Featured Articles Archive - Page 582

Betting Baseball, Cat House books updated; King Con good choices

Here's a "variety pack" of new arrivals for you -- key factors by which to bet baseball; an updated cat house directory and the story of legendary hustler Soapy Smith. A little something for everyone, so let's take them in order: Michael Murray's 2008 edition of Betting Baseball (215 pages, paperbound, $24.95) tops the list because the season is under way...read more

Room tax initiative backers dismiss resistance

LAS VEGAS, Nevada -- Proponents of two ballot initiatives that ask voters to reallocate hotel room tax dollars away from the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority might not be finding much support. The convention authority and every municipality in Clark County filed a lawsuit late Thursday to stop the ballot questions...read more

Inside gaming: After guiding success in Macau, exec moved up

LAS VEGAS, Nevada -- Wynn Resorts Ltd.'s new chief financial officer was a big supporter of Macau long before the financial markets knew it even existed. Matt Maddox, 32, has held finance and investor relations positions with Wynn Resorts since its startup in 2002...read more

Monte Carlo puts fire in rearview

LAS VEGAS, Nevada -- Two three-ring binders in the office of Monte Carlo President Anton Nikodemus are his most telling reminder of the rooftop fire two months ago that shut down the Strip casino for three weeks and continues to sideline roughly 16 percent of the hotel's 3,000-room inventory. Every now and then, Nikodemus will glance at the binders, which contain letters from Monte Carlo hotel guests, casino customers, and convention and meeting planners. A minuscule percentage of the letters are negative...read more

Room tax debate: Groups contest ballot initiatives

LAS VEGAS, Nevada -- The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority and every municipality in Clark County filed a lawsuit late Thursday to disqualify two potential November ballot initiatives that would divert room tax dollars away from tourism support and into either public education or public safety improvements. The initiatives, currently in the form of two petitions on file with the secretary of state's office, are being circulated by former state Treasurer Bob Seale. In the lawsuits, filed in District Court in Carson City, the convention authority said reallocating how room taxes are divvied up would not only damage its mission to support Southern Nevada tourism, but also hurt its standing with bond holders who have funded the previous and current expansions of the Las Vegas Convention Center. "The (convention authority) board has a fiduciary responsibility to our bond holders, but these initiatives would reduce our overall ability to market the destination," said Boyd Gaming Corp...read more

Commission approves sale of 50 percent stake in Golden Gate

LAS VEGAS, Nevada -- A 50 percent interest in Las Vegas' oldest hotel-casino was sold Thursday to an investment partnership controlled by two brothers whose family made their fortune manufacturing nuts and bolts in the Midwest. The Nevada Gaming Commission unanimously approved the purchase of a 50 percent interest in the Golden Gate by Desert Rock Enterprises, which is owned by brothers Derek and Greg Stevens...read more

Jerry's Nugget executive has gaming license restored

LAS VEGAS, Nevada -- The Nevada Gaming Commission took less than 20 minutes Thursday to restore Angelo Stamis' place in the casino industry, ending a 33-year road to redemption for the assistant general manager of Jerry's Nugget. Stamis, 73, lost his gaming license in 1975 when he was caught participating in a scam to cheat Caesars Palace...read more

Card-counting movie '21' endures the invasion of Hollywood

The motion picture "21" makes no apologies. The Columbia Pictures production doesn't hide from the fact that quite a bit of "Hollywood" was added to the script of the movie, which, as it clearly states on the movie's label, is "inspired by" the best-selling book, "Bringing Down The House: The Inside Story of Six MIT Students Who Took Vegas for Millions." The key words being "inspired by" and not "based on." Dana Brunetti, one of three producers of the film along with Kevin Spacey and Michael De Luca, explained the adaptation from real life to best-selling book to a major motion picture best when he said, "This is a fun movie – it's not meant to be a docudrama...read more

Mfuse Gets £1.55-Million Boost from Blandford

Mobile gambling technology provider Mfuse has raised £2.55 million through a round of fundraising, the proceeds of which derive primarily from Internet gambling pioneer Mark Blandford, who joins the company as non-executive director. Blandford's investment in the company totals £1.55 million...read more

Harrington's cash games books hot with new problem-solving ideas

Like the stagecoach in the Old West that pulls in with new-to-town passengers, mail and the latest via the frontier newspaper, Dan Harrington's double package of ammunition for serious players has arrived in on the shelves of Gambler's Book Shop. As eagerly-awaited as any poker books this century, Harrington on Cash Games: How to Win at No-Limit Hold'em Money Games Vol...read more