Featured Articles Archive - Page 720

Rebecca's Recommendations - October 20, 2005

Welcome back, my friends. Before I get to the meat of my newsletter, and yes, I did just say "meat", I want to congratulate Casino City player Donna Y. who placed in the top fifty for the Platinum Play tournament! You make me proud Donna...read more

Aztar Results Mixed

LAS VEGAS – Another quarter, same results. Aztar Corp. announced Wednesday the company had record cash flow in the third quarter and earnings per share increased 41.6 percent over the same time period a year ago. But just as was reported during the company's second-quarter earnings, Aztar's aging Tropicana in Las Vegas was not a reason for the growth. Phoenix-based Aztar reported $63.4 million in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization for the quarter that ended Sept...read more

Station Casinos Profits Exceed Analysts' Outlook

Are rising gasoline prices and other national economic trends causing Las Vegas consumers to curb their discretionary spending? Not at all, it seems, given Station Casinos' third-quarter earnings. The casino company, which relies predominantly on leisure dollars from Southern Nevada residents for its profits, Tuesday reported earnings that exceeded all previous estimates by the company and gaming industry watchers. Station Casinos, which operates 13 large and small Las Vegas Valley casinos and manages an American Indian casino near Sacramento, Calif., said net income rose to $39 million, or 56 cents per share, for the three-month period ended Sept...read more

Gulf Coast Casino Revenue Hurt Heavily by Hurricanes

The hurricanes that ravaged the Gulf Coast also annihilated Louisiana's casino revenues for September, figures reported Tuesday by the state's Gaming Control Board show. Prestorm evacuations and poststorm flooding caused the closure of casinos in two key Louisiana gaming markets...read more

A Pivotal Time for Betfair

Key policy decisions soon to come in Europe and Australia will have a major impact on the future for British betting exchange Betfair. Perhaps the single most important event on the company's radar screen will occur at home, where it is waiting to learn whether the U.K...read more

Las Vegas Sands Plans Nongaming Venture Near Macau

CHINA AND LAS VEGAS, Nevada -- Adding to its growing presence in the expanding Chinese tourism market, Las Vegas Sands Corp. signed an agreement with the city of Zhuhai to master plan a 1,300-acre parcel with nongaming attractions, such as resort villas, golf courses and a marina. The destination, on Hengqin Island in the Guangdong Province city of Zhuhai, is expected to supplement the growing number of casinos in nearby Macau and the Las Vegas Sands' development on the neighboring Cotai Strip, where plans call for eight hotel-casinos, including the $1.8 billion Venetian Macau, which is under construction. Hengqin Island is less than a mile from the Venetian Macau's location and short trip by water taxi to the main areas of Macau, where Las Vegas Sands operates the Sands Macau and where MGM Mirage and Wynn Resorts Ltd...read more

All Shook Up

Elvis has left the building, at least for a short time. When the Las Vegas Hilton began the initial phase of a planned five-year redevelopment and expansion of the aging off-Strip resort, a statue of singer Elvis Presley, who used to grace the Hilton showroom, was moved from its place at the property's front entrance into storage. Once the lobby, main entry area, porte cochere and front desk are remodeled, Elvis will be returned for guests to enjoy and photograph. "Elvis will be back, we promise," said Las Vegas Hilton spokesman Ira Sternberg...read more

Harrah's, AOL Sign Deal for Online World Series

Harrah's Entertainment has signed an agreement with America Online to create a cyberspace home for the World Series of Poker that will include free-play poker rooms, event updates and other content in an effort to widen the tournament's audience. The relationship between Harrah's and AOL will also allow 12 poker fans, age 21 or older, to win a free seat at the $10,000 buy-in No limit Texas Hold'em world championship event at either the 2006 or 2007 World Series of Poker. "We're creating a year-round presence for the World Series of Poker online that will broaden the event's exposure to more people than ever before," said Jeffrey Pollack, vice president of sports and entertainment marketing for Harrah's...read more

A Shot in the Arm from Sportingbet

On the heels of a positive annual report from Sportingbet, share prices for I-gaming companies have rebounded somewhat from a slide that took place early in the week. Chief among Sportingbet's financial highlights for the year ended July 31, 2005 is an almost fivefold increase in pre-tax profit to £40.8 million, compared to £8.3 million for the previous year...read more

Rebecca's Recommendations - October 13, 2005

Welcome back to Rebecca's Recommendations! Today I'm going to talk to you about everyone's favorite topic. Money. Lots and lots of money. Money that has been won and money that will be won very soon, hopefully by one of you! Anyway, my first announcement is regarding Las Vegas USA Casino, one of Casino City's finest featured gaming sites...read more