Arapaho
plan expansion, new casino
As
Reported by the Associated Press
RIVERTON,
Colorado - The Northern Arapaho Tribe is expanding
its current gambling operation by almost 100 machines
while still going ahead with plans for a new, Las Vegas-style
casino, said Jim Conrad, chief executive officer of the
casino.
"We're
getting more customers who haven't been here before,"
Conrad said. "We're advertising in Casper, Rock Springs,
Cody and Rawlins. We figure that's our market - about
two hours away."
According
to Conrad, the Wind River Casino (formerly known as 789
Bingo) will have about 350 Class II gambling machines
by the end of July, up from 259 machines just a few months
ago. To make room for the additional machines, the casino
moved some of its office space.
Class
II machines do not include Vegas-style slot machines,
but do include electronic bingo and other similar games.
The
Northern Arapaho also hope to open a larger casino complete
with Class III games, including slot machines and table
games. But the tribe and the state have gone to court
over those plans, and the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals
in Denver has yet to rule on whether the tribe will be
allowed to operate Class III games.
Conrad
said regardless of what the court decides, the tribe will
go ahead with the new casino, even if it, too, is only
allowed to operate Class II games.
Construction
of the new casino has been delayed not only by the courts,
but also because of design changes.
Ground
was broken for the building last summer.
MEC
to Sell Canadian Racino to Gaming Company
As
Reported by news.bloodhorse.com
Magna
Entertainment Corp. has agreed to sell Flamboro
Downs, a Standardbred racino in Ontario, Canada, to
Great Canadian Gaming Corp., a casino company that continues
to add racetracks to its portfolio.
Great
Canadian would pay MEC $50 million Canadian ($40 million)
and another $23 million in cash for Flamboro
Downs, which offers live year-round harness racing
and operates four off-track betting parlors near Hamilton,
Ontario. Flamboro also has 752 slot machines and ranks
third among Ontario racinos in revenue, according to MEC.
Great
Canadian would acquire all outstanding shares of Ontario
Racing Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of MEC. The sale
is subject to regulatory approval and due diligence. MEC
acquired Flamboro
Downs for $47 million, according to a release issued
in 2002 when the plan to purchase the harness track was
announced.
"We
are pleased to establish a relationship with Great Canadian
and we look forward to developing a long-term relationship
to the mutual benefit of both our companies," MEC
chief executive officer Thomas Hodgson said in a release.
"We have agreed with Great Canadian that we will
continue to have the use of the Flamboro
signal, and we will work with them to include other Great
Canadian tracks within the MEC distribution network.
"Flamboro
is a great track with excellent people, but its divestiture
allows MEC to focus resources on a strategic goal of delivering
prime racing content, developing our U.S. gaming potential,
and expanding our signal delivery and wagering capability
within North America and internationally."
Great
Canadian is based in British Columbia, Canada. Last year,
it purchased several racetracks in British Columbia, including
Hastings Park, a Thoroughbred track, and two harness tracks--Fraser
Downs Racetrack and Casino and Sandown Park. The company
also purchased Georgian Downs Raceway and Slots, which
is located in Ontario north of Toronto.
"We
see Flamboro
as an excellent fit for our company as we continue to
expand into the central and eastern regions of Canada,"
Great Canadian chief operating officer Anthony Martin
said. "We are excited about the mutual benefits of
a relationship with MEC."
MEC
officials have indicated there could be changes as the
company looks to shore up its bottom line. MEC is in line
to operate slots in Florida at Gulfstream Park, which
is being rebuilt from the ground up, and also plans to
focus on expansion of its simulcast network.