Let’s say you’ve got a 17 year-old who’s gambling a bit more than he should. Would you tell him to stop gambling immediately? Offer to bank him in exchange for a cut of the profits? Well, two Singapore parents decided the best solution to their son’s gambling “problem” was to send him to a casino […]
Teenage gambling expert Read More »
gambling & cultureWhen I saw this news, I groaned inwardly…ESPN is showing even more televised poker next year. I know this gem of knowledge because I got the press release straight from Harrah’s, along with a 2005-6 poker season schedule. Yeah, I just typed “2005-6 poker season” with a straight face.
Doing research for Roll the Bones, I became more convinced than ever that gambling is pretty close to a human universal. I don’t just mean playing slots or picking the Eagles to cover–I’m talking about the more general sense of gambling as risk-taking. Come to find out that it’s not just humans who like to
Primates double down? Read More »
gambling & cultureThere has been a great deal of ambiguity about the WTO decision in the Antigua/US dispute. Both sides have claimed victory, and there is no real roadmap for what is going to happen. I’m chairing a session on this at G2E, which may feature debate between representatives of the US and Antigua, or may not.
Academic centers dealing with gambling have rather prosaic names: Reno has Bill Eadington’s excellent Institute for the Study of Gambling and Commercial Gaming; a consortium of Canadian universities has the Alberta Gaming Research Institute; and of course there is my own Center for Gaming Research. Not too flashy, but you get the picture: people studying
A center I’d like to visit Read More »
gambling & cultureI’ve often thought that casinos were technological and organizational marvels. Thousands of people spread out over thousands of square feet, working together (usually) to accomplish the mutually contradictory goals of making sure the house always wins and keeping the customer happy. It turns out I’ve been understating things–according to Steve Wynn, his latest casino is
While I was writing Roll the Bones, I thought sometimes that maybe there was a good reason that no one had yet written a thorough history of world gambling–because there isn’t any interest in reading it. But I find that I’m wrong: there is already such a book out there. There’s just one problem: to
Gambling history…for the ignorant Read More »
gambling & cultureSince it’s been so wildly popular, I’ve updated the casino carpet galleries. There’s an entirely new galllery for Clark County properties that I haven’t already gotten–it’s just a start. I also added a great deal to the Atlantic City gallery. Most importantly, I added the new Trump Plaza carpet, which is truly excellent. I also
Casino carpet updated! Read More »
what's newIf you live in the Las Vegas area and for some reason don’t have plans for tonight between 9 and 10, you can spend an hour watching me talk with News One’s Jeff Gillan on Las Vegas One, cable channel 19. We’ll be discussing Cutting the Wire, which is apparently available now. I say apparently
The Connecticut attorney general recently asked Foxwoods casino to shut down a gambling game with an online component, charging that it is online gambling. But is it really?
Is this net gambling? Read More »
gambling & cultureThe President casino, long a mainstay in Biloxi, is closing up. It’s barge is being relocated. I’m sure that it’s a fine institution, but I had my doubts about the casino when I took a look at the carpet: It’s so lackluster–like someone dropped a bunch of swizzle sticks on the floor. When I first
The President resigns? Read More »
news about gamblingI’ve gotten a few emails from the Stardust that might be of interest. First off, for you karaoke enthusiasts: Karaoke is now featured in the Starlight Lounge on the following days: Monday . . . . . 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Friday . . . . . . 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. So
The UK Casino times has a list of Great Gambling Quotations that literary-minded gamblers might find inspiring. It draws on everyone from Harvey Keitel to Jean Cocteau, and is nothing if not catholic in its reach.
I’ve added a new gallery: pictures from Biloxi, Mississippi and New York, New York. You can check it out here. Look for some carpet updates soon–I got some photos of the new Trump Plaza floor covering, which is really neat, and several from Foxwoods as well. Keep checking for updates.
Biloxi and New York Read More »
what's newThe Wisconsin State Journal has an interesting piece about playing poker online for a living. This is a growing phenomenon. But is wearing your own personalized loungewear a job requirement?
Online for a living Read More »
gambling & cultureWith real estate values skyrocketing on the Strip, those holding land there are in the catbird seat. But the sale of the Westward Ho, a small casino near Circus Circus that also has an Industrial Road property, the Ho, has been complicated. It seems that someone has been stringing the Ho along. I’m not making
The Ho’s unworthy suitor Read More »
life in vegasI had a pretty quick–though comprehensive–tour of Foxwoods and the surrounding area yesterday, and it’s pretty impressive. It’s amazing to me that, in less than 20 years, a gambling operation that started as bingo has grown into the world’s largest casino resort. On the Greyhound ride up there (I’ll post some pictures of that; it
I’m going to be spending the next week or so on the East Coast, doing some book things and spending time in Atlantic City. What’s there to do in AC? Check the Atlantic City Tourism – Official Atlantic City, New Jersey Travel Guide to find out. I’ll be posting sporadically.
Think someone who won a million-dollar slot jackpot is rolling in dough? Well, owning the casino is even more profitable. Forbes has an interesting slideshow with the the richest gambling magnates in the world.
Hitting the jackpot Read More »
gambling & cultureThe day has arrived…after about a year of research and writing, I’ve finished the first draft of Roll the Bones: The History of Gambling. What does this mean for you, the reader? A chance to do some more reading. Gotham will be bringing the book out next June, so if you’ve ever bemoaned the lack
The bones have been rolled Read More »
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