About this app
What is Velvet Gems?
It has been a challenging few years for Entain, having cycled through four CEOs in short succession. In November 2023 Entain agreed to pay a financial penalty totalling £585 million, plus a £20 million charitable donation and £10 million in Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and HMRC costs. This related to a bribery case initiated by the CPS into the company’s historic operations in Turkey.
Troubles continued as it faced declining growth within its digital business. Reports of failed integrations amid a frenzy of acquisitions further dampened Entain’s reputation and the operator subsequently committed to a major turnaround effort to cut costs and return its digital business to growth.
Efforts to update its legacy tech were also set in motion, and short-lived CEO Gavin Isaacs told iGB at ICE in January 2025 that his biggest challenge in the role was to modernise its core platform.
What is Velvet Gems?
Its noisy and crowded parlours, he notes, do little to attract Japan’s critical demographic of women aged 40 and over. They “do not find pachi facilities comfortable or appealing”.
Given that women account for nearly 60% of gaming customers in the US, Klebanow argues that Japan’s IRs should instead offer environments where this demographic feels “safe and comfortable”. The key lesson from pachinko, he concludes, is therefore “not to create gaming environments that mimic them”.
Ultimately Leckert remains positive on Japan’s IR opportunity. “Stringent regulation really supports a strong industry,” she says. “I don’t see those being at odds with one another, because it’s been done very successfully elsewhere.”
About Velvet Gems
The LVCVA and Harry Reid International Airport have not yet released their August reports. Truist Securities analyst Barry Jonas isn’t expecting a major rally.
Jonas projected on Friday (Sept. 18) in his Las Vegas room survey a soft third quarter. Jonas said Q3 rates for Las Vegas Strip casino rooms are “mostly lower,” with MGM Resorts rooms down 9% and Caesars Entertainment down 11%.
August rates trended lower, with Strip Proxy down -14%, MGM -17%, Caesars -18%, and Wynn Resorts flat. September is also lower with Strip Proxy down -10%, MGM -11%, Caesars -15% and Wynn +2%, as weekend rates were a bit higher but weighed down by the still soft weekday rates,” Jonas wrote.
