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It’s going down, I’m yelling Tropicana
The date for demolition of Bally’s Tropicana hotel towers has been announced, with the planned implosion to take place at 2am on 9 October 2024. The process, which is expected to take several hours, will make way for the new Oakland A’s baseball stadium, which will seat between 30,000 to 35,000 fans.
Reflecting on the properties 65+ year history, Bally’s commented: “From its Rat Pack-era heyday and the glamorous Folies Bergère to now the future home of the Athletics and a cutting-edge entertainment complex by Bally’s Corporation, the Tropicana’s history reflects the spirit of reinvention and excitement that defines Las Vegas.”
Pennsylvania makes a pretty penny
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) has released the state’s gaming revenue report for FY24. In total, revenue came to $5.89bn, up 6.8% year-on-year, with $2.54bn produced in tax revenue.
Of total state revenue, $3.4bn came from casino slots and table games, while $1.9bn came from iGaming – a sizeable jump of 27%. Sports betting accounted for the remaining $486m, with $8.1bn placed in wagers for FY24.
During the year, the PGCB also received and authorised 20 consent agreements and issued over $0.7m in civil penalties and fines.
Crazy Time makes MI debut
Evolution’s Crazy Time has gone live in Michigan, after making its US debut in New Jersey in December. The live dealer game utilises a game show setup, with Random Number Generator (RNG) multipliers, augmented reality features and elements inspired by slots and video games. Said Evolution North America CEO Jacob Claesson: “Crazy Time continues to redefine online gaming entertainment, and we’re thrilled to finally introduce this award-winning game to players in Michigan.”
The game is now available in five states, with the remaining three being Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Delaware.
Inspired breaks the ice
Inspired Entertainment has signed a new licensing agreement with the National Hockey League (NHL). The deal allows Inspired to develop interactive, fixed-odds virtual sports games using NHL branding and team assets, with the games expected to launch in Q4 of this year.
Said Inspired President and CEO Brooks Pierce: “The agreement enhances our virtual sports portfolio and aligns with our mission to deliver interactive experiences that redefine sports entertainment, offering NHL fans a unique way to stay connected with the game, even during the offseason.”
NHL Group Vice President of Business Development and Innovation Chris Golier said the NHL was “excited to work with Inspired,” noting that “virtual sports gaming continues to grow in popularity worldwide.”
Cream of the Kropf
Genius Sports has appointed Mark Kropf as CTO. Kropf comes to the role with over 20 years in tech-facing roles, with previous experience including as Global CTO at Pivotal and as Office of the CTO at Google, where he worked on Google Cloud for close to five years.
In his role, Kropf will leverage his experience in software engineering and AI to expand Genius Sports’ GeniusIQ product, a sports data platform that utilises AI to deliver game analysis and customer experiences. On his appointment, Kropf said: “I look forward to supporting this continued growth and working with a remarkable team that has already positioned Genius Sports at the forefront of data and technology innovation in sport.”
