Casino City’s Friday Five: Openings and financial checks edition

Earlier this week, the U.K. Gambling Commission announced widespread changes aimed at increasing safety and customer choice. Before we dive into more details surrounding that, we have a few other top stories to bring attention to. A six-figure Pai Gow jackpot came from the Las Vegas Strip, Delaware Park Casino added a new slots section, The Venetian Las Vegas unveiled a massive renovation, and a California resort announced a soft opening date.

Let’s start off with a life-changing hit:

5. Six-figure Pai Gow Poker win at Treasure Island in Las Vegas
On 25 April, one lucky gambler at Treasure Island won a $281,000 progressive jackpot playing Pai Gow Poker in the Las Vegas Strip casino.

The winning individual chose to remain anonymous.

4. Delaware Park Casino adds new slot machines
Following its $10 million renovation and introduction of 1,500 new slots over the past two years, Delaware Park Casino & Racing upped the ante with additional sought-after slot product.

The casino’s recently opened 1,000 square foot Light & Wonder lounge features 30 machines, including Delaware’s first ‘Huff N Even More Puff,’ a popular slot machine theme based off the Three Little Pigs.

Delaware Park also recently introduced Devil’s Locks in the new High Limit Slot Lounge.

Delaware Park also added a new high limit table game pit, complete with six new games, increasing the casino’s total table games count to 34.

????The Bluberi Devil's Lock slot machine is now live and running, waiting for you to take it for a spin?With its exciting devil bonuses and free spin locking feature, you're in for an exhilarating ride. Come and play now! pic.twitter.com/UJN7SWNZZE

— Delaware Park Casino (@delawarepark) April 18, 2024

3. UKGC to begin ‘light-touch’ financial risk checks in August
The U.K. Gambling Commission announced widespread changes beginning in August aimed at increasing safety and customer choice, including financial vulnerability checks and tightening processes to support age verification checks.

Having listened to consumers, the Commission will conduct a pilot of frictionless financial risk assessments that are aimed at preventing cases where customers were able to spend large amounts in short spaces of time without any checks resulting in significant gambling harm.

The Commission pilot is expected to last six months. Following the pilot, the Commission will decide whether permanent rules will be implemented but this will not be done until the data-sharing is frictionless for the vast majority of customers who are checked.

In the meantime the Commission has welcomed a new Betting and Gaming Council interim measure, which is designed to reduce the need for customers to provide documents where that is not necessary.

We’ve made regulatory changes aimed at increasing safety and consumer choice.

To read about the changes in full, go to our website ?? https://t.co/R25QtGZ5sI pic.twitter.com/eDYY8PlqPy

— Gambling Commission (@GamRegGB) May 1, 2024

2. Soft opening announced for Chicken Ranch Casino Resort
Chicken Ranch Casino & Resort in Las Vegas is counting down the days until the opening of its new casino resort. The resort will begin welcoming guests on Monday, 15 July with a soft opening that includes the nine-story resort, a five-story hotel, and an expanded gaming floor.

The destination will feature 197 hotel rooms, including suites and a collection of restaurants and bars.

A grand opening celebration is scheduled for Fall 2024, during which the property will open the remaining restaurants and bars, and the 12,000-square-foot event space.

1. The Venetian Las Vegas unveils largest renovation in its 25-year history
Twenty-five years ago, The Venetian Las Vegas made waves when it pioneered the convention-hotel concept and delivered Venice’s canals to the Las Vegas desert, gondoliers and all. On 1 May, to celebrate its 25th birthday, the resort ushered in a new era with a $1.5 billion reinvestment project.

Available for stays beginning in September 2024, all 4,000 suites in The Venetian towers, including signature suites, will be completely updated.

The redevelopment also presents new gaming offerings including The Palazzo High Limit Lounge, the fully redesigned sportsbook complete with a multi-year naming rights partnership with Yahoo, and a new poker room that will be debut this summer.

The project will deliver first-class offerings to Las Vegas including the addition of new chef-led culinary concepts, to be announced later this year.

The best is yet to come... ?? ?

As we get set to celebrate 25 years on the Strip, here's a sneak peek at the new suites we'll be unveiling soon. pic.twitter.com/cY6139UBpQ

— The Venetian Resort Las Vegas (@VenetianVegas) May 1, 2024