Update on Georgia casinos
That’s casinos in Georgia the country, not Georgia the state. Apparently big changes are afoot.
Update on Georgia casinos Read More »
news about gambling
A second career?
I know that everyone needs a creative outlet, but a leading member of the casino industry might have a hidden musical side.
NJ Transit fan site
I thought that my site was a little eccentric–after all, how many people go around the country taking pictures of casino carpets and posting them to the web? But I have to yield the floor to an even more obscure site: the NJ Transit Bus Fan Page. I hope that the ironic intent of my
NJ Transit fan site Read More »
atlantic cityCasino operator gets death sentence
It’s illegal casinos, to be sure, but that headline is still pretty scary. The moral: don’t break the law in China.
Casino operator gets death sentence Read More »
news about gamblingInhibited no more
I’m hard at work on chapter 3 of Roll the Bones, finishing up my section on gambling in Venice. I ran across this on the website of the Venice Casino, and it was too good to pass up: “By writing to the following e-mail address: assistenza@casinovenezia.it or by phoning 041-5297266 one can receive information on
Trivia time
I’ve been having a busy week, mostly because I’ve been getting the UNLV Global Gaming Abstract ready to go online. If you clicked the link and are disappointed, I don’t have it all online yet. This, and the lack of compelling gaming-related news, means that in lieu of a news story and sardonic analysis, I’ll
Emergency Management for Kids
Did you know that some of your tax money (if you are a working US citizen or resident) is being spent on a Federal Emergency Management Agency website for kids? It is truly surreal.
Emergency Management for Kids Read More »
haphazard world“What happens in Vegas” ends in Long Beach?
The LA Times has a great article about Ted Ngoy, the one-time Los Angeles “doughnut king” who, thanks in part to a severe gambling problem and some bad decisions, is now homeless. It’s thought-provoking reading, to say the least.
“What happens in Vegas” ends in Long Beach? Read More »
life in vegasFlying casinos? Don’t hold your breath
Gambling and transportation is nothing new: in the United States (and maybe throughout the world), riverboats and trains were notorious places for gambling in their time. But airplanes, which are more controlled (and more cramped for those of us in coach), aren’t really known as places to gamble. Still, Airbus promises airborne casinos on its
Flying casinos? Don’t hold your breath Read More »
news about gamblingWhen one door closes, another opens
Today I was stuck by two Las Vegas news stories: the Key Largo is closing and Wynn Las Vegas is now accepting reservations. They are just another reminder that the wheel of fortune is always spinning.
When one door closes, another opens Read More »
life in vegasGSN is GONE (from LV preferred basic, anyway)
GSN shows lots of casino-related shows, including poker. Come to think of it, I could substitute a few other channels (ESPN, Travel Channel, Discovery, and probably Lifetime too) in there, and it would read just as well. But if you like to watch GSN, live in Las Vegas, and are too cheap to spring for
GSN is GONE (from LV preferred basic, anyway) Read More »
gambling & culture, life in vegasJust plain strange
I don’t know quite what to make of this story, except for an admonition to my readers: if you are a male securities analyst, do not superimpose your face on the body of a woman being carried over the threshold on the cover of a major research report.
Just plain strange Read More »
haphazard worldLead of the day
One of the most important things in journalism is to grab the reader with a strong first paragraph, or lead. Well, a story in today’s Las Vegas Review-Journal proves this. If you think like me, you can’t help but click through the read the full story after reading this lead-in: OVERTON — This whole town
Getting Reviewed
I always tell my students that history has three components: source documents, without which we would have nothing to write about; historical writing, which puts the raw material of the past into context and makes it relevant; and readers, without whom the whole exercise would be fruitless. You write books because you want people to
TV tonight
If you care to see your humble correspondent on television (maybe), watch Vegas Whales Tales tonight on the Travel Channel. You can watch me narrate whacky and improbable, and possibly illegal stories of Las Vegas high rollers run amok.
Daily quote, 01.13.05.
“Is it logical to believe in any form of luck? Before an event–no. After an event and the result is known–yes. In other words, there is no way to predict whether you will be lucky or unlucky before playing a game of chance, but after you have finished, the result will only then show whether
Daily quote, 01.13.05. Read More »
gambling & culture1811 slang, 01.12.05.
GRUB STREET. A street near Moorfields, formerly the supposed habitation of many persons who wrote for the booksellers: hence a Grub-street writer means a hackney author, who manufactures books for the booksellers. Read more: 1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue by Captain Grose
1811 slang, 01.12.05. Read More »
writingDaily Quote 01/11/05
“I’ve been using the computer for so long, and command-Z works for undo in all the software programs. So whenever I find something in my life that I want to undo, I reach for the command-Z keys and I find it weird that it doesn’t work.” — Lisa Hoffman, graphic designer, who probably spends too
Daily Quote 01/11/05 Read More »
haphazard world1811 Slang
I found something neat on gutenberg.org while looking for a few older texts–a complete dictionary of vulgar underworld slang from 1811. Since it’s a slow news day, I’m going to regale you with a few words: FAT CULL. A rich fellow. TO VOWEL. A gamester who does not immediately pay his losings, is said to
Vegas Week
It’s Vegas Week on the Travel Channel, which means that they’re going to be having lots of shows giving you the inside scoop on Vegas. Kind of like they do the other 51 weeks of the year. Since I live in Vegas, I don’t think I’ll be watching much, but if you like this kind