Progress Toward Integrated Resorts in Japan
Just returned from yet another Japan Gaming Congress. Things seem to have progressed somewhat slowly since last year’s Congress, but as compared to last year when prognosticators were all over the board as to when integrated casino resorts would ultimately pop up in Japan (2024-2030), there didn’t appear to be much variance this time around…
Online Elephant in the Room
By: Suzanne P. Leckert, AICP The second article in Suzanne Leckert’s series discussing online and mobile sports betting for iGaming Business North America: Since my last article for iGB North America in August 2018, sports betting fervor in the United States has only increased. To date, 32 states (probably more by the time this article…
Asia · Casino · Community · Development · Economics · Europe · Fisher · Integrated Resorts · Japan · Mobile Gaming · Native American · Online Gaming · Planning · Sports betting · Tax · Uncategorized · United States
Reflections on Our First Year in Business
Nothing can truly prepare you for some of life’s major milestones. First job, first house, first child, first start-up . . . At Convergence Strategy Group, we are celebrating one year in business and I’m taking a moment to look back on where we started, and the lessons learned on the way. I have learned…
On-Site or Online Sports Betting?
I had the honor recently to speak at the Spring Conference of the International Masters of Gaming Law held in New Orleans. The conference included two full days of thought-provoking and informative discussions of the most pressing legal issues for the gaming industry worldwide. My panel entitled, “UIGEA, the Wire Act, the Indian Gaming Regulatory…
Life-Long Learning (or what I’ve learned recently)
Keeping up with the latest research, trends, and technology can be exhausting in any industry. From time to time, I am guilty of allowing myself to get so busy with work, that continuing education is put on the back burner. However, I’ve managed to fit in some really interesting in-person and online training courses over…
NFL – Now would be an oxymoronic time to be trying to ask for a sports betting Integrity Fee
I need to preface this by saying I’m a Saints fan who was in the Superdome when their season came to an abrupt end, so I’m particularly bitter about the NFL right now, as are many sports fans along the Gulf Coast. To the extent that, for the first time in decades, I won’t be…
Casino · Development · Economics · Mobile Gaming · Online Gaming · Planning · Sports betting · Uncategorized · United States
Sports Betting Success Indicators: Consumer Behaviors
Fresh off the heels of some great discussions on sports betting over the weekend, I’ve put together a few quick graphics that shed some light on the potential for the legalized sports betting market. Utilizing proprietary consumer behavior data, with the Gulf Coast as an example, the above maps demonstrate: For each variable, these maps…
Asia · Casino · Community · Development · Economics · Europe · Fisher · Integrated Resorts · Japan · Native American · Planning · Sports betting · United States
A Few of Our Favorite Things . . .
At Convergence Strategy Group, we are a team of lifelong learners. We are always seeking more information, better ways of doing things, and insights from across the globe. In the spirit of the holidays, Convergence Strategy Group would like to share a few of our go-to online resources – a few of our “favorite things”…
The Path Toward Sports Betting for Native American Tribes
If you read the news, it appears that the entire United States gaming industry is obsessed with sports betting. Hungry for new product offerings and approaches, operators see the potential that sports betting has to produce new revenue streams. Sports betting and iGaming are very popular with players and largely profitable for operators across the…
Chinese Gamers – A Commodity Hit by the Trade War?
Following through on campaign promises, Donald Trump started announcing new tariffs on Chinese goods in early 2018, with tit-for-tat additional tariffs announcements on goods from both sides ever since. Both countries have actually experienced some economic growth as a result of the trade war, largely due to desires of businesses to increase output and trade…
Traffic Patterns and their Impact on Project Success
As real estate professionals have repeated for years, “location, location, location”. When our clients begin the process of planning large and small-scale development projects, the location is generally a given. A parcel may already be owned, and our client wishes to utilize it to its fullest, or a small number of parcels are being considered…
Opportunities in Sports Betting: Part 2
We live in an age where data are abundant. This abundance allows analysts such as me the ability to delve deeper than ever before into markets, and to more fully understand their potential. With the spread of sports betting in the United States, it can be helpful for legislators, investors, developers, operators, sports teams, and…
No New Casinos in the Philippines???
This past Tuesday, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte fired the board and management of the Nayong Pilipino Foundation because he was unhappy with the lack of a public bid process and the resulting license terms for the Landing International casino resort project in Entertainment City near Manila. But what followed on Wednesday, I would assume reverberated…
Niche Gaming in Europe
I’ve just returned from two weeks in Germany and Austria, having been wowed by the gaming product I saw there. Encumbered by tax rates that would be considered high by non-European standards, a successful gaming industry has nevertheless been developed. From the spectacularly beautiful Casino Baden-Baden, the sports betting kiosks all over Munich, to the centrally…
Asia · Casino · Development · Economics · Integrated Resorts · Japan · Planning · Sports betting · Uncategorized · United States
Who We Are and What We’re All About
While Convergence Stategy Group is new firm, Dr. Scott Fisher and I have been active in the development, casino gaming, economics, and planning sectors for more than two decades. Recently, we were fortunate to sit down with Roger Gros of Global Gaming Business to discuss what we have in store. You can access the Global…