Caesars Entertainment agrees to sell Bally’s Atlantic City Hotel & Casino

Caesars Entertainment Corp. and VICI Properties Inc. announced Friday they have reached an agreement to sell the Bally's Atlantic City Hotel & Casino to Twin River Worldwide Holdings Inc. for approximately $25 million in cash. VICI will receive approximately $19 million from the sale, while Caesars will receive approximately $6 million.

"We look forward to the reopening of Bally's Atlantic City as soon as appropriate once the public health emergency related to COVID-19 has passed," said Caesars CEO Tony Rodio.

Following the sale, Caesars will continue to operate Caesars Atlantic City, which will include the Wild Wild West casino area and The Book sports wagering facility, and Harrah's Resort Atlantic City. VICI Properties will continue to own the land and real estate associated with Caesars Atlantic City, including the Wild Wild West casino area.

MGM Resorts another step closer to new casino in Massachusetts

MGM Resorts International received a unanimous vote Monday from the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) finding the company a suitable candidate for a casino license in the commonwealth. The decision moves MGM Springfield another step closer to being awarded the sole license to operate a destination resort casino in Western Massachusetts.

The next step in the licensing process for MGM is the submission of its full license application, which is due to the MGC by Dec. 31. Following that submission, MGM will be required to present its proposal in a public hearing before the MGC. That presentation will be followed by two community public hearings, one in Springfield and one in an abutting community. Details of those meetings, including dates and locations, are expected to be set soon for January and February.

For nearly two years, MGM officials have been working with Springfield's community and business leaders, stakeholders and residents to gain understanding and support for MGM Springfield.

MGM Springfield, an approximately $800 million resort, is proposed for 14.5 acres of land between Union and State streets, and Columbus Avenue and Main Street.

The MGC anticipates that the resort-casino licenses for Eastern Massachusetts (Region A) and Western Massachusetts (Region B) will be awarded in spring 2014.

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Kaiser appointed to Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett announced on Monday that he has appointed Annmarie Kaiser, currently his secretary of Legislative Affairs, to serve as a member of the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. The board oversees the 11 casinos now operating statewide.

The seven-member Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board was established through the passage of Act 71 of 2004, also known as the Race Horse Development and Gaming Act. The board oversaw the creation of a casino industry offering both slot machine and table gaming. The 11 casinos now in operation in Pennsylvania offer both slot machine and table game gambling, employ more than 16,000 people, and collectively have generated more than $6.5 billion in tax and license fee revenue since the first casino opened in November 2006.