Melanie Porter's latest articles
Melanie Porter
Senior WriterMelanie specializes in analyzing legalities and the ongoing development of land-based gaming infrastructure. She tracks zoning regulations, casino expansions, and the legislative hurdles of resort development. Her sharp insights guide operators through the complex permitting processes required to build tomorrow’s premier brick-and-mortar gaming destinations.
Industry
December 11, 2024
RMS Capital Announces The Top Hat Boutique Hotel in Atlantic City
A unique boutique hotel inspired by the classic board game Monopoly is set to be developed in Atlantic City, the birthplace of the game’s iconic street names. RMS Capital, a New Jersey-based real estate developer, announced its plans to break ground on The Top Hat at The Orange Loop in 2025. The hotel, drawing inspiration […]
Business
December 10, 2024
BetMGM Names Ex-Fiat Chrysler Head Hurbis as New CMO
BetMGM, the joint venture between MGM Resorts International and Entain Holdings, has appointed seasoned marketing executive Casey Hurbis as its new chief marketing officer (CMO). Impressive Experience Over Three Decades The company praised Hurbis for his “innovative, needle-moving strategies” and extensive experience spanning over three decades in multiple industries. Hurbis joins BetMGM after a recent […]
Industry
December 10, 2024
Pizza Hut Slammed for “Free Spins” Campaign
Pizza Hut has faced backlash over a recent promotion that linked pizza orders to offers of “free spins” at online casinos. The controversial campaign was part of a partnership between Pizza Hut and Free Spins Loops, a brand managed by Digital Adventures. The latter operates under Quantum International Holdings. Digital Adventures attributed the incident to […]
Industry
December 9, 2024
Rise of Betting Apps Contributes to Gambling Addiction Crisis
In mid-November, we spoke about the latest report from the Lancet Public Health Commission that was warning of a series of public health risks from the online gambling boom. Now, almost three years after the launch of the mobile sports betting market in New York, similar concerns have been expressed by New York clinicians, including […]
Industry
December 9, 2024
NGCB Wants Simplified House Rules for Sportsbooks
Last month, Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB) members touched on the subject of a possible expansion of wagering account usage within the state’s non-restricted gaming venues, including casinos. In September, the same gambling regulator announced it would review a proposal seeking to bar banned gamblers from getting paid jackpots at venues across the state. At […]
Casino
December 6, 2024
Vegas High Roller Known for Frauds Slapped with 51 Months in Prison
In April 2022, the Nevada Gaming Control Board initiated an investigation into Resorts World Las Vegas over allegations that gambler B.S. raised against the company’s president, Scott Sibella. As per the allegations, Sibella had lied about his ties with Sattler and also about the Tacos El Cabron restaurant on the Strip, which was partially owned […]
Industry
December 6, 2024
UKGC Offers Updated Evaluation of the Gambling Act Review
The Gambling Commission (GC), in collaboration with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), has been actively working on assessing the impact of the Gambling Act Review, following the publication of the Government’s White Paper in April 2023. This ambitious effort was born from a need to bring about significant policy changes, with the […]
Casino
December 5, 2024
Gamres and Carleton Professors Make Addiction Prevention Breakthrough
A pioneering study spearheaded by Dr. Nassim Tabri and Dr. Michael Wohl from Carleton University’s Department of Psychology in collaboration with Dr. Richard Wood from responsible gambling-focused research and consultancy company Gamres has been published in Addiction, a prestigious journal in the field of addiction research. The study unveils the Positive Play Quiz, an innovative […]
Industry
December 4, 2024
Betsson, Back on Finland’s Payment Blocking List
At the start of the year, Finland blacklisted Betsson subsidiary BML Group, turning it into the pioneering Malta Gaming Authority-licensed company to face such action. Then, Finnish banks and payment providers were ordered to block payments to the operator after the Helsinki Administrative Court fined the group €2.4 million ($2.51 million) for allegedly targeting the […]
Legal
December 4, 2024
Future of DFS and Online Poker in Ontario Hangs in the Balance
In August, Ontario’s Premier Doug Ford and his government were searching for a precedent-setting court ruling on whether the province’s online gaming platforms could allow residents to engage in play with international gamblers. The legal move that was initiated by an order-in-council from Ford’s cabinet belonged to a case that was set to be heard […]
