Featured Articles Archive - Page 522

Gambling and the Law: Jackpot for a Casino Thanks to Great Lawyering

Legal gambling can be one of most profitable businesses around. Take for example Penn National Gaming. The company owns four Argosy and four Hollywood casinos; manages the 200,000 square foot Rama Casino in Canada; owns three other casinos, including the Empress Joliet; operates telephone and internet wagering on races, and owns nearly a dozen OTB facilities and racetracks, some with slot machines, including Penn National Race Course...read more

ESPN only airing two WSOP bracelet events

This year's World Series of Poker has 57 events. But you'll only get to see two of them on TV. ESPN's newly released TV schedule for the 2009 WSOP includes coverage of the Main Event, a special $40,000 buy-in No-Limit Hold'em tournament to celebrate the WSOP's 40th anniversary and two non-bracelet events -- the Ante up for Africa charity tournament and the WSOP Champions Invitational...read more

Top-10 tidbits from the 2009 WSOP Media Guide

Believe it or not, cards go in the air for the 2009 World Series of Poker in just 31 days. And in anticipation of the biggest poker event of the calendar year, the crack WSOP media relations staff released its 45-page Media Guide last week...read more

Murren earned more than $3 million in 2008

LAS VEGAS, Nevada -- MGM Mirage Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Jim Murren earned more than $3 million in pay during 2008, roughly $5.4 million less than he was compensated in 2007, according a company filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission late Friday. Murren, who replaced Terry Lanni in those positions in November, was recently given a new employment agreement that expires in 2013 almost with a raise of $500,000...read more

Pinnacle beats analysts' expectations

LAS VEGAS, Nevada -- A day after Penn National Gaming blew away earnings projections, Pinnacle Entertainment backed up Wall Street's thesis that regional gaming markets are showing small signs of recovery. Pinnacle, which is based in Las Vegas but operates primarily in the South and Midwest, beat analysts' expectations Friday when the company announced its first-quarter earnings. The casino operator, which owns Boomtown in Reno, reported a net income of $900,000 in the quarter ended March 31, or earnings of 2 cents per share...read more

IGT forging ahead despite loss

LAS VEGAS, Nevada -- New International Game Technology Chief Executive Officer Patti Hart knew when she took over the job 23 days ago, the Reno-based slot machine giant was facing challenges. Casino customers aren't spending much money on gambling...read more

Deal Me In: Those gimmick wagers ride the range again

Dear Mark: I was playing blackjack, and this game had the Pair Plus bet. I usually don't bet these side bets, but pairs were coming up like crazy so I tried it a couple of times. Could you give me the house edge on this bet? James H. The bet you mentioned isn't called Pair Plus, as the wager of that name you will find on a three-card poker table...read more

Penn National profits beat expecations

LAS VEGAS, Nevada -- Regional casino operator Penn National Gaming posted a first-quarter profit that exceeded Wall Street's expectations, but the company's infatuation with Las Vegas was still foremost with analysts. Officials from Wyomissing, Pa.-based Penn National, which operates 19 casinos and racetracks, said the company remains interested in acquiring a Strip casino...read more

"Eat Pro Poker Players Alive!" covers much territory

Like a breath of fresh air, a new work on the game, Eat Professional Poker Players Alive! by Frank Wiese (295 pages, paperbound, $24.95), has arrived. Covering Hold'em, Razz, Stud, 2-7 Triple Draw Low Ball and H.O.R.S.E., tournament play and online poker, it's an excellent tutorial for both beginners and experienced players...read more

Playing It Smart: Why craps players take odds, but few lay them

Most craps buffs who play Pass or Come take Odds after the point is established. Technically, the extra money put at risk to do so represents a "good bet" because the house has no edge on it. The reason is that the payoff precisely mirrors the chance of success...read more