Taiwanese shipping giant First Steamship Company Limited has reportedly announced that it will be spending approximately $253,000 million over the coming weeks in order to acquire a 12.67% stake in Asian casino operator Summit Ascent Holdings Limited.

According to a report from GGRAsia, Taipei-based First Steamship Company Limited stated on Monday that the purchase involving almost 189 million Summit Ascent Holdings Limited ordinary shares is being conducted via its Heritage Riches Limited subsidiary in order to fulfill ‘long-term investment’ goals.

Hong Kong-listed Summit Ascent Holdings Limited, which is controlled by local businessman Lawrence Ho Yau Lung of Melco International Development Limited fame, has reportedly operated the Tigre de Cristal hotel and casino in Russia’s Primorsky Krai gambling zone since late-2015 and has plans to premiere an expanded propertyby the end of 2019.

In related news, GGRAsia additionally reported that Monday saw Ho declare that he will be selling off the entirety of his around 20 million shares in Summit Ascent Holdings Limited, which represents a holding of 1.34%, with his Quick Glitter Limited vehicle following suit with its 16.03% interest. This disposal is purportedly due to be completed by the end of today and will result in the 41-year-old billionaire holding no direct stake in the casino-operating company.

GGRAsia explained that Ho’s move comes after a late-November report from brokerage firm Union Gaming Securities Asia Limited warned that a planned increase in Russian casino duties could possibly lead to Summit Ascent Holdings Limited’s annual earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization declining by as much as 6% year-on-year.

Following the announcement on Tuesday, Great Canadian shares were trading up $4.23 at $34.12 on Canada’s main stock index, the Toronto Stock Exchange, a gain of more than 10 percent.

Together, Clarivest and Great Canadian will develop and operate OLG Slots at Mohawk Racetrack, OLG Slots at Grand River Raceway, OLG Slots at Flamboro Downs and OLG Casino Brantford, according to reports.

Under the terms of the agreement, Great Canadian and Clarivest will have exclusive operating rights to the assets for a period of at least 20 years. The four facilities employ upwards of 1,400 staff and have a combined total of more than 2,500 slot machines and approximately 60 table games.

The operations will be run by Great Canadian, which will own 55 percent of the partnership, while the remaining 45 percent will be held by Clarivest.

Brookfield Business Partners L.P. (TSX:BBU.UN) and Great Canadian were chosen by the OLG to operate its casinos in the Greater Toronto Area (the “GTA Bundle”) including OLG Slots at Woodbine, Great Blue Heron Casino located in the Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation and OLG Slots at Ajax Downs. Together, the three generated over $1 billion in gross gaming revenue in 2016. All combined they have more than 60 table games, 4,000 slot machines and employ upwards of 2,200.

The two companies will also have exclusive rights to operate the three casinos for a minimum period of 22 years in keeping with the requirements of a Casino Operating and Services Agreement.

The city of Santa Fe is home to one less gaming venue after the recent announcement of the Nambé Falls Casino closure. Now, it seems the area of New Mexico may soon be adding a casino as the Pueblo of Tesuque Tribal Council announced they are planning to open a new venue next to the Sante Fe Opera.

The Pueblo of Tesuque plans on creating a new gaming venue neighboring the opera house, just off highway 84/285. The tribal council believes that the casino will create jobs in the community as well as spur development locally. Mark Mitchell is the Tesuque Pueblo Governor, who stated that the casino has been a vision of the tribe for many years and will be essential to help create funding for education on the reservation.

According to kob.com, the planned casino will see its first phase include 750 slot games plus table games. The goal is to open by fall of next year. In later phases, the tribe will be adding a hotel as well as resort-style amenities.

Situating the casino near the opera house does seem to be causing some concern. The General Manager of the Santa Fe Opera, Charles Mackay, stated that there have been discussions with the tribe about the casino for close to a year now and the venue is concerned, basically due to the element of the unknown. The Santa Fe Opera house is an open-air venue, which creates a unique experience for visitors, with live shows and the beautiful views of the area.

One of the existing casinos in the state, the Camel Rock Casino, is also operated by the Pueblo of Tesuque. According to Mitchell, the tribe will be shutting down this gaming site when the new casino opens next to the opera house. For the new casino, the tribe has plans to begin breaking ground in January.

American regional casino operator Boyd Gaming Corporation announced yesterday that it had signed a definitive agreement that will see it pay approximately $280.5 million in order to purchase Valley Forge Casino Resort in eastern Pennsylvania from current owner Valley Forge Convention Center Partners LP.

