Featured Articles Archive - Page 552

Aristocrat Leisure replaces leader of U.S. operations

AUSTRALIA AND LAS VEGAS, Nevada -- Australia-based slot machine maker Aristocrat Leisure Ltd. has tapped a new president of its American operations for the second time in the last two years. The company announced Thursday that Tim Parrott had been replaced as head of Las Vegas-based Aristocrat Technologies by Nick Khin, who has overseen Aristocrat's operations in Europe, the Middle East and Africa since September 2006...read more

Enforcing a Stupid Law

The problem with political jokes is they sometimes get elected. Anonymous What do you do with a law that should never have been written? By this time, most people who are interested in Internet gaming know the sordid history of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act: It was written by the failed politician William H...read more

IGT wins; battle begins

A federal judge has ruled in favor of International Game Technology in a patent infringement dispute with rival gambling equipment maker Bally Technologies. The lawsuit is related to a slot machine gaming wheel product. But Wall Street said the fight is far from finished. Bally and IGT have several patent infringement lawsuits filed against each another in U.S...read more

California online poker bill shelved until 2009

California online poker players will have to wait until at least until next year to see if their favorite game will be taxed and regulated in their home state. A bill titled the Gambling Control/California Intrastate Online Poker Act, A.B...read more

7th Annual WCOOP drawing big numbers and handing out record prizes

It's just 12 events into a 33-event schedule, but the 7th Annual World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP) is well on its way to blowing the doors off of its previous bests in both participation and prize money. Last year the WCOOP, which is put on by PokerStars.com, had a prize pool of $15 million and saw 17,000 unique players take part in 23 events...read more

Nevada is 'struggling,' may finish '08 poorly

NEVADA -- With July's 13 percent decline in statewide casino revenues on the books, 2008 is headed toward recording the worst ever year-over-year percentage decrease in Nevada gaming win since authorities began collecting such data more than two decades ago. Through July, gaming revenues statewide are down 6.6 percent compared to the first seven months of 2007...read more

Raised from the dead

LAS VEGAS, Nevada -- In redeveloping The Mirage's volcano, designers quickly realized they needed more than just some high-tech pyrotechnic enhancements to return the 20-year-old Strip-front mountain to its landmark status. The job called for the talent of Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart. Joining with musician Zakir Hussain of India, the pair composed a percussion-influenced musical score that will become part of an audio and visual display when the redesigned Mirage volcano is unveiled in December. "Here's where technology, art and music can come together in updating the artistry of Las Vegas," said Hart, a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and a Grammy award-winning composer. The $25 million volcano face-lift is being designed by WET, the firm that developed the Fountains of Bellagio. When completed, The Mirage volcano will erupt every hour in a 41/2-minute show...read more

Like gambling-related biographies? Here's a handful to choose from

Often, people who are attracted to gambling -- the industry, the games and the city of Las Vegas in particular -- find themselves attracted to those people who "stood out" in history with regard to the games, the action, the money. It's a sort of "I'm on the outside looking in, but I wonder… attitude." So for those who just want to read about the survivors, the characters, the con men, here's a recommended list with a thumbnail description of each.Ponzi's Scheme by Michael Zuckoff ($14.95)...read more

PartyGaming could be liable for $287m in trademark infringement suit

The U.S. Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals released a decision on Monday stating that PartyGaming may be liable for up to $287.4 million in damages as a result of a suit filed by WMS Gaming. The appeal involves a dispute that alleges PartyGaming "infringed" on WMS trademarks "Jackpot Party" and "Super Jackpot Party" between the years of 2004 and 2006. WMS was originally awarded $2.673,422.10 in damages on July 19, 2007...read more

Profits rise for Shuffle Master

A recent stock offering by Shuffle Master prompted Wall Street to sing the gaming equipment provider's praises. The third-quarter earnings from the Las Vegas-based distributor of table games and table games-related products added to the chorus. Shuffle Master said Tuesday its net income for the quarter ended July 31 was almost $3 million, compared with $2.7 million a year ago. Earnings per share came in at 8 cents, the same as a year ago but below 10 cents estimated by analysts polled by Thomson Financial. Revenues rose 9.8 percent to $49.5 million from $45.1 million. "In three months time, we committed to a refinancing solution and successfully executed it thereby strengthening the balance sheet," Shuffle Master Chief Executive Officer Mark Yoseloff said...read more