Featured Articles Archive - Page 406

Inside Gaming: Loveman laments perception of gaming

LAS VEGAS -- For about an hour last week, Harrah's Entertainment CEO Gary Loveman turned a Las Vegas Convention Center conference room into a Harvard University lecture hall. Loveman's keynote address at the Global Gaming Expo implored the industry to fight misinformation and misconceptions about legalized gaming in America. A former associate professor at Harvard's Graduate School of Business Administration, Loveman adopted some of his classroom techniques in a PowerPoint presentation...read more

Top-10 things gamblers can be thankful for

It's the time of year when Americans start thinking about all the things that they are thankful for. Most of us, of course, are most thankful for great friends, family, and good health. But gamblers also have a lot to be thankful for at this time of year...read more

Gaming expo panelists agree gaming industry will recover

LAS VEGAS, Nevada -- Five longtime gaming industry personalities believe the worldwide business they played a hand in creating will recover from its current economic woes. During a roundtable discussion at the Global Gaming Expo on Wednesday, former International Game Technology Chairman Chuck Mathewson said the gaming industry is already rebounding from its two-year-long recession. "It's going to be a long recovery, and we're starting to see some traction," said Mathewson, who began investing in IGT in the early 1980s, became chairman and chief executive officer, and grew the company into the industry's largest slot machine manufacturer. "The industry won't be as robust as it was, but it will recover," Mathewson said...read more

A shocking confession: Maybe NLH is alright, after all

I've been a poker snob. While no-limit Texas Hold'em has been the undisputed king of poker for at least a decade, I've espoused the more "intellectual" challenges of the limit variety of the game. I've professed my love for limit Omaha Eight or Better, for Stud, and mixed games like H.O.R.S.E., while generally relegating my no-limit Hold'em play to tournaments only.The truth is, I was scared...read more

Eastgate to auction off bracelet on eBay

LAS VEGAS, Nevada -- Peter Eastgate, the 2008 World Series of Poker champion, has placed his gold and diamond champions bracelet for sale on eBay. Eastgate, who earned $9.15 million by topping a field 6,843 players, said in the listing all proceeds from the sale would be donated to the U.S...read more

G2E deals already made in Vegas

LAS VEGAS, Nevada -- The trade show hasn't started but the deals are already being made. During a Sunday meeting with analysts before this week's Global Gaming Expo, Bally Technologies announced it had won contracts to provide equipment that operates two Canadian province lotteries. But analysts are hoping Bally's deal, which could be worth $100 million annually to the Las Vegas-based company, could jump-start interest in gambling equipment among buyers attending this year's G2E, the industry's largest annual trade show and conference. Major slot machine manufacturers typically use G2E, which is at the Las Vegas Convention Center but is closed to the general public, to unveil new gaming advancements for the coming year. Gambling equipment sales have sagged for several years because of the recession and moves by casino operators to slice budgets for purchases. "Operators, in general, remain hesitant to spend on their slot floors due to continued soft customer visitation and play levels, and lack of spending by major competitors," Stifel Nicolaus Capital Markets gaming analyst Steven Wieczynski said. Analysts also met with representatives of slot machine giant International Game Technology over the weekend and received a preview of the trade show. "IGT management provided very bullish comments during its presentation," JP Morgan gaming analyst Joe Greff told investors, adding that company Chief Executive Officer Patti Hart said 2010 "is IGT's best product introduction ever, bar none." Greff called Hart's remarks, "A pretty big statement." Credit Suisse gaming analyst Joel Simkins said executives from IGT and Bally were hopeful that casino companies would see the need to purchase gaming equipment and update their casino floors. "Both management teams were cautiously optimistic about operator capital budgets starting to improve heading into 2011," Simkins said...read more

How do the gurus get video poker expert strategy and should you follow it?

Pretend you're playing jacks-or-better video poker and get 10H-9H-7H-6S-2H as a starting hand. Do you dump the deuce and go for the inside straight, or toss the six and hope to make a flush? Most solid citizens would opt intuitively for the flush, mainly because it pays more than a straight...read more

Top-10 predictions for November Niners

It's been a week since Jonathan Duhamel won the 2010 World Series of Poker Main Event to claim the $8.9 million first-place prize. We learned a lot about the young French-Canadian poker pro during the tournament, but we also learned a lot about the other eight players in the November Nine...read more

Bally Technologies wins two Canadian contracts

LAS VEGAS, Nevada -- Bally Technologies has been awarded contracts for equipment covering two Canadian province lotteries, which analysts believe will be worth about $100 million annually to the Las Vegas-based slot machine provider. Bally announced the award Sunday during meeting with analysts ...read more

Duhamel relishes newfound celebrity in Canada

LAS VEGAS, Nevada -- Hours after winning the World Series of Poker's Main Event, Jonathan Duhamel was more popular in Canada than hockey superstar Wayne Gretzky.Newspaper headlines north of the border -- including his hometown Montreal Gazette, Vancouver Sun, and Toronto Star -- proclaimed Duhamel, 23, the country's and the game's newest celebrity.His victory Monday night in the $10,000 buy-in No-limit Hold 'em World Championship was worth $8.9 million...read more