Well, that was little more than a fancy way to lead into this story from the LV Sun about a woman who used a stolen credit card to buy a lottery ticket–and is paying the price: A Southern Oregon woman used a stolen credit card to buy a state lottery scratch-it ticket that was worth […]
The lottery millionaire and the purloined plastic Read More »
gambling & culture, haphazard worldMy lecture at the architecture school as part of the Graduate Lecture Series went really well last night. I got a chance to get some feedback on my “4 stages of casino resort evolution” idea and got to talk a lot about casinos, particularly my experiences in security and surveillance. When I saw this story
I get a lot of email from people I don’t know. Most of it is asking me for information, while some of it is just plain strange. I deem an elect number of emails worthy of along to you. You might remeber Absecon Al’s rants against Red Square at Tropicana AC (also here, with photos)
The Million Pixel March (to the roulette table) Read More »
gambling & cultureAt any given moment, an uncountable number of new games are being proposed, developed, tested, and usually forgotten at casinos across the world. Since the disappearance of faro from Nevada gambling halls in the 1940s, many have come to challenge the Big Three–craps, blackjack, and roulette. By the 1980s, baccarat had emerged as a major
Hot betting at the Hilton Read More »
gambling & culture, life in vegasI got a paper notice in campus mail today from Felicia Campbell: Far West Popular Culture Association Far West American Culture Association Call for Papers Eighteenth Annual Meeting January 27 – 29, 2006 Las Vegas, Nevada Sponsored by the College of Liberal Arts University of Nevada, Las Vegas We cordially invite you to our Eighteenth
Anyone up for pop culture? Read More »
life in vegasDo you know a slender guy or gal who A) likes gambling B) is devilishly inclined C) likes lounge pants? Well, this auction is just for you: super comfortable Lounge Pants. 100 % cotton jersey knit fabric. Made in the USA. MSRP $24.99. Brand new, never worn, never washed. They have an elastic waist band
Pants for the lounging gambling devil Read More »
gambling & cultureIs it just me, or did casino carpet designers get some serious inspiration from these fabrics? Ugly Couch Home
You might have heard about Craig Biggio’s New Jersey-born wife chasing down a male fan who slapped her at game two of the Astros-White Sox World Series. Anyway, Michelle Malkin had this to say: Biggio told the Houston Chronicle that his wife is fine and quipped: “You don’t slap a New Jersey girl and get
Jersey Girls–two views Read More »
atlantic cityThis Thursday, 10/27, I’m giving a lecture on the evolution of casinos at the UNLV architecture school. Ordinarily, I don’t post info about guest lectures for academic audiences, but this one has such a cool flyer that I’ve got to: If you are in Las Vegas and want to attend, please email me and I’ll
Casino evolution guest lecture Read More »
life in vegas, what's newAs I said in Cutting the Wire, online gambling will become unambiguously legal in the United States once we reach a certain tipping point: the need for state revenues will outweigh any lingering opposition to “expanded” gambling. The Grand Forks Herald reports on a North Dakota legislator who sees the same thing: A lawmaker who
ND net poker coming? Read More »
news about gamblingIf you’ve been waiting to have a copy of Suburban Xanadu or Cutting the Wire autographed by the author, you are in luck. On Saturday, November 12, at 2 PM, I’ll be at the Reading Room in Mandalay Place, signing books. I’m going to be giving a short talk, answering questions, and signing books–it should
Mandalay Place, 11/12 Read More »
what's newBetting on sports can be far more remunerative for the player than most casino games. A simple look at the numbers proves it. Nevada casinos hold about 5% of sports bets, while they keep over 12% on virtually every casino game. I’m going from memory here, so the math might be a little off, but
I saw this headline and immediately thought of Being There: al.com: Casino Night in garden will do local hearts good The story is about a charity casino night in Alabama that seems all inclusive: from Al.com: Be a little bit bad for a good cause next Friday. Casino Night in the Garden of Good and
Chauncey Gardner’s night out? Read More »
gambling & cultureWhen I tell Australian people my name, a lot of them say, “Cool.” I wondered why, until someone told me that there’s a famous Austrailian football (soccer) player named David Schwarz–just like me, but no T. It guess it’s like if someone from Australia was named “Roger Clements” and was talking to American baseball fans.
Aussie footballer–no relation Read More »
what's newWhat do you get a millionaire US Senator who’s already got everything? How about a Powerball ticket? As the jackpot climbed to nearly $350 million, New Hampshire’s Judd Gregg was intriuged and bought a ticket. Proving that fortune favors the curious, he won a cool $853, 492. From CBS4 Boston: On a whim, U.S. Sen.
Senator Powerball! Read More »
gambling & cultureHave you ever wanted to check out the pope’s wheels? Here’s your chance, thanks to a hot tip from the Las Vegas Hilton: Kruse International will auction Pope John Paul II’s personal vehicle, a 1975 Ford Escort GL, at the 32nd Annual Las Vegas Fall Auction at the Las Vegas Hilton (October 28&29). He is
Pope-mobile at Las Vegas Hilton Read More »
life in vegasOften, when I am giving a public lecture or statement, I say that the federal government has endorsed casino gaming. Some people just nod, while others look confused or even contemptuous. “What do you mean?” they ask. The first example I cite is Indian gaming: each of the three branches of the federal government has
Military slot machines Read More »
news about gamblingAccording to one Malaysian parliamentarian, gambling leads to superstition. From The Star: -In the kampung, when people want to win numbers games, they go to see the bomoh and even make offerings to trees so that their numbers will come up winners. -All this shows that gambling can make people carry out deviationist practices,†said
Gambling can lead to deviationism? Read More »
gambling & cultureIs this a case of casinos imitating life? It’s spooky: Harrah’s Entertainment has closed the Bourbon Street casinos two weeks early because of a water main break. From the LVRJ: The off-Strip Bourbon Street Casino, bought by Harrah’s Entertainment this summer for future development, closed Monday two weeks ahead of schedule. Harrah’s, which bought eight
Bourbon Street Goodbye Read More »
life in vegasCheck out this review of the new Al Pacino movie Two for the Money from the aptly-named Couch Slouch: There’s a new sports-betting movie out called “Two for the Money.” Larry King calls it “the best movie about gambling ever made! … This film has everything.” Couch Slouch calls it “the worst movie about gambling
Two for the Money reviewed Read More »
gambling & culture