Featured Articles Archive - Page 347

MGM Resorts trying to acquire land in Massachusetts

BOSTON, Massachusetts -- MGM Resorts International officially entered the race for a Massachusetts casino license on Thursday, signing a deal to acquire 150 acres in the town of Brimfield for a hotel-casino complex.The location, 65 miles west of Boston, is considered western Massachusetts, where one of three resort-style casino licenses authorized by the state last year would be located.Other companies expected to bid on the single license include Las Vegas-based regional gaming operator Ameristar Casinos and Penn National Gaming, which owns 25 racetrack casinos, regional casinos in 18 jurisdictions, and M Resort."When we decided to get actively involved in Massachusetts, we scoured the state for a location that would provide the rural setting that New Englanders want," said MGM Resorts Chairman Jim Murren, who grew up in neighboring Connecticut...read more

Deal Me In: The useful art of table and partner selection

Dear Mark: I am a relatively new/occasional blackjack player and once in a while a hand comes up that advanced players would double-down on. However, being a low-roller, I do not really want to put more money out. On two different occasions, a player (usually a man) will place his own money alongside mine since he said it is a good bet...read more

IGT acquires Double Down Interactive for $500 million

LAS VEGAS, Nevada -- International Game Technology has reached agreement to acquire Double Down Interactive, an online social gaming company, for $500 million, the Las Vegas-based company announced Thursday. Double Down Interactive is the developer of the DoubleDown Casino found on Facebook...read more

Ohio casinos delayed by up to two months

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- A licensing hang-up will delay the openings of two Ohio casinos by up to two months.One, in Cleveland, is half-owned and would be managed by Caesars Entertainment Corp.Ohio's Casino Control Commission has not completed the background checks on some 15 individuals with Penn National Gaming, which owns and will operate the Hollywood Casino Toledo, and with Caesars, which owns the Horseshoe Casino Cleveland with Rock Financial.The Horseshoe Cleveland was expected to open in March, followed by the April opening of the Hollywood Toledo...read more

MGM Resorts spokesman named chairman of NCRG

LAS VEGAS, Nevada -- MGM Resorts International Senior Vice President of Public Affairs Alan Feldman has been named chairman of the board for the National Center for Responsible Gaming. Feldman, the chief spokesman for MGM Resorts, has been on the Washington D.C.-based organization's board since 2000. The nonprofit group was founded as the affiliated charity of the American Gaming Association, the gaming industry's Capitol Hill-based trade organization and lobbyist. Feldman replaces Glenn Christenson, the former Station Casinos chief financial officer who is now managing director of Velstand Investments...read more

Moody's upgrades view on CityCenter

LAS VEGAS, Nevada -- CityCenter bonds are looking like a better bet, according to investment adviser Moody's.Moody's upgraded its view of CityCenter's roughly $1.5 billion of debt Monday, saying the prospects of increased visitation to Las Vegas this year helps the 67-acre, multiple development Strip complex.CityCenter Aria Resort & Casino , anchored by the 4,004-room Aria hotel-casino, is 50-50 owned by MGM Resorts International and Dubai World, the investment arm of the Persian Gulf emirate...read more

Top-10 ways the industry could screw up online gaming in the U.S.

Two days before Christmas, the Department of Justice handed the gambling industry a gift when it reversed its stance on the Wire Act and decided intrastate non-sports related gambling was legal. As the industry cheered the DOJ opinion and eagerly anticipated licensed and regulated online gaming coming to the U.S., the only thought running through my mind was now was the time for a Lee Corso style "Not so fast my friend." The DOJ opinion removes a legal and political obstacle for online gaming...read more

Resorts World New York collects almost $90 million

NEW YORK, New York -- Resorts World Casino New York City, the casino attached to the Aqueduct Race Track in New York City, collected gaming revenues of $89.9 million through Dec. 31, having been open less than three months.Malaysia-based Genting operates the casino, which opened its second phase Dec...read more

Downtown Las Vegas ready for transformation

LAS VEGAS, Nevada -- Downtown Las Vegas needs more than just a steakhouse named for former Mayor Oscar Goodman if the market is going to rebound following gaming revenue declines in five of the last six years.That extra help is on the way.2012 is a transition year for downtown, in advance of online retailer Zappos' 2013 relocation of some 1,000 employees into the soon-to-be reconfigured former City Hall, providing a new source of business.The market also awaits redevelopment of the shuttered Lady Luck, a remodeling of Fitzgeralds Casino & Hotel, and a $12 million expansion of the already-renovated Golden Gate Hotel & Casino...read more

How do betting strategies affect your blackjack performance?

Blackjack card counters can get an advantage over the casino by raising their bets when favorable ranks dominate what remains to be dealt from a deck or shoe. Given the rules dealers must follow and the options available to players, the house has a small edge when ranks are uniformly distributed...read more