I’m not about to make light of problem or illegal gambling, but each of these headlines stuck me as oddly humorous: Gambling Addicts Prepare For Casino Tough war against gambling virus I thought the first story might be an exercise in cynicism, and was surprised that what the editor meant to say was that gambling
Two great headlines Read More »
gambling & cultureA longtime reader sent this one to me, and, since I seem to have a special weakness for strange animal stories (e.g., the police nemesis turkey, Philadelphia fried chicken restaurant deer, and the unforgettable mystery mammal), I’m going to share what I’ve learned about the pride of Alapaha, Georgia: Hogzilla.
An impressive beast Read More »
haphazard worldWhile browsing Harrah’s website, I decided to sign up to get email updates about properties. I already get them from most casino companies, and I figured that it might be a good idea to do the same for the soon-to-be world’s largest. I gave my email, the name of “UNLV Special Collections, and a birthdate
Thanks to ESPN’s Page 2, we get this great matchup in an NCAA-inspired tournament whose exact nature is, for me, rather vague: Poker Playing Dogs vs. Paris Hilton.
Paris Hilton vs. Dogs Read More »
gambling & cultureYou’ve got to love the subhead for this Guardian look at Macau: “With mobsters jailed and foreign investors pouring money into its gaming industry, Macau is enjoying a spectacular boom .”
Today I got this email from the Las Vegas Centennial Celebration Committee: Answer: This is the date that a Las Vegas Category will be featured on Jeopardy! Question: WHAT IS: MONDAY, APRIL 4TH, 2005? That’s going to be fun, but what about an entire round based on Las Vegas and gambling topics?
“I’ll take Sin City for $200, Alex” Read More »
life in vegasWhen casinos opened in Atlantic City in 1978, New Jersey governor Brendan Byrne famously warned organized crime to keep their stinking paws off of his state. Well, those weren’t his exact words, but they would have been in Charlton Heston had been playing him. Come to think of it, Byrne wasn’t going around half-naked either,
As I’ve said before, the fiscal pressures in state legislatures will eventually outweigh anti-gambling rhetoric, and Internet gaming will be legalized in the US. USA Today now apparently feels the same way.
Legalizing online gaming? Read More »
news about gamblingHave you just been assigned the “casino beat” and aren’t sure where to look for information? Well, you’re not the only one. Philadelphia Inquirer reporter Suzette Parmley tells all.
Covering the gambling business Read More »
news about gamblingIn case you missed ESPN’s hyperbolic exposition of “bracketology” this weekend, the berths for the NCAA men’s college basketball tournament have been announced, beginning one of bookies’ favorite times of the year, March Madness. And the NCAA is shocked, yes, shocked that people gamble on the tournament, and suggests that the best way to end
NCAA troubled by betting Read More »
gambling & cultureI was just saying to a group today that other countries are far ahead of the US when it comes to “harm minimization” in gambling. Here’s a case where, many in the industry say, minimization goes too far: regular reminders to gamblers that they are…gambling.
You can’t help but notice that poker is ubuquitous on television these days. New Jersey assemblywomen Joan Voss has, and she thinks that those who profit from the Hold’Em craze should pitch in when it comes to helping those with a problem.
GA to be funded by ESPN? Read More »
gambling & cultureIf you get a chance, check out Breaking Vegas tonight on the history channel at 9 PM. This episode is about Ed Thorp, the guy who greatly advanced card counting with “Beat the Dealer,” and I think that I’m going to be in it. I remember doing an interview for this show, so there’s a
Consider Vegas Broke Read More »
life in vegasI found this headline strangely intruiging, as you might as well: Las Vegas SUN: Three convicted in ‘honey bun’ heist at Tunica casino. This made me think of the erstwhile HBO series OZ. I don’t think that Adebisi got sent up for anything like this, though. This seems like more like something Busmalis would have
The Honey Bun Gang Read More »
gambling & culture, haphazard worldI’ve seen two news reports this morning that seem contradictory. On one hand, online gaming is booming in Britain. On the other, Harrah’s has just pulled the plug on its online gaming site.
Fyodor Dostoyevsky, in my estimation, might have been the best novelist of the 19th century. Sure, people in his novels have an unfortunate tendency to give chapter-long monologues on “the mission of Russia,” but from what I understand he got paid by the word. For much of his life his compulsive gambling kept him in
Crime and Litigation Read More »
gambling & cultureThis is the most distgusting thing I’ve seen in a while. Usually, fruit and yogurt smoothies are relatively healthy alternatives to other soft drinks. As Americans have become more concerned with their eating habits, they have grown more popular. So the next step is for a completely unhealthy food manufacturer to co-opt smoothies and re-package
Nineteen companies have submitted proposals to build a casino resort in Singapore. How to choose the winner? I’ve got three ideas.
At first I thought this story would get a few laughs, but like so much else, it ended in tragedy…well, for the turkey. Not since the days of Thomas Granger has a turkey been so unjustly put to death.
Requiem for a turkey Read More »
haphazard worldAt last, gambling has come to kindergarten! Seriously. Kindergarten students are going to have to play the lottery if they want a seat at a Virginia elementary school.
Kindergarten gambling Read More »
gambling & culture