Techme101.com

The Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians is moving ahead with plans to open a temporary casino in Vallejo, California, possibly as soon as January 2026. According to the Daily Republic, the site would be located on tribal land near the intersection of I-80 and Highway 37.
The casino would be a small, short-term operation, described as a “preview casino,” built using modular structures. It would have Class II gaming machines, which are similar to bingo-style slots where winnings come from a shared player pool instead of the casino itself.
The plans have previously sparked pushback. In March 2025, the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation and the Kletsel Dehe Nation filed a lawsuit arguing the land sits within Patwin ancestral territory and that the Bureau of Indian Affairs failed to properly consult them before moving forward.
Scotts Valley Band temporary casino in Vallejo exercises ‘our gaming rights’
In a statement, the Scotts Valley tribe told the outlet: “The tribe plans to operate a limited number of Class II gaming machines on its sovereign tribal land, repurposing the existing modular buildings on site to serve as the casino.”
Tribal Chairman Shawn Davis said the project is about both sovereignty and opportunity. “This facility will allow us to exercise our gaming rights and provide meaningful economic opportunity for our members and all Vallejo residents while we work on our permanent facility. We are committed to working with the city and our neighbors to support and benefit the community as we develop our land.”
He also pushed back strongly against opposition to the project, adding: “We are moving forward despite the misleading opposition from a small handful of greedy casino operators led by Cache Creek. It has taken generations of struggle for us to get to this point, and we are looking forward to building shared prosperity. Vallejo is our home; we are here to stay and here to make a difference in our community.”
The temporary casino would operate while the US Department of the Interior reviews its earlier approval of the project, which was issued on January 10, 2025. A federal judge in Washington, D.C., ruled in November that the Scotts Valley tribe could continue moving forward during that review.

BREAKING: The U.S. Department of the Interior has advised the Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians that the agency will complete its reconsideration of the Band’s Vallejo casino project “as quickly as possible” and that DOI’s original approval may have been based on “legal error.”
— Thomas Gase (@TgaseVTH) December 4, 2025

At the time, Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation Chairman Anthony Roberts told ReadWrite: “As the Department stated in its letter announcing its decision to reconsider the project, this process will assess all facts and evidence – revealing what history already makes clear: Scotts Valley has no historical connection to this land.”
He continued: “For years we have worked with our federal, state, and local partners to shed light on the flaws in this process. We are grateful the Department can continue doing the right thing by evaluating all evidence. We are confident this reconsideration process will reveal the truth Scotts Valley has attempted to hide from the very start – their ancestral lands are not in Vallejo, and they never were.”
Featured image: Canva
The post Scotts Valley Tribe advances temporary Vallejo casino amid legal disputes appeared first on ReadWrite.

MGM Resorts International has signed a new long-term branding deal with MGM China Holdings, strengthening the partnership as MGM China continues to post solid financial results.
The updated agreement kicks in on January 1, 2026, and will run through the end of Macau’s current gaming concession in 2032. If Macau grants another concession after that, the deal will automatically extend until either that new concession ends or December 31, 2045, whichever comes first.
Under the new terms, MGM China will pay a higher monthly license fee, increasing from 1.75% to 3.5% of its adjusted consolidated net monthly revenue, calculated under IFRS standards. The fee will be capped annually based on factors like business volume, in line with Hong Kong Stock Exchange rules. MGM Resorts will receive about two-thirds, or 66.6%, of that fee.
MGM China branding agreement will no longer need to be hammered out
One big change is that the agreement no longer needs to be renegotiated every three years. That gives MGM China long-term brand stability, while MGM Resorts secures ongoing compensation for the use of its brand. The brand itself has clearly paid off. MGM China’s market share has grown from about 9% before the pandemic to roughly 16% so far this year through September 30, 2025.
The announcement comes after MGM Resorts’ third-quarter earnings release at the end of October. The company reported $4.3 billion in consolidated net revenue, up 2% year over year, largely driven by strong performance in China.
MGM China posted record third-quarter segment adjusted EBITDAR and captured a 15.5% market share, showing continued momentum in Macau. However, on a consolidated level, MGM Resorts’ adjusted EBITDA dipped to $506 million, down from $574 million in the same quarter last year.
“MGM Resorts delivered another quarter of consolidated net revenue growth as we benefit from our operational scale and diversity, highlighted by record third quarter results from MGM China,” said Bill Hornbuckle, Chief Executive Officer and President of MGM Resorts International at the time.
MGM China announced a $3 billion refinancing in July, which set up a new rolling credit facility for its Macau operations. The move was shared through an official statement from MGM Resorts International and helped further strengthen MGM China’s financial position.
Featured image: Hugo F.H.C via WikiCommons / CC BY-SA 4.0
The post MGM Resorts extends branding deal as MGM China strengthens Macau performance appeared first on ReadWrite.

