Everything about casinos, lotteries, racetracks, and other gambling businesses: news, design, and corporate intrigue.
All of you aspiring casino game creators (and those who are interested in how games are created) might want to read this piece in the SF Chronicle: Webb, who splits his time these days between Las Vegas and Darby, England, likens the process of getting casinos to license the game to “pulling teeth,” and notes […]
3-card Poker Creator in SF Chronicle Read More »
news about gamblingIt’s always great when people debunk casino-related myths and misconceptions. I’d like to point you to The Straight Dope’s handling of a casino counterfeiting question: Dear Cecil:It occurs to me that it would be much simpler to counterfeit casino chips than paper currency. Besides the fact that its the mob thats after you and not
Straight Dope on counterfeit chips Read More »
news about gamblingThis is hardly breaking news to anyone who reads this blog regularly, but gambling revenues are down nationwide. This Economix piece in the New York Times blogs is as good a summary as any: Two weeks ago, my colleague Ian Urbina had an article about the falloff in gambling across the country, and the lower
Nat’l decline in gaming taxes Read More »
news about gamblingThis experiment at a Monte Carlo lounge has the benefit of novelty. From the LV Sun: It sounded like an odd fit for Vegas. The fact is the waitresses in the new lounge at the Dragon Noodle Co. inside the Monte Carlo aren’t wearing uniforms. They’re wearing costumes. It’s true that melding entertainment and service
Niche marketing on the Strip Read More »
news about gamblingMy comments on the recent Harrah’s purchase in the LVRJ were a combined Planet Hollywood/Ohio racetrack thought: David Schwartz, director of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas' Gaming Research Center, said that the “common sense and intuitive response” would seem to be to ask why a company carrying $19.3 billion in debt is “buying more
Thoughts on Harrah’s “spree” Read More »
news about gamblingHey, I finally got around to posting the latest UNLV Gaming Podcast: 14-September 9, 2009 Derk Boss (DJ Boss and Associates) Casino surveillance expert Derk Boss gives the September 2009 Gaming Research Colloquium lecture and tackles many topics, including the latest developments in casino surveillance, how much it costs to corrupt a dealer, and how
New UNLV Gaming Podcast: Derk Boss Read More »
news about gambling, what's newI’m full of good cheer over at the Las Vegas Business Press, where I start by looking at where the employment numbers are now and where they seem to be heading: In July 2007, perhaps the high-water mark of the 2004-07 boom, more than 1.2 million Nevadans were working; slightly less than 27 percent of
At the LVBP: The casino cavalry Read More »
news about gamblingThere’s a big piece in today’s USA Today about penny slots: The penny slot machine, once a joke among serious gamblers, is the hottest form of betting during this recession. Even casinos that cater to wealthy gamblers are replacing $1 machines with video slots that accept bets one cent at a time. “You can play
USA Today on penny slots Read More »
news about gamblingA reminder that creating a casino industry isn’t just about waving the money wand and watching the dollars pour in. From the New Journal: Before the first hand of blackjack, the first spin of a roulette wheel or the first wager at a craps table can happen at Delaware's casinos, an estimated 800 people need
Dealer training in Delaware Read More »
news about gamblingFrank Fertitta, Jr, whose sons currently run Station Casinos, has passed away. From the LV Sun: Frank Fertitta Jr., the patriarch of Station Casinos, died today after heart surgery in a California hospital. Fertitta, 70, who had been ill for some time, died at Cedars-Sinai hospital in Los Angeles, sources close to the family said.
Another gaming legend passes Read More »
news about gamblingThe Las Vegas Sun has a graphical “snapshot” of gaming revenue numbers for the past five years: Gaming win at Clark County casinos – Las Vegas Sun. As far as revenue per game/slot goes, this is an interesting graphic because even if this number remains constant gaming revenues will still decrease, as there has been
Gaming win at Clark County casinos – Las Vegas Sun Read More »
news about gamblingI want to write about something I said but (I don’t think) got on the air in the KVVU story last Friday. Since everything about Las Vegas has to run to extremes, it’s almost impossible to have a realistic discussion of its evolution as a city, both economically and socially. With doom-mongering the current rage,
Is Vegas really doomed? Read More »
life in vegas, news about gamblingWere the players complaining about tighter slots right? Well, the answer (since late 2007, at least) is…yes and no. I decided to take a look at how each financial quarter since 2007 broke down for the state, the Las Vegas Strip, and the Boulder Strip. This way, I figured I’d have a good gauge of how casinos catering to tourist (LV Strip) and local (Boulder Strip) crowds responded.
Slot hold and the recession Read More »
news about gamblingThe June numbers are in, and it’s woefully obvious that there’s no recovery in sight for Nevada’s gaming industry. From the LVRJ: Nevadas monthly gaming revenues have sunk to levels not seen since 2004. And analysts said theres no telling how low the bar will fall. “Were still hearing from the casino operators that weekends
Casinos in Atlantic City continue to post revenue declines, as the July number prove. From the AC Press: Casino revenue sank to its lowest level in 12 years in July, another ominous sign that there will be no summer turnaround for the troubled gaming industry. In what is ordinarily the biggest money-making month on the
The gaming industry lost another pioneer this week, Jeanne Hood, who led downtown Las Vegas’ Four Queens for many years. From the LVRJ: Hood took over as president and chief executive officer of the Four Queens upon the death of her husband, David Hood, in 1977. In 1985, she became president and chief executive officer
Another pioneer passes Read More »
news about gamblingA story in the Las Vegas Sun on Friday gives me a jumping-off point for a somewhat-extended discussion of slot hold: Longtime gamblers have been saying it for months: If you want people to play in your casino during the recession, reduce the hold on your slot machines. A panel of marketing experts validated that
Lower your slot hold, get more players? Read More »
news about gamblingFollowing up on yesterday’s post about Nevada regulation, here’s a story that demonstrates the need for strict internal controls in Florida, from the Miami New Times: For some employees, Gulfstream Park was a hell of a place to work, full of cocaine and free gambling. When the scheme was finally discovered in 2007, hundreds of
Cocaine and free gambling in Florida Read More »
news about gamblingThere’s a great article by Liz Benston in the LV Sun today about the investigation that ultimately deprived a nightclub of its license: Managing a Las Vegas nightclub requires the deft and daring skill of operating a party environment that almost crosses the line into illegal activity. Anything less would be considered too tame to
Prive investigation and gaming regulation Read More »
news about gamblingInteresting editorial piece about the hypocrisy of the major US sports leagues when it comes to gambling from the KC Star: Late last week, the four major professional sports leagues NBA, MLB, NFL and the NHL, along with the NCAA, filed a complaint against the state of Delaware in federal court in Wilmington, seeking to