Despite Scandal, Miss America Receives $4M Subsidy From Atlantic City’s Casino Reinvestment Development Authority

Miss America is staying in Atlantic City for at least another pageant.

Minus a stint in Las Vegas, Miss America has very long called Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall its home. That will carry on for the 2019 competition.

Despite a scandal that shook up the organization in December over derogatory emails sent and received by then-CEO Sam Haskell and two board users regarding previous Miss America winners, the pageant was approved this week for $4.325 million in state capital. The New Jersey Casino Reinvestment Development Authority (CRDA) voted unanimously on Tuesday in favor of honoring the installment that is final of three-year, $12.5 million contract.

Dick Clark Productions was quick to drop the broadcast after the scandal emerged, and NJ Assemblyman Vince Mazzeo (D-Atlantic) called on the CRDA to annul the funds.

‘I understand the CRDA had to fulfill its contractual obligation to the skip America pageant in 2010 and I respect that,’ Mazzeo told The Press of Atlantic City. ‘However, as this contract ends, we would urge the CRDA leadership to better over utilize the $4 million on endeavors that will bring a greater return on the investment to Atlantic City.’

In a brief statement, the CRDA said it had been ‘encouraged’ by the leadership change at Miss America and the 2019 competition’s ‘focus on females’s empowerment.’ No date has been set for the pageant.

The Miss America Organization board has been overhauled. Seven of the 10 members are now females, with former Fox 1xbet live stream News host and commentator Gretchen Carlson its chair and CEO.

Casino Reinvestment?

Founded in 1984, the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority is really a state agency that gathers taxes from Atlantic City casinos and is by using the funds to purchase public and private projects that benefit the town and state.

According to its internet site, the CRDA ‘uses casino reinvestments as a catalyst for meaningful, positive improvement in the lives of the latest Jersey residents statewide. In doing so, the CRDA has dramatically and definitely modified Atlantic City’s residential, commercial, cultural, and social landscape, while economically supporting quality-of-life improvement efforts.’

How using more than $4 million to help Miss America in Atlantic City lives up to that mission was questioned by some certain area officials. The 2018 competition telecast on ABC drew just 5.6 million viewers, the cheapest number in five years.

‘The CRDA has to seriously rethink and focus on how it spends its cash, and it should start with its subsidy towards the Miss America Organization,’ Mazzeo declared in January.

CRDA Funding, Projects

The CRDA has several revenue sources.

Its funding that is primary stream historically been a 1.25 per cent tax on gross gaming at Atlantic City casinos. However, during the city’s bankruptcy, those funds had been directed away from the CRDA and alternatively earmarked to help pay down financial obligation.

The CRDA also puts a $5 per night hotel room tax, and $3 per day fee that is parking. The agency additionally taxes hotel that is total at nine percent, alcoholic drinks three percent, and concert tickets nine percent.

The CRDA has invested, or as they prefer ‘invested,’ $10.4 million in improvements and renovations of Steel Pier. That includes $6.4 million to build a 200-foot ferris wheel.

The Atlantic City Gateway Project has also received a $17 million investment from the CRDA. A residential and academic campus of Stockton University, the task would be to open this fall.

Pennsylvania Casinos Set Monthly Record, Join Maryland, Ohio, and Michigan in Posting New Highs

Pennsylvania gambling enterprises generated more than $300 million in gross gaming income (GGR) last month, 1st amount of time in state history that the threshold was passed away.

Slot players waited for machines back 2010 whenever SugarHouse Casino opened in Philadelphia, but Pennsylvania gambling enterprises never enjoyed a busier month-to-month than March 2018. (Image: Matt Rourke/Associated Press)

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) released final numbers this week that showed table that is gross income at $79.54 million in March, and slots accounting for $221.35 million. Combined, GGR for the Keystone State’s 12 casinos ended up being $300,516,011.

That quantity easily eclipses last March’s take by four percent. It tops the earlier all-time record month-to-month most of $296.7 million, that was set in March 2013.

Parx Casino north of Philadelphia led the way with $54.6 million in March revenue, a 10 percent premium on the property’s 2017 March haul.

Sands Bethlehem was next at $46.7 million, but that represents a 3.3 per cent year-over-year reduction. Sands Bethlehem is in the process of being sold up to a tribe in Alabama for $1.3 billion.

