Techme101.com

All of the major Las Vegas Strip casinos are now unionized following a historic labor victory for workers.
The Culinary Workers Union, which represents around 60,000 hospitality workers in Nevada, has achieved the historic feat on the Las Vegas Strip, which will have a profound effect on many of the people who keep the tourist mecca ticking over. 
One of those is Susana Pacheco, who first started working at the Venetian 16 years ago. 
She told ABC how she believed that appointment would provide her with a springboard of stability to protect her infant daughter, but the intervening years have been marred with struggle, in a cycle of low pay and little support. 
She says she has not had any kind of safety net until now.
The Venetian has opposed all attempts for workers’ collective bargaining for the last 25 years, but a recent change of ownership has reversed that policy. Just as Las Vegas Strip newcomer, the Fontainebleu, has agreed terms with the union, the Venetian has followed suit. 

Culinary Union has been winning a better life for workers in Las Vegas since before the first casino opened on the Strip in 1941.
We are the Culinary Union. We’ll show them who we are.#ItsUpToUs pic.twitter.com/YKK0AuWsFK
— Culinary Union (@Culinary226) July 30, 2025

Now, for the first time in the history of the Culinary Union, all of the significant casinos are covered by union agreements, providing uncharted terms and protections for 60,000 members.
“Together, we’ve shown that change can be a positive force, and I’m confident that this partnership will continue to benefit us all in the years to come,” said Patrick Nichols, president and CEO of the Venetian.
As for Pacheco, she has intimated how the new terms have transformed her working life, with a positive impact at home. Unreasonable targets for cleaning hotel rooms are now gone, with the uptick of better pay and time off. 
“Now with the union, we have a voice,” she added.

Transformative 32% uplift in pay over five years
Ruben Garcia, professor and director of the workplace program at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas law school noted how the deep roots and resonance of the Culinary Union made this breakthrough possible. 
In essence, it’s not a setup that can easily be replicated across the United States. 
He also pointed to the concentration of ownership of the casinos in Las Vegas (which is currently experiencing a slump in visitor numbers). In some ways, this can make the dialogue and bargaining more difficult, but it also helps with wanting to achieve a uniform target across the board. 
Garcia used the example of 2023 when a massive strike was threatened by more than 35,000 hospitality workers, just as expired contracts were hanging over the Strip. 
A late deal was reached with Caesars, postponing the strike, with a domino effect across other establishments such as MGM Resorts and Wynn securing concessions for working people.
The latest Culinary union victory in Las Vegas will deliver a transformative 32% uplift in pay over a five-year contract, with union casino workers set to earn an average $35 hourly rate by the end of that time.
Image credit: scvegas/X
The post Las Vegas Strip casinos fully unionized after historic Culinary Workers Union victory appeared first on ReadWrite.

VGW shareholders have approved a deal for founder Laurence Escalante to acquire full ownership of the sweepstakes casino company.
Escalante was effectively bidding for the remaining 30% share in VGW that he did not own, with the AUD 632 million ($409 million) buyout proposed through his special purpose vehicle, Ocean BidCo Limited.
At $3.32 per share, the offer was said to be “fair and reasonable” by Kroll Australia, which valued VGW at up to $3.70 per share. 
Ultimately, the proposal was accepted after 85% of VGW shareholders voted in to approve the minority stake sale.
It represents greater value for shareholders compared to the previous attempt from Ocean BidCo at $2.26 to $2.58 per share, which was declined by the board committee set up to oversee the sale process.
There will be further returns as part of the transaction, as Ocean BidCo will borrow up to $586 million from VGW to fund the transaction for the other 30% of the gambling operator.
Agreement subject to Federal Court approval
VGW Independent Board Committee Chairman Mike Symons said on completion of the vote: 
“I would like to thank all of VGW’s shareholders for their participation in the shareholder meetings today and their support of VGW.”
Despite full agreement, the transaction is subject to further approval from the Federal Court of Australia, with a hearing to take place on Tuesday, August 5.
If approved, the rest will become a formality with further legal correspondence to follow.
VGW is said to have recorded $4 billion in revenue for the 12 months up to June 30, 2024, with the results delivering a 27% increase year-on-year. 
The company recently confirmed that its Chumba Casino and Luckyland Casino platforms will no longer be available to players in New Jersey, due to the incoming ban on sweepstakes casinos in the state.
Image credit: VGW
The post VGW shareholders approve Escalante’s takeover bid appeared first on ReadWrite.

