The latest UNLV Gaming Podcast is up; it’s an interview with Aria Resort and Casino President and COO Bill McBeath. A Las Vegas native and UNLV alum, McBeath has had an interesting career, to say the least, and has worked for some of the biggest names in the business—Michael Gaughan, Steve Wynn, and Kirk Kerkorian. […]
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news about gambling, what's newThe good folks at the Nevada Gaming Control Board have released the January 2010 Nevada casino gaming stats. Here is my summary: Statewide 1. Baccarat continues to power the state’s card games, with its win increasing by about 12% over last year. This game has actually seen a net gain in the past 3 years–Nevada
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news about gamblingHere’s my latest from the Las Vegas Business Press, in which I continue to deconstruct the popularity of pennies: When the year-end Nevada gaming revenue figures came out, two trends dominated the news: Gambling in general was down again in 2009, while baccarat play toward the end of the year showed a surprising spike. But
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news about gambling, writingI was interviewed for this piece last week, and it’s interesting to see how it all came together. I’m glad I’m not the only one who didn’t think that this proposal made no sense. From Arkansas Business: If a proposed constitutional amendment allowing Texas businessman Michael J. Wasserman to build casinos in Arkansas sounds like
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book reviewsInteresting article in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch over the weekend about the evolution of Missouri’s casino blacklist: For years, the crimes that barred gamblers from Missouri casinos read like Mafia movie plots. Men with ties to Kansas City's notorious La Cosa Nostra ran illegal betting rings, threatened witnesses and skimmed money from Las Vegas casinos,
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news about gamblingDavid Grann. The Devil and Sherlock Holmes: Tales of Murder, Madness, and Obsession. New York: Doubleday, 2010. 352 pages. Great non-fiction is just as suspenseful and revealing of the human condition as great fiction. With The Devil and Sherlock Holmes, David Grann gives the reader twelve intriguing pieces of great non-fiction. The collection starts with
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book reviewsMy much-anticipated Green Felt Journal piece about casino tweeting–which inspired me to finally claim @unlvgaming and get to work–is out, in today’s Vegas Seven: Casinos are always looking for new ways to reach customers. So it’s no surprise that they’ve embraced Twitter, the popular social networking application that lets anyone tell the world, in 140
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news about gamblingIt just had a great talk with Bobby Baldwin about Aria for an article I’m writing for Vegas Seven about the first 100 days of CityCenter. Talking to people at the property and online, and having gotten too few bars there myself, one of the questions I asked him was about cell phone service. His
100% Aria cell service by end of March Read More »
news about gamblingHere are some reminders from the IRS about what to do with your gambling winnings and losses: # Gambling income includes – but is not limited to – winnings from lotteries, raffles, horse and dog races and casinos, as well as the fair market value of prizes such as cars, houses, trips or other noncash
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news about gamblingMy Atlantic City history column in March’s Casino Connection has nothing to do with gambling. Instead, I look briefly at the career of an artist who was born in Atlantic City, Jacob Lawrence: Dozens of notable figures have played a part in Atlantic City’s history, from Thomas Edison and Diamond Jim Brady to Jay-Z and
AC native Jacob Lawrence in Casino Connection Read More »
atlantic city, writingThat’s the trajectory at Bill’s Lake Tahoe. From the LVRJ: Harrah’s sells Bill’s Lake Tahoe casino site It’s hard to say what Bill Harrah would have thought about this. On one hand, he was by no means shy around women–he was married seven times. On the other hand, he wanted Harrah’s Lake Tahoe to be,
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news about gamblingBlack Gaming, which operates 3 casinos in Mesquite, Nevada, has declared bankruptcy. From the LVRJ: In statements last year, Black said the company was generating cash flow but was unable to manage its high amount of debt. Black, a longtime Las Vegas real estate developer, said the challenging economy of the past 24 months hurt
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news about gamblingAt the “opening ceremonies” for Aria, U.S. Green Buildings Council CEO Rick Fedrizzi said that Aria was an example of what architecture should be, and that schoolchildren should be brought in to see the building for itself as an example of what the future would be. “Wow,” I thought, “Bringing kids to a casino to
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news about gambling, writingThe Center for Gaming Research is rolling out a new feature: the Occasional Papers Series. Drawn mostly from research conducted by visiting fellows and UNLV students, this series is going to discuss research into gambling and related issues. The first paper is out: Seeking Value or Entertainment? The Evolution of Nevada Slot Hold, 1992-2009, and
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news about gambling, what's newIf you really want to see your name in lights, you’ve got the chance this weekend, thanks to the folks at Planet Hollywood. From their press release: Now through Sunday, Feb. 28, Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino is giving everyone a chance to be famous by posting photos and messages on
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life in vegas, news about gamblingPeter Milligan. Art by James Romberger. The Bronx Kill. New York: DC Comics, 2010. 181 pages. It’s book review Friday–this week I’m featuring another book that I got through Amazon Vine. The “comic book” can be a powerful story-telling medium. Graphic novels like Art Speigelman’s MAUS and Majane Satrapi’s PERSEPOLIS can do things that standard
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book reviewsThis has been up for a while, but I haven’t linked it yet and, with the news that Donald Trump and Carl Icahn are dueling over Trump casino empire, it’s relatively timely: my piece on the early history of Trump Plaza in Casino Connection: Trump was leery of the Casino Control Commission. It had forced
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atlantic city, news about gambling, writingIt’s Thursday, which means another edition of the Green Felt Journal in Vegas Seven magazine. This week, as whether the “little guy” still has a chance on the Strip:P Last year at around this time, “deconsolidation” was the buzzword along the Strip. MGM Mirage had just announced its sale of Treasure Island to Phil Ruffin,
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news about gambling, writingOften, folks in the media accept whatever number’s thrown at them when gambling’s concerned. If someone says a study claims that governments will make billions a year legalizing online gambling, it’s accepted without question. But Josh McMahon of New Jersey News Room actually did some research when it comes to one net gaming proposal: What
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news about gamblingI’ve been trying to answer the question, “Why are slot hold percentages generally increasing” and have come to the conclusion that player preference for high-hold, low-denom games is a major factor. Finishing up a paper on the question, I thought I’d share some raw data: Between 2000 and 2003, the Gaming Control Board didn’t list
Penny slots most profitable in 09 Read More »
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