Rivers Casino had been third however the biggest portion gain winner. The Pittsburgh casino saw GGR increase 11.1 percent to $33.5 million.

Philly’s two other casinos, SugarHouse and Harrah’s, were next respectively at $28.7 million and $24.7 million.

March Madness

Pennsylvania joins Maryland, Ohio, and Michigan’s Detroit casinos in posting record monthly highs in March.

• Maryland’s six casinos posted a combined $150 million in GGR, which easily surpassed its previous $141.1 million set that is high March 2017.
• Ohio’s four land-based casinos won $81.7 million month that is last and their state’s six racinos accumulated $96.4 million. Both figures are monthly records.
• Detroit’s three casinos won $138.6 million, significantly more than $3.3 million significantly more than the city’s previous most readily useful GGR mark.

March was unseasonably warm throughout much of the national nation, but also damp. Casinos furthermore benefited from a additional saturday in march 2018 in comparison to 2017.

In Pennsylvania, March was among the snowiest periods associated with 2017-18 cold weather, especially in main and eastern portions of the state. But temperatures that are warm the times surrounding the snowfall didn’t keep residents housebound long.

No Satellite Bids

Nine of Pennsylvania’s 12 gambling enterprises posted gains that are monthly March. Into the coming years, they are able to face additional competition whenever the so-called ‘mini-casinos’ begin popping up.

Under the state’s expanded gaming work finalized into law last year by Governor Tom Wolf (D), as many as 10 satellite video gaming venues can be built, with up to 750 slots and 30 table games each.

On the PGCB didn’t receive any bids for the venues wednesday. Five earlier auctions awarded Category 4 satellite licenses, with Penn National Gaming securing two associated with the 15-mile radiuses that are regional.

Headquartered in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania, Penn National was against the gaming expansion, but said it is securing the satellite locales in order to protect its Hollywood Casino close to the Harrisburg state capital in Grantville.

Unwilling to raise taxes, the GOP-controlled General Assembly got behind gambling to be able to help bridge a state money gap.

Combined with the mini-casinos, the legislation authorizes internet gambling and day-to-day fantasy sports, air port gaming lounges, slot machines inside certain truck stops, and creates a regulatory framework for sports betting.

Elaine Wynn Vows Board Shake Up at Wynn Resorts, Expect Minds to Roll

Wynn Resorts’ biggest shareholder, Elaine Wynn ,wants an instantaneous shake up regarding the board that once backed an answer, led by her ex-husband, Steve Wynn, to oust her.

Elaine Wynn says the Wynn is believed by her Resorts board requires to be ‘reconstituted instantly’ with new blood that has no loyalty to either her or her ex-husband, Steve Wynn. (Image: Associated Press)

The day after Ms. Wynn settled a longstanding legal battle with the business and her former spouse, she penned to your board demanding it reopen the screen for shareholders to schedule new business and nominate new directors.

In a letter filed to the Securities and Exchange Commission on Tuesday, she proposed a 60-day reinstatement of the nomination process ‘to enable a completely vetted nomination process to occur’ in time for the business’s forthcoming AGM.

Ms. Wynn stated she does maybe not plan to seek a board position herself but believes sweeping changes to the corporate structure are needed. She would nominate blood that is fresh was separate of her, the business, and Steve Wynn in order to ‘restore the business’s reputation,’ she added.

Steve Wynn Steps Down

We genuinely believe that the business’s governance structure requires become reformed and that the board of directors needs to be reconstituted,’ she published. ‘This ought to be done immediately and undoubtedly before any material decisions are made that could affect the long-term interests associated with shareholders.’

Ms. Wynn became Wynn Resort’s shareholder that is largest, with 9.25 percent, after her ex-husband sold his equity in the company final month to safeguard its gaming licenses from an escalating intimate misconduct scandal. Lawsuits from disgruntled shareholders have been mounting, claiming the board must have known about its chairman that is former and’s alleged behavior but failed in its responsibility to protect the company.

‘The nominees is highly respected and, generally in most cases, have significant company that is public,’ wrote Ms. Wynn. ‘They might have the necessity expertise and experience to help the company address both its opportunities and challenges. The nominees would help the board conform to current best practices with regards to variety and would be chosen with a view to applicable licensing requirements.’