British actor Christopher Eccleston has lent his voice to the growing movement calling for an end to gambling advertising in the UK, weaving in subtle nods to Doctor Who along the way.
The 61-year-old appears in a new public service short film titled Stacking the Deck, produced by the Coalition to End Gambling Ads (CEGA), which urges the government to act on mounting evidence and impose tighter restrictions on gambling promotion.
Christopher Eccleston calls for crackdown on gambling ads
https://twitter.com/EndGamblingAds/status/2004512066657513803/
In the film, Eccleston sets out to examine the UK’s gambling laws and advertising culture, exploring how marketing tactics contribute to addiction. The project frames this investigation as a quest to create the ultimate anti-advertisement.
The documentary features testimony from specialists and from people directly affected by gambling harm, including campaigner Annie Ashton. Her husband died by suicide in 2021 after struggling with a hidden gambling addiction. Ashton states: “There is no hard messaging around the fact that actually this is a disorder and this can also cause a suicide. I mean where is that messaging?”
Gambling ads designed ‘to appeal to a lookalike audience’
Later, the 28 Days Later actor speaks with Joe Wade, CEO of ethical advertising agency Don’t Panic, who explains how gambling brands deliberately use familiarity and relatability to attract audiences.
“There are either the sporting ones, which are generally around football. It tends to be a white working-class person fronting it,” Wade says, with Eccleston acknowledging that he himself “fits into that” archetype.
“It’s to appeal to a lookalike audience,” Wade adds.
Wade also contrasts this with more polished, high-status gambling adverts, often fronted by major celebrities such as Chris Rock. Eccleston dryly responds: “He needs the money, he really needs the money.”
The 15-minute film concludes with Eccleston performing his own deliberately constructed anti-advert, leaning into the familiar working-class image associated with figures like Danny Dyer, Ray Winstone, and Shaun Williamson.
Wade further explains that alcohol advertising is far more tightly regulated: “You can’t associate alcohol with sport, you can’t show that it makes you more sociable. It doesn’t make you more sexually attractive. You are unable to show alcohol leading to you being more successful or happier. Whereas with gambling ads, you’re allowed to imply all of these things.” He also notes that gambling adverts are not meant to target people under 25.

Christopher Eccleston is such a properly good guy. I’m glad he’s bringing attention to gambling advertisement. Gambling is dangerous and addictive, but its way too normalised. There’s a reason why Doctor Who fans still love Eccleston. https://t.co/Yz7wXyC1Wc
— Thatt “Duke Nuke” Gladworm (@AtomTents) December 27, 2025

The film closes with Eccleston urging viewers to contact their MPs and push them “to respond to the evidence and urgently start to restrict gambling advertising.”
Following the release of the anti-ad, fans praised the actor for addressing the issue with openness, conviction, and clarity.
Featured image: Coalition to End Gambling Ads via X
The post Doctor Who star Christopher Eccleston fronts anti gambling campaign urging UK to restrict advertising appeared first on ReadWrite.

