I was reading an interesting piece on the increasingly elaborate backyard pools of SoCal when I was struck by a reference to Las Vegas. From the LA Times: Today homeowners have moved well beyond the simple requirement of a hole in the ground. Instead, they crave Las Vegas-style amusements: remote-controlled flames, sound-activated dancing lights and […]
This is a story that makes you think. From WSB-TV, Atlanta: Worried about the safety of her family during a stormy Memorial Day trip to the beach, Clara Jean Brown stood in her kitchen and prayed for their safe return as a strong thunderstorm rumbled through Baldwin County, Alabama. But while she prayed, lightning suddenly
Good luck, bad luck, or divine design? Read More »
haphazard worldIt sounds like a drink you’d buy in a Asian-themed bar, but that might be the name of the Marina Bay casino/hotel/resort in Singapore, as Las Vegas Sands won the bid to build a casino in the Marina area. From Yahoo Finance: Singapore picked Las Vegas Sands Corp. to build and run what will be
I woke up pretty early this morning, so I took some time to put together the NINTH (I can’t believe it) page of the carpet gallery. Since I’m in Lake Tahoe at the International Conference on Gambling and Risk-Taking, it’s no surprise that this gallery has images from Tahoe. Die is Cast casino carpet gallery
New carpet gallery Read More »
what's newThanks to Roger Gros of Global Gaming Business, I got to attend the opening of the MontBleu last night. Here’s a press release talking about it: MontBleu Resort Casino & Spa in Lake Tahoe celebrated its official debut on May 24, with the help of Howie Mandel, comedian and host of NBC’s hit game show
I’m still at the ICGRT, but this article seemed to strange not to post. From the LVRJ: On Saturday night, an unidentified object was sent hurtling through the roof at Steven Gleicher’s workplace. Was the football-sized object a meteor or perhaps something more common? Advertisement And perhaps just as puzzling: How could it rip through
I just finished presenting my paper “The Revolutionary Ridotto” at the International Conference on Gambling and Risk-Taking, and I’ve got a little time to post an update. The conference is going very well–as always, I’m learning a great deal, and I’m sure everyone else is as well. For the carpet-curious, a late-night expedition last night
To hear this story tell it, the main point of the International Conference on Gambling and Risk-Taking is to count cards. From the RGJ: Ever wonder how to develop a computer program that will earn you millions by predicting horse races in Hong Kong? What about simple card counting at blackjack? Curious how casino design
Conference in the news Read More »
gambling & cultureNext week I’ll be at the 13th International Conference on Gambling and Risk-Taking, at Lake Tahoe, Nevada. This will hopefully be a lucky 13. It looks to be a great conference, with very interesting sessions that I’m looking forward to seeing. I’ll be keeping busy, presenting a paper, co-leading a session on gambling research, and
Tahoe conference is near! Read More »
what's newWhen I learned of the new “money laundering” online gambling indictments, I thought that Antigua might have something to say. Now they do. From their press release, which I got in my email: Antiguan government officials reacted angrily today to news that the United States Department of Justice has released indictments of two Antiguan residents
Antigua strikes back…with words Read More »
gambling & cultureThe long hoped-for next big thing in Atlantic City is one step closer to actually happening. Morgan Stanley’s gaming subsidiary is ready to sponsor the city’s 13th casino, which will be next to the Showboat. From the Inky: The gambling subsidiary of Morgan Stanley has acquired 20 acres on the Boardwalk to develop what will
The operators of an online sportsbook, www.betwtts.com, have been indicted for money laundering, in addition to violating the Wire Act. Read the press release yourself: The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia unsealed an indictment yesterday against William Scott, Jessica Davis, Soulbury Ltd. and WorldWide Telesports Inc. (WWTS) for offenses related to the
Indicted (again) for online gambling Read More »
gambling & cultureIn my admittedly cursory research into the life and habits of Leonardo DaVinci while writing Roll the Bones, I was unable to find anything on his gambling proclivities. With The Da Vinci Code selling 40 million copies so far, don’t think that I wasn’t trying my best for some tie-in. “Hitler’s casino” made the cut,
Gambling on Da Vinci Read More »
gambling & cultureThink about this sitcom idea: slot tune writer by day, Mormon sacred music composer by night. If it seems implausible, that’s only because you haven’t met David Zabriskie yet. From the Salt Lake Tribune: During his free time, David Zabriskie composes moving music for religious theatrical productions. The work may feed his soul, but when
He writes the songs (that the slot players sing) Read More »
gambling & culture, haphazard worldAfter all that fun yesterday with Google Trends, I’m back to “real” casino news today. Peter Morton has sold the Hard Rock to Morgans Hotel Group. From the LVRJ: The Hard Rock Hotel, a pop icon in Las Vegas with its signature neon guitar and concert venue, The Joint, has been sold to New York-based
Just because, I ran a few comparative trend searches on Google Trends again. For example: Google Trends: water, fire, air, earth Turns out people are searching the most for air, then water, then fire, then finally earth. Water is hogging a lot of the news coverage, while sturdy old earth gets almost no print. For
A new Google Trends feature is available, and I quickly decided to use it to see which is most popular on the Internet: sex, gambling, or financial info? So I entered the search string “porn, gambling, stocks.” Here is the result: Google Trends: porn, gambling, stocks If you don’t want to click over, I’ll give
Sex, gambling, and money Read More »
gambling & cultureJust as I’m reviewing a manuscript on the sociology of risk, I read a great piece in the New Yorker about one 419 scam that really makes you think. Here’s the particularly apt part: Robert B. Reich, the former Labor Secretary, who has studied the psychology of market behavior, says, “American culture is uniquely prone
The Culture of Risk and 419 scams Read More »
gambling & cultureIt’s official: the 2006 New Las Vegas Marathon will also feature a half-marathon. Read about it here: Last December, the inaugural New Las Vegas Marathon attracted participants from all 50 states and more than 30 nations and captured the attention of USA Today, Time Magazine, Sports Illustrated and Runner’s World. Organizers today announced the addition
Las Vegas (half) Marathon Read More »
life in vegasIt’s no news flash that casino gambling is big business. But the American Gaming Association’s State of the States report (big pdf) shows just how popular gambling is. From Reuters: Gambling revenue at U.S. casinos rose 5 percent last year to a record $30.3 billion, as more visitors flocked to a growing number of casinos
82% of people like it Read More »
gambling & culture