The Texas Lottery Commission has settled an outstanding case, worth almost $46 million, with a woman who became embroiled in a controversial saga that has delayed her windfall.
Kristen Moriarty reached an agreement with the Commission, as detailed by court records, following consultation with Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office.
She will receive a bonanza payout of $45.8 million in one lump sum, now that a resolution has been found.

“TLC shall pay to or for the benefit of Moriarty the cash value Jackpot Prize of $45,889.188.92.” – Randy Howry, lawyer representing plaintiff

The winnings have been tied up since Moriarty purchased her lucky ticket for the Lotto Texas draw back in February this year. The vendor for the ticket sale was Jackpocket, a third-party online service known as a lottery courier.
However, the Texas Lottery Commission opted not to payout on the massive win, due to two investigations into courier operations in the state, launched by the Department of Public Safety and the Attorney General’s team.
All of this directly relates to “the largest fraud in state history,” otherwise known as the Texas Lottery scandal.
In April 2023, the Lotto Texas jackpot reached $73 million. A rollover on the Wednesday draw saw the prize pot jump to $95 million for the Saturday draw, but all was not as it seemed, realizing some long-held fears.
What unfolded was that $25 million worth of tickets were sold through middlemen who were buying on behalf of out-of-state players. The transactions were handled using computers, iPads, and apps, which isn’t allowed under Texas law.
Lone Star state lottery rules had been broken, as the law says tickets have to be sold in person, over the counter, but the winning ticket came from the pool of $25 million, all bought by an out-of-state syndicate.
$45.8 million Texas lottery winner left ‘sad, stressed, angry’
The ongoing fall-out has created various disputes and legal challenges, while the World Lottery Association (WLA) has presented a new policy paper, outlining its recommendations for the regulation of lottery couriers, as well as a ban on bulk buying tickets.
Houston-resident Moriarty has been left exasperated with her experience.
“I’m sad, stressed, angry that this has become a political thing, she told The Texas Tribune in June.
“I’ve lost faith in our elected officials. And yeah, I really don’t know what else to say that I can say out loud.”
Moriarty has endured a complicated ordeal in recent months, but it is one that now paves the way for a life-changing windfall. It will also be among the last lottery payouts to be handled by the  Texas Lottery Commission.
The authority will be shut down, as of September 1, with the state’s Department of Licensing and Regulation due to step in as the operator of Texas’ lottery and charity activity.
Further ambiguity also surrounds that arrangement, with the fallout from the Texas lottery scandal still casting a shadow.
Image credit: Lotto Texas
The post Texas Lottery to pay winner of $83.5M jackpot after withholding prize for months appeared first on ReadWrite.

The sports sector in New Zealand is fighting back against the proposed Online Casino Gambling Bill, which was first introduced back in June.
A targeted consultation is currently underway on the advertising, harm minimization, and consumer protection regulations relating to the proposed bill. It aims to regulate offshore online casino gambling, and 15 licenses will be available, allocated by auction in a three-stage process.
The consultation process began in July and will run until October of this year, with the next step in the expected timeframe is for the bill to be enacted in January 2026.

Expressions of interest for a license are anticipated to take place in March and April, with the license auction to take place in June. This comes as gambling reform is a prominent topic within New Zealand at the moment.
Online Casino Gambling Bill in New Zealand faces opposition
According to the New Zealand Herald, more than 50 sporting organizations have united in opposition of the bill as they warn it could deliver a devastating blow to community sport in the country.
The publisher states that “sporting leaders say the bill’s failure to require operators to return a share of their profits to the community is a glaring and dangerous omission.” Currently, $170 million a year in pokie grants is distributed by gaming trusts to community sport programs.
The Cycling New Zealand chair, Martin Snedden, told Newstalk ZB it represents a “massive risk” to grassroots sports.
“This is a crazy move by the Government,” Snedden said. “Sport has thrived for decades off the back of community gambling grants. It all goes to clubs, not professional sport.
“There had been no consultation with the sport sector, no warning that this was coming. As soon as I saw it, I recognised the extent of the risk to community funding.”
Snedden continued to suggest the timing couldn’t be worse, with clubs already dealing with rising costs and reduced support.
Featured Image: AI-generated via Ideogram
The post Sporting leaders in New Zealand speak out against Online Casino Gambling Bill appeared first on ReadWrite.