the tribal casino giant, and Royal Caribbean Group, a leading cruise operator, have unveiled a comprehensive agreement last week. The agreement is set to revolutionize the travel and leisure loyalty programmes of both companies.

The partnership will allow members of Unity by Hard Rock, Celebrity Cruises’ Blue Chip Club, and Royal Caribbean’s Club Royale platforms to earn points not only by betting but also through dining, shopping, and traveling at any or while traveling on Royal Caribbean and Celebrity ships.

The collaboration is expected to bring a host of benefits to Unity by Hard Rock loyalty members. They will now be eligible for discounts on Royal Caribbean and Celebrity vacations and can qualify for exclusive, invite-only cruise giveaways. Moreover, top-tier loyalty members will be gifted an annual complimentary cruise on select ships and itineraries.

Both Hard Rock and Royal Caribbean are based in Florida and are among the largest private sector employers in South Florida. Hard Rock is the gaming unit of Florida’s Seminole Tribe, while Royal Caribbean is one of the world’s largest cruise operators.

The partnership is seen as a strategic move by Royal Caribbean to expand its gaming reach. The company, which operates under five brands, has long featured casinos on many of its ships and has been progressively enhancing this amenity. In February, the Sun Princess, a $1 billion ship operated by Royal Caribbean’s Princess unit, set sail with the largest casino ever seen on a cruise ship.

However, Royal Caribbean has faced criticism from some customers who complained about the company running multiple gaming loyalty programs across its various brands. This meant that points earned on a Celebrity ship were not combined with what travellers earned on Princess or Royal Caribbean boats. The new arrangement with Hard Rock is expected to address these concerns by providing customers with another avenue for accruing points.

Club Royale and Blue Chip Club members can now look forward to making their Hard Rock visits even more memorable with exclusive discounts and perks at participating Hard Rock locations. Premium tier Club Royale and Blue Chip members will also be entitled to annual complimentary trips at select Hard Rock hotels and casinos worldwide.

Unity by Hard Rock, which debuted earlier this year, replaced the gaming company’s previously used rewards program known as Wild Card. The new program features four tiers — Star, Legend, Icon, and X – and links all of the operator’s North American gaming venues, including the Hard Rock Casino Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic. Points and tier credits can also be accrued via online wagering on Hard Rock platforms.

Seminole Gaming operates six gaming venues for the Tribe of the same name, but the Hard Rock brand is applied to significantly more casino hotels, including regional properties in Canada, the US Midwest, and the South as well as the Atlantic City Boardwalk in New Jersey. Several Tribal casinos in California sport the Hard Rock name and are managed by Seminole. The Tribe also operates the Mirage on the Las Vegas Strip and is vying for a casino license in Queens, NY.

Jun Fujimoto, the Representative Director, President, CEO, and CIO of , the parent company of Okada Manila, has resigned from most of his positions following a Tokyo High Court ruling that found him liable for breaching his fiduciary duty, involving a substantial $43.5 million (€40.5 million) money transfer. 

The High Court’s decision overturned a previous ruling by the Tokyo District Court, which had cleared Fujimoto of allegations initially filed in 2019 by an unnamed shareholder. The lawsuit accused Fujimoto of orchestrating a transfer of $43,497,204 to an external entity without reasonable necessity and without adhering to internal decision-making protocols, thus violating his fiduciary duty as a director of the company. 

Universal Entertainment refrained from disclosing the identity of the shareholder or the destination of the transferred funds in its recent announcements. The company stated its intention to review the court’s decision before determining its subsequent actions. Additionally, Universal’s claim for damages against the shareholder for defamation was rejected by the High Court. 

Fujimoto’s tenure at has been marred by legal conflicts, particularly with the company’s founder, Kazuo Okada, whom he replaced in 2017 following allegations of misappropriating company funds. In a separate incident in 2022, a group affiliated with Okada took control of Okada Manila for three months before regulatory intervention mandated their removal. 

In light of Fujimoto’s resignation, Hajime Tokuda has been appointed as Universal’s new Representative Director and President. Additionally, Takako Okada, Kazuo Okada’s estranged wife, has been named a Representative Director. Despite stepping down from his previous roles, Fujimoto retains his position as a Director within the company. 

