Featured Articles Archive - Page 213

Top-10 bets for the 2014 NBA Finals

Seven months ago, I picked the San Antonio Spurs to win the NBA championship. They're now just four wins away from proving me right.When I made my top-10 bets for the 2013-2014 NBA season, I envisioned a Spurs-Miami Heat NBA Finals. And though I love Miami and LeBron James, the 14-1 odds I got on the Spurs at Paddy Power Sportsbook at the time were just too juicy to pass up, especially because I felt San Antonio outplayed the Heat in last year's finals.So here we are...read more

Inside Gaming: Macau bans smoking on floors

The special administrative region government last month told its resort operators that smoking will be banned on mass-market gaming floors starting Oct. 6.Here’s the surprise: Macau’s six casino operators — including MGM Resorts International, Wynn Resorts Ltd...read more

Deal Me In: Did this player deserve to be tossed from the casino?

Dear Mark: I was asked to leave a casino by security for, if you can believe this, playing someone else’s left over $12 worth of credits that they had left on a slot machine and didn’t cash out. Although not banned for life, I was “rudely” told it was against the law, made me return the $12, and told not to come back for 30 days...read more

El Cortez reaches deal with Culinary, Bartenders unions

The El Cortez Hotel & Casino became the third downtown Las Vegas casino in two days to reach a tentative agreement on a five-year contract with two unions, averting a strike planned for this weekend.In a statement Wednesday, Culinary Local 226 and Bartenders Local 165 said the contract, which must be ratified by the El Cortez’ non-gaming employees, is retroactive to June 1 last year.Two casinos — Main Street Station and the Fremont — operated by Boyd Gaming reached new contract agreements Monday...read more

Neither Strip nor Pacquiao can rescue state gaming figures in April

The Strip and Manny Pacquiao couldn’t bail out Nevada in April.Statewide gaming revenue fell less than 1 percent during the month, the third time in the first four months on 2014 that Nevada has reported a decline in results.The Strip, however, saw revenue grow almost 3.2 percent, thanks in large part of high-end baccarat play...read more

MGM Resorts takes cautious approach to actual real money Internet gaming

MGM Resorts International supports the legalization of online wagering in the U.S.The casino giant holds an interactive gaming license in Nevada.But the company’s Internet presence is devoted to a free-to-play casino site that allows customers of its M Life loyalty program to earn rewards, which can be redeemed at MGM properties in Las Vegas and Mississippi.MGM Resorts is taking a wait-and-see approach in regard to real money Internet gaming.The business model just isn’t there yet.Macquarie Securities gaming analyst Chad Beynon doesn’t blame MGM Resorts or any other casino company from sitting out the current Internet gambling effort in the U.S...read more

Push for bill draft to define restricted gaming locations fails

LAS VEGAS -- A legislative committee looking at technology and gaming spent roughly 95 percent of its final hearing Tuesday debating taverns and other restricted slot machine businesses and whether or not a litmus test was needed to determine whether gambling revenue was “incidental” to a location’s success.In the end, the committee decided to leave well enough alone.Despite several attempts by Assembly Majority Leader William Horne, D-Las Vegas, the committee’s chairman, to push forward a bill draft calling for a definition of traditional and non-traditional restricted gaming locations, the matter died.“I just don’t see us reaching consensus on a bill draft,” Sen...read more

Two downtown Boyd casinos reach deal with Culinary, Bartender unions

LAS VEGAS -- Two downtown Las Vegas casinos operated by Boyd Gaming Corporation reached tentative contract agreements with two unions, leaving seven properties unsettled and targets for a potential strike starting Sunday morning.Culinary Workers Local 226 and Bartenders Local 165 said Tuesday it reached agreements on new five-year contracts covering non-gaming workers at the Fremont Hotel & Casino and Main Street Station Casino Brewery and Hotel, which are are owned by Boyd Gaming...read more

Unions plan last-ditch talks to avert downtown strike

In a last-ditch effort to avert a planned Sunday walkout by downtown Las Vegas hotel workers, two unions have scheduled contract talks with several property representatives to try and reach a new agreement.In a statement, Culinary Workers Local 226 and Bartenders Local 165 said it would meet starting Monday with Fremont, Main Street Station, El Cortez, The D Las Vegas, Four Queens, Binion’s, The Plaza, and Las Vegas Club.The Golden Gate, which is part owned by D Las Vegas owners Derek Stevens, is the only unsettled casino that hasn’t scheduled a meeting.Workers at the Golden Nugget Las Vegas ratified a new 5-year contract on May 1...read more

New life being breathed into locals gaming market

You know things are on the upswing in the locals gaming market when the two Arizona Charlie’s casinos report a first-quarter net revenue increase.It’s been a while since that happened.It wasn’t a large bump — less than 1 percent credited to increased slot machine revenue, hotel occupancy and restaurant sales — but with the results coming just a few days after Station Casinos’ best first-quarter earnings in five years, analysts are starting to take notice.Union Gaming Group analyst Robert Shore pointed out that economic fundamentals in the locals market — housing, wage growth and employment — are all pointing in the right direction...read more