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 incorrect idea: casinos and gambling aren’t arriving at the spot.

Dubai houses the world’s tallest building 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 the Quran.

During an meeting with Gulf News this week, Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce CEO Issam Kazim was asked if there was clearly an evergrowing appetite to welcome casinos to the city.

‘No, there is not a desire for casinos,’ Kazim declared. ‘ We need to bear in head that you can find cultural things that are really a concern to us.’

Non-Gaming Horizons

MGM Resorts and Caesars Entertainment, correspondingly ranked no. 2 and #5 with regards to gross gaming revenue of the earth’s casino operators, are embarking on the center East for the time that is first way of Dubai.

In March 2017, MGM reached a working contract with Dubai-based Wasl Hospitality and Leisure to advise on the development of the location resort, and once completed in 2021, run its operations.

The 26-acre beachfront complex will feature the MGM Hotel, MGM Residences, and Bellagio Hotel.

Previously this month, Caesars Entertainment announced a partnership with Meraas, additionally a Dubai development firm, to handle and run part of the $1.6 billion man-made Bluewaters Island. Caesars will likely be responsible for hospitality and entertainment in the artificial land that measures roughly 80 acres.

Caesars CEO Mark Frissora stated the venture into Dubai is section of its post-bankruptcy give attention to expanding to international areas and lending the brand to hoteliers. Bob Morse, the company’s president of hospitality, https://gamblingprofessors.com/tr/ stated its Bluewaters partners Meraas put any gambling talk ‘to rest very quickly.’

Expanding Tourism

The largest and most populated city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), over the last decade Dubai leaders have made an endeavor to become less reliant on oil. Expanding the tourism sector is a focus, and billions of dollars have been spent, lots of that are monies tied to the home of Al Falasi, the Dubai family that is royal.

One of the city’s main draws are the islands that are artificial into the Persian Gulf.

Dubai is now the sixth city that is most-visited the world, in accordance with the entire world Economic Forum. Nearly 15 million individuals checked out in 2017, lots that’s behind only Hong Kong, Bangkok, London, Singapore, plus the world’s gambling hub that is richest, Macau.

Dubai is thought to be a city that is progressive and has now eased some restrictions about what’s otherwise considered haram vices. Adult non-Muslims are permitted to eat alcohol in licensed venues typically found in city resorts.

But gambling — frequently included on so-called ‘sin industry’ lists, along with alcohol, tobacco, tools production, and sex-related products — is unlikely to be coming to Dubai any time soon, if ever.

However, city officials in Dubai have an ambitious goal of inviting 20 million tourists per year by 2020, which would make it the 3rd locale that is most-visited the globe.

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

Nevada is America’s most gambling-addicted state, based on a new study conducted by WalletHub.com, an online finance website that is personal. It’s most likely the least surprising study results since one which revealed that more than 50 percent of teenagers are addicted to 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)

Which should come as little surprise, however the positioning of several other states in the study results may be worthy of a few raised eyebrows.

In its third year evaluating which US states will be the most addicted to taking risks with their cash the old-fashioned method, WalletHub says it studied 19 key metric indicators to find out where exorbitant gambling is most prevalent.

The assessment considered two areas that are main ‘gambling friendliness’ (a quotient that combined many different gaming factors for every state) and ‘gambling issue and treatment.’ The weighted categories included factors such as the amount 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 most gambling-addicted states with a total rating of 62.43. It ranked first in gambling friendliness, and 10th in gambling issue and treatment.

Nevada has got the most gambling enterprises and gaming devices per capita, and rate that is fifth-highest of addiction.

One might suspect nj-new Jersey or Pennsylvania to come next, but that ‘honor’ goes to South Dakota, which scored 53.1. Rounding out the top five many gambling-addicted states are 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 number 9 in 2017, while West Virginia (#5 in 2017), dropped back to number 6 in 2010.

Detailing Down And Up

Pennsylvania — which yields the second-most gross gaming casino revenue behind only Nevada — placed #27 on last years WalletHub list. But using the Keystone State in the process of further expanding its commercial industry with up to 10 satellite that is new, along with impending on line gambling and daily dream 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. 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 dropped two spots to #8. The Garden State ranks 2nd in gambling treatment and problem, with nearly three % of most adults recognized as have a gambling disorder.

Implications of Legal Sports Betting

A lot of the US might find 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 activity in all but four states.

WalletHub asked five behavioral and psychology experts whether sports betting should be permitted at the level that is federal. All five said it should, because of the basic viewpoint that eliminating unregulated illegal offshore and underground sportsbooks is in the most readily useful interest of both consumers and the gaming industry.

‘ The main 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 sports gambling 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 was provided permission by the Indiana Gaming Commission to move its operations onto dry land, hundreds of miles south the Louisiana Senate was approving a bill that would also 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 in the beverage. He desires to modernize hawaii’s casino industry so it can compete featuring 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 gambling enterprises to help make the evolutionary jump, supplied 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 center to have a paddle wheel that is operational.

Horseshoe Gets Lucky

Indiana passed a similar bill in 2015, and not a minute too soon for the Horseshoe which includes been shut down on at least five occasions because of the flooding of the Ohio river where it has been permanently docked since its establishment in 1998. Probably the most present closure ended up being in February, at great cost to their 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 possibility of flooding.

‘This task further shows our continued enthusiasm for and commitment to your 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 development?

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 restriction of 30,000 square foot would be replaced by a limit on gambling positions or the amount of seats in front side of slots at 2,365.

Johns stated his bill would modernize hawaii’s creaking casino sector, permitting it to incorporate bigger slots using the latest cutting-edge technology, which can only 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 an industry that’s supplying 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 money.