news about gambling

Everything about casinos, lotteries, racetracks, and other gambling businesses: news, design, and corporate intrigue.

2011 Super Bowl Breakdown

The Nevada Gaming Control Board has released the unaudited figures for this year’s Super Bowl, and in spite of early reports that the books took a beating, they actually came out slightly ahead. Here’s a quote from the press release: THE GAMING CONTROL BOARD RELEASED FIGURES TODAY SHOWING THAT $87.5 MILLION WAS WAGERED IN NEVADA’S […]

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Sandoval’s message to gaming in the Las Vegas Business Press

My latest column in the Las Vegas Business Press is now available. In it, I consider Governor Sandoval’s recent call for modernization in Nevada’s gaming regulations: In his State of the State address, Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval briefly noted the necessity of updating the state’s gaming regulations to reflect the new realities of 21st century

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Las Vegas Business Press, news about gambling, writing

Station hiring in Vegas Seven

It’s Thursday, which means another Green Felt Journal is available for your reading pleasure in Vegas Seven. This one is a look behind Station Casino’s recent hiring push: The local employment picture has been a dire one. In the past five years, the unemployment rate has more than tripled. That’s why a local company hiring

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New report: Average Big Strip Casino, 2010

After some work, I’ve finally produced the first fruits of the Nevada Gaming Abstract 2010’s publication, over on gaming.unlv.edu: Average Big Las Vegas Strip Casino, 2010 A statistical summary of the average Las Vegas Strip casino (with annual gaming revenues of over $72 million) with both gaming and non-gaming revenues and information on employment, taxes,

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2010 Nevada Gaming Abstract released

The Gaming Control Board has announced the release of the 2010 Nevada Gaming Abstract. As of 8AM 1/31, the report isn’t up on the GCB’s site, but here’s the press release: The State Gaming Control Board has released its “NEVADA GAMING ABSTRACT – 2010.” The ABSTRACT is a report of combined financial information regarding Nevada

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Modernizing Nevada’s gaming regs

I saw this story in the Las Vegas Sun and decided to investigate further. Governor Sandoval, in his State of the State address, very briefly called for the modernization of Nevada’s gaming laws. Here’s the entire relevant extract from the speech: Since I completed my term as chairman of the Nevada Gaming Commission, the gaming

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Stratosphere renovations

After hearing–then reading about–one frequent Vegas traveler’s experience with the new Stratosphere, and seeing billboards trumpeting the “new” Strat splashed liberally around the valley, I was planning to head down to see what all the fuss was about. Then I got a call from KNPR’s State of Nevada to talk about the impact that the

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Kyle Markman profile in Vegas Seven

This Thursday, there’s no local news section in Vegas Seven since it’s a special People issue. Instead, I wrote a brief profile of Kyle Markman, who’s been doing some very interesting things at Station Casinos: Kyle Markman knows how to throw a party. In June 2008, it was his job to set up a celebration

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New Podcast: RJ Rowley’s talk

Today I was fortunate to hear one of the best Gaming Colloquium talks we’ve had in a while: RJ Rowley talking about locals casinos in Las Vegas. Here’s the info you need: 26-January 25, 2011 RJ Rowley, Assistant Professor, University of Wisconsin-Platteville “Neon Beyond the Neon: The Geography of Locals Casinos” In this talk, Rowley

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A new hope for AC? in the Las Vegas Business Press

In this week’s Las Vegas Business Press, I share my thoughts about the just-passed Atlantic City casino regulatory reform: After suffering its fourth consecutive year of declining casino revenues, Atlantic City might finally be feeling the winds of reform. But will a planned regulatory overhaul be too little, too late to save the city’s slumping

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Big Six under study

My latest report is up over at the Center for Gaming Research. It’s a look at why Big Six is such a great game–for the house: Big Six is a minor casino game, but one that has high visibility on most casinos floors. Positioned where it is easily accessible by casual and novice gamblers, the

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Another casino fire story

As we discussed earlier this week, there’s a disturbing tendency for people in casinos to believe that they are completely safe, even when the building’s on fire. Submitted for your approval is this exhibit, from Minnesota’s Mystic Lake casino, courtesy of the Star Tribune: The casino roof was on fire, but several floors below the

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Gaming insider talks in Vegas Seven

The latest Green Felt Journal in Vegas Seven is out. In it, I profile long-time Gaming Control Board inspector Patrick Wynn: Many Nevadans have transitioned into new jobs and even careers. Patrick Wynn is one of them. The former Nevada Gaming Control Board deputy chief of investigations, who recently retired after more than 31 years

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Analysts bullish on Macau

We know that Macau had a blockbuster 2010, more than doubling the revenue of Nevada’s 329 non-restricted gaming locations with its 33 casinos. According to two CLSA analysts, 2011 will be an even better year for the SAR. From Bloomberg: Casino revenue in Macau, the world’s biggest gambling hub, may climb 30 percent to $30

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Bally’s fire: Reminder about progress

There was a fire in a Las Vegas Strip casino yesterday. From KLAS: A mattress fire at Bally’s Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas Sunday afternoon sent one person to the hospital. Clark County Fire Department spokesman Dan Kulin says the blaze was confined to a room on the 25th floor of the hotel. The

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Inside the NJ casino overhaul

As promised, I’ve taken a deeper look at the recent casino regulatory overhaul that passed the New Jersey legislature. My comments are based on version of the bill that was current as of 1/10/11. You can find it right here. First of all, the bill codifies into law the current existential angst the industry is

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Casino cyber security in Vegas Seven

This week in Vegas Seven‘s Green Felt Journal, I take look at an interesting letter Randall Sayre sent last month that, I think, we’d all do well to read: According to the letter from then-Gaming Control Board member Randall Sayre on Dec. 15, the board has investigated “numerous incidents” where databases containing personal and/or financial

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Inside the NJ Internet gambling law

You might not have heard, but the New Jersey legislature voted to legalize Internet gaming. The bill in question (S490) passed both houses and awaits Governor Christie’s signature. So what does it mean? The new law changes the Casino Control Act to permit Atlantic City casinos to offer gambling over the Internet to residents of

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BlackBerry to the future in the Las Vegas Business Press

My latest piece in the Las Vegas Business Press takes a look at why Leroy’s Blackberry sports-betting application is a big deal: The year is still young, but 2011 has already been groundbreaking for Nevada’s gaming industry. The Gaming Control Board approved an application that lets players make bets from their own mobile devices, pointing

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November dips, as NV gaming revenues slip

After several hours of work, I’ve gotten the November historical comparison up and updated the 2010 Year-to-Date report. Here’s the narrative of the November report: November reversed the recent trend, with Nevada gaming revenues showing a year?to?year decline. This was because of a general weakening of demand, as, with few exceptions, both table and slot

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