Featured Articles Archive - Page 580

Harrah's opts to hail name of Caesars

LAS VEGAS, Nevada -- Nearly three years after spending $9 billion to acquire rival casino operator Caesars Entertainment, Harrah's Entertainment is finally going to capitalize on the name. Harrah's announced Wednesday that it plans to change the company's name to Caesars Entertainment Corp...read more

Nevada economy: Funk and fear in February

NEVADA -- OK, now it's time to panic. Despite a month that included Chinese New Year, Super Bowl weekend, the three-day Presidents Day weekend, a favorable calendar and one extra day thanks to the leap year, gaming revenues statewide fell almost 4 percent in February, giving Wall Street cause for concern. On the Strip, casino revenues were down 3 percent from a year ago due to a lower hold percentage in baccarat and other table games...read more

Dubai World gets regulators' nod

DUBAI AND LAS VEGAS, Nevada -- MGM Mirage joint-venture partner Dubai World received permission Tuesday from Michigan gaming regulators to increase its ownership in the casino giant to almost 15 percent. The investment arm of the Persian Gulf state now controls 9.4 percent of the Las Vegas-based gaming company and separately owns half of the massive $8.4 billion CityCenter project, which MGM Mirage is developing on the Strip. Dubai World has an agreement with MGM Mirage allowing it to acquire up to 20 percent of MGM Mirage's common stock. The ruling by the Michigan Gaming Control Board came a day after Dubai World Chairman Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem told Zawya Dow Jones the company had no plans to increase its stake in MGM Mirage...read more

WSOP nixes rumor of live ESPN Main Event broadcast

The World Series of Poker denied blog reports Tuesday that it was considering televising the Main Event final table live -- or "plausibly live" -- on ESPN. "It is (just) a rumor," said Seth Palansky, communications director for the WSOP...read more

A brush with greatness at the Foxwoods Poker Classic

LEDYARD, Conn. – The first hand of the first day is being dealt at the World Poker Tour's Foxwoods Poker Classic last Friday and Ron Maset is sitting at a table tucked away at the back end of the massive Sunset Ballroom. Maset, a 44-year-old financial advisor from central New Jersey, notices a vacant seat across the table from him and wonders to himself if anyone will be filling it in the next 20 minutes before registration for the event officially closes...read more

Inside Gaming: Trump's second tower may wait

LAS VEGAS, Nevada -- New York billionaire Donald Trump arrives in Las Vegas this week to cut the ribbon on his shimmering $1.2 billion Trump International Hotel & Tower. Trouble, is the nongaming 64-story condominium and hotel may be the only building on the north side of Fashion Show Drive for a while. Rising construction costs, tightening credit markets and the slowing economy may delay a second Trump Tower and a $6 billion version of New York City's Plaza Hotel, planned for a neighboring 34.5-acre parcel on which the demolished New Frontier once stood. Trump said he hasn't decided on a start date for the identical 1,282-unit second tower, although the sales office is accepting reservations...read more

Exec links Boyd to layups and land of leis

LAS VEGAS, Nevada -- Hiring former University of Hawaii men's basketball coach Riley Wallace as an executive host for its downtown casinos has turned into more than just a slam-dunk idea for Boyd Gaming Corp. The casino operator also picked up a resource who is helping the company expand its growing college basketball business at the Orleans Arena...read more

Hotel tax ballot backers say lawsuit illegal

LAS VEGAS, Nevada -- Proponents of two ballot initiatives that ask voters to reallocate hotel room tax dollars away from the Las Vegas Convention and Authority said municipalities challenging the proposals are violating Nevada law by doing so. The School Funding Solutions Ballot Advocacy Group, which is headed by former state Treasurer Bob Seale, responded Wednesday afternoon to a lawsuit filed by the convention authority and every municipality in Clark County to stop the ballot questions. In a filing in Carson City District Court, Seale's group said Nevada law prohibits government entities from using taxpayer dollars to support or oppose a ballot question. The convention authority, joined by the cities of Las Vegas, North Las Vegas, Henderson, Boulder City, Mesquite and Clark County, filed a lawsuit in Carson City District Court to block the petition...read more

Betting longshots, Kentucky Derby focus of two new books

Advice often heard about Kentucky Derby time in May is "Never bet the favorite." Over the years, that advice has held true. The average horseplayer would love to connect on a longshot once a day; likewise, the same player enjoys advice on how to find that overlooked beauty to get him even or ahead for the day. So? So we've got two books that fill the needs of many punters seeking a fresh way of hitting winners...read more

News analysis of Wednesday's hearing on UIGEA regulations

Let's be perfectly clear here. Wednesday's congressional hearing on the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act's (UGIEA) regulations exposed the anti-online gambling law as poorly constructed and nearly impossible to enforce. But it did not kill it by any stretch of the imagination...read more