WATCH: Casino News Roundup - October 16, 2025

Our news reporter, Alan Evans, brings you the latest news from the casino industry on October 16, 2025.

Can't watch right now? Here's the full transcript:

"Welcome to the Casinos.com Weekly News Roundup, where we bring you the top moves and debates shaping gambling, media, and regulation. This edition begins with fresh insights from newsroom leader Jill Manuel (Podcast link), then turns to regulatory drama, highstakes deals, and local stories you won’t want to miss.

"Jill Manuel has led newsrooms across FOX, Tribune, Scripps, and CBS before joining ABC10 in Sacramento, and her CV includes a Peabody Award, multiple Emmys, and Edward R. Murrow honours.

"She warns legacy newsrooms that rigid models won’t survive digital disruption: “We have to rethink what it means to serve people, not chase clicks, but actually deliver useful, verifiable information.”

"She argues the shift starts in culture: keeping communities central, embedding trust in every decision, and ensuring agility and inclusion across teams. 

"Jill sounds an ominous warning: “If your newsroom can’t adapt, it’s going to lose relevance faster than you think.”

"Westminster City Council has unanimously approved Genting Casinos UK’s £40 million plan to convert the iconic Trocadero building into a twostorey casino and restaurant. The development is expected to include space for up to 1,250 patrons, and Genting says it could create 350 jobs.

"Genting stresses the venue will not be “alcoholled,” with drinks projected to account for less than 7% of revenue, and that strict operational controls on noise, dispersal, and security will be in place.

"Local objections, led by the Soho Society, warn of intensified nightlife, noise, and antisocial behaviour in an already busy area. Council planning officers counter that the casino would replace a nightclub and be more controlled in its operation. 

"Genting aims to open by October 2026, though that timeline is not yet confirmed.

"Lottery operator Allwyn and Greece’s OPAP have announced a strategic tie-up that could form the world’s second largest publicly listed gaming group. Deal aims to consolidate lottery and sports betting across several markets.

"In Westminster, MPs are pushing legislation to ban incentive schemes that reward gambling staff based on player losses, a measure meant to reduce conflicts of interest and protect consumers.

"Actor Colin Farrell is reportedly attached to a movie centred on Macau’s gambling underworld. Early reports suggest it draws from real exploits of a notorious casino operator known as “Berger."

"In Drumchapel, Scotland the Panto Club is hosting a Halloween-themed bingo fundraiser to support its theatre productions, blending community fun and fundraising.

"A spur-of-the-moment sweet shop visit in Barrow-in-Furness has turned into a life-changing win for the Bujupi family, who scooped £524,043.10 in the EuroMillions draw on 5 September. 

"Valdet Bujupi, 44, had been out with his three-year-old daughter when her persistent pleas for sweets prompted a quick stop at a local shop. It was there that he purchased a Lucky Dip ticket, one that would soon make him over half a million pounds richer. A sweet story I am sure you will agree.

"From the newsroom to the casino floor to Westminster, the underlying thread is trust, accountability, and relevance. Jill Manuel’s call for journalism that serves, rather than chases clicks, feels especially urgent at a time when media, regulators, and industry players are all under scrutiny.

"Meanwhile, the Trocadero’s rebirth signals bold ambitions in urban regeneration and nightlife, but not without controversy. The big deals and policy shifts hint at a sector in flux, where strategy and regulation must keep pace.

"Stay tuned to our podcast (link) and next week’s edition for more interviews, deeper dives, and frontline stories from the world of media and gaming. 

"Thank you for watching. Be sure to Follow, like and subscribe. I’m Alan Evans for Casinos.com. Bye for now."