This isn’t the first time Fujimoto and Okada have been embroiled in legal disputes. A previous lawsuit in 2015, filed by shareholder Tsuyoshi Hosoba, alleged breaches of fiduciary duties by Fujimoto and others, resulting in a successful verdict. 

Upcoming SiGMA event: SiGMA Asia 2024, 3 – 5 June. Find all the details .

’s National Police Agency (NPA) issued a stark warning last week, revealing that over one in three individuals apprehended in the recent crackdown on online gambling were teenagers. The alarming statistics underscore a troubling trend of rising in illegal gambling activities, sparking concerns over addiction and detrimental impacts. 

According to the Korea Times report, authorities apprehended a total of 2,925 individuals during the six-month crackdown targeting adolescent participation in online gambling, spanning from September 25 last year to March 31. Of these, a staggering 1,035, constituting 35.4 percent, were teenagers. 

Among the teenage offenders, 798 were high school students, 228 were middle school students, and seven were university students. Authorities also reported that even elementary school students were involved, with the youngest perpetrator being a 9-year-old who wagered 10,000 won. 

The crackdown resulted in the referral of 566 teenage offenders to specialized counselling centres with parental consent, aimed at addressing underlying issues and providing necessary support. Additionally, 75 adults faced imprisonment, and criminal proceeds totalling 61.9 billion won (€41.9 million) were confiscated. 

Police investigations shed light on the methods employed by online gambling sites to lure teenagers, including peer invitations, smartphone messages, online advertisements, and social media promotions. Baccarat emerged as the most favoured game among teenage gamblers, followed by sports betting, casino games, and Powerball or slot machines. 

The simplicity of registration processes, such as signing up with bank accounts or gift vouchers, facilitated teenage engagement in gambling activities. The report said that over 1,000 financial accounts under adolescents’ names were identified for managing gambling funds and related transactions. 

Police highlighted the misconception of gambling as a harmless pastime among teens, exacerbated by cybergambling programs resembling simplistic gaming interfaces. Additionally, recent arrests revealed operators manipulating programs to expedite wins and losses, employing strategies like odd-even, ladder, and penalty kicks. 

With plans to resume the crackdown in May, the NPA remains resolute in its commitment to combating teenage involvement in online gambling. Woo Jong-soo, head of the National Office of Investigation, emphasized stringent enforcement against both gamblers and site operators to address the pressing issue of youth gambling. 

Upcoming SiGMA event: SiGMA Asia 2024, 3 – 5 June. Find all the details .

The Tropicana has always been a symbol of the city’s vibrant nightlife and gaming culture., marking the end of an era. Interestingly, the closure was not a result of financial struggles. In fact, the Tropicana was profitable right up to its closing date, according to Peter Carlino, CEO of Gaming & Leisure Properties Inc. (GLPI), (pictured above), the company that owns the resort’s land. During GLPI’s first-quarter earnings call, Carlino confirmed that the Tropicana was cash flow positive when it ceased operations.

This statement was further supported by Brandon Moore, GLPI’s Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel. He explained that the closure was strategically timed to align with the initial pitch for the A’s stadium, suggesting that the Tropicana’s shutdown was not premature but rather right on schedule. The closure of the Tropicana was a strategic move to pave the way for the liquidation of assets and the eventual demolition of the property. This will allow for the commencement of the A’s project and the integrated resort in 2025.

Clark County has already granted Bally’s Corp., the casino operator and tenant o The permit stipulates that the demolition must occur by October 20. The chairman of Bally’s board of directors, Soo Kim, revealed plans for an implosion in September or October. This timeline provides the Oakland Athletics, the Major League Baseball team relocating to a $1.5 billion, 33,000-seat indoor stadium, ample time for construction.

Moore emphasized that the closure was not an attempt to cut costs or expenses. Instead, it was a matter of on-time closure. With the employees aware of the impending shutdown, Bally’s faced challenges in maintaining adequate staffing levels to keep the resort operational.

GLPI had no expectations for the Tropicana to remain open beyond the actual closing date. As the Tropicana chapter closes, a new one begins with the A’s stadium project. The strategic closure of the Tropicana is a testament to the dynamic nature of Las Vegas, a city that continually evolves to offer new and exciting experiences to its visitors. As we bid farewell to the Tropicana, we look forward to the birth of the A’s stadium and the integrated resort, set to reshape the city’s landscape in the coming years.