My latest Green Felt Journal piece is out, in Vegas Seven. I get to name-drop Heraclitus to sound sophisticated before talking about the redo of the Trop: That’s because the only thing that doesn’t change around this town is change. There are few other places where anyone would even consider spending $150 million to “relaunch” […]
Trop tale in Vegas Seven Read More »
news about gambling, writingSome federal debate on legalizing and taxes online gambling, from the LVRJ: Democrat Shelley Berkley said she backs legalizing Internet gambling, but said it is too early to think about taxing it. “Because the industry is not even established yet, I can’t imagine how we can know with any degree of certainty how the special
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news about gamblingThe rules for Ohio casinos are being codified. From the Columbus Dispatch: Would-be Ohio gamblers can rest easy: The slot machines at the state’s four casinos will pay back, on average, at least 85 percent of the money people put into them. Gamblers at new casinos in Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati and Toledo will be able
85% Buckeye slot payout Read More »
news about gamblingMy latest Las Vegas Business Press article is available, in which I talk about perceptions and reality, particularly as they relate to Nevada table games hold: The table-game numbers present an even greater challenge to the idea that managers are putting the screws to players. True, in the past few years there’s been a regrettable
Casinos looser than some think Read More »
news about gamblingPart-time economist and full-time curmudgeon Andy Rooney trashed the gambling business in a recent 60 Minutes piece: The thing that bothers me most about gambling is that people fritter away money so they don’t get to spend it on things that someone else has been paid to produce. Gambling produces nothing. There’s only so much
Andy Rooney takes on gambling Read More »
gambling & cultureLawyers for Terrance Watanabe how say that the high roller’s losses in 2007 were nearly 69 percent higher than they claimed in their original lawsuit. From the LVRJ: Lawyers for Nebraska philanthropist Terrance Watanabe say in a new lawsuit that his losses at Harrah’s Entertainment casinos were much larger than they previously reported, making him
It’s Thursday, which means the latest Green Felt Jungle in Vegas Seven is out. This week I talk about the Primm casinos texting promotion that you probably know about if you’ve driven along I-15 in either direction in the past few weeks: The company is just coming out of bankruptcy, and its Primm properties might
Texting Terribles in Vegas Seven Read More »
news about gambling, writingGreat story from KLAS about efforts to police the seamier side of the Las Vegas casino pool culture: Clark County Commissioner Steve Sisolak says what happens in European-style pools around the world doesn't necessarily happen in Las Vegas. "International visitors have increased considerably, and this is something that they've asked for," Commissioner Sisolak said. "There
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life in vegasThe Nevada gaming revenue numbers for March are out. From the LVRJ: Nevada casino revenues fell by less than 1 percent during March following February's double-digit increase. State casino operators collected $912.2 million during the month, a decline of 0.66 percent compared with $918.2 million collected from gamblers in March 2009. via Nevada gaming revenues
Nevada March numbers Read More »
news about gamblingGood article about the increased popularity of “sin” in this budget cycle in the Wall Street Journal: Nationwide, the public-funding crisis has led many state and local leaders to similarly reverse course. Hampered by withering funds for law enforcement, health care and other public services, a growing number of officials are condoning activities and businesses
The virtue of vice Read More »
news about gamblingMGM Mirage is partnering with dailygetaways.com to offer a different kind of travel deal. From the press release: MGM MIRAGE is participating in a unique one-month promotion through a specially created website, DailyGetaways.com , joining nearly 50 of America’s top destinations and travel brands to provide once-in-a-lifetime experiences and tremendous values unavailable anywhere else. Discover
Daily Getaways for MGM Read More »
news about gamblingIt’s not the proudest moment in Atlantic City history, but it’s an important one nonetheless. This month in Casino Connection, I take a look at ABSCAM: There aren’t any commemorative parties, but this year marks the 30th anniversary of a major Atlantic City news story-the Abscam investigation. The investigation—in which FBI agents posed as the
ABSCAM in Casino Connection Read More »
atlantic city, writingBud Smith and Michael McCallister. Word Press in Depth. Indianapolis: Que, 2010. 410 pages. If you haven’t noticed, this blog is in WordPress. I’ve been using the software for about five years, and I’ve never felt that I’ve unlocked its full potential. So I was eager to read WORDPRESS IN DEPTH to get some insight
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book reviewsThe latest Vegas Seven is out, and in it I talk a little about Treasure Island, post-MGM Mirage: Treasure Island sits next to The Mirage, the casino that changed the Strip when it opened in 1989, and across the street from the Venetian/Palazzo and Wynn/Encore megaplexes, representing billions of dollars in casino capital. It’s not
TI talk in Vegas Seven Read More »
news about gambling, writingThe AGA’s 2010 State of the States is out, and to no one’s surprise 2010 was another off year for gambling. From the LVRJ: According to figures released this morning by the Washington D.C.-based American Gaming Association, commercial casinos in 13 states collected $30.74 billion from gamblers, compared to $32.54 billion collected in 2008. via
National gaming revenues decline Read More »
news about gamblingI’ve got a new Las Vegas Business Press column up, in which I discuss the historical context behind Wynn’s musings about moving to Macau. Steve Wynn made headlines when he suggested he might consider moving the headquarters of Wynn Resorts Ltd. to Macau from Las Vegas. As always, Wynn's forthrightness points the way to a
Wynn points to the future Read More »
news about gamblingGood article in today’s Miami Herald about expanded casino gambling in Florida: The promise of new jobs from gambling has been key to state lawmakers' decision to allow the games to become more high-stakes and widespread. “This is like building the Hoover Dam during the Depression,'' Brunetti has said.Gambling opponents, however, say the industry isn't
South Florida casino impact Read More »
news about gamblingDavid S. Heidler and Jeanne T. Heidler. Henry Clay: The Essential American. New York: Random House, 2010. 624 pages. Henry Clay was a giant of early American politics. As Speaker of the House, senator from Kentucky, secretary of state, and de facto leader of the Whig opposition to Andrew Jackson, his power often rivaled that
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book reviewsMy latest Vegas Seven column is up, about Cantor Gaming’s eDeck: Gambling has been evolving since our ancestors started filing down animal bones, eventually ending up with cubical ivory dice. The invention of block printing helped to popularize playing cards. In the 19th century, the telegraph led to the first remote gambling: off-track wagering on
Cantor changes gambling Read More »
news about gamblingWe’ve got a new podcast up over at the Center for Gaming Research: April’s Gaming Research fellow, Theodor Gordon, gives a talk on tribal sovereignty and labor relations at tribal casinos. It’s a great summary of Indian gaming history with plenty of detail about current labor issues. Here’s the abstract: The impact of tribal casinos
New UNLV Gaming Podcast posted Read More »
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