Dubai Tourism Chief States 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 cannot get the incorrect concept: casinos and gambling are not visiting the spot.
Dubai hosts the globe’s tallest building and some of the most fascinating synthetic 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 casinos to the city.
‘No, there isn’t a desire for casinos,’ Kazim declared. ‘ We must bear in head that there are cultural items that really are a concern to us.’
Non-Gaming Horizons
MGM Resorts and Caesars Entertainment, correspondingly rated #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 an operating 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 resort, MGM Residences, and Bellagio Hotel.
Previously this month, Caesars Entertainment announced a partnership with Meraas, also a Dubai development firm, to manage and operate component of the $1.6 billion man-made Bluewaters Island. Caesars is going to be responsible for hospitality and entertainment regarding the artificial land that measures roughly 80 acres.
Caesars CEO Mark Frissora said the venture into Dubai is element of its post-bankruptcy consider expanding to international areas 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 largest and many populated town in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), over the last decade Dubai leaders have actually made an attempt to become less reliant on oil. Expanding the tourism sector has been a focus, and billions of dollars have actually been invested, many of which are monies linked 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 world, based on the entire world Economic Forum. Nearly 15 million people checked out in 2017, lots that’s behind only Hong Kong, Bangkok, London, Singapore, and the world’s richest gambling hub, 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 eat liquor in licensed venues typically present in city resorts.
But gambling — usually included on so-called ‘sin industry’ listings, along with alcohol, tobacco, tools manufacturing, and sex-related products — is unlikely to be coming to Dubai anytime soon, if ever.
However, city officials in Dubai have an ambitious goal of welcoming 20 million tourists per year by 2020, which would make it the third most-visited locale in the world.
Shocker, Not: Nevada Most Gambling-Addicted State, Research Reveals
Nevada is America’s most state that is gambling-addicted in accordance with a new study conducted by WalletHub.com, an online finance website that is personal. It’s most likely the least study that is surprising since the one that revealed that more than 50 percent of teens are addicted to their mobile phones.
Nevada holds the record for the most addicted gamblers, a brand new study shows. With no one is surprised. (Image: File/Getty)
That should come as little surprise, however the positioning of several other states in the study results might be worthy of several raised eyebrows.
The old-fashioned way, WalletHub says it studied 19 key metric indicators to determine where excessive gambling is most prevalent in its third year evaluating which US states are the most addicted to taking chances with their money.
The assessment considered two primary areas, ‘gambling friendliness’ (a quotient that combined a number of video gaming factors for each state) and ‘gambling issue and treatment.’ The weighted categories included factors such as for instance the number of commercial and tribal casinos per capita, and portion of grownups with gambling disorders and parallel number that is available of counselors.
Nevada topped the list on most gambling-addicted states with a total score of 62.43. It ranked first in gambling friendliness, and 10th in gambling problem and therapy.
Nevada has got the most casinos and gaming devices per capita, and fifth-highest rate of gambling addiction.
One may suspect New Jersey or Pennsylvania to come next, but that ‘honor’ goes to South Dakota, which scored 53.1. Rounding out the top five most gambling-addicted states are 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 # 6 this year.
Detailing Up and Down
Pennsylvania — which creates the second-most gaming that is gross revenue behind only Nevada — placed #27 on last years WalletHub list. But because of the Keystone State in the process of further expanding its commercial industry with up to 10 satellite that is new, along with impending online gambling and daily dream activities, and slot machines inside truck stops and airport 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 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 of the adults recognized as have a gambling disorder.
Implications of Legal Sports Betting
Much of the US might find their ‘gambling friendliness’ score increase, should recreations betting be legalized for all 50 states. The Supreme Court is expected to soon hand down its viewpoint on the present 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 will, with all the general opinion 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. Why not make sports gambling legal? Gamblers will gamble anyhow,’ Indiana University Department of Psychological 1xbet live stream and Brain Sciences Professor Emeritus Jim Sherman noted.
as 20 states would be likely to pass recreations gambling 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 was issued permission by the Indiana Gaming Commission to move 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 allowed to come onto dry land after 25 years into the drink. He desires to modernize hawaii’s casino industry so it can compete along with 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 would let the state’s 15 riverboat casinos to really make the leap that is evolutionary 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 requires each facility 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 shut down on at minimum five occasions as a result of the flooding of the Ohio river where it offers been permanently docked since its establishment in 1998. The absolute most current closure had been in February, at great price 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 possibility of flooding.
‘This project further demonstrates our continued enthusiasm for and commitment towards the state,’ said Brad Siegel, senior vice president at 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 current limit of 30,000 square feet would be changed by a cap on gambling positions or the amount of seats in front side of slots at 2,365.
Johns stated his bill would modernize the state’s creaking casino sector, enabling it to incorporate bigger slots utilizing 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 is providing us with income, thank Jesus,’ Martiny said. ‘Everybody that is against it, sure doesn’t shy far from coming to Appropriations and asking for some of that cash.