There’s a movie called The Hoodlum Priest, but I don’t think it’s about the guy who runs this casino turned church. From the Fresno Bee: Vineyard Casino stirred great hopes of a tax windfall for Fowler when it opened 10 years ago in a big new building on a 13-acre property on the city’s south […]
The cardroom church Read More »
gambling & culture, haphazard worldPeople familiar with Vegas for jsut a few years should remember the Maxim. It was a small hotel and casino a few blocks uo Flamingo Road from the MGM Grand (the original) that borrowed much of the MGM’s mirrors and chrome 1970s design. It was never that successful, and was completely gutted before being reincarnated
“Maxim”um Vegas, again Read More »
life in vegasThe Las Vegas Marathon isn’t until December 10, but you can start training for it today by joining the Roadrunners Training Program. Actually, you could have started yesterday at 6 AM, when training officially kicked off with a 3-mile run. By December 10, doing 26.2 miles will seem like a piece of cake. Well, it
Road-running in Las Vegas Read More »
life in vegasFor a while now, I’ve been wondering if there’s a line on the Scripps National Spelling Bee. I’ve found watching the bee on ESPN strangely compelling, even though I don’t think Texas Hold’em, is in any danger. Well, someone is taking bets on the bee, but you can’t place wagers on individual students. From USA
Here are a few famous books about gambling that I happen to have on my bookshelves, translated into Japanese then retranslated into English: Strike the dealer Come having under the house The probability for me In world book of the largest blackjack Blackjack of dollar of 1000000 And here’s a classic from Robert F. Kennedy,
More translating fun Read More »
writingI’ve updated the pages for Roll the Bones: The History of Gambling to reflect the impending publication date, October 5, 2006, and added tons of information about the book, including an annotated table of contents. You can already pre-order on amazon.com, and I’ll add links to other online booksellers as they become available. In other
I was reading an interesting piece on the increasingly elaborate backyard pools of SoCal when I was struck by a reference to Las Vegas. From the LA Times: Today homeowners have moved well beyond the simple requirement of a hole in the ground. Instead, they crave Las Vegas-style amusements: remote-controlled flames, sound-activated dancing lights and
This is a story that makes you think. From WSB-TV, Atlanta: Worried about the safety of her family during a stormy Memorial Day trip to the beach, Clara Jean Brown stood in her kitchen and prayed for their safe return as a strong thunderstorm rumbled through Baldwin County, Alabama. But while she prayed, lightning suddenly
Good luck, bad luck, or divine design? Read More »
haphazard worldIt sounds like a drink you’d buy in a Asian-themed bar, but that might be the name of the Marina Bay casino/hotel/resort in Singapore, as Las Vegas Sands won the bid to build a casino in the Marina area. From Yahoo Finance: Singapore picked Las Vegas Sands Corp. to build and run what will be
I woke up pretty early this morning, so I took some time to put together the NINTH (I can’t believe it) page of the carpet gallery. Since I’m in Lake Tahoe at the International Conference on Gambling and Risk-Taking, it’s no surprise that this gallery has images from Tahoe. Die is Cast casino carpet gallery
New carpet gallery Read More »
what's newThanks to Roger Gros of Global Gaming Business, I got to attend the opening of the MontBleu last night. Here’s a press release talking about it: MontBleu Resort Casino & Spa in Lake Tahoe celebrated its official debut on May 24, with the help of Howie Mandel, comedian and host of NBC’s hit game show
I’m still at the ICGRT, but this article seemed to strange not to post. From the LVRJ: On Saturday night, an unidentified object was sent hurtling through the roof at Steven Gleicher’s workplace. Was the football-sized object a meteor or perhaps something more common? Advertisement And perhaps just as puzzling: How could it rip through
I just finished presenting my paper “The Revolutionary Ridotto” at the International Conference on Gambling and Risk-Taking, and I’ve got a little time to post an update. The conference is going very well–as always, I’m learning a great deal, and I’m sure everyone else is as well. For the carpet-curious, a late-night expedition last night
To hear this story tell it, the main point of the International Conference on Gambling and Risk-Taking is to count cards. From the RGJ: Ever wonder how to develop a computer program that will earn you millions by predicting horse races in Hong Kong? What about simple card counting at blackjack? Curious how casino design
Conference in the news Read More »
gambling & cultureNext week I’ll be at the 13th International Conference on Gambling and Risk-Taking, at Lake Tahoe, Nevada. This will hopefully be a lucky 13. It looks to be a great conference, with very interesting sessions that I’m looking forward to seeing. I’ll be keeping busy, presenting a paper, co-leading a session on gambling research, and
Tahoe conference is near! Read More »
what's newWhen I learned of the new “money laundering” online gambling indictments, I thought that Antigua might have something to say. Now they do. From their press release, which I got in my email: Antiguan government officials reacted angrily today to news that the United States Department of Justice has released indictments of two Antiguan residents
Antigua strikes back…with words Read More »
gambling & cultureThe long hoped-for next big thing in Atlantic City is one step closer to actually happening. Morgan Stanley’s gaming subsidiary is ready to sponsor the city’s 13th casino, which will be next to the Showboat. From the Inky: The gambling subsidiary of Morgan Stanley has acquired 20 acres on the Boardwalk to develop what will
The operators of an online sportsbook, www.betwtts.com, have been indicted for money laundering, in addition to violating the Wire Act. Read the press release yourself: The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia unsealed an indictment yesterday against William Scott, Jessica Davis, Soulbury Ltd. and WorldWide Telesports Inc. (WWTS) for offenses related to the
Indicted (again) for online gambling Read More »
gambling & cultureIn my admittedly cursory research into the life and habits of Leonardo DaVinci while writing Roll the Bones, I was unable to find anything on his gambling proclivities. With The Da Vinci Code selling 40 million copies so far, don’t think that I wasn’t trying my best for some tie-in. “Hitler’s casino” made the cut,
Gambling on Da Vinci Read More »
gambling & cultureThink about this sitcom idea: slot tune writer by day, Mormon sacred music composer by night. If it seems implausible, that’s only because you haven’t met David Zabriskie yet. From the Salt Lake Tribune: During his free time, David Zabriskie composes moving music for religious theatrical productions. The work may feed his soul, but when
He writes the songs (that the slot players sing) Read More »
gambling & culture, haphazard world