With the World Series of poker underway, I decided to look first at the history of the game: The World Series of Poker, whose Main Event got underway last Monday, is today a global phenomenon, with thousands of players hoping to bluff and raise their way towards the millions of dollars at stake. Its first […]
The Surprisingly Humble, Forgotten Roots Of Poker’s Biggest Game | Forbes Read More »
forbesI wrote a little something to commemorate the Stardust’s 60th birthday for the Mob Museum: The Stardust opened in a blaze of fireworks on July 2, 1958. With its 1,000 guest rooms, it was bigger than any hotel previously opened in Las Vegas. Size, rather than style, was the hotel’s most prominent feature. Its 16,000-square-foot
The Stardust Hotel debuted 60 years ago | The Mob Museum Read More »
Vegas SevenMy latest for Forbes.com is a look into the revival of bingo in Las Vegas: Bingo’s not the newest game in town, but in the hyper-competitive Downtown Las Vegas market, one casino is using it to appeal to both traditional and younger players. While casinos often lose money at the game itself, its passionate players
Why Bingo Is A Secret Casino Jackpot | Forbes Read More »
forbesMy latest talk with Craig Shacklett of URComped.com is up. In it we talk about the real impact of the Vegas Golden Knights on Las Vegas, Derek Stevens’ role in Downtown Las Vegas (and his support of the Knights) and the latest obstacles for aspiring slot YouTubers:
Talking about Hockey, Derek Stevens, & Slot YouTubers Read More »
authorAs a teacher, one of the most gratifying things is seeing your students go out and make their own success. So writing this story for Forbes about one of my former students was a delight: Since last December, Michel, billed as “El Mentalista Meixcano” (the Mexican Mentalist) has starred in Ilusión Mental, a mind-reading show
The Mentalist Behind The Las Vegas Strip’s First All-Spanish Show | Forbes Read More »
forbesI’ve been doing weekly video chats with Craig Shacklett of URComped.com. Here is the latest, where we talk about some of my recent Forbes articles and the Meetup at Sea, which is happening July 30. The Meetup at Sea is going to be fun–me talking about gambling, entrepreneurship, and all the fun of a Caribbean
Video Chat about Slot Youtubers, More Read More »
videoLast week for Forbes (how time flies!) I wrote about the ultimate impact the Vegas Golden Knights have had on Las Vegas: Speaking of on-ice accomplishments, it would be hard to script a better first season for the team. Even a Stanley Cup win would have been a worse outcome. To use a gambling analogy:
How The Vegas Golden Knights Made Ice Hockey #Vegasborn | Forbes Read More »
forbesI got interested in slot YouTubers a while back. Last week, two of them had their channels suspended, which made it newsworthy. This Forbes piece talks about the controversy: On June 3rd at 7:28 in the morning, Brian Christopher got an email from “The YouTube Team” telling him that his video, “Smokin’ Hot Gems, BIG
YouTube Slot Controversy Shows The Perils Of Your Side Hustle | Forbes Read More »
forbesIt’s been a few days, but last week I wrote something for Forbes about Joe Asher and Delaware’s first single-game sports bet: In the wake of PASPA’s repeal, many states have made their intentions to start taking legal bets clear. But Delaware was the first to act on its intentions. But it’s been a long
How It Felt To Book Delaware’s First Sports Bet | Forbes Read More »
forbesMy second piece for Forbes.com is a look at what the math of slot machines means for the casino and the player: Slot machines remain the most important money-making part of casinos in the United States. In many states, casinos make between 65 and 80 percent of their gambling income from slots. In Las Vegas,
How Casinos Use Math To Make Money When You Play The Slots | Forbes Read More »
forbes, writingMy first piece as a Forbes.com contributor takes a look at the April Nevada gaming numbers, and what they mean: The Gaming Revenue Report features numbers for all casinos in the state, broken down into 25 reporting areas, which sometimes overlap. For example, Clark County is a reporting area, but so is the Las Vegas
Why Las Vegas Casinos Had A Good April And What It Means | Forbes Read More »
forbes, writingAs I mentioned in my last post, Vegas Seven magazine has shut down. Again, I had an incredible run there, from the first issue to the final week, and couldn’t have asked to work with a better set of creative professionals. That being said, I have found a new home for my regular writing about
It took some time to see the light of day, but I hope this lengthy consideration of Hard Rock, Virgin, and Las Vegas is a worthy read: Richard Branson made a splash on March 30 when he announced that he and a group of investors had bought the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, with plans
What Richard Branson Means for Las Vegas and the Next Generation | Vegas Seven Read More »
Vegas SevenI am very excited to announce that the audio version of Roll the Bones: The History of Gambling is now available. For the second time, I collaborated with Eric Martin, who narrated and produced the audio version. The audio version has some unique content–an interview where Eric and I talk a little about the writing
Roll the Bones Audiobook available Read More »
what's newMy latest for Vegas Seven is about “fake” history in a real community: There’s a lot of talk about how quick Las Vegas is to throw out its history. (“Las Vegas” being used as shorthand for the resort operators who make many important decisions about the region’s most prominently built environments.) What’s missing is how
Replicated History in the Community – Vegas Seven Read More »
Vegas SevenI was lucky enough to interview two of the wrestlers who will be competing in this weekend’s Ring of Honor 16th Anniversary show at Sam’s Town Live and on PPV. First, I asked current ROH champ a few questions. Here’s the first one: Can you tell me about Dalton Castle’s road from Catalina Island (his
Talking with Dalton Castle & Kelly Klein in Vegas Seven Read More »
Vegas SevenIn this column for Vegas Seven, I think a little about how not everything can be automated: It’s hard to argue against the financial benefits that a robot bartender or check-in kiosk can have over a human employee. In many cases, automation can lead to a better customer experience. If you don’t believe me, tell
The Importance of People in Vegas Seven Read More »
Two Way Hard ThreeIn my latest at Vegas Seven, I muse about the shame of the recent past, which seems to be a perpetual thing in Las Vegas: There’s always been the perception in Las Vegas that the old days weren’t good, but the older days were great. Of course, here, the past is all relative. When I
The Past Is Still With Us: A Look Behind and Forward at Las Vegas’ history Read More »
Vegas SevenSince last night, I’ve had many, many questions about Steve Wynn. I decided to write up some of my thoughts, and Vegas Seven published them: The news of Steve Wynn’s resignation from the company he founded, Wynn Resorts, has brought more questions than answers in Las Vegas. Most of those questions won’t be answered for
Understanding the Wynn Legacy and its Impact on Las Vegas Read More »
Vegas SevenPeople demand to know the future. That’s impossible, but anyone can make a guess as to what’s going to happen. It’s easy to be right about the superficial things. But it takes a special talent to see the deeper future that lies in wait. 22 years ago, Eugene Christiansen had a good read on where
Casino Future Was Not So Hard to Predict 22 Years Ago in Vegas 7 Read More »
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