Backyard Grill

About Backyard Grill

For so long, CalvinAyre.com has been a beacon in the poker reporting landscape but as the outgoing incumbent of this position of privilege, I haven’t been at the centre of this role for so long as to claim anywhere near all the credit.  

A huge thanks for his outstanding reporting on this site should go to Lee Davy, who for many years, brought poker to life on Calvin Ayre. I personally owe a huge debt of gratitude to Lee for the efforts he made in not only making me feel so well prepared to take up the mantle when he moved on to pastures new, but in establishing the Calvin Ayre brand so well for so many years within the poker world.

Ours is a niche industry, but it is a wonderful and welcoming one, and Calvin Ayre has been a huge part of the poker industry in my time, too. The name has opened doors, helped me speak to some of the biggest and best poker players from around the globe.  

How to play Backyard Grill

“This important financing allows us to progress the pre-construction planning process so that we are ready to complete the remainder of the capital raise and remain on schedule,” Kim said in a statement. “Furthermore, the additional liquidity provides us greater flexibility for other capital opportunities.”

The financing, added Bob Louzan, managing partner at WhiteHawk Capital Partners, reflects its ability to structure flexible capital solutions for complex transactions to “support the project’s pre-construction work as Bally’s advances its broader financing plan”.

In its application materials in New York, Bally’s said it would begin construction “eight to nine months” after securing a licence, which would be this month. The project calls for a single-phase opening sometime in 2030 if timelines hold.

What is Backyard Grill?

NSW government figures classify poker machines as the most harmful gambling format in the state, yet clubs continue to operate approximately 65,000 poker machines, benefiting substantially from tax rebates through the scheme.

Green MP Cate Faehrmann has criticised the arrangement, highlighting a conflict of interest where clubs reduce their tax liabilities while simultaneously cultivating community goodwill. 

She called the proposed changes “tinkering around the edges”. She questioned whether ClubGRANTS genuinely supports community projects, or functions as an indirect subsidy that lessens scrutiny of gaming revenue.