Featured Articles Archive - Page 453

Aria ready for Ivey Room debut

LAS VEGAS, Nevada -- So how much money do you have to gamble to have your name placed on the room that houses the highest-limit poker table inside the Strip's newest and most expensive hotel-casino?Aria President Bill McBeath isn't saying.But clearly when the name of poker superstar Phil Ivey is attached to a nine-seat table, we're not talking penny ante.CityCenter's Aria has taken the exclusive high-limit poker table area and named it "The Ivey Room" after someone many people consider the world's best poker player."We were thrilled that Phil agreed when we asked if he would consider putting his name on the room," said McBeath, who is a friend of Ivey and himself is a poker player.Ivey, who on record has won more than $10 million in tournament poker since 2000, reached the final table of last year's World Series of Poker main event, finishing seventh and winning more than $1.404 million.Ivey owns seven World Series of Poker individual event champion bracelets, including two earned in 2009.To poker fans, Ivey, a high-stakes gambler, is one of game's most popular superstars...read more

Atlantic City casino revenue slightly improves

ATLANTIC CITY, New Jersey -- Only in Atlantic City would casino operators be celebrating a less than 1 percent decline in monthly gaming revenues. April's casino win of $311.5 million didn't reverse a downward spiral that goes back to August 2008, but it gave casino operators on the Boardwalk some hope. "Not only do we want to position Atlantic City as a sought-after shore destination rich in entertainment offerings for all ages, but one that is financially accessible," Harrah's Entertainment's Eastern Division President Don Marrandino told the Press of Atlantic City last week. Harrah's operates four of the market's 11 casinos. The decline was Atlantic City's smallest since the nosedive began...read more

Andy Rooney rips industry on "60 Minutes"

LAS VEGAS, Nevada -- It probably wasn't too much of a surprise that curmudgeon commentator Andy Rooney took off on the gaming industry Sunday night on the CBS News television show "60 Minutes." What may have been surprising was that he launched a verbal tirade on casino employees. "I mean who...read more

Can you afford to get an edge at blackjack by counting cards?

Casino bets are as tough to compare with one another as apples and oranges. House advantage or edge is often used to gauge alternatives. However, this criterion is really of value only to the bosses because its relevance lies in calculating long-term averages...read more

Online poker bill coming soon to California

MONTREAL -- California State Senator Roderick Wright announced Wednesday that he's drafting legislation that would license and regulate online poker in California. But he admitted that even if the bill is adopted, he has no idea when it would actually be implemented."It could take two to three years frankly," Wright said, referring to a potential legal battle over whether online poker violates compacts California has signed with Native American tribes regarding gambling in the state...read more

Stratosphere sets stage for improvements

LAS VEGAS, Nevada -- The Stratosphere's owners said Wednesday that a planned renovation and a new thrill ride that is already drawing better-than-expected numbers should help bolster the property's performance as the economy recovers.American Casino & Entertainment Properties will spend $20 million in room renovations and slot-floor improvements after July 4, Chief Executive Officer Frank Riolo said during the company's first-quarter earnings call.The renovations will cover 909 of the property's 2,427 rooms and include new flat-screen televisions, bathroom floors and vanities, and new carpet and furniture...read more

Nevada gaming revenues dip slightly

LAS VEGAS, Nevada -- It was back to normal for Nevada casinos in March -- or what portends to be the new normal. Gaming revenues fell by less than 1 percent during the month following February's double-digit increase, the first such climb in almost three years. On the Strip, gaming revenues increased 2.4 percent, the second straight monthly increase for the tourist market...read more

Deal Me In: That's what drove Aunt Matilda to cribbage with cocoa

Dear Mark: I enjoy playing video keno. I have tried every combination of numbers and I just can't win. Do the numbers bear any meaning on winning or does the machine work like a slot with a timed chip in it? I am at my wit's end over this game and I have been playing it for 15 years...read more

Aqueduct casino bidding begins again

NEW YORK, New York -- New York Lottery officials have restarted the search for an operator to manage a proposed 4,500-machine video lottery terminal casino at the Aqueduct Racetrack in New York City.But after last year's convoluted bidding process, which resulted in Las Vegas-based Navegante Group losing its deal for Aqueduct six weeks after it seemingly won the contract, New York may be hard-pressed to find gaming companies willing to take part in the process.Navegante, a casino management company headed by veteran gaming executive Larry Woolf, was in partnership with several New York companies that formed the winning consortium.Navegante beat out several gaming industry heavyweights for the Aqueduct deal during a contentious bidding process, including MGM Mirage, Harrah's Entertainment, Penn National Gaming, Wynn Resorts Ltd...read more

French 'liberalisation' set to become law in time for the World Cup

I can almost see the smile on your face from here. As reported a few weeks back, the long-awaited reform of the French online gambling regime is upon us, and will extend open, free and fair access to all EU-licensed operators to French citizens, affording them the protection, value and choice they so crave. Though before you get to excited, let me inform you exactly as to what the French betting public have lying in store. As we pointed out in a previous blog for the GPWA, this new law spells out horrendously bad news for the French consumer on a number of key issues. Firstly, the liberalisation was supposed to open the market to EU betting operators based outside the country's borders, yet the contrary is indeed the reality thanks to the countless disincentives put in place before anyone even thinking about applying for a French licence. One of the key elements of this new law is a tax on turnover, rather than profits, which is a model that makes operating profitably extremely difficult...read more