First off, I’d like to apologize to all my readers for not posting yesterday. I was in Reno for spring training. If you haven’t heard about Michael Vick’s statement to the public, that won’t be funny at all, but trust me, it’s funny. At least to me. I didn’t get a chance to visit my […]
Peppermill topping off Read More »
news about gamblingNow that Bader Field is closed, Atlantic City casinos can be built much higher. But will plans to make Pacific Avenue ever get off the ground? From the AC Press: The Atlantic City of the future will include taller casinos, resort development on Atlantic Avenue and a one-way Pacific Avenue. At least, those are some
AC casinos getting higher Read More »
atlantic cityWas this year’s WSOP, held under the shadow of UIGEA (also known as the Internet gambling ban), a success? Look at some of the numbers from CardPlayer and judge for yourself: The dust stirred up by the thousands of players who traipsed through the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino the last two months has cleared,
Most people are attracted to slots because there is no skill involved in playing them, so you can never feel stupid for making the wrong decision. But that might be changing soon–the skill part, not the feeling stupid part. From the LV Sun: Pong, the game that turned pinball wizards into video-game junkies in the
This might put the kabosh on plans to bring an NBA franchise to Las Vegas…or not. An NBA ref has reportedly used his position to influence the outcome of games he had action on. From UPI: An NBA referee is reportedly under investigation by U.S. authorities for allegedly fixing games over the past two seasons,
NBA ref gambling scandal Read More »
gambling & cultureMoving to stem a decline in business following the advent of Pennsylvania slot parlors, Atlantic City casino regulators are allowing casinos test out electronic table games. From the AC Press: New Jersey gaming regulators Wednesday approved a new form of electronic gambling to help Atlantic City’s casinos counter extra competition from slot parlors in surrounding
Electronic talking table games for AC Read More »
atlantic cityIn what has become almost routine, an amateur with only a few years experience won poker’s top prize, the WSOP’s No-Limit Texas Holdem event. From the AP via the LV Sun: Jerry Yang, a 39-year-old psychologist and social worker from Temecula, Calif., won the $10,000 buy-in main event of the World Series of Poker and
Yang is WSOP champ 2007 Read More »
gambling & cultureFrederick Jackson Turner might have liked that headline. In any event, the New Frontier has closed. From the LVRJ: Amid tears and hugs, the New Frontier closed its doors for good at 12:01 a.m. today. “I hate to say bye but I must say bye,” said Helen Madison, a casino porter for 34 years, with
New Frontier closed Read More »
life in vegasIt’s Friday the 13th, so get out those broken mirrors…or not. From the Buffalo News: Today is Friday the 13th, traditionally a day to avoid black cats, ladders and broken mirrors. But in the year 2007, does anyone care? Once, people feared bad luck when the 13th day of the month fell on a Friday.
The Gold Spike might get new owners and a regeneration into a four-star property. From the LVRJ: The rise of boutique-chic in Las Vegas could start at one of downtown’s shadiest dives. A Miami developer with an eye for converting rundown properties into trendy boutique hotels has an agreement to pay $15.6 million to buy
From crackhouse to boutique Read More »
life in vegasPennsylvania hasn’t had slots for long but already people are beginning to suspect that the state is dependent on the revenues the one-armed bandits bring in. From the Inquirer: Pennsylvania’s new casino industry established itself as a commanding presence in the great budget showdown, leading some to wonder: Is the state already hooked on slots?
PA hooked on slots? Read More »
gambling & cultureThere used to be a time when people who didn’t like their jobs (and, let’s face it, who does like their job?) could only vent to co-workers and their friends and family outside the job. The former usually agreed and added their own gripes, while the latter were politely bored to death by hearing long,
Blogging about your workplace Read More »
news about gamblingI’m waiting to go one KNPR’s State of Nevada right now so I’ve got time to post this. If you haven’t heard already, there was a shooting early this morning at New York-New York. From KLAS: A man opened fire from a casino mezzanine inside a Las Vegas Strip casino early today, wounding three people
I’m amazed at the amount of press the hot-dog eating contest got–and even more amazed at the results. From the LVRJ: There is something all-American, though, about contests where the ultimate goal is to consume more food than the eater next to you. This is a country, after all, where two-thirds of adults are overweight
This isn’t a huge story but it’s not often that I can blog on what was once my favorite Gulf Coast casino. From the Sun-Herald: Treasure Bay casino, once known for its pirate ship facade, opened a new casino floor and a buffet on Monday in the hotel across the street that has been its
Treasure Bay expands Read More »
news about gamblingInteresting summary of the current state of Macau from Fortune, via CNN: Hunter S. Thompson would have found much to fear and loathe in Macau, the former Portuguese colony rebranding itself as a gambling paradise. The good doctor (rest his soul) would have been vexed to discover that Macau, surrounded by water and crowded immigration
This is kind of strange–Starwood, who just flushed their plans for a W on Harmon down the toilet, will be opening an “aloft,” which is apparently a hotel that’s being debuted on Second Life, an online world. From the LV Sun: Aloft, the latest “lifestyle” hotel brand from Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide Inc., is
Second Life on Paradise Read More »
life in vegasClark County’s latest health report is out, and it could be worse. From the LVRJ: More people smoke, binge drink and use hard drugs in Southern Nevada than elsewhere in America. But we’re not as fat. The first report on the overall health of Clark County residents by the Southern Nevada Health District was far
Smoking, binge drinking, and drugging Read More »
life in vegasThis is a big day for me–I get to announce a program that I’ve been looking forward to for a long time: at last, the Center for Gaming Research can offer research fellowships. That means that, if you are a qualified graduate student or professor, you can get $4,000 to spend a month studying in
Get paid to do research in Las Vegas Read More »
gambling & culture, what's newYou might remember that a while ago I recommended Burt Dragin’s reading/signing event that we hosted at UNLV. The LVRJ attended, and gave it a great write-up: Burt Dragin spent considerable time in Las Vegas during the 1950s but never lived in the gambling resort town. An 8-year-old Dragin started taking frequent “family vacations” from
Dragin event written up Read More »
life in vegas