Burt Dragin. Six to Five Against: A Gambler’s Odyssey. Berkeley: RDR Books, 2005. Six to Five Against is a refreshing, sometimes wincingly honest look at one man’s gambling. Drawing chiefly on his own experiences but supported by Dragin’s investigations into the thrall that gambling holds for many, this is an open, honest, and readable story […]
Book Review: Six to Five Against Read More »
book reviewsManchester won’t be getting a Golden Nugget-sized “supercasino” anytime soon, thanks to the House of Lords (not the Sahara’s quondam steakhouse). From the Sun: PLANS to build Britain’s first supercasino in Manchester were THROWN OUT by the House of Lords yesterday. In a disaster for Prime Minister Tony Blair and Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell, peers
Manchester not so super Read More »
news about gamblingI’m not dull! At least that’s what blogger Stephanie Manley says in her review of Roll the Bones: This is a terrific book as it is an enjoyable read, sprinkled with much historical facts. This historical information isn’t given in a format that may be dull, or unexciting, but rather Schwartz does an excellent job
I guess I’ve got to change my take that it’s impossible to successfully rob a major casino and get away. From IHT: Four masked robbers stole at least €600,000 (US$800,000) from a Brussels casino early Sunday, Belgian television reported. The men, armed with a machine gun, forced staff at the Grand Casino Brussels to open
People often wonder what I do for a living. I usually tell them about my work in expanding UNLV’s gaming collections, doing outreach for the Center, and working on the Center website. But I also answer a ton of email. Today, I’m stuck for a story to post about, so I thought I’d give you,
Punched by a drunk and looking for help Read More »
what's newI caught this interesting bit about Pete Rose’s “evolving” admission of his betting on sports in the Times-Record: Pete Rose has a new spin on his gambling habit. The man who for a decade swore that he never bet on baseball, then admitted that he did so on occasion, now says he bet on every
Rose hustles the gambling record Read More »
gambling & cultureThis is pretty sad, from KLAS: A popular bakery that supplied bread and pastries to many Las Vegas hotels is a complete loss following a late night fire. The Great Buns Bakery on Tropicana near Pecos caught fire around 10 p.m. on Tuesday night. Nearly 50 firefighters responded to the fire call. The building’s sprinkler
Bad news for Great Buns Read More »
life in vegasCasinos are spreading to new places in the US, but they are also becoming bigger. Those who think that Las Vegas is the end-all and be-all of American gaming might be surprised to hear that the top 4 biggest casinos–at least as far as slot count goes–aren’t anywhere near “the Boulevard.” From the Boston Globe:
Rhode Island mega-slot casino Read More »
news about gamblingThis came up last week, but I’m just getting around to it today. It’s from the Sun-Herald: The three-member Mississippi Gaming Commission ruled unanimously Thursday that a gambler should be paid $1 million in a jackpot dispute, but a lawyer for the IP Casino said he expects the decision to be appealed. The slot machine
IP jackpot dispute Read More »
news about gamblingAs I promised on a Two Way Hard Three thread a week or so ago, here’s my photographic tribute to the Stardust’s last weeks: Die is Cast image gallery: Stardust
New image gallery: Stardust deconstructed Read More »
life in vegas, what's newHere’s a welcome story for those who like to gamble online–and those who just want to study it. From the LVRJ: Two Nevada lawmakers, hoping to repeal a crackdown on Internet gambling, are working on legislation that would require the National Academy of Sciences to conduct an 18-month study of online wagering. Reps. Shelley Berkley,
The Nevada Council on Problem Gambling is sponsoring the first annual state conference on problem gambling: it takes place April 19-20 at the Orleans Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. If you question the propriety of holding a problem gambling conference in a casino, I’m guessing you’ve never been to Nevada. In this state, that
Problem gambling conference Read More »
life in vegasNew Mexico has outlawed cockfighting–from the ABQ Tribune: Gov. Bill Richardson signed a measure today that outlaws cockfighting in New Mexico, leaving Louisiana as the only state where the centuries-old bloodsport remains legal. State Sen. Mary Jane Garcia, a Doña Ana Democrat who has introduced legislation to ban cockfighting over the past 18 years, thanked
NM bans cockfighting Read More »
gambling & cultureI’d be remiss if I didn’t let KLAS tell you about the Stardust implosion: The excitement of the implosion is over and now the massive clean-up effort begins bfore the old Stardust property is turned into the $4 billion Echelon resort. The legendary Stardust hotel tower on the Las Vegas Strip was brought down by
Implosion, and thoughts on a goat man Read More »
haphazard world, life in vegasA friendly reminder from the LV Sun: If $5,000 casino chips could talk, what would this one say? It might explain its recent travels and how it has ended up in the custody of a cashier at the MGM Grand, who questioned whether it really belonged to the gambler who turned it in. The gambler,
Chips aren’t cash! Read More »
news about gamblingI just found out about this from Yahoo: Director Martin Scorsese has teamed with his “Departed” co-star Mark Wahlberg for an HBO drama series about the development of Atlantic City. The project will be developed in conjunction with the book, “Boardwalk Empire: The Birth, High Times, and Corruption of Atlantic City” by Nelson Johnson, which
It’s not TV, it’s AC on HBO Read More »
atlantic cityThere are lots of things the media can get away with, but some things it can’t. You can’t impugn a strip steak if you’ve eaten a steak sandwich, for one. And you can’t claim that subliminal messages in slot machines affect player behavior. At least that what Konami hopes. Here’s the press release: An item
Sublibellous advertising Read More »
gambling & cultureWith a just-opened parcel of land that many developers would kill for, what do you think the City of Atlantic City is doing? A) Fielding a variety of bids from interested developers before choosing the one that best promotes regional growth B) Hiring a developer with a proven track record to masterplan the site and
No Bader master plan yet Read More »
atlantic cityAn interview I recorded a few weeks back is airing on NPR’s Justice Talking this week: Casino gambling has undergone a boom in recent years as cash-strapped states and Native American tribes have opened casinos and entertainment complexes across the nation. In this edition of Justice Talking, we’ll take a look at who is profiting
Talking Justice…and Casinos Read More »
gambling & cultureComing on the heels of the anti-casino archive, this could be the coolest story ever. From Radio Free Europe: Moscow Mayor Yury Luzhkov has called on the city’s gambling halls to eventually be turned into libraries. “More than 2,000 gaming halls were opened in a short time in Moscow and we are now actively closing
Casinos into libraries Read More »
gambling & culture, haphazard world