Featured Articles Archive - Page 366

Gambling and the Law: Be Afraid! Be Very Afraid!

Opponents of legal gambling are notorious within the industry for making up numbers. Robert Goodman, for example, is a discredited "anti" and the founder of the grandly named, though now defunct, "United States Gambling Research Institute." He is infamous for proclaiming, "The American Insurance Institute estimated that 40 percent of all white collar crime had its roots in gambling." The only problem is that there never was an American Insurance Institute...read more

Would the bosses be giving away the casino with 10s-or-better video poker?

Pretend your friendly neighborhood casino just installed a platoon of multi-game slot machines, and you notice that one of them includes a 10s-or-better video poker option. You know enough about video poker to realize that the probabilities associated with various final hands aren’t arbitrary, as they are for the winning levels on reel-type slots...read more

Deal Me In: A tiny difference with lots of leverage

Dear Mark: Why is the theory to bet more on a positive count when counting cards? Doesn’t a positive count also give the dealer the same chance as you of getting a good hand, and therefore the advantage of higher hand totals? Nick D.Card counters in theory, Nick, have an advantage varying between 0.5 percent and 1.5 percent against the house...read more

Caesars Entertainement unveils plans for Linq development

LAS VEGAS, Nevada -- Back in the day, The Linq would have been considered an amenity to a multibillion-dollar Strip hotel-casino development.That was before the bottom dropped out of the Las Vegas economy.Caesars Entertainment Corp. executives said Wednesday that they agree with assessments from analysts that Las Vegas does not need another hotel-casino at this time.That theory is the primary driver behind The Linq, a $550 million outdoor retail, dining and entertainment district patterned after The Grove in Los Angeles and anchored by the world's tallest observation wheel.Executives from Caesars unveiled various aspects and construction plans for The Linq during a briefing in the Pure Nightclub at Caesars Palace.In addition, the Imperial Palace Hotel & Casino will be renamed, renovated and rethemed as part of the development...read more

Gaming giant Terry Lanni remembered in Vegas

LAS VEGAS, Nevada -- Community and gaming industry leaders remembered longtime executive Terry Lanni for the changes he brought to the industry during his 30 years overseeing two major casino operators.During a 90-minute service Tuesday afternoon at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino attended by nearly 1,000 people, Lanni was recalled by Caesars Entertainment Chairman Gary Loveman as "a person who made you feel better simply by walking into a room."Lanni, 68, who died of cancer on July 14, spent 18 years as president of Caesars World...read more

MGM Resorts says it will demolish flawed CityCenter tower

LAS VEGAS, Nevada -- MGM Resorts International says there's only one way out for the flawed 27-story Harmon Tower: explosives.On Monday, the casino operator told Clark County officials that the structurally troubled Harmon Tower cannot be fixed and submitted a plan to implode the unfinished luxury hotel and condominium tower, which was to anchor the north end of the $8.5 billion CityCenter Aria Resort & Casino development.MGM Resorts was responding to a directive from the Clark County Building Department, which sought a solution to public safety concerns surrounding the Harmon...read more

Cantor Gaming suing Brandywine Bookmaking CEO

LAS VEGAS, Nevada -- If Cantor Gaming really thought Joe Asher was stealing company secrets, why did it take four years to file a lawsuit against its former executive?Maybe the mobile gaming innovator and sports book operator needed time to gather 15.7 million reasons.Asher is chief executive officer of Brandywine Bookmaking LLC, the parent company of the Lucky's Race and Sports Book chain, a rival of Cantor.Asher, an attorney who grew up in Delaware, came to Nevada in 2005 to help Cantor Gaming -- an affiliate of the global financial services firm Cantor Fitzgerald -- push for the legalization of mobile gaming.Asher was part of the team that spearheaded legislation and the writing of regulations covering the activity...read more

Top-10 popular culture slot machines

For decades, slot machine manufacturers have taken advantage of the popularity of our favorite TV shows, movies and personalities to inspire new games and entertain players. Today, instead of just using symbols on reels, machines can give players a much richer experience with video screens and bonus rounds that make players feel like part of the story.There are a few important factors slot machine manufacturers have to consider when deciding on whether to go forward on a licensing deal with a brand – overall popularity/recognition, fan dedication and timelessness.Based on these factors (and not actual game play), here are my top-10 slot machine pop culture themes.10...read more

Chino Rheem wins Epic Poker League Main Event

LAS VEGAS, Nevada -- David “Chino” Rheem of Los Angeles became the Epic Poker League’s first Main Event champion Friday night at The Palms Casino Resort.Rheem defeated Poker Hall of Fame member Erik Seidel in the $20,000 buy-in No Limit Hold’em Six-handed event to win $1 million...read more

What price do you pay for not doubling down or splitting pairs in blackjack?

Experienced blackjack buffs, and lots of novices as well, know that “the Book” says to double down in some situations and split pairs in others. When appropriate, these tactics lower the house edge in the game – improving solid citizens’ long-term prospects...read more