Las Vegas-based Boyd Gaming Corporation recently revealed that it would be spending some $575 million in order to take over four casinos in Missouri, Ohio and Indiana owned by rival Pinnacle Entertainment Incorporated as part of that firm’s planned acquisition by Penn National Gaming Incorporated and stated that this most recent deal is to see its portfolio eventually encompass some 29 venues spread across ten states.

Located around 20 miles northwest of central Philadelphia in the small community of King of Prussia, Valley Forge Casino Resort features eight bars and restaurants alongside in excess of 100,000 sq ft of meeting, convention and exhibition space while its 40,000 sq ft casino offers 50 gaming tables and 600 slots. The nearly 500-room property recently racked up almost $9.55 million in total gaming revenues for November, which represented an increase of 12.4% year-on-year, with Boyd Gaming Corporation declaring that it intends to bring a further 250 slots to the Montgomery County venue post-sale.

Keith Smith, Chief Executive Officer and President for Boyd Gaming Corporation, explained that the acquisition of Valley Forge Casino Resort is expected to be completed during the third quarter of 2018 subject to the receipt of ‘all required regulatory approvals’ and will give his firm its first property in Pennsylvania.

“The acquisition of Valley Forge Casino Resort is another excellent opportunity to further grow and diversify our nationwide portfolio,” read a statement from Smith. “With this acquisition, we will expand into the second-largest gaming state in the country, establishing a presence in a densely populated and high-traffic area just west of Philadelphia. And thanks to Pennsylvania’s recent passage of gaming expansion legislation, there are new opportunities to drive incremental growth at Valley Forge [Casino Resort] through the expansion of the property’s slot capacity and the introduction of new forms of gaming.”

Smith moreover proclaimed that Boyd Gaming Corporation’s purchase of Valley Forge Casino Resort along with the four Pinnacle Entertainment Incorporated properties will see the company gain ‘direct access to four of the nation’s largest gaming markets’ in St Louis, Cincinnati, Kansas City and Philadelphia featuring a combined population of roughly ten million adults.

“We believe this expansion will help drive additional growth throughout our nationwide portfolio as we market our destination properties to these new customers in the Midwest and Northeast,” read the statement from Smith.

US-based Boyd Gaming Corporation has today announced it has entered into an agreement to acquire the Valley Forge Casino Resort in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, for a fee of $280.5m.

Valley Forge Casino Resort currently has over 500 hotel rooms, eight restaurants and bars and a 40,000-square-foot casino with 600 slot machines and 50 table games. It has more than 100,000 square feet of meeting, convention and exhibit space and is located 20 miles west of Philadelphia.

Following the passage of gaming expansion legislation by the state last month, Valley Forge eliminated its customer admission fee, announcing plans to add a further 250 slot machines in early 2018. The deal is expected to complete during the third quarter of 2018.

This will be Boyd’s first casino purchase in Pennsylvania, and follows the announcement that the company would also purchase the Ameristar Kansas City and Ameristar St. Charles in Missouri; Belterra Casino Resort in Indiana; and Belterra Park in Ohio from Pinnacle Entertainment for a combined fee of $575m earlier this week.

In a statement announcing the acquisition, Keith Smith, President and CEO of Boyd Gaming said: "With the successful completion of our acquisitions of Valley Forge and the Pinnacle assets, Boyd Gaming will gain direct access to four of the nation's largest gaming markets – Philadelphia, St. Louis, Kansas City and Cincinnati – with a combined population of nearly 10 million adults.

“We will expand our nationwide presence, operating 29 properties across 10 states. We believe this expansion will help drive additional growth throughout our nationwide portfolio, as we market our destination properties to these new customers in the Midwest and Northeast."

Shareholders of NYX Gaming Group meeting in Las Vegas yesterday overwhelmingly approved the $631m acquisition of the company by fellow gaming giant Scientific Games Corporation.

In two separate votes on a scheme of arrangement filed with a Guernsey court, 99.6% of shareholders present passed a resolution approving the scheme, and in a second vote 99.8% of shareholders present passed a special resolution authorising the directors of NYX to take steps to give effect to the scheme.

The second vote also authorised directors to make certain amendments to the articles of incorporation of NYX for purposes of implementing the scheme.

Under Guernsey law, acquisition votes must receive at least 75% support from shareholders before any approval can take place. A final hearing before the Royal Court of Guernsey will take place on 5 January in which a judge will potentially approve the results of the vote and ratify the acquisition.

Voicing his approval of the shareholders' vote, NYX Gaming Group CEO Matt Davey said: “The acquisition will be a win-win for both companies and our collective shareholders.

