Casino News Roundup: Boyd Opens First Casino In 20 Years & Allwyn's Big Year
Welcome to the Casino Daily News Roundup - your briefing on the latest news from the global casino industry. We bring you the biggest stories from across the sector, covering everything from major business deals and revenue figures to new openings and regulatory developments.
Boyd Gaming Opens Its First New Casino In 20 Years in Henderson, Nevada
Boyd Gaming has opened the doors of its first brand new casino in two decades.
Lines stretched out of the door on opening morning - and by all accounts, it was worth the wait.
Cadence Crossing Casino in Henderson, Nevada, celebrated its grand opening on Wednesday, March 25.
It marks the company's first ground-up development since the early 2000s - a landmark moment for one of Las Vegas' most established regional operators.
The 50,000 square foot property on Boulder Highway replaces Jokers Wild Casino - a Henderson institution for over 30 years.
The original building is now slated for demolition, clearing land for a potential future expansion that could include a 114-room hotel.
The 10,000 square foot gaming floor opens with 450 slot and video poker machines.
A hundred are fan favorites carried over from Jokers Wild, while 350 brand-new models give the room a distinctly modern feel.
For fans of real money slots for US players, the upgraded selection represents a significant step up from what the old floor could offer.
Electronic versions of blackjack, roulette and craps cover the table games space, while Tin Lizard Bar & Grill and 24-hour Tacos Los Gauchos handle dining duties.
The story is as much about the neighborhood as the casino itself.
Boyd CEO Keith Smith has pointed to the rapidly expanding Cadence master-planned residential community - which sold more than 1,200 homes in 2025 alone, ranking it among the three fastest-growing planned communities in the US - as the key driver behind the project.
With 13,000 homes eventually projected for the wider development, Boyd is positioning Cadence Crossing as the anchor entertainment venue for an entirely new generation of Henderson residents.
The company arrives here off the back of a record $4.09billion in revenue for 2025, with further capital investments under way in Illinois and Virginia.
It may be a modest build by Boyd's recent standards, but as a signal of confidence in the Nevada locals market, it carries real weight.
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Japan Throws Open The Casino Race Again And The World Is Watching
Japan has confirmed it is reopening its integrated resort licensing race. The global gaming industry has been quick to take notice.
A Cabinet order approved on March 10 formally restarts the IR application process. A six-month submission window will run from May to November 2027.
It is the clearest signal yet that Japan intends to fill the two casino licenses left unawarded since the first round closed in 2022.
Japan's 2018 legislation authorized up to three integrated resorts but produced only one successful application.
That was the MGM Resorts and Orix Corporation Osaka project, currently under construction and on track for a 2030 opening.
Hard Rock International was among the fastest to respond. Hard Rock Japan president Ado Machida wasted no time in reaffirming the company's long-term commitment to the market.
Hokkaido, Nagasaki and Aichi Prefecture are all expected to bid, with Hokkaido's governor confirming a policy update by fall 2026.
For international operators who spent years eyeing Japan as one of the most strategically significant gambling markets in the world, the new timeline offers a genuine second chance.
Evolution Suspends Its Dividend And Sets The Industry Talking
Live casino technology giant Evolution AB has surprised the market by proposing no dividend be paid for 2025 - a clear break from its own framework committing to distribute at least 50% of net profit annually.
The company paid €2.80 per share for 2024; the proposal for 2026 is zero.
The board says a cash payout is not currently the best way to create long-term shareholder value.
It will update investors once a revised capital strategy for 2026 is finalized. That language has fueled wide speculation about a major acquisition or strategic pivot.
The underlying business remains strong. Evolution is the global leader in live casino technology.
North America and Latin America both posted record revenues in its most recent quarter.
The dividend suspension is a strategic signal, not a distress signal.
But for a company whose consistency has been a defining characteristic, the break from precedent is a story that will run all year.
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Allwyn Caps Pivotal Year With €9bn Revenue And Eyes A Major New Chapter
Allwyn International has reported total revenue of €8.99bn for 2025, a 4% increase year-on-year, with online net gaming revenue up 11% as its digital strategy continues to deliver.
The gambling group - which operates the UK National Lottery alongside businesses across Europe and North America - also completed the acquisition of a majority stake in US platform PrizePicks in January 2026 and secured a new nine-year Italian Lotto concession.
Its planned merger with OPAP, the Athens-listed gaming operator, is set to create one of the world's largest listed lottery and gaming companies, with a secondary listing on London or New York under consideration.
In the UK, National Lottery net revenue grew 6% to €962million, backed by the largest technology upgrade to the platform in 30 years.
For a company that arrived in Britain amid considerable scrutiny, the signs of a settled, growing operation are increasingly hard to ignore.
