BJ21.com Newsletter
February 15, 2007
0707
Compiled by Al
Rogers
Al@bj21.com
HARRAH'S ENTERTAINMENT ACQUISITION: Buyers attempt 'creative' funding
The private equity firms that are buying the world's largest gaming
company plan to borrow against Harrah's Entertainment's land to help
finance the $17.1 billion deal.
Nevada gambling regulators say private equity oversight adequate
Nevada's gambling regulators assured lawmakers on Friday that private
equity funds are held to the same standards as any other investors in
the state's gambling industry.
Neteller patrons to see longer wait for money
The waiting game for thousands of U.S. patrons with money tied up in an
online payment service under federal investigation just got longer.
Neteller's
Actions Have Been Deplorable
The original intention of this article was to give people an update on
the NETeller situation, to hopefully address everyone's concerns and to
inform the American public who have funds tied up at NETeller exactly
what the company was doing to ensure players' money was not
compromised. Instead, I am forced to write a totally different article.
Jeff Simpson on why it's unlikely the online gambling ban will be
reversed
American Gaming Association President Frank Fahrenkopf told me last
week that if online poker players are confident they can persuade
Congress to pass a law that would define poker as a game of skill,
they're sadly mistaken.
Bensalem
casino receives citations for two violations
PhiladelphiaPark yesterday became the first casino to be cited for
violation of state gambling regulations. An official said that
how the Gaming Control Board ultimately rules in the case could set a
precedent for its future enforcement actions.
Security
guard arrested for setting fires at Silver Legacy
Reno fire investigators working with the Silver Legacy Resort Casino
security department have arrested a 22-year-old security employee on
two counts of first-degree arson related to two fires at the downtown
hotel casino, authorities said today.
Thanks to Green Chip member Harold
Harvey for posting this link.
Nevada
Landing about to sink -- Jean casino set to close in April to make way
for a master-planned community ...
Instead of selling the company's two casinos in Jean, MGM Mirage
executives prefer another idea: master-planning the 166 acres into a
mixed-use development 25 miles south of Las Vegas.
... Partnership plans housing for casino workers
MGM Mirage, in partnership with developers American Nevada
Company and Diamond Resorts, plans to build affordable housing for
casino workers on about 160 acres the company owns in Jean.
Foxwoods owner, MGM Mirage talk of joint A.C. casino venture
The American Indian tribe that struck it rich in the 1990s with the
opening of the Foxwoods casino in Connecticut may build an Atlantic
City casino in partnership with gaming giant MGM Mirage.
Speedway
Casino sold away
Chester, W.Va.-based MTR Gaming Group announced Tuesday that it had
entered an agreement to sell the Speedway Casino to Mandekic Cos., a
local privately held company, for $18.2 million in cash.
Missouri
bill would trade casino loss limits for a tax
A Senate leader proposed a new twist Monday in the long-running debate
on loss limits in Missouri casinos.
Elko gets new casino with a bit of Gold Dust
The Gold Dust West-Elko casino will have a "soft opening" in the early
days of March, according to executives of Jacobs Entertainment Inc. of
Golden, Colo.
Casino workers continue strike after rejecting offer
Striking workers continued to picket outside the Palace Casino Saturday
after rejecting an offer from the company that included thousands of
dollars in signing bonuses.
Casinos consider asset-light model
Casino companies with expensive properties in Las Vegas are considering
following some major hotel operators in shedding their real estate to
focus solely on operating the properties, industry leaders said.
Fugitives
caught at casino
The couple were caught while gambling at the Gold Spike, in the 400
block of Ogden Street downtown, Rivera said.
Stern
cuts the odds -- League seeks plan for gambling if LV had team
In the latest development in Mayor Oscar Goodman's quest to secure a
major league sports franchise for Las Vegas, NBA Commissioner David
Stern told him Wednesday to submit a plan that addresses the issue of
local sports books accepting wagers on NBA games.
