Democratic presidential contender Bernie Sanders has applauded the gaming industry’s push for unionisation.

“The video game industry made $43 billion in revenue last year. The workers responsible for that profit deserve to collectively bargain as part of a union. I’m glad to see unions like @IATSE and the broader @GameWorkers movement organizing such workers,” Sanders said.

“Too often, workers in the entertainment industry are underpaid and overworked because they are so passionate about their crafts. By joining together and negotiating as a group, we can make our workplaces better,” International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees responded to Sanders.

“There are 220,000 or so people employed in the US video game business. They make about $100,000 on average, maybe more. It’s hard to imagine what would motivate that crew to unionize,” Take-Two chairman and CEO Strauss Zelnick responded.

Over the past few weeks, Sanders has been occasionally praising other labour movements and unionisation efforts, making it a central theme of his 2020 presidential campaign.

The United States District Court for the Eastern District of California has dismissed the lawsuit filed by the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation, the Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians and the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation for breach of their respective compacts with the State of California.

The court acknowledged the exclusive right of tribes to conduct banked card games. The ruling constituted a procedural finding by the court that it lacked the power to require the State to enforce the law under the tribes’ compacts.

The court reasoned the State had not promised to protect the tribes’ right to gaming exclusivity ― despite compact language acknowledging “the exclusive right” each tribe enjoyed under its Compact “to operate a gaming facility in an economic environment free of competition from the operation of slot machines and banked card games on non-Indian lands.”

Notably, the State does not dispute the merits of the case. To the contrary, as detailed in the tribes’ complaint, various high-ranking representatives have acknowledged that the California cardrooms are playing unlawful house-banked card games, and are also playing blackjack, which is illegal under the Penal Code. But, the State is doing either little or nothing to stop the cardrooms’ unlawful conduct.

Despite the court’s ruling, the tribes will continue their efforts to preserve the rights guaranteed to them.

Combined slot machine/table games revenue up 2.6%

Figures released and posted by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board on its web site, https://gamingcontrolboard.pa.gov/, show that table games revenue for May 2019 was $76,559,198, an increase of 2.2% over May of last year when revenue was $74,908,874.

Additionally, the Board is reporting that when combining May’s table games revenue with the earlier reported May slot machine revenue, total gaming revenue increased by 2.6% compared to May of last year.

Total tax revenue from table games play during May amounted to $12,310,469* with an average of 1,281 tables in daily operation statewide.

Gross table games revenue at each of the casinos for May 2019 and May 2018 along with a similar comparison for total casino gaming revenue are displayed in the following tables:

*Tax revenue figures reflect amounts generated prior to any adjustments by the PA Department of Revenue

About the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board:

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board is tasked to oversee all aspects of the state’s casino industry. In addition to slot machine and table games gambling, this now included sports wagering offered currently through land-based sportsbooks at eight locations and through one online outlet. The oversight also includes other new gaming initiatives, expected to be launched in the coming months, which were created through Act 42 of 2017, an amendment to the Race Horse Development and Gaming Act.

The Commonwealth’s casino industry currently consists of 10 stand-alone and racetrack casinos in operation, along with the two smaller resort casinos.  These facilities collectively employ over 16,000 people and annually generate approximately $1.4 billion in tax revenue from slot machine and table games play. The largest portion of that money is used for property tax reduction to Pennsylvania homeowners.

Additional information about both the PGCB’s gaming regulatory efforts and Pennsylvania’s gaming industry can be found at gamingcontrolboard.pa.gov. You can also follow the agency on Twitter by choosing @PAGamingControl.

Source: Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board