Casino City’s Friday Five: Las Vegas news and massive jackpots edition

Sin City has been all over the headlines this week as a new entertainment district is coming to the Las Vegas Strip, including a casino and hotel. In addition Las Vegas has also been announced as a location for a Formula 1 race in November 2023. Before we dive into those details, we have several jackpot winners to talk about, WSOP.com going live in Michigan and interstate poker news in the U.S. And of course, we can’t forget that we are just days away until the iGaming market in Ontario officially launches on 4 April.

Let’s begin with life-changing wins:

5. $1.3 million slot jackpot win at California Hotel & Casinoasino
Michelle from Hawaii hit a jackpot worth more than $1.3 million at Boyd Gaming’s California Hotel & Casino on Monday. The lucky guest was playing a Wheel of Fortune slot machine on Monday at approximately 11:30 a.m. After making a $5 bet, she scored a progressive jackpot totaling $1,316,725.

Michelle isn’t the only one who walked away with a handsome payoff.

Wethersfield, Connecticut resident Jason Hunter hit a jackpot for $235,096 on Tuesday at Mohegan Sun. Hunter was playing at a blackjack table when he hit the Super 4 Progressive Blackjack Jackpot.

Elsewhere, Ana S. became the first winner of the Mega Jackpot Madness at Live! Casino & Hotel Philadelphia, which guarantees jackpot wins from $10,000 up to $50,000. Ana took home $41,457, a win that also kicked off a 60-minute frenzy for Free Play jackpots that awarded 10 winners between $500-$1,000 in Free Slot Play. Each Mega Jackpot starts at $10,000 and grows every time an eligible guest makes a spin on an eligible slot machine with their Live! Rewards Card properly inserted. The jackpot increases until somebody wins, and somebody is guaranteed to win by the time the Mega Jackpot reaches $50,000.

?? We've hit the MADNESS! Our first Mega Madness Jackpot hit for $41,457 this weekend! ??

Ana S. got #LuckyAtLIVE and took home the ?? ?? ??

That means we have 4 jackpots to go, who will be next?

Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-Gambler pic.twitter.com/gQgx9yp74w

— Live! Casino & Hotel Philadelphia (@LiveCasinoPHL) March 29, 2022

Lastly, a lucky Caesars Rewards member hit a jackpot on 22 March on High Card Flush at Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino for $165,872. The guest, who chose not to be identified, said that this was only his second time playing the table game.

4. Formula 1 will race in Las Vegas in 2023
Formula 1 and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority announced this week that the Las Vegas Grand Prix will join the FIA Formula One World Championship in 2023.

The race will take place at night, on a Saturday in November, on the famous Las Vegas Strip with the track sweeping past some of the world’s most legendary landmarks, hotels and casinos.

Steve Hill, President and CEO of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, said:
“We eagerly anticipate the moment when the history, energy and momentum of Formula 1 will culminate in an unforgettable Saturday night on the Las Vegas Strip. Spectators will experience the unrivaled thrill of watching these world-class drivers race through what is sure to become one of the most iconic racetracks in the world. Formula 1 and Liberty Media have been incredible partners, and we look forward to November 2023 when we once again showcase that Las Vegas is ‘The Greatest Arena on Earth.’”

Are you ready for a full-throttle adventure?????? @F1 Grand Prix will be coming to Vegas in 2023! @LVCVA pic.twitter.com/qFVBcCqiUW

— Resorts World Las Vegas (@ResortsWorldLV) March 31, 2022

3. WSOP.com real money online poker live in Michigan
The World Series of Poker announced on Tuesday that WSOP.com is now live in Michigan. The Great Lakes state joins Pennsylvania, Nevada and New Jersey as the fourth state where WSOP.com operates.

WSOP Online will offer a full slate of daily guaranteed tournaments, exclusive 2022 WSOP satellites to gold bracelet events in Las Vegas, and popular BLAST Poker, where players have a chance to win up to 10,000x.

WSOP.com offers players the most generous sign-up promotions to date. Upon registration, players will receive $50 free with $25 immediately playable and $25 upon first deposit. Players can also claim a deposit match up to $1,000 and receive access to welcome week freerolls after making their first deposit.

The launch took place as rumors swirled that Michigan may soon join other states in an interstate poker compact. See Friday Five item No. 1 below for more details.

https://t.co/0I0FfYukRl IS NOW LIVE – the wait is over, Michigan. Get $50 freeplay today- $25 just for signing up and $25 for making your first deposit plus access to an exclusive $10,000 Main Event Seat Package Freeroll.

See you at the tables - pic.twitter.com/XiCTpN0oFr

— WSOP (@WSOP) March 28, 2022

2. Oak View Group to develop new Las Vegas casino hotel
The global venue development, advisory, and investment company for the sports and live entertainment industry announced plans for a new entertainment district including an arena on the south end of the Las Vegas Strip. Groundbreaking and construction are scheduled for 2023 for the area that will feature an 850,000 square-foot arena, casino, hotel, and an additional entertainment venue amphitheater.

Featuring as many as 20,000-plus seats and modern amenities that will include suites, premium hospitality clubs, the arena will host live events including concerts, sporting events, family entertainment, as well as conventions, large meetings, international events, as well as award shows and exhibitions.

"South of the Las Vegas strip represents one of the few areas of potential future growth of the gaming and entertainment corridor," said Tim Leiweke, CEO of Oak View Group. "This unprecedented project is an industry game-changer, and we will usher in the evolution of Las Vegas as the new entertainment AND sports capital of the world. As the largest arena developer in the world, we look forward to driving good paying job creation to Clark County as well as creating the most innovative and environmentally sustainable live entertainment point of destination in the world."

Oak View Group is headed to Las Vegas!

Today, OVG announced our newest development, a multi-purpose Retail & Entertainment district south of the Las Vegas strip that will include a 20,000-seat Arena, Casino, Hotel, and additional entertainment amphitheater. pic.twitter.com/dT3VSsPyP0

— OVG (@oakviewgroup) March 30, 2022

1. Interstate poker compacts in America
This week's gambling news focuses on the expansion of online poker in the U.S., as more states regulate the game and consider interstate poker compacts. Also, there was a major legal victory in New York state for fantasy sports recently.

The possibility of U.S. Interstate Poker Compacts expanding to include Michigan is looking more realistic. Currently, Michigan online poker players can only compete against one another. But if the state were to join a compact with other states, that would change.

Currently there is one Interstate Poker Compact in existence between Nevada, New Jersey, and Delaware. Michigan wants to join that multi-state agreement, which would allow players there to compete online against players in the other states within the compact.

On top of that, the global fantasy sports market is expected to increase by $6.11 billion at some point between 2021 and 2026. The report that predicts this offers detailed insights on the key drivers, trends, and challenges that impact the growth of the market around the world. In particular, the launch of multiple apps for fantasy sports.