“By joining Scientific Games, we will become part of a company with unmatched global reach, resources and industry leading content. The leaders of both NYX and Scientific Games are committed to delivering significant value for our customers across the full spectrum of digital gaming.”

The acquisition had looked to be in jeopardy last month when William Hill attempted to convert its preference shares into ordinary voting stock and vote against the bid, prompting an anti-trust lawsuit by both Scientific Games and NYX Gaming and a flurry of financial activity by investors.

Affirming their commitment to the acquisition, both companies signed an amended agreement that a cash offer takeover would take place, should shareholders not approve the acquisition. However this was not needed, with major shareholders Sky Bet, Pollard Equities, and finally William Hill signing agreements to support the Scientific Games acquisition bid.

Scientific Games CEO and President Kevin Sheehan added: “We are thrilled by the strong support from NYX shareholders and we are very excited about our combined companies’ future growth potential. By bringing together Scientific Games and NYX, we will create a world leader in digital gaming and sports betting, a company with an unrivalled end-to-end product portfolio and an innovative driving force in the industry.”

Regulators from the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) have confirmed that gross revenue from gambling at table games in Pennsylvania casinos during November 2017 was up 2.84% compared to November 2016.

In its November report, the PGCB announced gross table games revenues of $72,230,798 compared to $70,237,664 in revenue generated by the 12 casinos during the same month in 2016.

The Lady Luck Casino Nemacolin reported the biggest rise in table games revenue during the month, jumping by 33.78% from its November 2016 total. Valley Forge Casino reported the next highest rise in revenue from table games, a rise of 32.40% when compared to the same period.

Mohegan Sun Pocono and The Meadows Casino had more modest revenue growth during November, reporting year-over-year rises of 16.48% and 17.98% respectively.

The month’s biggest year-over-year drops were at Harrah’s Philadelphia and Parx Casino which reported revenue reductions of 5.41% and 4.73% respectively on their figures for the same period in November 2016.

Total tax revenue from table games play during November was $11,654,046 with an average of 1,257 tables in operation statewide on a daily basis.

UK and Ireland sportsbook operator William Hill has announced the departure of current chairman Gareth Davis, with effect from 2 April 2018.

Current Sports Information Services Limited (SIS) CEO, Roger Devlin, will become the new chairman designate of William Hill with effect from 1 February 2018, leaving SIS after nine years. William Hill is a 19.5% shareholder in SIS.

Devlin has previously served as an executive, non-executive and chairman in a number of listed companies and currently serves as chairman of leading pub operator and brewer Marston's PLC. Devlin is also currently a non-executive director of the Football Association and previously occupied the role of chairman at private gaming operator and developer Gamesys between 2006 and 2016.

Paying tribute to the outgoing Davis, Sir Roy Gardner, Senior Independent Director of William Hill said: "On behalf of the Board I would also like to take this early opportunity to thank Gareth Davis for his considerable contribution and commitment to the Group over the past seven years. "Gareth's experience, energy and commitment have been of considerable benefit to William Hill as we seek to continue to grow the business online and internationally, and to deliver our strategy. We look forward to working with him in the coming months and wish him well for the future."

Outgoing William Hill chairman Davis added: "I have greatly enjoyed my time at William Hill and am pleased the business is on a strong footing, continues to grow and has established strategic positions in key international markets. I will be working closely with Roger Devlin in the coming months to introduce him to the business before I step down as planned and I wish Roger all the best for his future at what is a great company."

William Hill’s new prospective chairman designate Devlin, commented: "William Hill is a business and brand I have greatly admired during my years in the leisure sector and more recently as Chair of SIS. I recognise that there are both immediate challenges to address for the industry and considerable medium and longer term opportunities for the Group, and I look forward to working with Philip Bowcock, his executive team and the Board to deliver further progress for the Group and shareholders."

A partnership between gaming developers Great Canadian Gaming Corporation and the Clairvest Group have been awarded a licence to operate and develop four casino properties in Toronto.

The facilities, all owned by the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation and known collectively as the West GTA bundle include: Casino Brantford, the slots at Mohawk Racetrack, the slots at Flamboro Downs and the slots at Grand River Raceway.

Under the terms of the deal, Great Canadian will own 55% of the partnership and run the operations, while Clairvest, a private equity firm, will hold the remaining 45%.

As a result of this award, the partnership will acquire all the gaming assets in the West GTA Bundle and will enter into leases for each of the facilities. The deal also gives them the exclusive right to operate the facilities for a minimum of 20 years.

In total the facilities comprise over 2,500 slot machines, approximately 60 table games, employ more than 1,400 staff, and generated approximately $450m in gross gaming revenue in the 2017 financial year.

