The 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
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news about gamblingMy piece in the Las Vegas Business Press about the beginning of the end in Atlantic City is out: Historians have taken the date 476 A.D. and the deposition of Romulus Augustus, the last Roman emperor, as the “official” date of the fall of the Roman Empire, even though at the time most Western Europeans
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atlantic city, news about gamblingIn the course of researching an upcoming Vegas Seven story on how casinos use Twitter, I finally broke down and created an account for the Center for Gaming Research. As of today, I am tweeting as… @unlvgaming If you are on Twitter and want to keep up to date on what’s going on, go ahead
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what's newHarrah’s Entertainment plans to go public again, but not for a few years. This isn’t really a surprise, but the timeline is noteworthy, as are the “developments” that the company awaits. From Reuters: Harrah's Entertainment, which was taken private by TPG and Apollo Management in January 2008, could launch an initial public offering five to
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news about gamblingI think that’s me, when my legit first response to this article is, “Boy oh boy! The 2009 Nevada Gaming Abstract’s out at last! It’s gonna be a great week!” Mostly, it’s because now I’ll be able to update Nevada pages over at http://gaming.unlv.edu, but I’ve actually been looking forward to this for months. You
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news about gambling, what's newIan James Corlett. Illustrated by R.A. Holt. E is for Ethics: How to Talk to Kids About Morals, Values, and What Matters Most. New York: Atria Books, 201. 111 pages. Most people would say that ethics aren’t something that parents can teach, that they can only show them by example. That may be true, but
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book reviewsThis is one of those moment of ambivalence that we all face at some time or another. On one hand, I’m pretty happy to be finished working on the 2009 Nevada gaming breakdown (pdf) and the Nevada Gaming Revenue:Long-term trends report (pdf). On the other, the actual data in those reports aren’t really happy fun
A decade of decline? Read More »
life in vegas, news about gamblingIt’s Thursday, which means another Green Felt Journal column in Vegas Seven. Here’s the crux of what I call the “split-level strategy”: So casinos are pursuing a “split-level” strategy that harks back to the 1970s and earlier—keeping prices low for bargain hunters while pursuing high-end play at the baccarat tables. It’s not the mid-1980s approach
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news about gambling, writingThe centerpiece casino of the Lake Las Vegas development announced today that it will be closing. Following the news that the Ritz Carlton is soon to close, this raises even more questions about the future of the development–and ties into a Nevada gaming trend that pre-dates the recession. From the LV Sun: Casino MonteLago at
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life in vegas, news about gamblingGary Myers. The Catch: One Play, Two Dynasties, and the Game that Changed the NFL. New York:Crown Publishers, 2009. 304 pages. With the Super Bowl behind us, here’s a review of a book about another momentous NFL game. THE CATCH is filled with good reportage, including interviews from many of the key surviving figures of
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book reviewsNo Green Felt Journal in Vegas Seven this week because of a production error, but there’s always next week to look forward to, and I’ve got a piece about the promotion of Las Vegas in the Business Press this week: Maybe it isn't. While the ads are amusing and have a fair shot of “going
Fun or bad? You decide Read More »
life in vegas, writingThe 2009 Nevada gaming numbers are in, and they are not exactly encouraging. From the LVRJ: Gaming revenues in Nevada fell 10.4 percent in 2009, the largest single year decline in state history. Casinos statewide collected almost $10.392 billion from gamblers during the year, the lowest one-year total since 2003 according to figures released this
…at least as far as the LVCVA is concerned. The December and year-end visitor numbers, minus the gaming figures for now, was just released. Here are some highlights from the executive summary: December: Visitor volume up 1.5%, room inventory up 6% compared to December 2008. 2009 (total): Visitor volume down 3%, room inventory up 6%
Checking the headlines in the AC Press as of 2PM Pacific time, I couldn’t find a word about the seemingly-momentous decision of MGM Mirage to sell its stake in Borgata. This is curious, since you would think that having one of the biggest casino companies in the world, which at one point had billions of
AC to “get its act together” Read More »
atlantic city, news about gambling