http://www.sunherald.com/2012/05/10/3940534/mgm-resorts-readying-internet.html
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Friday, May 11, 2012
Posted on Thu, May. 10, 2012
MGM Resorts readying Internet casino game
By MARY PEREZ
BILOXI -- MGM Resorts International will launch a casino-themed Internet game by June, James Murren, chairman of MGM Resorts International, said at Thursday’s Southern Gaming Summit at the Coast Convention Center.
He called it “Casino Mogul” but said MGM and its partners haven’t decided yet on the name.
The game will be similar to Farmville and other social media games and provide a perfect Las Vegas, which he told the crowd means Vegas will have only MGM properties.
“The next big thing for our industry is a convergence,” he said.
Murren said major casino companies have a huge opportunity to collaborate with people who develop and play games on Facebook and other social media, and these Internet gamers are the same demographics the casinos are working to attract.
At its launch, the new game will be a cashless site, but Murren said it will have the possibility of converting to online cash casino applications should that be legal.
Throughout this year’s Southern Gaming Summit, speakers discussed how and when Internet gambling will launch and if it will be legalized by federal or state government.
Murren said Internet gambling will be here this year at a state-by-state level. “We vastly prefer a federal solution,” he said.
He blamed House Republicans for holding up federal legislation that he said would better regulate, enforce and tax Internet casinos than individual states.$$
$$
Murren said MGM Resorts is embracing technology, “not ignoring it like the booksellers did.”
Text Size:
Friday, May 11, 2012
Posted on Thu, May. 10, 2012
MGM Resorts readying Internet casino game
By MARY PEREZ
BILOXI -- MGM Resorts International will launch a casino-themed Internet game by June, James Murren, chairman of MGM Resorts International, said at Thursday’s Southern Gaming Summit at the Coast Convention Center.
He called it “Casino Mogul” but said MGM and its partners haven’t decided yet on the name.
The game will be similar to Farmville and other social media games and provide a perfect Las Vegas, which he told the crowd means Vegas will have only MGM properties.
“The next big thing for our industry is a convergence,” he said.
Murren said major casino companies have a huge opportunity to collaborate with people who develop and play games on Facebook and other social media, and these Internet gamers are the same demographics the casinos are working to attract.
At its launch, the new game will be a cashless site, but Murren said it will have the possibility of converting to online cash casino applications should that be legal.
Throughout this year’s Southern Gaming Summit, speakers discussed how and when Internet gambling will launch and if it will be legalized by federal or state government.
Murren said Internet gambling will be here this year at a state-by-state level. “We vastly prefer a federal solution,” he said.
He blamed House Republicans for holding up federal legislation that he said would better regulate, enforce and tax Internet casinos than individual states.$$
$$Murren said MGM Resorts is embracing technology, “not ignoring it like the booksellers did.”