Professional esports and entertainment brand FaZe Clan is facing another major turning point after all six remaining members of its influencer lineup announced their exits following the collapse of contract negotiations with new leadership.
Adapt, Jason, Ronaldo, Lacy, Rage and Silky each confirmed their departures on X. The six had been the only creators listed on the organization’s official roster.
FaZe Clan influencers exit following unsuccessful negotiations

Left @FaZeClan
14 Years. Over half of my life, I’d be lying if I said this didn’t hurt, but it had to be done. Thank you to everyone who’s been apart of this journey, the best is yet to come.
— Adapt (@FaZeAdapt) December 26, 2025

“14 Years,” Adapt wrote online. “Over half my life, I’d be lying if I said this didn’t hurt, but it had to be done.”
The organization responded publicly through its official X account, acknowledging the end of an era.

It’s heartbreaking to see this era of FaZe come to a close. It’s beyond tragic the way it all ended, it’s been an emotional few days.
We wish the boys the best not only as creators, but as people too. FaZe has always felt like a family, so we will always unconditionally root for… pic.twitter.com/mM0hybm89E
— FaZe Clan (@FaZeClan) December 28, 2025

“It’s heartbreaking to see this era of FaZe come to a close. It’s beyond tragic the way it all ended, it’s been an emotional few days.
“We wish the boys the best not only as creators, but as people too. FaZe has always felt like a family, so we will always unconditionally root for and support them.
“FaZe eSports has always operated as a separate entity, nothing on that side will change. Rather it will become our main focus moving forward.”
Former FaZe chief executive Richard “Banks” Bengtson also issued a public statement expressing regret and finality.

This is the end of @FaZeClan
I wish you guys could see my heart. I’m sorry to everyone I let down, sincerely. I really tried my best.
Wishing everyone involved a happy, healthy & successful life moving forward.
It’s over. I give up. I quit. Amen. pic.twitter.com/kAvAjzwK1n
— Banks (@Banks) December 28, 2025

“This is the end of @FaZeClan
“I wish you guys could see my heart. I’m sorry to everyone I let down, sincerely. I really tried my best.
“Wishing everyone involved a happy, healthy & successful life moving forward.
“It’s over. I give up. I quit. Amen.”
Investors say company is no longer workable
According to Matt Kalish, chief executive of Hard Rock Digital and an investor in FaZe, the company’s financial setup was no longer viable. Kalish said he presented the creators with two options, which included operating independently or entering new agreements backed by Hard Rock. Discussions ended last week, and he said the company will now proceed without them.
“My best guess is they’re all good kids and have a lot of people in their ear and are confused,” Kalish told Bloomberg. He added that the organization had previously covered many of their living and operating costs.
A person familiar with the negotiations, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the creators believed the proposed contracts were unfavorable. Talks had been ongoing for approximately six months.
Former FaZe member PlaqueBoyMax, who left the group in August, addressed similar concerns during a livestream.
“We have no control,” he said. “There was no control, and it’s like we’re puppets. At least that’s what it felt like. You get what I’m saying?”
Kalish, a cofounder of DraftKings, began investing in FaZe in 2023 and said he has contributed roughly $10 million over the past year and a half to support its creators and operations.
Founded in 2010, FaZe started as a collective of friends sharing gaming content online. The group later became a major force in esports and influencer culture, popularizing the model of creators living and producing content together while securing major sponsorships.
After going public in 2022 with expectations of a valuation near $1 billion, the company’s stock declined sharply as investors questioned the long-term sustainability of a business model centered on brand deals.
Leadership instability followed. In 2023, then-chief executive Lee Trink was removed amid disputes over spending and management decisions.
FaZe’s esports operations are now overseen by GameSquare Holdings Inc., which acquired the company’s parent entity for $17 million in 2023.
Featured image: FaZeClan via X
The post FaZe Clan faces uncertain future as creators exit after failed talks appeared first on ReadWrite.