Featured Articles Archive - Page 372

Deal Me In: The sticky thing about your gambling timeline

Dear Mark: Even when I get decent hands at blackjack, I can never seem to get ahead. My high teen hands (17s -19s) can’t beat a hot dealer who gets more than their fair share of 20s, or their uncanny ability of drawing to it. Help! Bill W.Suppose I decided to open up a casino, Bill, fittingly calling it, Pilarski’s Grind Joint...read more

Penn National reports high profits

WYOMISSING, Pennsylvania -- M Resort owner Penn National Gaming told investors Thursday the locals gaming market is growing increasingly more competitive, especially with Station Casinos emerging from bankruptcy earlier this year.In a conference call with analysts and investors to announce the company's third quarter earnings, Penn executives reflected on an increase in business they have seen at M Resort...read more

MGM Resorts to develop project in Louisiana

LAKE CHARLES, Louisiana -- MGM Resorts International bought its way into the Louisiana gaming market Thursday through a joint venture with Las Vegas-based Creative Casinos to develop and operate a project in Lake Charles.The company's real targets, however, are Houston and other communities in customer-rich Texas.Analysts said running the planned 400-room Mojito Pointe hotel-casino in Lake Charles, roughly 145 miles east of Houston and its roughly 6 million residents, gives MGM Resorts a foothold near an important feeder market to Las Vegas and an edge in attracting new visitors to its 10 Strip resorts.Deutsche Bank gaming analyst Andrew Zarnett estimated that 50 percent of visitors from Southern states to Las Vegas come from Texas.Union Gaming Group principal Bill Lerner said Mojito Pointe could open the Lake Charles market to other Texas cities, such as Austin and San Antonio, which would eventually benefit MGM Resorts."(The partnership) becomes quite attractive in our view," Lerner said.Financial terms of the deal between MGM Resorts and Creative, which is privately owned by longtime gaming executive Dan Lee, were not revealed.According to a joint statement, MGM Resorts gains an undisclosed ownership stake and would manage Mojito Pointe, which will be designed and developed by Creative...read more

William Hill's Israeli employees offered more pay to return to work

Two days after walking out of their offices, employees at William Hill's Tel Aviv operations have been told that they will receive an extra month's pay in November and are guaranteed at least six months notice or the equivalent pay in severance should their jobs be eliminated if they return to work on Sunday.William Hill Chief Executive Henry Birch reportedly made the offer in an e-mail leaked to several media outlets...read more

Illinois governor won't sign large-scale gaming bill

SPRINGFIELD, Illinois -- Illinois' governor said late Monday that he wouldn't sign a large casino expansion bill that was sent to his desk in May, quashing expansion of that state's gaming presence. Gov. Pat Quinn, however, said he would support his own scaled-down proposal, which would allow five new gaming locations, as opposed to nine...read more

G2E a hit despite uncertain economy

LAS VEGAS, Nevada -- Although you might think a trade show dedicated to the gaming industry might not be the most well-attended event after three years of recession, organizers of this year's Global Gaming Expo, G2E, would beg to differ. Held Oct...read more

Top-10 degen sportsbook bets

A degenerate gambler is someone who has a real problem. True degenerates bet on anything and everything. They gamble with more money than they can afford to lose. And when they win, it doesn’t take long for a degenerate to lose it all back.A “degen” bet, on the other hand, has the fun of being a bet made just for the fun of making a bet, while lacking the life-sucking qualities of betting too much or the inevitability of losing it back if you win.In this week’s top-10 list, I thought I’d take a look at some of the more “degen” bets you can make in a sportsbook...read more

WSOP final table to be shown "almost live"

LAS VEGAS, Nevada -- Every hand of the World Series of Poker’s Main Event final table will be shown on television in a modified live format.The final table of nine players in the $10,000 buy-in No Limit Hold’em World Championship will revise its format to accommodate the expanded television coverage by ESPN.Play will begin at 11:30 a.m., Sunday, Nov...read more

How does edge affect your chances of winning at blackjack?

Conventional wisdom among civilians not inducted into the rites of the casino realm is that the house always wins. The ostensible rationale involves the bosses having an edge in the games they run. The part about having an edge is true – except, of course, in instances like blackjack with card counting where diligent enough players can get an advantage...read more

Help me Harry Reid, you're my only hope

Last week, while my wife was at one of her colleague's weddings, I stayed home with the kids. It was the classic "Dad's in charge" night; after getting our six-month-old twins down for the night I watched Return of the Jedi with our four-year old son (minus the opening sequence where Luke Skywalker defeats Jabba the Hutt's rancor beast) over pizza.With order restored to the galaxy and the four-year-old off to bed, I was left to my own devices with three hours to kill before my wife returned.And that was the moment I realized how much I missed online poker...read more