Featured Articles Archive - Page 448

Ameristar to expand Kansas City hotel

KANSAS CITY, Missouri -- Ameristar Casinos said this morning it would spend $14 million to expand the hotel portion of its riverboat casino property in Kansas City, Mo.The project will add 100 hotel rooms and a fitness center to the Ameristar Kansas City and is targeted for completion at the end of 2011.Ameristar Kansas City currently has 184 hotel rooms, which were renovated in September 2006.Expanding in Kansas City doesn't mean the Las Vegas-based regional casino operator is not opposed to other opportunities elsewhere...read more

France issues 17 online gambling licenses

After months of anticipation and speculation, the French government issued 17 online gambling licenses to 11 different operators Tuesday. The companies will be allowed to conduct online betting on sports, horse racing and poker. According to Reuters, the companies are Everest Gaming, Beturf, Betclic, France Pari, Table 14, Iliad Gaming, Sajoo, SPS Betting France, BES SS, Pari Mutuel Urbain and state-run Francaise des Jeux. Jean-Francois Vilotte, president of Arjel, the French regulator of gaming, said in a radio interview that the country received a number of applications for licenses. "There were 35 requests for licenses and we have retained 17 at this stage," he said...read more

ECJ fails to take the initiative yet again

Last week the ECJ ruling in the case brought against betting operators Ladbrokes and Betfair by the Dutch government stated that Member States were entitled to block private operators on the grounds of protecting the public from crime and addiction.They've done this despite there being absolutely no evidence that proves that an open, regulated online gambling market contributes to higher rates of addiction and crime than a closed shop.In fact, several independent reports have actually found that without the consumer-need to find black-market alternatives and with increased competition with regards to customer service and security, a liberalised online gambling market can actually help combat addiction and related criminal activities.For example, in the UK, which has arguably the most liberal approach to its online gambling market, the addiction rate is lower than in some Member States where a monopoly exists.Consumer protection is of paramount importance and we wish in no way shape or form to play down that argument...read more

WSOP players ante up for charity

LAS VEGAS, Nevada -- With the 41st World Series of Poker under way at the Rio, tournament officials hope to surpass last year's prize pool of more than $174 million.They also hope a percentage of those winnings end up in the hands of the World Series of Poker's chosen charity, the Nevada Cancer Institute.Players who cash out in any of the tournament's 57 events are encouraged to "Put a Bad Beat on Cancer" by making tax-deductible donations to the cause.World Series of Poker spokesman Seth Palansky said if all players return 1 percent of their winnings, the tournament's participants could donate $1.75 million toward fighting cancer."Poker players are among the most generous and charity-conscious people on the planet," Palansky said...read more

"The Master" wins seventh WSOP bracelet

LAS VEGAS, Nevada -- Seven turned out to be the lucky number for the poker player known as "The Master."Men Nguyen of Bell Gardens, Calif., won the 41st World Series of Poker's first $10,000 buy-in event early Sunday morning, when he topped a field of 150 players to capture the Seven-Card Stud World Championship at the Rio.The victory earned Nguyen his seventh World Series of Poker championship bracelet, tying him with Hall of Fame inductee Bill Baxter and Phil Ivey for sixth place among those with the most career World Series of Poker victories.It has also been seven years since Nguyen captured his last bracelet.Men "the Master" picked up his seventh gold braclet after the victory...read more

How to get broader bankroll swings without paying more in edge

Everybody knows that house advantage or edge in the casino is bad for players. Not many solid citizens know exactly why, how much it's responsible when they lose, or the reason folks often wrap up sessions or visits with a profit despite its negative effect. Hardly anybody knows anything about volatility...read more

Judge OKs auction of Station Casinos properties

RENO, Nevada -- A federal bankruptcy judge on Friday gave his initial approval for the auction process that will place a large chunk of locals' casino giant Station Casinos on the open market. U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Gregg Zive approved two motions sought by the bankrupt gaming company concerning a two-pronged reorganization that was proposed to the court in March...read more

MGM Mirage, Sands, Wynn stocks decline slightly

LAS VEGAS, Nevada -- Stock prices of the gaming industry's "big three" publicly traded casino operators in May lost some of the value they gained on a wild upward swing a month earlier. But the declines didn't filter down to regional casino operators or slot machine manufacturers, according to a report by Las Vegas-based financial consultant Applied Analysis. MGM Mirage, Las Vegas Sands Corp...read more

MGM Mirage says it is paying CityCenter subcontractors

LAS VEGAS, Nevada -- MGM Mirage said in a court filing it has begun the process of paying subcontractors caught in the middle of its legal skirmish with CityCenter general contractor Perini Building Co.The casino operator, which owns CityCenter in a 50-50 joint venture with Dubai World, said it is actively working through the closeout process with 25 of the 220 first-tier subcontractors who worked on the development...read more

Casino licensees told to stay clear of Internet gambling companies

LAS VEGAS, Nevada -- A member of the Gaming Control Board said casino licensees should continue to keep their distance from Internet gambling companies that accept wagers from Americans. The Nevada agency will continue to look at any ongoing relationships on a case-by-case basis. In letter posted Wednesday on the agency's website, control board member Randall Sayre told an unidentified gaming attorney that his advice to clients about not doing business with certain Internet gaming operators was "sound from both a state and federal perspective." The letter was in response to a question surrounding the distinction between .com and .net websites operated by Internet gaming companies...read more