of slots at 2,365.
Johns said his bill would modernize the state’s creaking casino sector, allowing it to incorporate bigger slots utilizing the latest cutting-edge technology, which will 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 supplying us with income, thank Jesus,’ Martiny said. ‘Everybody that’s against it, sure doesn’t shy far from coming to Appropriations and asking for some of that cash.