Why is it illegal to pump your own gas in New Jersey? What is the name of the little man with the suit and top hat from the game Monopoly? Who invented the deck of playing cards and when? In poker, what beats what? When playing cards, why are a pair of aces and a pair of eights […]
Some questions worth asking Read More »
haphazard worldAs I reported earlier, the Venetian was rather quietly fined a while back for several violations, including the rigging of a contest–a game of chance. I would think this would tend to discredit the legal casino industry in Nevada and would provoke a few license revocations, but it actually only garnered a million-dollar fine.
Misguided loyalty? Read More »
life in vegasHere’s a great capsule summary of the Harrah’s/Caesars merger proposal, and a breakdown of Harrah’s Caesars, MGM MIRAGE, and Mandalay Resort group, from Yahoo Finance: Casino operator Harrah’s Entertainment is close to buying bigger rival Caesars Entertainment in a $10 billion deal that would form the world’s largest casino empire with $8.8 billion in annual
The National Indian Gaming Commission has released its figures for 2003 casino revenues: National Indian Gaming Commission Chairman Phil Hogen announced today that national 2003 gross gaming revenues for Indian gaming facilities topped $16.7 billion, an increase of $2 billion or 13.7 percent over 2002 gross gaming revenues. “The Indian gaming industry has grown significantly
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news about gamblingMetaphorically, of course. Since both Bill Harrah and Jay Sarno are deceased, I’m talking about the companies that claim them as founders: Harrah’s Entertainment and Caesars Entertainment. According to the Wall Street Journal, quoted here by Reuters, Bill’s company is going to acquire Jay’s, the second major gaming merger in a month: Harrah’s Entertainment Inc.is
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gambling & cultureParticularly if you own a pinball machine. From the LA Times: Anaheim officials are doing a little housekeeping and whittling down the city’s bulky municipal code. Tonight, the City Council is scheduled to consider repealing or modifying several ordinances that officials call outdated, redundant or just plain silly. The unlucky task of poring through decades
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news about gamblingScratch-off cards have become a huge money-maker for lotteries. It’s only natural that they will continue to evolve. From KCRG-TV9 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa: This fall Iowa will become the first state to test an electronic version of a scratch-off lottery game. A market trial for “Quarter Play” will start in October. The game is
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gambling & cultureEveryone likes easter eggs, hidden features in video games, DVDs, etc. Usually they are not that impressive–you can unlock hidden commentary or an alternate costume in fighting games. But an article in Canada’s National Post says that video lottery terminals also have easter eggs that can be exploited: As the middle-aged mother from Illinois plunked
We’ve all heard that new casino construction “destroys history,” and regular readers know that a casino company tore down my high school. As Perry White might say, “Great Caesar’s ghost!” But here’s a story where potential casino construction is preventing the erection of piece of monumental architecture. From the Desert Dispatch: The plan to build
Casino blocking monument? Read More »
news about gamblingPhilly Inquirer architecture critic Inga Saffron doesn’t think much of the recently-passed slot bill. From Philly.com (reg. required): The legalization of slot machines in Pennsylvania was sold to the public as a form of tax relief, although tax redistribution strikes me as a better term. Harrisburg will use part of the money deposited in the
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news about gamblingNo, it’s not about O’Reilly running a pool over who gets shanked next. Rather, this post concerns Australian wagering habits. They apparently gamble a lot. From The Age: Australia’s passion for a punt continues to grow, with new figures showing a record $128.3 billion – $8,571 per adult – was wagered last financial year. Australians
I’m always amazed at the things that get turned into slot machines. One of the hallmarks of the slot machine is that, like the lottery, it has democratized gambling–you don’t need a big bankroll or any skill–just push “max bet” and hope for the best. Still, this might be taking it too far. I’ve always
No, Nintendo isn’t developing a platform slot machine/game (at least that I know of). Rather, Mario Lemieux and the Pittsburgh Penguins may soon own a slot machine license. From the Post-Gazette: Specifics have yet to be developed, but team officials hope to convince the new state Gaming Control Board that no licensee could contribute as
Super Mario slots? Read More »
news about gamblingNow that the governor has signed the slots bill, it looks like the machines are coming, paving the way for the creation of a massive slot industry in Pennsylvania. From ABCnews: Gov. Ed Rendell signed laws on Monday authorizing 61,000 slot machines in Pennsylvania more than any other state except Nevada and using most of
People like reality TV, and people like Vegas. So, the plan seems to be, let’s keep on combining the two until there is nothing else left on television. For good measure, throw in Paris Hilton’s dad, millionaires, and high stakes gambling. Incredibly, this is the story from Reality TV World: According to Daily Variety, Rick
I love news stories that aren’t news stories. I flipped on the TV this morning and saw that a local station had gone through the trouble of sending a crew out to the freeway to interview a police official who had some startling news: With more people driving and more cars on the road, there
I’ve read in a newspaper in a while. While I’m quick to pounce on what I perceive as uninspired or erroneous reporting (check out USA 5 minutes ago or Dogs not playing poker), I’m also the first to recognize excellence. The piece in your question concerns a lesser-known Las Vegas casino, the Western. Adam Goldman,
At the risk of being self-aggrandizing, I’ve got to put this in here. A while ago, I spoke with a Texas reporter about a company that claims to have developed a system to add pheromones to ventilation systems in stores and casinos. Islamic These pheromones would, allegedly, cause people to spent/gamble more. From the Galveston
Out of this world? Read More »
life in vegasGetting the VIP treatment is one of the best things about Las Vegas. Ornate hotels surround their guests with everything they desire. Of course, if you are already a celebrity, it must be that much richer, right? Being part of a major awards show must be an absolute thrill, but nothing compared to the joys
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life in vegasI had to work a Red Rock West reference in there. There is some debate over Station Casinos’ planned Red Rock Station casino at the 215 and Charleston Blvd, which would feature a 300-foot hotel tower. From the Las Vegas SUN: Station conducted a community meeting at D’Vorre and Hal Ober Elementary School to try
Red Rock, Strip West? Read More »
life in vegas