It’s not the proudest moment in Atlantic City history, but it’s an important one nonetheless. This month in Casino Connection, I take a look at ABSCAM: There aren’t any commemorative parties, but this year marks the 30th anniversary of a major Atlantic City news story-the Abscam investigation. The investigation—in which FBI agents posed as the
ABSCAM in Casino Connection Read More »
atlantic city, writingBud Smith and Michael McCallister. Word Press in Depth. Indianapolis: Que, 2010. 410 pages. If you haven’t noticed, this blog is in WordPress. I’ve been using the software for about five years, and I’ve never felt that I’ve unlocked its full potential. So I was eager to read WORDPRESS IN DEPTH to get some insight
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book reviewsThe latest Vegas Seven is out, and in it I talk a little about Treasure Island, post-MGM Mirage: Treasure Island sits next to The Mirage, the casino that changed the Strip when it opened in 1989, and across the street from the Venetian/Palazzo and Wynn/Encore megaplexes, representing billions of dollars in casino capital. It’s not
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news about gambling, writingThe AGA’s 2010 State of the States is out, and to no one’s surprise 2010 was another off year for gambling. From the LVRJ: According to figures released this morning by the Washington D.C.-based American Gaming Association, commercial casinos in 13 states collected $30.74 billion from gamblers, compared to $32.54 billion collected in 2008. via
National gaming revenues decline Read More »
news about gamblingI’ve got a new Las Vegas Business Press column up, in which I discuss the historical context behind Wynn’s musings about moving to Macau. Steve Wynn made headlines when he suggested he might consider moving the headquarters of Wynn Resorts Ltd. to Macau from Las Vegas. As always, Wynn's forthrightness points the way to a
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news about gamblingGood article in today’s Miami Herald about expanded casino gambling in Florida: The promise of new jobs from gambling has been key to state lawmakers' decision to allow the games to become more high-stakes and widespread. “This is like building the Hoover Dam during the Depression,'' Brunetti has said.Gambling opponents, however, say the industry isn't
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news about gamblingDavid S. Heidler and Jeanne T. Heidler. Henry Clay: The Essential American. New York: Random House, 2010. 624 pages. Henry Clay was a giant of early American politics. As Speaker of the House, senator from Kentucky, secretary of state, and de facto leader of the Whig opposition to Andrew Jackson, his power often rivaled that
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book reviewsMy latest Vegas Seven column is up, about Cantor Gaming’s eDeck: Gambling has been evolving since our ancestors started filing down animal bones, eventually ending up with cubical ivory dice. The invention of block printing helped to popularize playing cards. In the 19th century, the telegraph led to the first remote gambling: off-track wagering on
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news about gamblingWe’ve got a new podcast up over at the Center for Gaming Research: April’s Gaming Research fellow, Theodor Gordon, gives a talk on tribal sovereignty and labor relations at tribal casinos. It’s a great summary of Indian gaming history with plenty of detail about current labor issues. Here’s the abstract: The impact of tribal casinos
New UNLV Gaming Podcast posted Read More »
news about gambling, what's newHarrah’s is being sued for making workers show up early without overtime pay. From the LV Sun: A federal lawsuit filed Tuesday is the latest in a series of class-action pay claims filed by Nevada workers.This week’s case is against Harrah’s Entertainment. The suit alleges Harrah’s requires workers to arrive 10 to 15 minutes before
Big news in the international gambling scene, as the Marina Bay Sands has finally opened. From the Financial Times: Singapore has imposed a charge of S$100 (US$73) a day or S$2,000 a year for residents to visit the tables as a way of calming vocal opposition to the casino developments from locals who fear a
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news about gamblingLas Vegas is far in the rear view mirror as New York tops a list of “fun cities” compiled by portfolio.com: Portfolio.com/bizjournals created a comprehensive formula to evaluate the opportunities for fun in the nation’s 100 largest markets. The process began with the collection of federal statistics for 14 relevant types of businesses, from retail
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life in vegasMax Watman. Chasing the White Dog: An Amateur Outlaw’s Adventures in Moonshine. New York: Simon and Schuster, 2010. 293 pages. In Chasing the White Dog, Max Watman blends three spirits, so to speak: a bit of bootlegging history, going back to the Whiskey Rebellion, some reportage on the current state of moonshine (it’s a surprisingly
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book reviewsIn honor of Earth Day, I gave this week’s Green Felt Jungle an environmental twist: The casino resorts of the Las Vegas Strip do not spring to mind as environmentally sound institutions. From their blazing marquees to their overflowing buffets, they seem to be studies in excess. With the current mindset conflating any sort of
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news about gambling, writingMy extended commentary on February’s Nevada gaming numbers is out in the Las Vegas Business Press. Here’s the start: The February gaming revenue numbers for Nevada caused some cheer around the state and on Wall Street. Total casino win rose 13.9 percent, the first double-digit increase in nearly three years. But if this is cause
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news about gamblingHarrah’s is undertaking a massive renovation of one of the city’s historic gambling halls. From the AC Press: Acknowledging that the cowboy concept has gone stale, Bally’s Wild Wild West Casino is preparing for a $1.5 million facelift to reinvigorate the aging casino just in time for the bustling summer crowds. … Bally's spent $110
Old west is old in AC Read More »
atlantic city, news about gamblingI think someone’s got their semantics wrong in this Card Player article about legalizing at-home poker in South Carolina: This week, after a hearing that included testimony from the Poker Players Alliance, a local businessman and poker player, and a number of elected officials, a South Carolina House sub-committee voted 4-1 to change the state’s
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gambling & culture, news about gamblingThis week’s Green Felt Journal is about the El Cortez: In many ways, the El Cortez is the anti-CityCenter. Built in 1941, it’s the oldest continuously operating hotel-casino in Las Vegas. Its most prominent feature—the “new” neon sign—was installed in 1946. It has only 364 guest rooms, and, for better or worse, it’s in the
Old-school at the eC Read More »
news about gambling, writingIn addition to my regular Green Felt Journal column this week, I’ve got a “Latest Thought” for your perusal in Vegas Seven: There hasn’t been much written about locals casinos on the scholarly front, so Nedelec, a geographer, shared a conclusion from a chapter in 1999’s The Real Las Vegas: Life Beyond the Strip edited
Hitting the jackpot in Clark County Read More »
gambling & culture, life in vegas, writingI somehow missed celebrating one of the biggest milestones in Atlantic City gaming history earlier this month: on April 2, the Trump Taj Mahal celebrated its 20th anniversary. But I did write a little about the road to opening in this month’s Casino Connection: Even before Atlantic City’s first casino, Resorts International, opened in 1978,
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atlantic city, news about gambling