This was a really funny piece from the LV Sun: At least on the surface, this is a fight about a number: 7. That digit is the only difference between the phone number of Michael Kolar’s income tax filing business, 866-MR-REFUN (866-677-3386), and the number people dial when they have questions about any of the […]
I caught this wide-eyed Vegas puff piece on an Australian news website, and I had to laugh. I’ll spare you the article, but here are the tips. I’ll let my readers deconstruct them at will. From NEWS.com.au: # Stay on The Strip. All the action is there and everywhere else is a bust. Try to
Vegas tips from Oz Read More »
life in vegas, news about gamblingHistorian James Karmel has let me know about a great oral history project that’s in progress in Atlantic City. From the AC Free Public Library: The interviews will take place throughout the summer, with the final product scheduled to be made available to the public this winter. Once the project has been completed, the interviews
AC Oral History Program Read More »
atlantic cityA psychological study unveiled at the convention of the American Psychological Association makes a bold claim: that 2 percent of all gamblers account for nearly 25 percent of all casino wins and losses. From Science Daily: In another study, psychologist Arch G. Woodside, PhD, of Boston College, and Ralph Perfetto, PhD, of the University of
Gambling study makes provocative claim Read More »
news about gamblingThe Center for Gaming Research has just been named an Associate Sponsor of the 14th International Conference on Gambling and Risk-Taking. This is a good thing, and a very big deal. What’s the ICGRT? Only the most prestigious gambling-related academic conference in the world. Learn more here: The primary objectives of the conference are to
14th ICGRT on the way! Read More »
gambling & cultureA reporter for that well-known bastion of literary tradition, the LV Sun, has weighed in on the reading habits of Las Vegas library-goers: Las Vegas, the old truism and sometime political talking point says, is at the bottom of every good list and at the top of every bad one. But what about the lists
Popular Vegas books Read More »
life in vegasThere’s a good piece on the far, far south M Resort in the LV Sun. Here’s some of the most interesting bit, but you should read the whole piece: The M Resort, at the southwest corner of St. Rose Parkway and Las Vegas Boulevard, more than 10 miles south of Mandalay Bay, will be the
I’ve managed to squeeze in some time to update the carpet gallery. I’ve got new shots of the Excalibur, Luxor, Monte Carlo, Palazzo, and tons more in the Strip gallery. I’ve also streamlined the downtown gallery and placed all non-Strip, non-downtown carpets in the Clark County gallery. Plus I’ve added a Hall of Fame with
Someone had to do it, so why not me? I’ve eaten at each of them. Here goes, in bottom-to-top order: 4. Burger Bar, Mandalay Place If you’re in that part of town and in need of a gourmet burger, you can’t do much better. There’s nothing at all wrong with the place–in fact I recommend
Strip burger joints ranked Read More »
life in vegasComing back to this, it’s all Atlantic City, all the time. I’ve got a few Vegas things I’ve been kicking around, including my personal ranking of the high-end burger places on the Strip and a book review or two. But then the AC Press goes ahead and runs a HUGE Pinnacle spoiler: Giving a sneak
Beach casino 50/50 Read More »
atlantic citySo how’s the Tropicana in Atlantic City doing these days? I got curious enough today to check out the vox populi of tripadvisor.com. There are reviews for July up, so this reflects the property well after the Columbia Sussex retreat. And most of the people are happy, though the ones who aren’t have some horror
While I might actually be, I hope that’s not true. I wanted to examine and deconstruct this Chronicle of Higher Education piece on stupidity in American culture (particularly among the youth), but I’m way too busy. And next week is looking even worse, so don’t expect much here. Hopefully by the end of the week
Too stupid to post Read More »
haphazard worldI grabbed this yesterday and saved it to post this morning. In the meantime, I got scooped by Chuckmonster and KLAS. But here’s the original story, from the AP: Yes, Michael Wax stunk. Hes the first to admit it. The 440-pound Brooklyn man said he was playing poker in an Atlantic City casino for 17
86ed for smelling bad Read More »
atlantic cityI’ve been meaning to sit down and do a comparative analysis of casino and lotteries revenues over the past year, to see whether the economic downturn (ED) is causing people to gamble less, or just forcing them to curtail trips to Las Vegas and other gaming destinations (and even local venues). Lo and behold, someone’s
Lottery records falling Read More »
news about gamblingAn earthquake moderately shook up LA and, supposedly Las Vegas this morning: A strong earthquake shook Southern California on Tuesday, causing buildings to sway and triggering some precautionary evacuations. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries. The jolt was felt from Los Angeles to San Diego, and slightly in Las Vegas. The 11:42
I thought this was an interesting story. Monkeys don’t have much use for money, but since they like marshmallows, they are up for experiments like this one. From Psychology Today: Keith Chen and Marc Hauser at Yale University taught monkeys about resources that bear a strong resemblance to money. Monkeys dont care about money, per
Here’s another reasons not to move to Las Vegas: the cicadas. They’ve been buzzing pretty loudly for about a month now, and we’ve got another month to go. If you’re not familiar with the critters, the LV Sun has some great info: Cicadas are perfectly harmless. This may be hard to accept when walnut-sized insects
Another LV annoyance Read More »
life in vegasThere’s a new study on online gambling, and the authors think that playing online should be regulated. From the LV Sun: Gamblers in the UNLV study weren’t asked about gambling addiction, but rather what gambling meant to them and what motivated them to gamble online versus in bricks-and-mortar casinos. Researchers asked gamblers, 20 of whom
Online gaming study Read More »
news about gamblingSteve Wynn doesn’t think much of the blogosphere. And I agree with him on this point. In many cases, would-be pundits’ reach exceeds their comprehension. From the LVRJ: Wynn, who controls 24 million shares of the company’s 111.8 million outstanding shares, is bullish on the future, not only for Wynn Resorts but the gaming industry
Wynn hates bloggers Read More »
news about gamblingMy latest piece in the LVBP is small consolation for folks who’ve got a significant chunk of their net worth tied up in gaming stocks, but hey, there’s a reason that they call it “gambling.” I’ll spoil you with the last two paragraphs, from the LVBP: Today, with fears of an economic downturn souring even