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Petra’s experience in aviation and education taught her that people are important – losing the human interaction on the casino floor would be a bad idea. Sure, not all customers want to talk, but the success of the Next Zone points to players seeing Holland Casino as a sociable, lively experience rather than a solitary one.
The Netherlands has been the subject of much industry conversation, particularly the online side of the business. Petra emphasises the importance of a ‘healthy legal gambling market’ to help the sector thrive. “We see taxes going up, we see regulations going up. You see your guests changing what they want. We have to make sure that we have a good legal offer because if we don’t have that, we also know that people will find their way to illegal means.”
Holland Casino celebrates 50 years this year since the Dutch government founded it. Petra says it was very important at the time to provide that activity to local people. “So they decided to found Holland Casino. At that time, they also thought it might be interesting for tourists. That aspect is really gone, we’re really focused on the local market now. But 50 years later, it’s still very relevant to have a good, healthy legal industry.”
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Papanier said the components of Bally’s Chicago that are being “reset and re-contemplated” are “all in conjunction with the proliferation of VGTs”. While the current number of licences is low, he asserted that widespread proliferation could result in a “30% to 50% impact on top-line revenue” for the casino and it would be “irresponsible” to continue construction “until we understand what the landscape looks like”.
Bally’s stock jumped 7% in trading on Monday to $9.84. Shares had fallen 30% in the last month in response to uncertainty in Chicago and warnings about the company’s ability to continue as a growing concern in its Q2 earnings report. Former CFO Mira Mircheva resigned on 4 September, prompting Papanier to take over the role on an interim basis.
The VGT dispute and construction reset are the latest chapters in a long and bumpy road for Bally’s since winning Chicago’s sole casino licence in 2022. Work has been halted for debris overflow and for unapproved contractors, and the company faced an $800 million funding gap that was eventually filled through a financing agreement with Gaming and Leisure Properties. Potential interference with city water lines also necessitated a significant redesign of the hotel plan.
About Face Off
The restaurateur donated $5,000 to Grasso’s unsuccessful 2018 campaign for Illinois attorney general in November 2017, but Grasso returned the money the following month after a TV station questioned the contribution, according to Patch.
Grasso was quick to defend Rovito following his arrest, describing him as “a stellar corporate and residential citizen” who has “a YouTube following of a quarter of a million people or something like that.”
Rovito, meanwhile, was such a fan of the mayor that he named a dish after him— “Linguini alla Mayor Grasso”—a pasta that comes with “fresh tomato sauce and basil, tossed with a touch of olive oil, and topped with fresh ricotta.”
