Michigan Gaming Control Board Formally Vested With Oversight Of Charitable Poker

On April 11, 2012, Michigan Governor Rick Snyder signed Executive Order 2012-4, which transfers regulatory oversight of "millionaire parties" from the Michigan Bureau of Lottery to the Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB). The Michigan Legislature had 60 days from then to reject the Executive Order. At the MGCB meeting held on June 12, Executive Director Richard Kalm announced that the Executive Order became effective on June 11.

The Executive Order may lead to changes in the regulatory oversight of "millionaire parties." "Millionaire parties" are broadly defined in Michigan's Traxler-McCauley-Law-Bowman Bingo Act as charitable gaming activities that include "an event at which wagers are placed upon games of chance customarily associated with a gambling casino ..." The use of millionaire parties to conduct poker and blackjack tournaments hosted at bars and other establishments across the state of Michigan has rapidly expanded in recent years. The Executive Order now affectively gives the MGCB regulatory oversight over these "charitable" poker and blackjack events.

CASINO INDUSTRY GROWS IN CHILE

By Carlos A. Fonseca Sarmiento (Varela & Fonseca Abogados)

The new casino industry in Chile started with Law N° 19995 of 2005. Between 2005 and 2008, 18 gaming licenses (the maximum quantity allowed by the law) were granted.

In 2011, 15 of the 18 authorized casinos were operating. These casinos are located in the cities of Antofagasta, Calama, Copiapo, Rinconada, San Antonio, Santa Cruz, Mostazal, Talca, Pinto, Talcahuano, Los Angeles, Temuco, Valdivia, Osorno, and Punta Arenas. In April and May of 2012, casinos in the cities of Coyhaique and Castro initiated their operations. However, the other casino, which is authorized to operate in the city of Ovalle, is not being opened by the company that obtained the license. This means that there is a vacancy for a gaming license. The Casino Gaming Superintendence of Chile must initiate a new process to choose an operator for the gaming license in the first two months of 2013.

The Casino Gaming Superintendence recently issued an operating report for year 2011. The report indicated that the 15 casinos that are operating have been operating a total of 8,705 slot machines. The main manufacturers are Bally (18.9%), WMS (18.6%), Spielo (18.4%), IGT (16.9%), and Aristocrat (10.6%). The biggest casino is the Monticello Grand Casino in the city of Mostazal with 1,607 slot machines and 83...