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Inside Gaming Column: Gaming Bosses Took Some Lumps Too29 December 2003As hard as they tried to avoid it, some gaming industry newsmakers still ended up with some egg on their faces in 2003. Give 'em an "A" for effort. ¥ ¥ ¥ Neither state gaming nor federal regulators noticed when The Mirage failed to file some 15,000 government-required reports on cash transactions over an 18-month period. They call that oversight. Once the "administrative error" was spotted, MGM Mirage was fined $5 million. ¥ ¥ ¥ Station Casinos decided to name its proposed Summerlin casino after the Red Rock Canyon National Recreation Area, and the project stalled because of nearby residents' objections to the proposed 300-foot-high hotel tower. Remember, Lyndon B. Johnson said the Equal Rights Amendment would die just because it mentioned "sex." That's politics. ¥ ¥ ¥ Treasure Island TI. What's that about? It looks like Texas Instruments casino, and holding company MGM Mirage, which wanted a new name to attract a younger, hipper crowd, insists on continuing with both names. That's commitment. ¥ ¥ ¥ Mandalay Resort Group founders Mike Ensign and Bill Richardson sell off their interest without explanation in the company they had controlled. The Motley Fool called that "either extremely bizarre or extremely crooked." Guys. Talk to us. ¥ ¥ ¥ International Game Technology finally released its long-awaited slot, "The Terminator," but without The Terminator himself. Because of sealed court agreements, we'll never know how a lawsuit brought by the new California governor was settled. Nor will we ever see his name or image grace the slot. ¥ ¥ ¥ After spending a fortune on campaign contributions to get the state Legislature in its hip pocket and to lobby for tax breaks, the casino industry came out of the 2003 session empty-handed. These guys need lessons in investing their money. ¥ ¥ ¥ Building a "cloud." The developers of Fashion Show mall came up with a concept never seen anywhere in the world, a cloud hanging over the center's grand Strip entrance. Fellows, there's a reason no one else has ever tried it. ¥ ¥ ¥ The Rio drew jeers after replacing 80 mostly older casino cocktail waitresses with "bevertainers" (which Harrah's Entertainment, owner of the Rio, says to say with a soft "e") who sing and dance while slinging drinks. You have to wonder how players feel with scantily clad guys and dolls gyrating in their faces. The Inside Gaming column is compiled by Gaming Wire Editor Rod Smith. You can contact him by phone at (702) 477-3893, fax (702) 387-5243 or e-mail at rsmith@reviewjournal.com. Copyright GamingWire. All rights reserved. |