This latest deal follows a similar award of the rights to operate the East GTA bundle of properties (Woodbine racetrack in Toronto, Ajax Downs and the Great Blue Heron Casino in Port Perry) to a consortium led by Great Canadian Gaming Corporation and Brookfield Business Partners LP in August.

In a statement announcing the award, Great Canadian Gaming’s President and CEO Rod N. Baker said: “Being awarded the West GTA Bundle is a true milestone for Great Canadian and the Partnership. We thank OLG for their confidence in our company and for providing us the opportunity to showcase and apply our gaming, racing, hospitality and development expertise to the selected properties.”

Jeff Parr, Co-Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Clairvest Group Inc added: “We are thrilled that OLG has selected the Partnership as the service provider for the West GTA Bundle. Together with Great Canadian, we are confident in our ability to deliver a unique and spectacular gaming and entertainment experience at the four properties within the bundle.”

Online casino operator Mr Green has announced it has finalised an agreement to acquire Evoke Gaming and its associated gaming properties for €7m.

Under the terms of the deal, Mr Green will pay an initial cash purchase price of €7m, with a further €1.5m payable if certain conditions are met.

Evoke Gaming currently has 82 employees in Malta and owns the gaming sites Redbet, Vinnarum casino, Bertil and MamaMia.

The Redbet site offers sportsbook, casino and poker primarily in Sweden and the UK. Vinnarum casino primarily operates in the Nordic region while Bertil and MamaMia are bingo sites operating in Sweden.

Mr Green have confirmed that Fredrik Staël von Holstein will remain as head of Evoke Gaming’s operations after the transaction has been completed and will become a member of Mr Green’s management team in Malta.

In a statement announcing the acquisition Per Norman, CEO of Mr Green & Co said: “Evoke Gaming is an ideal fit for our business plan and strategy.

“We are pursuing our strategy of nurturing a small number of strong brands that can work globally. With Redbet and Mr Green, we have two immensely strong brands addressing different segments and we see major potential to expand Redbet into our existing markets.”

His opposite number, Fredrik Staël von Holstein, CEO of Evoke Gaming added: “Evoke Gaming is on the threshold of a significant turnaround. Mr Green will give us the muscles to continue growing internationally in an effective manner.”

The acquisition is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2018 subject to regulatory approval.

The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) have announced the introduction of new rules prohibiting certain groups from entering its casinos, with the casino’s potentially facing severe sanctions for any infractions.

Under the new rules, which take effect from the 1 January 2018, any PAGCOR operated and regulated casino which knowingly or unknowingly admits an individual under the age of 21, which is later found to have done so by regulators will be closed immediately.

In addition, ‘loan sharks’ will also be prohibited from entering PAGCOR casinos under the new rules to crackdown on these individuals potentially targeting casino gamblers.

Provisions introduced under PAGCOR’s responsible gaming code of practice version five also state that any casino admitting prohibited persons will face a penalty of PHP 100,000 (US$1,980).

The document goes on to define these prohibited persons as: government officials connected directly with the operation of the government or any of its agencies, immediate relatives (parents, spouse and children) of government officials, members of the armed forces including the army, navy, air force and the Philippine national police and gaming employment license holders directly or indirectly involved in gaming operations.

Any persons already included in the national database of restricted persons (NDRP) will also be prohibited from entering PAGCOR casinos.

However, PAGCOR’s days as both casino operator and regulator are largely numbered following the proposal of a bill last month in the Philippine House of Representatives that will see it turned into a purely regulatory entity. It is hoped that this move will end any speculation of a conflict of interest between the two roles.

As a consequence of this reorganisation, regulatory functions currently carried out by the Gaming and Amusement Board, the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, as well as by a number of Philippine special economic zones will be combined in the Philippine Amusements and Gaming Authority (PAGA), with some of those entities being dissolved as a result.

Canadian investment firm, Pollard Equities Limited has announced it has reached an agreement with NYX Gaming Group and Scientific Games Corporation to support the proposed acquisition of NYX by Scientific Games for $631m.

A shareholders meeting to discuss the proposed acquisition is scheduled for the 20 December in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The acquisition can proceed if a majority in number of NYX shareholders present and voting, either in person or by proxy, represent at least 75% in value of the NYX ordinary shares held by those NYX shareholders present and voting, either in person or by proxy (excluding those shares already held by Scientific Games) or by a simple majority of the votes cast by the holders of NYX ordinary shares.

At present Pollard Equities Limited owns 8,621,300 ordinary shares of NYX and 4,000,000 warrants having upped its number of warrants last month in a CDN$120,000 deal bringing its potential stake in NYX Gaming up to 11.2%.