OREANDA-NEWS. Casinos in Atlantic City are most at-risk in the near term from pending gaming regulations, although casinos in other areas face a changing regulatory landscape too, says Fitch Ratings.

"The regulatory landscape casinos have contended with, in some cases for many years, is continuing to evolve," says Alex Bumazhny, Senior Director. "As iGaming gains steam, daily fantasy sports rules develop and individual states consider expansion, Atlantic City is not the only jurisdiction contending with the swift changes."

Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Arkansas all made progress toward expanded casino gambling, while the latter two may see additional changes via referendum in November. Additional expansion in New Jersey would cannibalize Atlantic City casinos, potentially resulting in additional closures there. An expansion in Pennsylvania would exacerbate the recently passed 2% increase on table games tax, which will cost the states' casinos about $17 million per year. Casinos in Missouri, Louisiana, and Oklahoma would be most impacted by expansion in Arkansas.

Also notable is the Seminole Tribe of Florida's stalemate with state legislators. Fitch believes the tribe will ultimately renegotiate a compact that allows it to keep its authority to offer table games given the economic benefits it provides the state via jobs. Pending federal lawsuits may eventually catalyze a ratification of the proposed compact.

Several other states are attempting to legalize gaming, although some with already-failed track records cloud the longer-term outlook for U. S. regional markets.

Despite the attention online gaming including poker and daily fantasy sports have received, Fitch believes they are unlikely to significantly impact gaming credits in the near future. Although bills have advanced in New York and Pennsylvania, the most progress has been made in California where PokerStars' eligibility remains the last hurdle. A state-by-state patchwork approach to fantasy sport regulation ultimately may hinder the sector, as it thrives on a large pool of players.