This past week, for some reason I’ve had every elected Democrat in the state call me at home, begging me to get out and vote for John Kerry. This is curious because I’m registered as a non-partisan and have never donated money to either political party. Yet, for some reason, Kerry’s having all of his […]
T-shirt fun at political rallies Read More »
haphazard worldBethlehem, Pennsylvania, has been calling itself “Christmas City” for a while now. Click the link to see why. Some there are up in arms about a plan to leave something new under the stocking…a slot parlor. From McCall.com: When some Lehigh Valley leaders began lining up behind a proposal to bring a slot machine parlor
Slots and Christmas don’t mix? Read More »
news about gamblingIt seems that I’m on the road once more. Today, I’m checkling in from the Barona Valley Ranch Resort and Casino in San Diego County. I’m doing some preliminary oral history interviews down here. It’s fascinating stuff. There’s nothing better than being able to listen to people who have been in the gaming industry longer
The US has broken off its negotiations with Antigua over that nation’s successful WTO challenge of US restrictions on cross border trade in gaming services. From Yahoo News: “Unfortunately we were not able to reach a settlement,” despite several meetings over the past four months,” said Richard Mills, a spokesman for the U.S. Trade Representative’s
Negotiations over…for now Read More »
news about gamblingSome casinos chase high rollers, which can be risky–a lucky weekend for them can turn into a quarterly loss, something that shareholders hate to see. The Hard Rock casino (right down the street on Harmon Ave.), apparently burned once too many times by lucky whales, or mega-high rollers, has decided to stop catering to the
Turning whales away Read More »
news about gamblingI missed this in August, but picked up on the Drudge Report today. You can apparently have your cat cloned, if you’ve got an extra $20,000 to spend. Check out this release from PRweb: ForeverPet, a division of Geneticas Life Sciences, today announced the launch of the ForeverPet cat cloning service for cat owners. Priced
Make that ten lives: Is this for real? Read More »
haphazard worldI must have missed this when it first broke, but apparently presidential candidate John Kerry went into Philly a few weeks ago and ordered a cheese steak–with swiss cheese. Read about some more inane campaign trail faux pas from Slate: If John Kerry loses the election, a reporter once told me, we’ll probably be able
Cheesesteak miscue Read More »
haphazard worldWhen I first read about this, I thought it was a joke. The Westward Ho, long a favorite of low rollers on the Strip, is adding a locals-oriented expansion on Industrial Road. It will be styled “The HO: Your Get Lucky Casino.” Click the link if you don’t believe me. This is all happening in
Get lucky at the ho Read More »
life in vegasI’m back from my conference on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, and really buried by work. Still, I took the time to add some content on the right–let me know what you think. I’ve got to say that I really liked the Gulf Coast. I got a great idea for a novel that might be my
I gave my paper this morning here in Mississippi. I think it went well. I’m hurrying back to a session in a minute, so I can’t speak in great detail, but globalization is really an interesting issue that I think has been anticipated by the gaming industry in many ways. According to our lunchtime speaker,
Globalization on the gulf coast Read More »
gambling & cultureAnytime I get to reference a Thelonious Monk composition, it’s good news. In any event, I am writing this from Mississippi–more precisely, in the library of the University of Southern Mississippi, on the ground floor, facing northeast (again, something for fans of The Wire to appreciate). I’m about a block away from the beach, which
Bright Mississippi Read More »
news about gamblingA very quick entry here, as I sit on the sixth floor of Bunche Hall on the UCLA Campus, my feet facing east (that’s funny for those of you who watch The Wire, otherwise, trust me, it’s funny). Due to a strange set of circumstances, I drove down here for the day, and am then
Back in LA for the day Read More »
what's newParliament has published plans of Great Britain’s overhauled gambling bill. From BBC News, courtesy of David McDowell: The new law, if approved by Parliament, will allow casinos with up to 1,250 slot machines and unlimited jackpots. It would ban slot machines from fast food outlets and minicab offices, restrict internet gaming and introduce a new
Britan’s brave new world Read More »
news about gamblingEvery week, I get several emails asking me, “What are the rules of the World Series of Poker?” Obviously, these emailers are oblivious to the fact that I don’t work for Harrah’s and in fact don’t even play poker. But, as I live to inform, here are the Rules for the World Series of Poker
FAQ: Rules of the WSOP Read More »
news about gambling“Those who bring cell phones to church are not committed to God,” Escobedo said. “It’s very distracting to be praying and suddenly hear birds chirping or techno music.” Source: Wired News: Word From on High: Jam Cell Calls
As if the whole Neopets controversy isn’t enough, how about this article from Canada.com? Internet wagering is a growing phenomenon among adolescents because they love the thrill of risk and are comfortable with interactive games, gambling experts said yesterday. “There are more kids gaining access to Internet gambling because there are more and more teens
More underage gambling! Read More »
UncategorizedI haven’t said much about the Local 54 strike in Atlantic City here, mostly because I’ve been giving you fun stories about hard-up Swedes and gambling Neopets. Today, I read a great article in the Philly Inquirer: It’s a good thing Borgata bosses inked a contract with casino workers last year. If they hadn’t, those
The conventional wisdom has been that Nordic countries, with their long, dark winters, mean plenty of time for two things: drinking and sex. But the conventional wisdom may be wrong. According to a recent study, Swedes might be turning to online gaming as a substitute for sex. From the Local: Despite the international reputation for
Swedes getting less, gaming more Read More »
gambling & cultureAs if eating the food there wasn’t bad enough for kids, the folks at McDonalds are now apparently encouraging kids to gamble online…sort of. From Austrailian seven.com.au: A McDonalds toy giveaway linked to a website that features gambling games has outraged parents, an anti-pokie campaigner and a psychologist. For decades McDonalds has sold soft drinks,
McDonald’s and child gambling Read More »
gambling & cultureFor the past two days, most of the cable news networks have been playing up President Bush’s retorts to Senator Kerry’s remarks about terrorism. Here is the original quote from CNN: ”We have to get back to the place we were, where terrorists are not the focus of our lives, but they’re a nuisance,” the