Featured Articles Archive - Page 328

Top-10 casino workers who deserve our thanks

Labor Day weekend is just a few days away in the United States, so now's a good time to salute the different workers who make our casino experiences enjoyable.This top-10 list of casino workers who deserve our thanks is my show of appreciation for past services rendered, and a thank you for the future good times I know you'll provide...read more

Online poker's window of opportunity may be closing

LAS VEGAS -- What seemed like a tremendous decision for the gaming industry nine months ago - the re-evaluation of the Federal Wire Act of 1961 - may not be so advantageous for Nevada unless Congress takes steps to enact Internet poker legislation.A window of opportunity that could place Nevada at the center of the potential U.S...read more

Should you bet on the Field at craps?

One-roll bets at craps are resolved whenever the dice are thrown. Because the game is fast-paced, wagers of this type may induce steep bankroll climbs and falls during runs of good and bad luck, respectively. Usually, however, wins and loses occur in roughly the theoretical proportions, and frequent decisions in a given time period means that the house advantage or edge takes its toll. The Field is a bet of this type...read more

Sands' Singapore casino fined $286,800

LAS VEGAS -- In 2011, Las Vegas Sands Corp. collected almost $3 billion in gaming revenues from the Marina Bay Sands - Singapore, one of two casinos licensed in the city-state.On Wednesday, the property was fined $286,800 for several failures in enforcing the country's casino-entry restrictions.That penalty won't exactly break the company's balance sheet.A spokesman for the Marina Bay Sands told Singapore media Thursday the casino "remains committed to comply with the rules and regulations" of the Casino Regulatory Authority.When gaming was legalized in Singapore, the government implemented strict rules to deter local residents from entering casinos...read more

Does it matter that a judge thinks there's skill in poker?

A federal judge ruled yesterday that poker is more a game of skill than a game of chance. That ruling led to the dismissal of federal charges against Lawrence DiCristina for violating the Illegal Gambling Business Act (IGBA). DiCristina had been running a raked poker game and kept profits the game generated after paying waitresses and dealers."The fundamental question is not whether some chance or skill is involved in poker, but what element predominates," wrote Judge Jack Weinstein...read more

South Point raises tech bar, but don't expect e-mail about it

LAS VEGAS -- For a guy who just recently learned how to answer and send an e-mail, Michael Gaughan is about to have one of the most technologically advanced gaming operations in the city.The South Point Hotel Casino and Spa recently installed the Bally Technologies, Inc...read more

Top-10 reasons online sports betting in Nevada is a game changer

Last week, Cantor Gaming launched Wi-Fi enabled sports betting across Nevada. All you need to place a sports bet in Nevada is a computer, tablet or phone that can connect to a Wi-Fi network, proximity to that network and an established account with Cantor Gaming.That makes sports betting in Nevada the first gambling activity, other than lottery ticket sales, that can be conducted in a regulated online environment anywhere in the U.S...read more

MGM, Penn prepare for battle over sixth casino in Maryland

Two years ago, anti-gaming forces spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in a failed campaign to stop the Baltimore-based Cordish Cos. from winning voter approval for Maryland Live!, a $500 million slot machine-only casino in suburban Anne Arundel County. The opposition's advertising blitz employed images of organized crime, prostitution and corruption as examples of what happens when gaming moves into a neighborhood. Who provided the bulk of the funding for that anti-casino effort? Regional casino operator Penn National Gaming, Inc. Penn wanted to prevent competition for its Hollywood Casino Charles Town, one of its largest cash cows, just 73 miles away in West Virginia...read more

Louisiana gives Pinnacle tentative OK to open $368 million L'Auberge Baton Rouge

Louisiana gaming regulators approved the August 29 opening of the $368 million L’Auberge Casino Hotel Baton Rouge, pending a final inspection.The project, being built by Las Vegas-based Pinnacle Entertainment, Inc., is taking up a small portion of a 575-acre site in Baton Rouge along the Mississippi River.In Louisiana, gaming — other than at Harrah’s New Orleans — must be conducted over water...read more

Everything you need to or should know about soft blackjack hands

Soft hands at blackjack are those which total 13 or above when an ace is present and tabulated as 11. For instance, A-4 is a soft 15, A-2-5 is a soft 18, and A-9 is a soft 20. Technically, A-A could be viewed as a soft 12 but solid citizens normally treat it as a pair to be split; after a split, if one or both separated aces is topped with another ace, the new pair can be resplit on the increasingly rare occasions when it’s allowed, or the two aces add up to 12 with no further action permitted...read more