Happy FU Day to New York City and casinos

Warmest regards for Felix Unger Day, this year celebrating New York City, where FU Day and I were born. New York has begun the process of issuing up to three casino licenses for New York City and the downstate area.

Resorts World Catskills hasn’t done much to brighten the Borscht Belt. (Photo credit: Muhammad Cohen)

New York State has a dismal track record on casinos, largely compiled under ousted governor Andrew Cuomo. Issuing three downstate licenses virtually ensures any new NYC casinos won’t be worthy of the greatest city on earth.

And, as Oscar Madison’s secretary Myrna Turner might have told Mistuh Em, “New York City without a casino is like a fish without a bicycle.”

Former US diplomat and broadcast news producer Muhammad Cohen is Asia editor at large for ICE365, a longtime contributor to Forbes, columnist for Asia Times and author of Hong Kong On Air, a novel set in his adopted hometown during the 1997 handover about TV news, love, betrayal, high finance, and cheap lingerie. See his bio, archive and more at www.muhammadcohen.com; follow him on Facebook, Twitter @MuhammadCohen and LinkedIn.

EuroVegas: Mediterranean Strip tease or investment alternative to sluggish Asia?

Batumi, the Vegas of the Black Sea in Georgia, has 11 casinos, an attractive seaside plaza and big ambitions. (Photo credit: Muhammad Cohen)

As Asian gaming remains muted with its post-Covid prospects murky, the time seems ripe for integrated resorts in Europe. Hard Rock International, Melco Resorts and Cordish are developing IRs a decade after Sheldon Adelson proposed creating EuroVegas in Spain with multiple resorts, casinos, golf courses and thousands of hotel rooms.

VIP room in Casino International at the Batumi Hilton. (Photo provided by Casino International)

Europe already has hundreds of casinos, most catering to local markets, along with a handful of gaming destinations with wider reach. Batumi, Georgia’s Black Sea Vegas, drawing customers from neighboring Turkey and the Middle East, has attractive casinos in international branded hotels, dramatic surroundings, great food and wine, plus expansion ambitions.

Former US diplomat and broadcast news producer Muhammad Cohen is Asia editor at large for ICE365, a longtime contributor to Forbes, columnist for Asia Times and author of Hong Kong On Air, a novel set in his adopted hometown during the 1997 handover about TV news, love, betrayal, high finance, and cheap lingerie. See his bio, archive and more at www.muhammadcohen.com; follow him on Facebook, Twitter @MuhammadCohen and LinkedIn.

Marina Bay Sands drives LVS performance

The world’s most admired casino resort, seen from Gardens by the Bay. (Credit: Marina Bay Sands)

As Macau continues to struggle under the zero-Covid regime, Singapore icon Marina Bay Sands keeps driving Las Vegas Sands’ financial performance. In an exclusive interview, MBS chief operating officer Paul Town explains how the common interests and shared purpose of the resort and its Singapore host community key the integrated resort’s lasting success.

Former US diplomat and broadcast news producer Muhammad Cohen is Asia editor at large for ICE365, a longtime contributor to Forbes, columnist for Asia Times and author of Hong Kong On Air, a novel set in his adopted hometown during the 1997 handover about TV news, love, betrayal, high finance, and cheap lingerie. See his bio, archive and more at www.muhammadcohen.com; follow him on Facebook, Twitter @MuhammadCohen and LinkedIn.