Dueling
Fools: Station Casinos Bull
While The Motley Fool offers a variety of strategies to beat the
market, there is one constant among all of them: a focus on the premium
players. Almost without exception, we want the top dogs, the best
brands, and the companies with sustainable competitive advantages.
Dueling
Fools: Boyd Gaming Bull
I'm glad we're shaking things up a bit from our typical bull/bear duel,
because I don't really have anything negative to say about my colleague
Jeff Hwang's pick, Station Casinos
Dueling
Fools: Station Casinos Bull Rebuttal
Strictly in terms of EBITDA, Station Casinos is more than twice the
size of Boyd Gaming in the Las Vegas locals market, and with a
much higher-quality portfolio of properties to boot.
Dueling
Fools: Boyd Gaming Bull Rebuttal
Jeff does a thorough job of explaining that Boyd Gaming (NYSE: BYD) is
not a premium player. He points out that the company has only one
dominant property outside Las Vegas -- but that's still one more than
Station has.
End of Football
Season special on sports books -- Ten percent discount
during the month of February on these books from the SharpSportsBetting.com
catalog:
To
order, click here In the Notes and Comments section of the
order form, enter NL FEB and 10% will be deducted from the cover
price(s) at the time the order is filled. BJ21.com Green Chip members
will get 10% off in addition to their normal 10% discount.
Beat the Players - Casinos, Cops and the
Game Inside the Game, by Bob Nersesian
This
book should be read by everyone who sets foot in a casino: average
casino patrons, skilled players, casino employees, and anyone else. It
should be required reading for police officers, regulators, other
public officials, and attorneys who may represent any of the
aforementioned.
Bob
Nersesian is an attorney who represents victims of casino wrongdoing
against patrons. In an enjoyable writing style, he takes a look at the
often too-cozy relationship between casinos, police, and regulators. He
discusses specific cases and dispenses sound, practical advice that
patrons, casinos and public officials would be wise to heed. Cases
discussed are from Nevada and other jurisdictions.
Chapters
include: Your Money or Your Liberty; Scary Cop Statements; They'll Take
Your Liberty Anyway; Gaming Agents Speak; The Take of the State; Rules
for Casino Patrons; Gambling at the Legal Limits; Cops Hate Card
Counters; Griffin Investigations; Casinos Cheat With Impunity; A
Judicial and Government Overlay; Finding a Nickel Brings Trouble; Names
and Aliases; The Security Office and Surveillance Functions, and
Casinos and Cops.
Appendices
include Nevada Cheating and Detention Laws with Commentary; Other
Nevada Gaming Laws of Interest; Gaming Cases of Interest, and Nevada
Gaming Regulations with Commentary.
The
320-page book includes a bibliography and an index.
The
price is $19.95 plus shipping (plus sales tax if sent to a Nevada
address). Green Chip members get their normal 10% discount.
To order Beat the Players, click here
BJ21.com
Blackjack, Poker, Craps, other casino-related free
message board and Green Chip
membership
If you are serious about beating casinos, you like to talk about it
once in a while. You like to discuss strategy, and you like to discuss
what is going on in casinos you plan to visit. If you are like most
of the gamblers of the world, your family and neighbors and coworkers
prefer to talk about things other than casino games. If
you want to broaden your circle of friends to include more people
willing to discuss real casino winning principles, Green Chip is for
you.
Click here to
request a copy of our free catalog of products and services.
Special
Offer: Sign up for Green Chip and receive a free
three-month trial subscripton to Blackjack Insider, a blackjack
newsletter published monthly by e-mail since 2001.
This free newsletter has been sent to you by:
Pi Yee Press, 4855 West
Nevso Drive, Las Vegas, NV 89103, phone 702-579-7711.
Don't want to
receive our newsletter? Click here!
Please send an email to
webmaster@bj21.com if you have
clicked on the link above, have removed
your email address, and are still receiving this newsletter. We
absolutely do not want you to receive our newsletter if you do not wish
to receive it.