Dubai Tourism Chief Claims City Won’t Become Gaming Destination, Despite MGM and Caesars Projects

Dubai will soon become home to hotel properties branded by MGM Resorts and Caesars Entertainment, but area officials say never get the idea that is wrong casinos and gambling aren’t arriving at the spot.

Dubai houses the globe’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 found in 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 is not a desire for casinos,’ Kazim declared. ‘ We must bear in head that you can find cultural things that are a concern to us.’

Non-Gaming Horizons

MGM Resorts and Caesars Entertainment, respectively rated #2 and #5 when it comes to 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 an operating contract with Dubai-based Wasl Hospitality and Leisure to advise on the development of the location resort, and when completed in 2021, run its operations.

The beachfront that is 26-acre 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 component of the $1.6 billion Bluewaters that is man-made Island. Caesars will likely 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 section 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, stated its Bluewaters partners Meraas put any gambling talk ‘to rest really quickly.’

Expanding Tourism

The biggest and many city that is populated 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 is a focus, and billions of dollars have been spent, lots of which are monies linked with the home of Al Falasi, the Dubai family that is royal.

One of the city’s main draws are the synthetic islands built into the Persian Gulf.

Dubai is today the sixth most-visited city in the planet, based on the entire world Economic Forum. Nearly 15 million individuals 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 city that is progressive and it has eased some restrictions on which’s otherwise considered haram vices. Adult non-Muslims are permitted to consume alcohol in licensed venues typically present in city resorts.

But gambling — frequently included on so-called ‘sin industry’ listings, along with alcohol, tobacco, tools manufacturing, and sex-related products — is not likely to be coming to Dubai any time soon, if ever.

However, city officials in Dubai have a committed goal of inviting 20 million tourists a year by 2020, which would make it the third locale that is most-visited the world.

Shocker, Not: Nevada Most Gambling-Addicted State, Learn Reveals

Nevada is America’s most gambling-addicted state, according to a new study conducted by WalletHub.com, an online personal finance site. It’s probably the least surprising study results since the one that showed that more than 50 percent of teens are addicted to their mobile phones.

Nevada holds the record for the many addicted gamblers, a study that is new. With no one is surprised. (Image: File/Getty)

That should come as little shock, however the placement of several other states in the study results may be worthy of several elevated eyebrows.

In its third year evaluating which US states would be the many addicted to taking risks with their cash the traditional method, WalletHub says it learned 19 key metric indicators to find out where excessive gambling is most predominant.

The evaluation considered two areas that are main ‘gambling friendliness’ (a quotient that combined many different gaming factors for every single state) and ‘gambling problem and treatment.’ The weighted groups included factors such as for example the number of commercial and tribal casinos 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 total rating of 62.43. It rated very first in gambling friendliness, and 10th in gambling treatment and problem.

Nevada gets the most casinos and gaming machines per capita, and rate that is fifth-highest of addiction.

One might suspect New Jersey or Pennsylvania to come next, but that ‘honor’ goes to South Dakota, which scored 53.1. Rounding out of the top five most 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 entry that is newest, up from no. 9 in 2017, while West Virginia (#5 in 2017), dropped back again to # 6 in 2010.

Listing Up and Down

Pennsylvania — which yields the second-most gross gaming casino revenue behind only Nevada — placed #27 on last years WalletHub list. But utilizing 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 day-to-day fantasy activities, and slot machines inside truck stops and airport video gaming lounges, Pennsylvania has surged a dozen spots, up to #15.

Illinois ended up being another mover-upper, going from #18 in 2017 to #9 on this 12 months’s list. Though Illinois ranks 25th in gaming devices per capita and 21st in lottery sales, no state has more gambling-related arrests per capita, according to WalletHub.

Atlantic City’s New Jersey dropped two spots to #8. The Garden State ranks second in gambling issue and treatment, with nearly three percent of all adults recognized as have a gambling disorder.

Implications of Legal Sports Betting

Much of the US will see their ‘gambling friendliness’ score increase, should activities betting be legalized for all 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 level that is federal. All five said it will, because of the general viewpoint that eliminating unregulated illegal offshore and underground sportsbooks is in the interest that is best of both consumers and the gaming industry.

‘ The reason that is main states want gambling is money. Have you thought to make sports betting 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 ban that is federal.

Land in Sight for Louisiana Riverboat Casinos as State Senate Passes ‘River to Shore’ Bill

On Tuesday, the very day that the Horseshoe Southern Indiana ended up being granted 1 x bet permission by the Indiana Gaming Commission to move its operations onto dry land, hundreds of kilometers south the Louisiana Senate ended up being approving a bill that would also propel its own riverboat gambling enterprises onto terra firma.

State Senator Ronnie Johns believes Louisiana riverboat casinos should be allowed to come onto dry land after 25 years in the beverage. He desires to modernize the state’s casino industry so it can compete using its neighbors. (Image: Sarah Camard/Gambit Weekly)

The Louisiana Senate voted 22-14 to pass through State Senator Ronnie Johns’ (R-Lake Charles) SB316, which may permit the state’s 15 riverboat casinos to make the leap that is evolutionary supplied all gambling activities are conducted within 1,200 foot 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 similar bill in 2015, and not just a moment too soon for the Horseshoe which includes been shut down on at least five occasions due to the flooding of the Ohio river where it offers been permanently docked since its establishment in 1998. The absolute most closure that is recent in February, at great price to their state.

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 look ahead to continuing our positive working relationships at the State and local level.’

Evolution or expansion?

Much 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 limitation of 30,000 square foot would be changed by a limit 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 with all the cutting-edge technology that is latest, which will help it to deflect competition from the casinos of Oklahoma and Mississippi.

State Senator Danny Martiny (R-Dist. 10) agreed, and berated senators that are fellow thought otherwise.

We’ve got a business that’s providing us with income, thank God,’ Martiny said. ‘Everybody that is against it, sure doesn’t shy away from coming to Appropriations and asking for some of that cash.